Forest Hill

What secrets do these winding, tree-lined streets hold? We’re standing at the edge of Forest Hill, a San Francisco neighborhood with a story as rich as the foliage that surrounds it. Forest Hill isn’t just a neighborhood. It’s one of San Francisco’s eight master-planned residence parks. Established in 1912 by the Newell-Murdoch Company, Forest Hill was envisioned as a haven for the city’s elite. Its boundaries are roughly Seventh Avenue/Laguna Honda Boulevard to the north and east, Taraval Street to the south, and 14th Avenue to the west. Originally, the streets were designed for horse-drawn carriages, resulting in the unusually wide lanes we see today. They didn’t even meet San Francisco’s standards for width and grade until as late as 1978. Imagine the clip-clop of hooves echoing through these streets over a century ago. Forest Hill was intended as a sanctuary, a place of tranquility. However, this tranquility was originally built on exclusion. Early advertisements for Forest Hill boasted of deed restrictions preventing apartment buildings and minority ownership. One 1913 ad even declared, “There are no Mongols, Africans or ‘shack builders’ allowed in Forest Hill”. These restrictions aimed to create an exclusive enclave for the wealthy and white. The legacy of this discriminatory past is a crucial part of Forest Hill’s story. The neighborhood’s architecture reflects its history. Several homes and the iconic Forest Hill Clubhouse, a hub of community activity for over a century, were designed by the renowned architect Bernard Maybeck. His influence can be seen in the Arts and Crafts style that graces many of the homes. Landscape architect Mark Daniels masterminded the layout of the neighborhood. His vision embraced the natural contours of the land, resulting in the winding streets and lush greenery that characterize Forest Hill today. South of Dewey Boulevard lies the Forest Hill Extension, also known as Laguna Honda, meaning “deep lagoon” in Spanish. This area takes its name from the nearby Laguna Honda Reservoir. Forest Hill offers a unique blend of tranquility and city living. It’s a neighborhood steeped in history, with a story that speaks of both exclusion and architectural brilliance. As you wander its wide streets, consider the evolution of Forest Hill from an exclusive enclave to the vibrant community it is today.