Tours of the Tales

At the same time as Michael and his parents continue hiking up the west side of the street toward Macondray Lane, Norman, Mary Ann, and Lexy, in Norman’s car, turn left onto Taylor Street and pass Michael and his parents.  As they drive uphill, Lexy points out the adults wearing Halloween costumes (the band majorette, Joan Crawford, etc.) walking downhill on the eastside of Taylor Street.  Here is the scene from the miniseries.

In the book Tales of the City, Michael and his parents encountered the nuns two blocks west of here at the corner of Leavenworth and Union – which is the next stop on this tour.

Intersection of Union and Taylor Streets

Intersection of Union and Taylor Streets

Three scenes in “Tales of the City” were shot at this intersection.

When Mary Anne (Laura Linney) moved into 29 Barbary Lane near the start of the miniseries, she walked uphill on Taylor from this intersection on the west side of the street along the gray retaining wall toward the Macondray Steps.

In the “Tales of the City” miniseries, Michael and his parents walk uphill on the west side of Taylor Street toward this intersection.  As they cross the intersection toward Barbary Lane (i.e., the Macondray Steps) – and stand where you are now at the southwest corner of the intersection – they encounter the roller-skating nuns.  The nuns zip downhill on the opposite side of Taylor Street into the intersection where they turn left and skate uphill on Union Street.

This southwest corner of the intersection of Taylor and Union Streets was also used in another scene in “Tales of the City”.  Anna Madrigal and Mona walk uphill along the west side of the street after attending Beach Blanket Babylon.  Anna shares how she “engineered” bringing Mona to Barbary Lane.  The scene ends with Mona and Anna climbing the Barbary Steps. 

Mona remarks to Anna that it was inevitable that Mona would end up at Barbary Lane.

“No.”  Replied Anna.  “Not inevitable.  Just necessary.”