San Francisco’s French Quarter

San Francisco’s French Quarter

Belden Place, a tiny alleyway, is in the heart of San Francisco’s French Quarter.

Post contributed by Lisa Crovo Dion

San Francisco has a French Quarter?

It’s small and plenty of locals don’t even know about it, but indeed, San Francisco has a French Quarter.

This enclave of French culture is tucked away among the busy streets of San Francisco’s Financial District.

The first wave of approximately 3,000 French immigrants (sponsored by the French government) settled in the area around Bush Street from roughly Grant Avenue to Kearny Street in 1851. The French were the largest minority in San Francisco until the railroads brought over Chinese workers. They came for the Gold Rush, but got rich from providing the tools and accommodations to miners. The French rootsin the sumptuous restaurant, you might score one of the many tables that spill out into the street. There is live music here Thurs-Sunday.

Practice your language skills at a French mass

Our final destination was a visit to the Eglise Notre Dame Des Victoires, the French Roman Catholic church. It was founded in 1856 to serve the French Catholic immigrants during the Gold Rush and was modeled after the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon, France. They still hold a mass in French every Sunday at 10:30.

Notre Dame des Victoires is a Roman Catholic church in San Francisco.

Small, peaceful and beautiful, we enjoyed the respite from San Francisco’s busy Financial District in this lovely little church. We lit candles and pondered San Francisco’s French-inspired past. Then we prayed for