Parapet at Sutro Heights Park (San Francisco, California)

 panoramic view, place with historical importance, interesting place

What today is Sutro Heights Park was once the palatial personal gardens of Adolph Sutro who maintained a residence on the site. The original Sutro Gardens required an army of 80 gardeners to maintain and was a utopia of garden beds in the shape of all things the imagination could devise. Remaining is the castle-like turret lookout, some interesting trees, large lawn areas, and a few statues.

Today the park is notable mostly for one thing. The parapet area offers the best elevated view over ocean beach to be had anywhere short of a plane. This view includes the western Richmond District and Golden Gate Park from about 300.' The scene is spectacular and is probably the one thing as spectacular today as it was in Sutros' time. This amazing view down the line of Ocean Beach is selected as the third most aesthetically exciting view of the city from any park, and the second nicest coastal viewpoint.