A Very Crooked Street

Lombard Street

With eight sharp hairpin turns down steep Russian Hill, Lombard Street in San Francisco has been reputed as the most crooked street in the world. This famous one-way brick road situated between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets was designed out of necessity to reduce the hill's natural 27% incline, which is steeper than most vehicles are capable to climb.

Funnily, the lane is actually reserved for vehicles traveling downhill. It's often known as the most crooked street in the world, however Ripley's Believe it or Not has bequeathed that title to neighboring Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa.