Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
64
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F-Market Streetcar & the
Embarcadero Promenade
After Alcatraz, hop on the F-Market street-
car headed to ward M arket S treet. The
F-Market line uses r efurbished str eetcars
from around the world, so you might find
yourself on a turn-of-the-centur y tr olley
from Kansas City or an antique str eetcar
from Milan. The picturesque streetcars are
part of the o verall upgrade to this section
of to wn, which was fueled b y the 1989
earthquake that destroyed the unattractive
elevated fr eeway that once obscur ed the
water's edge. The ne w pr omenade no w
bordering the waterfront all the way fr om
Fisherman's Wharf to A T&T P ark is a
delightful place to str oll or cy cle, with
13-foot-tall metal pylons and br onze
plaques embedded in the promenade side-
walk and imprinted with photographs,
drawings, poetry, and historical facts about
the waterfront.
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Ferry Building
You'll arrive at the Ferry Building, at once
a r eminder of S an F rancisco's maritime
history and a symbol of the city 's position
as an important culinary center. Before the
construction of the bay 's bridges and the
underwater BART tunnel, the Ferry Build-
ing oversaw one of the most complex ferry
systems in the countr y. After a multi-
million-dollar r enovation completed in
2003, the Ferry Building is now home to a
number of upscale shops offering gour-
met, organic, and/or sustainably raised
meats, vegetables, breads, chocolates, and
even mushrooms. Twice a w eek the F erry
Building holds the world-class F armer's
Market, attracting S an F ranciscans of all
stripes who ar e passionate about good
food and quality ingr edients. Take a
moment to walk out back and watch the
ferries, which no w primarily ser vice com-
muters who liv e in M arin County, come
and go. See p. 161.
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TAYLOR'S REFRESHER
To San F ranciscans, high-quality, sustain-
ably pr oduced f ood needn 't alwa ys be
expensive or c omplicated. I t can, and
should, be available in the everyday com-
fort f oods w e all enjo y. St ep inside and
order a juic y bur ger made with locally
raised meat and t opped with t omatoes
and lettuce fresh from the F armer's Mar-
ket. Your taste buds will notic e the differ-
ence between this and an or dinary diner,
but your wallet won't. See p. 125.
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AT&T Park
This is an optional stop primarily for
sports fans, but if you choose to visit you'll
have less time for the attractions in SoMa.
If y ou do go, public transpor tation will
prove more efficient than feet, so take the
N-Judah str eetcar headed to ward AT&T
Park. Get off at the 2nd & King S tation.
On non-game days, the ballpar k has a
playground just for kids. After the kids
have had a chance to play , take the no .
15-3rd St. bus to 3r d and Mission streets.
See p. 265.
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SoMa
Like the revamped Embarcadero, this sec-
tion of town has undergone its own trans-
formation since the early 1990s. O nce an
industrial wasteland, S oMa is no w home
to many top museums and galleries. The
recently opened Contemporar y J ewish
Museum (p. 179) is the ne west addition;
others include the Museum of the African
Diaspora (p . 180), the Car toon Ar t
Museum (p . 179), and the SFMOMA,
noted belo w. M oreover, the Yerba B uena
Center, with its waterfalls, lawn, and play-
grounds, provides a pleasant respite.
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San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art (SFMOMA)
If y ou only hav e time to check out one
museum in S oMa, this should be it. The
SFMOMA boasts one of the mor e exten-
sive collections of 20th- and 21st-centur y
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