The Eccentric Personalities Behind Sunnyside Conservatory

Mary Balmana grew up in San Francisco and has driven down Monterey Boulevard near the Glen Park neighborhood hundreds of times. She often notices a large, beautiful Victorian building tucked between the houses and apartment buildings that dominate the block. And she's wondered, what's the story with it? How did such a grand building end up in such an unassuming spot? Additional Resources: The Eccentric Personalities Behind Sunnyside Conservatory, a 120-Year-Old Garden in San Francisco Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Eccentric Personalities Behind Sunnyside Conservatory is an episode from Bay Curious by KQED.

This episode is 16:05 long.

This episode was published on Mar 2, 2026.

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