I love a good dance workout, yoga sesh and am addicted to my karate, but when the sun is out in West Portal, you can’t keep me indoors for too long. And that’s when this hilly neighborhood becomes the sweetest gym deal going!
For exactly zero dollars and no cents, you can get your heart rate up and your gluteus in gear by conquering the one, two, three, say four billion steps of Forest Hill. That’s where I ran into Cynthia today (pictured above) while taking my dog for a walk. She took it up a notch pumping out push ups between flights, and scoffed at the idea of spending money on a gym with these steps so close to her home. Look at her. I’m not going to argue the point are you?
The main stairway, officially called The Path Street Stairway is something of a double-wide, leading from Magellan up to Castenada. It’s daunting from down below, but beautifully landscaped and surprisingly quiet. If you’re hardcore like Cynthia, this is the place to go as there’s plenty of room for pumping between flights. That said, this isn’t the only path to losing those extra lbs! Continue on up from Castenada to San Marcos and if you have it in you, feel free to wind back down and around Golden Gate Heights from Quintara and 14th down to 15th avenue. Head back up for the big ocean view. Now pump those fists in the air. You’ll feel like a million bucks (and you won’t have spent a dime)!
The Path Street Stairway (aka The Forest Hill Steps) Between Magellan and Castenada
westportalish 
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