Jackson Square Historic District
This was the heart of the Barbary Coast of the Gay '90s—the 1890s, that is. Although most of the red-light district was destroyed in the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake, the remaining old redbrick buildings, many of them now occupied by advertising agencies, law offices, and antiques firms, retain hints of the romance and rowdiness of San Francisco's early days.
With its gentrified Gold Rush–era buildings, the 700 block of Montgomery Street just barely evokes the Barbary Coast days, but this was a colorful block in the 19th century and on into the 20th. Writers Mark Twain and Bret Harte were among the contributors to the spunky The Golden Era newspaper, which occupied No. 732 (now part of the building at No. 744).
Restored 19th-century brick buildings line charming Hotaling Place, a quiet lane that connects Washington and Jackson streets; it's named for the A. P. Hotaling Company whiskey distillery, the largest liquor repository on the West Coast in its day. The view of the Transamerica Pyramid from Hotaling Place is one of the most photographed vantage points in the city and is a remarkable juxtaposition of this neighborhood's 19th- and 20th-century history.
Today, Jackson Square is best known for its excellent collection of restaurants, cafés, art galleries (Gallery Japonesque at 824 Montgomery Street is well worth a stop if it's open), and upscale-stylish boutiques.
