The famous zigzag section of San Francisco's Lombard Street is between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. It is lined with colourful vibrant flowers & beautiful multimillion dollar Victorian homes on either side. On either side of the road there are stairways for pedestrians. It has hairpin curves one after another. The angle of the street is so steep that the road has to snake back and forth to make a descent possible.

This short stretch of Lombard Street is one-way, downhill, and fun to drive. Take the curves slowly and in low gear. In the past horse drawn transport and early cars could not make it up or down the very steep incline so the city added the eight switchbacks in the 1920's. The street is paved with bricks. Lombard Street is one of the most exclusive places in San Francisco to live because it is such a stunning iconic location. But would you really want to live in an area jam-packed with camera happy tourists and constant thrill seeking traffic? The city is considering closing Lombard to motor traffic

Lombard Street is called the crookedest street in the America, That honor goes to stone-curbed Snake Alley in downtown Burlington, Iowa. The residents of San Francisco's Vermont Street, on Potrero Hill, disputes Lombard Street's claim as they believe they live on the crookedest street. Vermont Street is between 20th and 22nd streets and is a kind of blue-collar Lombard Street, with a similar series of switchbacks but without Lombard's manicured brightly coloured flower gardens and views. Vermont has only six switchbacks, but they're steeper and sharper, with an interesting view of the back of the city. The street itself isn't as scenic. Filbert Street, two blocks south of Lombard also offers a hair-raising descent between Hyde and Leavenworth streets. It is said to be the city's steepest.

The best place to photograph the street, is from Leavenworth Street, at the bottom looking up. You will see cars headed down slowly, daring souls walking up, and down the sides, while the flowers and buildings provide dazzling color. Make sure you have your camera set to a fast shutter speed, use the sports setting, other wise the cars may come out blurred.

I took the Hyde Street Cable Car line to get to Lombard Street. It stops on the crest at the top. From this fantastic high vantage point, you can also see down Hyde Street to Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz and the rest of the Bay. Looking east, you can see North Beach, Telegraph Hill, and the Bay Bridge. If you are on foot don't ask locals where Lombard Street is. It is a very long street. They will probably point you further down toward the Marina District, where the street becomes a main traffic thoroughfare.

Driving down Lombard Street is another must for visitors, but be prepared to wait for an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic queues. As you drive to the top of Lombard Street, you can't see any road or pavement out ahead of you. You feel like your car is going to simply drop off a cliff. It gives your stomach a few butterflies even though you know the street has to be there. It is a good experience.

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