We decided to be actual free & easy tourists today and requested Uncle to drop us off along the Van Ness Avenue for exploring historic civic center as well as downtown San Francisco. Much of this area was rebuilt as part of the Beautiful City Movement which strove to counter the chaotic growth of cities during the rapid immigration and industrialization. Hence, it was not without much surprise that most of the more stunning buildings in San Francisco are clustered here together.
City Hall
Address: 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
How to get there: There are a couple of ways to get here and public transport is recommended since its not that easy to get a parking lot
1) Civic Center / United Nations Plaza Station By BART Train
2) Civic Center / United Nations Plaza Station By MUNI line J, K, L, M, N
3) F line street car
Our first stop was City Hall - home to the government of the city of San Francisco, California. The original building completed in 1899 was destroyed in the notorious 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Hence, this current structure was opened in 1915, just in time for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (the event that resulted in the Palace of Fine Arts, remember from my previous post?).
The architecture of this City Hall was exquisite. Did you know that the architect Mr. Arthur Brown Jr also designed another iconic landmark - Coit Tower? Also, this dome is currently the fifth largest in the world - even taller than the much more prominent United States Capitol Building! Another fun fact - the late actress Marilyn Monroe got married to Joe DiMaggio right here at this City Hall in 1954.
Historic Civic Center
With clear blue sky and cooling ambience temperatures of around 20C, it was definitely a great day to be out and about.
Other than the palatial City Hall made of granite and marbles, there were various other notable buildings. Together, they created a beautiful civic center in downtown San Francisco.
One advice though is to avoid walking around this area alone at night since it borders one of the lowest income neighbourhood in the city, that is associated with drugs and crime.
City Hall
How to get there: There are a couple of ways to get here and public transport is recommended since its not that easy to get a parking lot
1) Civic Center / United Nations Plaza Station By BART Train
2) Civic Center / United Nations Plaza Station By MUNI line J, K, L, M, N
3) F line street car
Our first stop was City Hall - home to the government of the city of San Francisco, California. The original building completed in 1899 was destroyed in the notorious 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Hence, this current structure was opened in 1915, just in time for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (the event that resulted in the Palace of Fine Arts, remember from my previous post?).
While we were there, we saw a few couples taking their pre-wedding photos inside this stunning building.
The structure is magnificent both inside and outside!
Historic Civic Center
With clear blue sky and cooling ambience temperatures of around 20C, it was definitely a great day to be out and about.
Other than the palatial City Hall made of granite and marbles, there were various other notable buildings. Together, they created a beautiful civic center in downtown San Francisco.
Ornate War Memorial Opera House, home to the San Francisco Opera Company since 1932
One of the newer buildings of this area - Louise M Davies Symphony Hall
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Note that this "Beaux Arts" style auditorium is only open during events so we couldn't go in to admire the grandiose hall. On a side note, that's where Apple launched iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, together with a new color Rose Gold back in Sep 2015.
San Francisco Public Library
Civic Center Plaza outside the impressive City Hall, with its tree-lined avenue and grassy lawn. It is actually a popular place for protests, rallies and various festivals.
One advice though is to avoid walking around this area alone at night since it borders one of the lowest income neighbourhood in the city, that is associated with drugs and crime.
There is a BART / MUNI train station, right next to the Public Library. Can you spot those logos in the top right hand corner?
We got our one-time BART tickets to head to our next location (which would be in my next blog post).
Adios!
xoxo
Miss N
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