Lombard Street, billed as the crooookedest street in the United States, was built in the early 1920s. Everyone's favorite view is the block between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets that climbs Russian Hill. The sharp incline was too steep for an ordinary street and the multiple switchback design was proposed. Eight curves or switchbacks weave down through a picturesque neighborhood of Victorian style homes, graced with beautiful flowers and plantings. The street is setup for downhill traffic only, with a five mile per hour limit.
The street is named after the Italian Lombard family and runs from the Presidio and ends at the Embarcadero. This California street still draws the crowds and debates trying to solve the traffic problems abound. But most of the fun is actually driving the steepest section, estimated as a 26 degrees drop.