The Arelious Walker Stairway climbs 87 steps between Innes Avenue and Northridge Road in Bayview–Hunters Point. San Francisco Public Works says it is named for Dr. Arelious Walker, a local pastor and champion of the Bayview community. The San Francisco Chronicle says he fought homelessness and advocated for the neighborhood.
Rebuilt, then tiled
SF Stairways says the stairway was rebuilt in 2013, replacing a similar one, and the tiles went in in 2014. Public Works said at the July 2014 dedication that it rebuilt the steps to give residents safer access to Innes Avenue, India Basin Shoreline Park and Heron’s Head Park. The San Francisco Arts Commission ran the art project, called “Flights of Fancy,” and selected artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher through a competitive process. Public Works noted the pair were known for their mosaic staircases in the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood.
According to Public Works, the design draws on patterns from several cultures, including Adinkra cloth from Ghana, Native American painted pottery, Central American weaving and Middle Eastern tile. Kids and adults made small stamped tiles at workshops at the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club, and those tiles were set into the design. Young adults from the San Francisco Conservation Corps installed the tiles and planted native plants on the hillside. Then-Supervisor Malia Cohen said the staircase “literally bridges the gap between public housing and open and green space.”
Visiting
The Chronicle recommends the stairway for art appreciation, India Basin appreciation and good waterfront views. It says the stairs are an added attraction for visitors to the parks that have been emerging across the street, and that the artwork features wildlife themes and geometric shapes.
For the shoreline below, see our India Basin guide. For the artists’ best-known work, see the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps.