Summertime in San Francisco can be a real downer sometimes — Karl the Fog rolls into my neighborhood over in the Inner Sunet and sometimes for days I don’t get to see the sunshine.
But, summer is Bougainvillea season in San Francisco and whenever I need a little boost of Vitamin D, I march myself over to the Marina to soak up sunshine and visit the famous Bougainvillea house.
Where To Find The Bougainvillea House in San Francisco
This stunning Bougainvillea-covered house is located on Union Street and Lyon Street in Cow Hollow (where the Marina and Pacific Heights meet). It’s a few blocks down from the Lyon Street Steps and the Princess Diaries home, which you should totally swing by after.
There’s bougainvillea blooming all over San Francisco in the summer, it’s probably one of my favorite things about this city. Not only do we get colorful houses and rainbow tulip gardens, but the streets are covered in pink, like, ALL the time. First the cherry blossoms in February and then by May or June, bougainvillea takes over and sticks around until fall.
The Bougainvillea House is extra special, though, as the flowers cover almost every inch. Usually, people trim their vines to hang neatly around their garage, but this family has let theirs grow all up the front of the house and it’s insanely cool to see in person.
I love coming in the morning. First I’ll pick up a coffee from Wrecking Ball and take a stroll around the Marina and Cow’s Hollow. These two neighborhoods are pretty flat, but nudge right against Pacific Heights, which is all hill. The Bougainvillea House is near the Presidio and Lyon Streets steps so sometimes, if I’m feeling really up for a workout, I’ll climb those to be rewarded with a stunning view of the city.
But usually, I just come to pay my annual homage to The Bougainvillea House, arguably one of the best houses in the city. Dear owners: if you happen to be reading this, please never trim your blooms. They bring so many people, myself included, unmeasurable joy.
