16th Avenue Tiled Steps
The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, colloquially known as the Moraga Steps, is a stairway in the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood in San Francisco, California. Fodor's calls it "possibly the world's largest mosaic staircase", and it leads up to Grandview Park. The flight contains 163 steps stretching high. These steps are also covered in over 2,000 unique tiles from over 75,000 glass fragments. History Inspired by the Escadaria Selarón in Brazil, the project was first pitched by two residents of the neighborhood, Jessie Audette and Alice Yee Xavier in 2003. The duo tried to find a way to link all their neighbors together in an effort to enrich the area. Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher, who also designed the nearby Hidden Garden Steps six years later, were chosen by residents to plan the panels of the mosaics. The project was funded by over 220 sponsored/named tiles which were also placed on the staircase. Community members all pitched in to create panels together, and three workshops were held. The Mayor's Neighborhood Beautification Fund also donated to the construction effort. The opening ceremony was held on August 27, 2005, featuring lion dancers. Francesco Pignataro, the then-mayor of Caltagirone, Italy, also attended, as the