The Rainbow House

The house at the corner of Sanchez and 21st Streets wears a permanent rainbow. Every horizontal board on its exterior is painted a distinct color of the spectrum, a practice that began in the nineteen-seventies when a group of artists bought the Victorian structure. They wanted to brighten a neighborhood that felt gray and muted at the time. The city council eventually tried to fine them for the vibrant display, but the painters fought back, claiming the colors expressed their fundamental artistic identity.