Cottage Row

Detour to days of yore, when this neighborhood was a sleepy Japanese seaside village – before lumber barons arrived with bombastic Victorian fanfare. Serene clapboard cottages from the 1860–70s line this brick-paved pedestrian promenade, where trailblazing Issei (first-generation Japanese American) urban farmers hosted farmers markets. Today, a bonsai grove on the Sutter St entry honors Issei contributions. Homes are private, but the mini-park is perfect for meditation and picnics. Cottage Row is off Sutter St, between Webster and Fillmore Sts.