Just half a block off the bustling commercial corridor of Fillmore Street is a small patch of green, tucked away next to a row of picturesque houses. It's easy to miss, but next time you see a small flight of stairs and a sign for Cottage Row, stop in to smell the flowers.
The park stretches along one block, from Sutter to Bush streets, between Webster and Fillmore. Owned and maintained by the city's Recreation and Parks Department, it's a public place for those who wish to catch some rays, walk their dog, or visit some of the flowering greenery.
As for the houses next to the park: they, too, have a story. All six Victorians along the lane were developed by The Real Estate Associates, a mass builder at the time, and constructed between 1870 and 1885. The buildings were modeled after English "mews," a group of homes connected to one another, as well as linked by a common green or pathway.
The pathway along the back of the cottages was commonly referred to as "Japan Street" in the 1930s, in reflection of the Japanese-Americans who resided in the neighborhood before they were displaced to internment camps in World War II. Residents of the cottages are said to have grown vegetables in their backyards, hosting an informal farmer's market in the park every Saturday.
Originally designed as rental units, the Victorians were eventually converted into owned single-family homes in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Today, the clapboard houses appear modest from the outside, but their location, history and the adjacent park means they don't come cheap. They're seldom for sale, but a rare listing has popped up in the past few days for a house at 4 Cottage Row. The two-bedroom home is on the market for $1.6 million.
If you've never come across a mini-park before, check out our stories on some other notable ones throughout the city, like Hayes Valley's Page and Laguna Mini Park, SoMa's Howard/Langton Mini Park, Nob Hill's Washington/Hyde Mini Park, the Inner Richmond's Muriel Leff Mini Park, and Russian Hill's Hyde/Vallejo Mini Park.
A full list of mini parks can be found on the Rec & Parks website.
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