Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
owner, who allegedly committed
suicide a day before the grand
opening in 1875. Three decades
later the hotel was ravaged by one
of the many fires that swept
through San Francisco following the
1906 earthquake. The hotel was
restored and reopened in 1909,
unveiling the magnificent Garden
Court with a domed ceiling made
from 80,000 panes of glass. Regard
this impressive room (which
includes the dining room of the
Garden Court Restaurant) and
absorb its grandeur, then step into
the Pied Piper to glimpse the $2.5-
million Maxfield Parrish painting of
the same name
.
@
20 min. 2 New
Montgomery St. (at Market St.).
y
415/546-5089. www.gardencourt-
restaurant.com. Mon-Fri 6:30am-
2pm; Sat 6:30-10am; Sun 10am-
2pm; tea Sat 2-4pm. BART/Muni:
Powell or Montgomery.
7
★★★
SoMa (South of Mar-
ket).
This former industrial area
south of Market Street has become
a major center for art and enter-
tainment, museums, and galleries.
@
to stroll through the neighbor-
hood: 2-4 hr. Visit any time during
daylight hours.
Note:
SFMOMA (see
bullet
9
) is closed Wednesdays.
4
Frog Hollow Farm.
Grab a
coffee and a fruit-filled pastry here,
before strolling along the scenic
waterfront.
Ferry Building Market-
place.
y
415/445-0990. $.
5
★★
Embarcadero Prome-
nade.
The 1989 earthquake
destroyed the ugly elevated freeway
that once obscured this lovely stretch
of waterfront extending from SBC
Park to Fisherman's Wharf. The wide
sidewalk and scenic views make this a
favored destination for pedestrians,
bikers, and runners. Notice the
Embarcadero Ribbon, a 2
1
⁄
2
-mile (4km)
continuous line of glass encased in
concrete, as well as the 13-foot-
(3.9m-) tall metal pylons and bronze
plaques embedded in the sidewalk,
which are imprinted with photo-
graphs, drawings, poetry, and histori-
cal facts about the waterfront
.
@
30
min.-1 hr.; a walk in either direction is
pleasant at any time of day, but avoid
the traffic on weekday afternoons
4-6pm. Return to Market St. to catch
the F-Market streetcar to the Mont-
gomery St. station, or walk.
6
Garden Court.
The extrava-
gant Palace Hotel astounded San
Franciscans and bankrupted its
The ceiling of the Garden Court is a glittering masterpiece of glass.
