The Lombard Street View I Want to Find Again
I took this photograph from the top of Lombard Street as a child in 1983. More than four decades later, it has become a challenge to my future self: go back, find the same viewpoint and photograph it again.
Why Do I Want to Find This Lombard Street View Again?
Because this 1983 photograph no longer feels like just a childhood vacation snapshot. It has become a way to measure how both San Francisco and I have changed.
I was a kid standing near the top of San Francisco’s Lombard Street with a camera in my hands.
I was not thinking about composition.
I was not studying architecture, historic houses or how the layers of the city disappeared into the fog.
I simply saw a view that seemed worth photographing.
More than four decades later, I see much more inside that same frame.
This is an original photograph from my 1983 family trip to San Francisco. My goal for a future visit is not simply to see Lombard Street again—it is to locate this viewpoint as closely as possible and deliberately recreate the photograph.
What Did I Notice About Lombard Street in 1983?
Mostly the steep hill and the view.
That is the interesting part of looking back at childhood travel photographs.
The camera recorded far more than I consciously noticed.
There are houses, rooftops, trees, streets and architectural details throughout the photograph that I probably barely registered when I pressed the shutter.
The younger version of me saw an incredible San Francisco view.
The photographer I am today sees dozens of smaller stories inside the same image.
How Would I Recreate the Photograph Today?
I would bring the original image with me.
Then I would begin matching what still exists.
Which houses remain?
Which rooflines still line up?
How much have the trees grown?
What has disappeared completely?
I would move around the top of the hill until the major shapes in the old photograph began lining up again.
Then I would make a new photograph from as close to the original position as possible.
The goal would not be perfect duplication.
The differences are part of the story.
What Would I Photograph Differently Today?
The Architecture
I would spend much more time studying the homes around Russian Hill—the windows, doors, stairways, rooflines and architectural details that barely registered when I was a child.
The Gardens
Lombard Street’s landscaping is part of what makes the crooked block so recognizable. Today I would photograph the flowers and greenery as subjects instead of treating them only as background scenery.
The Wider City
The view from the upper end of the crooked block opens toward San Francisco Bay, Coit Tower and the city beyond. I would photograph the relationship between Lombard Street and the larger city around it.
The Small Details
Railings, street signs, steps, doors and textures are exactly the kinds of details I notice now that I never would have consciously documented in 1983.
The People
I would look for ways to show the scale and activity of the street without intruding on the people who live there or treating their homes as tourist props.
The Then-and-Now Frame
The photograph I would most want to bring home is still the recreation—the old view and new view placed side by side more than four decades apart.
Planning a Visit to Lombard Street in San Francisco
Read the current Lombard Street visitor guide from San Francisco Travel →
Ride a Cable Car to Lombard Street
The Powell–Hyde cable car delivers riders directly to the top of Lombard Street’s famous crooked block.
For a first-time San Francisco visitor, combining the two experiences makes a lot of sense.
You get one of the city’s most recognizable transportation experiences and arrive at one of its most recognizable streets.
My San Francisco Cable Car Guide explains the routes, fares, boarding process and practical tips for riding them today.
Why Recreating Old Vacation Photos Matters
Recreating an old travel photograph is not really about making two identical pictures.
It is about noticing change.
The buildings may change.
Trees grow.
Cars disappear from the roads and new ones take their place.
Signs change.
Skylines evolve.
And the person behind the camera changes too.
My 1983 Lombard Street photograph reminds me that even an ordinary vacation snapshot can become much more meaningful with time.
If you want to become more deliberate about the images you bring home, explore my Travel Photography Tips.
My 1983 San Francisco Story Is Bigger Than One Photograph
Lombard Street is one piece of a larger collection of San Francisco memories I am rediscovering through old photographs.
My Alcatraz Then and Now story compares my childhood visit in 1983 with seeing the island again from San Francisco Bay 42 years later.
Another old photograph captured a giant decorative dragon in Chinatown that I am still trying to identify. Read San Francisco Chinatown in 1983: The Dragon I’ve Never Forgotten.
And my practical San Francisco Cable Car Guide covers one of the city’s experiences I would want to include on a future return.
Lombard Street San Francisco FAQ
Where is the famous crooked part of Lombard Street?
The famous eight-turn section is on Russian Hill between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street.
Is Lombard Street free to visit?
Yes. The street is public and there is no admission charge to walk or view it.
How many turns are on Lombard Street?
The famous crooked block has eight hairpin turns.
Can you ride a cable car to Lombard Street?
Yes. The Powell–Hyde cable car stops at the top of the famous crooked block.
Where is the best place to photograph Lombard Street?
The bottom offers the classic uphill view of the switchbacks, while the top provides broader views toward San Francisco Bay and the surrounding city.
Why do you want to return to Lombard Street?
I want to find the location where I made my 1983 childhood photograph and recreate that view more than four decades later.
One Old Photograph Has Given Me a Reason to Go Back
The kid who took this photograph saw a steep street and a remarkable view. The photographer I am today sees an entire scene waiting to be rediscovered.
That is why I want to return.
Not simply to stand at Lombard Street again, but to slow down enough to notice everything I missed the first time.
And when I finally find that viewpoint, I will have the 1983 photograph with me.
About Angela
Angela Addington is the travel photographer and writer behind Lenses & Latitudes. She shares firsthand destination guidance and practical photography advice for independent and solo travelers, women over 50, road-trippers and weekend explorers. Learn more about Angela.
Pingback: Alcatraz Then and Now: My View 42 Years Later