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San Francisco, United States
Photo: Flickr user: MD111 https://www.flickr.com/photos/md111/, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
As the name implies, the Civic Center is the primary center of government within San Francisco, housing many important civic institutions. Aside from its official duties, it also moonlights as a cultural center with many fine museums, theaters, opera houses, and symphony halls located here. Over the years however, it has developed a reputation for attracting many of the city's drug-addicted and homeless to its open plazas. Next door is the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco's lowest income neighborhoods with an unfortunate reputation for poverty, drugs, and crime, particularly violent street crime. However, it also has a rich history and an eclectic community, with treasures for those who know where to look. The Civic Center-Tenderloin area is bounded roughly by Market St to the southeast, Taylor St to the east, Franklin St to the west, and Sutter St to the north.
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A tiny two-block strip of Larkin St houses an active Vietnamese American community where the many shops and restaurants are Vietnamese-owned and -operated. Little Saigon functions as a both a Vietnamese commercial and cultural center, and there are some excellent restaurants and stores here, even if the community has increasingly moved on to less stressful parts of town.
Built in 1917 as the city's public library building, this building is a fantastic blend of "Beaux Arts" and modern design elements. It was designed by renowned architect Gae Aulenti (architect of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris). Inside, you'll find many interesting architectural details including the grand staircase, loggia, vaulted ceilings, the great hall, stone floors, period light fixtures, an oddly interminable escalator, and inscriptions. The museum is one of the largest and newest museums of Oriental art. It has circa 15,000 artifacts covering 6,000 years of Asian history. The Asian Art Museum hosts many special exhibits as well. The cafe on premises also has some decent food, though pricier and somewhat more tame than better places a short walk away.
This gallery exhibits art of the realism movement (particularly academic realism) as well as "Beat Generation" art works.
The San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery supports a diverse range of Bay Area "Visual Art" culture by supporting artists projects through collaboration with community organizations, commissioning contemporary art, and curated exhibitions. They also have display art in Cafe Valor in the Veterans Building lobby, as well as in City Hall.
A small museum dedicated to the history of the Tenderloin, with exhibits on the neighborhood's cultural history. Guided walking tours of the neighborhood are also available.
This grassy plaza is at the heart of the Civic Center and its tree-lined central avenue visually draws the eye to the imposing structure of City Hall. Protests and demonstrations of all political persuasions are frequently staged here. There is a parking lot underneath the plaza, which used to actually be a subterranean convention center that held some of the earliest Apple events back in the 1980s.
The monument is a tribute to California and its early pioneers like Sir Francis Drake. Atop sits a bear and a man carrying both spear and shied — all three objects are imagery that represent California.
This bronze sculpture was created by English artist Henry Moore in 1973. It poses happily outside Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall.
Named in honor of a police sergeant who died on duty, this vibrantly colored park and playground only allows adults in if they are accompanied by kids. It has become a bit of an urban oasis set amidst the grittiness of the Tenderloin.
The UN Charter was signed in the Civic Center in 1945, and this plaza was constructed in honor of its ideology and is ironically over the site of the original San Francisco City Cemetery. Designed by architect Lawrence Halprin, and completed in 1975, this is a three acre red-bricked pedestrian plaza. Brick columns inscribed with UN members country names line the plaza, and the UN Fountain sits at its center. Intended to be a visual gateway to the Civic Center, it is often habituated by the city's homeless, but has a compact and diverse Farmers' Market on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Built in 1917 in honor of the Shriners (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine); this Byzantine-style Islamic temple (now a 500 seat theater showing Broadway and off-Broadway shows), is now a historical city landmark. It also houses a contemporary art gallery. The architect was T Patterson Ross.
Designed by Arthur Brown Jr., and opened in 1915, the architecture of the building was heavily influenced by the "City Beautiful Movement," which in turn reflected the American Renaissance style of the time. Its "Beaux-Arts" dome (the fifth largest in the world) was modeled after that of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. The building itself is huge, 393 feet long, by 273 feet wide, and 307 feet high — occupying a full two blocks of San Francisco's downtown real estate. It is considered by many admirers to be the most impressive building in the city. Inside, it features a large rotunda with a grandiose staircase leading up to the second floor. The walls are adorned with oak paneling and the ceilings with crystal chandeliers. City Hall is the site of much history — In 1954 Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe wed here. In 1978, Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated here by their coworker Dan White, who snuck a gun through a window. And, it was here that in 2004, Mayor Newsom unilaterally declared the legality of gay marriage, before being thwarted by state and federal power.
Completed in 1995 at a cost of $109 million, the main library branch is over of modern architecture. It has seven floors, over 2,000 seats, and an impressive foyer that has a five story high atrium. At the top of the atrium is a bright sky-light and a roof terrace. The library also contains a small bookstore for selling surplus books, and there are gallery spaces that often have displays on.
Architect Arthur Brown Jr., who also designed City Hall and several other Civic Center landmarks, designed this building. It was completed in 1936, making it the last building to be completed in the seven-building complex of the Civic Center. It is an interesting 6-story, D-shaped, "Beaux Arts" building. It also has a interior courtyard and many of its features such as the lobby and main stairway are subject to historical preservation laws. The building is closed and can only be appreciated from the outside.
Famous for its gospel music, as well as for its inner-city missions, the church is a pillar of this community and plays a vital role in Tenderloin day-to-day life; anyone truly trying to understand the area should visit here. Sunday services are a major musical event attracting crowds, and yes, even long lines to get in!
The farmer's market held Sundays and Wednesdays offers a less expensive alternative to the yuppie Ferry Building Farmer's Market, though it helps if you're seeking the ingredients for Asian food. On other days, there are often tents with vendors selling jewelry, scarves, clothing, snacks, house wares, and who-knows-what. The fun is in the surprises.
This Catholic church features its original elaborately decorated interior from 1900, so why not come in and say a prayer! A Franciscan parish, it is also known for allowing the homeless to sleep in the pews on weekdays.
They offer walking tours of the Civic Center, the Tenderloin, the main library, and City Hall, free of charge. The tours highlight the history, architecture, culture, events, and folklore of the area.
This four-story tall, "Beaux-Arts" style building occupies an entire city block in the heart of the Civic Center and has 7,000 seats inside. Large and small bands, exhibits, concerts, and galas are all hosted at the Civic Auditorium. Check Ticketmaster to see what's playing.
This hybrid theater is a hub for experimental art and activism. Online calendar boasts new and eclectic events year-round.
Reputed to be the city's oldest nightclub, this ornate 600 capacity music venue presents hip music acts, some well-known among the cognoscenti, some so cutting edge that there's blood on the pavement. In the 1930s, this was fan-dancer Sally Rand's "Music Box." The interior, which was designed by a French architect, is known for its ornate balconies and columns.
The three small New Conservatory theaters present novel, musical, comic, and educational plays.
This 7.5 acre complex comprises the War Memorial Opera House, Memorial Court, the War Memorial Veterans Building (including Herbst Theatre and the Green Room, which is a classically styled reception hall), the Harold L. Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall, and Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The opera house and the veterans buildings (which are for the most part identical), along with the court, were intended to be appreciated in unison, and to complement the surrounding architecture of the Civic Center. Their "Beaux-Arts" structures employ the Roman Doric Order and were designed by architect Arthur Brown, Jr. Both buildings were completed in 1932. Guided tours of the buildings are available.
Herbst Theater, next to the Opera house in the similarly-styled War Memorial Veteran's building is host to a wide variety of activities. One can find plays, readings by well-known authors, chamber music, jazz performances, etc throughout the year. The monthly Friday evening talks of the Long-now Foundation, projecting the far future, are presented here or in the Fort Mason Center. Inside the theater it has impressive foyer, chandeliers, beaux-arts murals (symbolism for the different aspects of mankind), and over 900 seats. The UN Charter was signed here in 1945.
The repertory season begins in January and continues through May.
There are Fall, Spring, and Summer seasons. The summer season focuses on lighter and popular operas. Performances are in the War Memorial Opera House on Van Ness Ave which has over 3,000 seats. The interior has a grandiose entrance hall with marble floors and a 38 foot high barrel vaulted ceiling. Two wide marble stairways at either end of the foyer, take you up to the main floor. The proscenium arch inside the theater is ornately decorated with gilded sculptures. In December and late spring the Opera House is used by the San Francisco Ballet.
San Francisco has an excellent symphony orchestra, with Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) as the principal conductor. The Season goes from September to April, with a break in the middle of December and January. When the San Francisco Symphony is on tour, other orchestras visit to fill the void. In July there is a "Summer in the City" program of light music; August is quiet. Opened in 1980, the building's sweeping wraparound architecture was elegantly designed to complement the other buildings in the War Memorial complex. Inside, the building was designed to maximize acoustical tones with the exterior glass wall being used as a backdrop to capture sound. To further enhance and refine the sound it has adjustable acrylic acoustical panels around the stage area. There are circa 2,700 seats inside.
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BroadwaySF runs two theaters that focus on the usual Broadway classics like A Chorus Line, Grease, and of course The Phantom of the Opera.
Built in 1920 and influenced by the "Art Deco" and "Gothic Revival" styles, this theater has over 2,800 seats. It was designed by architect Gustave Albert Lansburgh.
Over 80 years old, this official historical landmark theater received another facelift in 1998; it now has over 2,400 seats. The theater has hosted everything from silent films to Broadway theater, and special shows such as "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." It is modeled in the style of a 12th century Spanish Cathedral, being heavily influenced by both "Spanish Moorish" and "Spanish Baroque" architecture. It has ornate architectural detailing inside and was designed by architect Benjamin Marcus Priteca.
This historic theater on Market St has a balcony and approximately 2,700 seats. Built in the 1920s, it was renovated in 1969 and today it is as popular as ever hosting some major acts like Velvet Revolver and Bill Maher.
If you have the budget, why not "hob-nob" at San Francisco's classiest party? Taking up four entire blocks of the Civic Center, this ball attracts a well-heeled crowd, as well as those who are just splurging. The ball began in 1956 and features several high profile bands (the Grateful Dead played here in 1969), and includes a performance by the San Francisco Symphony orchestra. $200 gets you in the door, feeds you, and lets you enjoy the music, dancing, and entertainment. If you want to formally dine at the Patrons Dinner, you'll have to shell out a lot more.
This bohemian 10 day festival is all about theatrical experimentation and having fun... even if you don't know what you're doing exactly. Chaos rules here; even the list of performers are selected randomly at the last minute and participants are effectively given "carte blanche" to be as artistically free as possible. This leads to a lot of wackiness and of course a healthy dose of good old nudity! It takes place in several theaters but it is run by the EXIT Theater in the Tenderloin.
Known as "San Francisco Pride" for short, it's one of the largest gay pride festivals in North America, a huge, happy, chaotic celebration of diversity, politics, sexuality, and San Francisco wackiness. The two day festival grew up around the parade (below) which takes place on Sunday. Some seven city blocks between City Hall and Market St are closed to vehicles, and about a dozen stages and spaces offer everything from square dancing to hip-hop, from a family garden to Leather Alley. Hundreds of businesses, community groups, non-profits, and political groups attempt to connect with hundreds of thousands of celebrants. It's a movement, it's a market, and it's a party. Car and bus traffic is interrupted during the celebration, and parking is even worse than usual; take BART or Muni trains (which run underground, and put on extra cars to carry the load) instead. Both parade and celebration are for everyone — straight as well as gay are welcome.
San Francisco's annual "Gay Pride Parade" long ago grew into a two-day "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration" (see above). The parade itself, which takes place on the Sunday, features over a hundred contingents, and takes over four hours from start to finish. Hundreds of thousands of people line the parade route to watch. If you want a good spot, arrive two hours before the 10AM start, and set up closer to Beale St than the Civic Center. Be careful about climbing on bus shelters, scaffolding, or light poles to get a better view: people do fall and injure themselves. The only thing better than watching the parade is marching in it. If you can make contact in advance, you likely can find some contingent with affinity which will welcome you.
Celebrate New Year's Vietnamese style at this festival. It attracts almost 30,000 each year to the area. It's mostly Vietnamese-Americans in attendance, but everyone is welcome and it's a great opportunity to sample some of the delicious Vietnamese dishes that they have in the Tenderloin, and of course to throw around some "lucky-money.".
This vegetarian restaurant is a little different as it's run by an Indian religious order called 'Sri Chinmoy'. Ananda Fuara means the "Fountain of Delight" and their food is intended to harmonize you both inside and out.
Affordable and excellent selection of authentic Indian food. Speedy service and filling portions, and free Chai tea for all customers. A recent addition and a neighborhood favorite.
What is a laundry doing under 'Eat'? Joey's serves Mitchell's Ice Cream, widely recognized as the best in the Bay Area. If you're bored with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, try the green tea or macapuno ice creams. For the launderer seeking more solid sustenance — or if you get hungry while using their internet access ($7.50 per hour) — there are breakfast pastries, pizza slices, and coffee.
If you can't stomach the line (or the hipster clientele) at Dottie's, the Moulin Rouge Breakfast Cafe around the corner on Geary offers solid grub at much cheaper prices. The elderly couple who run the place are always friendly and never hurry you, and the shabby faux-French decor is weirdly charming despite liberal amounts of duct tape holding the place together.
Spacious, affordable and home-cooked breakfast joint. Excellent omelettes. This is a viable alternative of Dottie's True Blue Cafe which almost always seems to have a line.
Pakistani food featuring curries, tandoori fish, and piping hot naan. Unlike some of the local eateries in the "tandoor-loin," the seating is clean, comfortable, and fairly new (possibly the results of some other restaurant's going-out-of-business sale). The restaurant tends to be comparatively quiet, as well as offering an excellent view of police actions on Jones St.
Northern Indian/Pakistani food, they have a tandoor (clay oven) which means excellent naan (flat breads) and murgh boti (barbecue chicken). The curries and rice pilaf are also worth checking out for their unique combination of spices.
Open since 1947, Tommy's is a classic San Francisco eatery and bar, and one of the last hofbraus in the bay area. You can't miss this place — on both the inside and out it's colorful and quirkily decorated. They serve wholesome, filling food like "hand-carved" sandwiches, stews, and mash potatoes, and are particularly famous for their pastrami. Keep an eye out for the portrait of Emperor Norton on the wall adjacent to the bar, which serves a wide variety of brews from around the world.
A restaurant that features a unique spin to Chinese food, combining Chinese with Venezuelan tastes and dishes. The chili oil pan-fried pork dumplings, the fried calamari or the stir fry beef flat rice noodles are recommended.
In Vietnamese Bo-de-ga in Vietnamese means beef-lamb-chicken — all popular Vietnamese dishes. The menu also draws equal inspiration from French cuisine making this an unusual dining experience.
Restaurant with well-stocked bar and simple pub fare. Italian Hoagie on the menu strives for authenticity -- the Douglas Room insists on importing Amoroso Rolls from Philadelphia for their hoagie.
Check out the aquariums in the window if you want to know what's for dinner. If you've never seen a geoduck, you will not soon forget it.
The California version of a New York deli.
Upscale, lush, candlelit bar in the Polk Gulch. It's dark and romantic and they have a good selection of cocktails... try the strawberry margarita. They also have free pizza on Monday nights.
This hard to find cocktail/spirit themed bar is a throwback to the prohibition days of the 1920s — this address used to be a thriving illegal "speakeasy" known as the "JJ Russell's Cigar Shop." Inside it's ornately decorated with dark woods giving the place a real cozy feel. It being a prohibition themed bar, they also have some strange house rules posted on the walls like "no photography" and "Please speak easy" They have an exhaustive selection of spirits and cocktails.
Just across from the Edinburgh Castle is a shadowy hole-in-the-wall festooned with Korean lettering: Hanaro. Though the bar is wallpapered with "No Smoking" signs (as California law demands), you need only loiter outside the bar for a few minutes with a cigarette before you are beckoned inside and offered an ashtray. In fact, Hanaro's great charm is it that it's accommodating in every respect; stay for a bit and you will be offered various bar snacks, and there is usually a hostess on hand whose only job is to chat with the patrons. This is done, however, with taste and tact; if you wish to drink in silence, you won't be disturbed. The jukebox is stocked with Asian pop singles.
Standard but friendly dive-bar in the Tenderloin that serves cheap drinks. It was co-founded by pro-wrestler Hank Hanastead and boxer Ralph Figari. Great place if you're into the 'Loin's no nonsense dive bars.
A small, quiet upscale bar that's great for conversation and relaxation after a long day of wandering around San Francisco. What used to be a dive bar with walls adorned with tacky owl memorabilia, is now another upscale watering hole in the 'Loin, where cocktails have replaced draft beers as the drink of preference. There's still a mosaic owl on the outside though.
A dive bar (originally the 441) which was bought and renovated by the same people who own Bourbon & Branch. Featuring house made alcohols and unique mixes, while not cheap, it's a unique experience in a classy wood paneled environment.
If you haven't already guessed from the name, "Aunt Charlie's" is a transvestite dive bar. It hosts a wide variety of entertainment shows and drag shows that are popular with gays, lesbians, transsexuals, and indeed straight patrons. Cheap, stiff drinks accompanied by endearing, harmless, and vocal co-drinkers, provides for fantastic people-watching.
Tourists have flocked here for live, nude girls and dirty movies since 1971, when porn star Marilyn Chambers followed her performance in a Mitchell Brothers' film by becoming an Ivory Snow model. The venue is large, clean, and the biggest rip-off in adult entertainment this side of Paris. If possible, avoid this over-priced, over-hyped tourist trap for the Crazy Horse on Market (next to the Warfield) or any of the clubs on Broadway in North Beach.
Very tiny spot with one large "farm table" (thus the name) and limited outdoor seating/standing bars. They serve coffee from nearby Santa Cruz roaster, Verve and have their own delicious sweets and other foods that they make daily. Very popular with the locals.
Just a stones throw from the performing arts buildings, it's a great place to grab a cappuccino just before the overture.
This is a popular backpacker hostel just two blocks from Union Square.
Clean, cheap, safe, fun. The hostel has 75 beds in total, some are 4 or 5 bed dorms and others private rooms. All rooms have their own private bathroom. They offer a free breakfast and free wi-fi.
An elegant 5 story hotel that was built after the 1906 earthquake, it has 164 guest rooms. They have a gym, laundry facilities, and all access to free wi-fi.
This is a pretty standard but comfortable inn near Van Ness. They offer some free limited parking and a complimentary breakfast.
This is an older building and the rooms are in need of paint, but it's relatively clean. There is a nice Indian couple who runs the place, they have wireless internet and a community computer in the lobby and a continental breakfast each morning. It's in a great location, just 2 blocks from Union Square.
Great hostel operating in two buildings just off Union Square. All rooms have their own bathrooms.
This hotel has 96 well decorated rooms in the heart of downtown. All rooms have 300 thread count sheets, high definition TVs, complimentary breakfast, and free wi-fi.
Hotel Bijou is inspired by San Francisco's rich cinematic history, adorned with movie palace stylings and Hollywood portraits, and features a mini movie theater in the lobby.
It's on the eastern outskirts of the Tenderloin, but there can be people sleeping in stairways and panhandling right next to the hotel, so it's authentic enough. Inside it is perfectly clean.
A boutique hotel, favored by musicians of all stripes, with free parking and breakfast.
A reasonably-priced boutique hotel with decorations that feature international travel. Non-smoking and pet-friendly hotel, and certified as a green business. Saha Restaurant in the lobby serves Arabic fusion cuisine.
A luxury boutique hotel featuring a fresh design that bridges its Spanish Colonial Revival architectural roots to a clean and contemporary design aesthetic. 2½ blocks away from the Powell St Cable Car line, 6 blocks from the Moscone Convention Center.
A fun and hip boutique hotel. This is part of Kimpton Hotels, a San Francisco based hotel and restaurant company.
This is a deluxe boutique hotel in a 17-story Spanish Revival building. They have free high speed internet and a wine appreciation hour every evening.
"Specializing in vintage collectible paperbacks from the 1940s to 1970s and esoteric books of all persuasions... " They have a large stock of rare and out of print books, many of which are of the lurid and sleazy persuasion.
Well known wine store featuring hard to get and small production wines.
Three times a week, over 100 vendors come together to sell antiques, gifts, and keepsakes from all over the world. Appropriately, the market is held at UN Plaza.
By car
Directions for driving to the Civic Center are marked on the freeways. Once inside the City limits, two main arteries serve the area — Van Ness Ave and Market St.
By MUNI
The neighborhood is well-served by public transit, provided by MUNI in the form of the Metro system, the F-Line streetcar and various bus lines.
By BART
BART runs under Market St with two stops in the area; both the Powell/Market and Civic Center/United Nations Plaza.
By cable car
One or other of two cable car lines — either the Powell/Mason cable car line or the Powell/Hyde cable car line — can take you from Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Nob Hill, or Russian Hill to the…
On foot
Given that the area is centrally located downtown, it is extremely accessible on foot. From the SoMa area walk northbound on anywhere from Fifth St to 11th St.
As this is a relatively small area, the best way to get around is on foot. That being said, there are a lot of places that you probably don't want to walk around at night, and taxis may be advisable after dark.
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