Who lives in the famous “Painted Ladies” houses in San Francisco?
I believe the Alamo Square houses are designated as historic landmarks. Although they are privately owned, that means the landlords are required by law to keep the historic appearance of the facades, and any significant changes to the property must be approved by the San Francisco Planning Commission. I’m sure anyone who lives there is aware of this, and are also aware of the fact that the houses draw quite a crowd (particularly during the summer tourist season). So they’re there by choice. Many probably enjoy the prestige afforded by it, actually. There’s a certain amount of pride in having one’s house on postcards worldwide. Two of them have even been converted into very successful B&Bs (the old Catholic Archbishop’s Mansion and the Alamo Square Inn).
