Remodeling a Victorian house or Craftsman style cottage?  Need inspiration for a restoration project? 

Now you can stroll through a virtual San Francisco—the city of “painted ladies”— right from your computer for a close-up and personal view of San Francisco’s architectural gems with the help of Google Maps and its new feature called “Street View.” 

The street level photographs are stitched together almost seamlessly; the imagery is sharp and the quality is excellent, even at full zoom. Google Maps Street View runs as a simple Flash pop-up and like most Google apps, it’s easy to use.  Google explains how with a YouTube video and detailed instructions. 

With Google Maps Street View you can wander through San Francisco streets and neighborhoods via real images to pick that perfect paint color for your Victorian home. Walk the streets of Alamo Square or stroll up Pacific Avenue to find the ideal combination of house paint and trim color.

What style fretwork belongs on your period house?  Zoom in to explore the ornate carvings and decorative brackets that decorate these magnificent structures. You can distinguish minute architectural details right down to the trim around the windows.  Amazingly, even window treatments and curtains are visible in most views (wave to the people looking back at you).  Make certain to use the “full screen” and “zoom” features.

The best place to start is Alamo Square; the location of that classic photograph of the six marvelously restored Victorian houses against the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline. We have linked to a few addresses, so just click “Street View” and enjoy!  The address in the window changes as you “walk” down the street, so if you find a house you like, just take note of the address to visit again later.

Now its time to put on your walking shoes and take a stroll!