Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5. ALTA PLAZA
Pacific Heights's double block of verdant hill is a popular place to take the sun when
it ventures to break through the fog. Basketball and tennis courts and a children's
playground are in the center, while to the south there are terraced lawns, onto which
some of Pacific Heights' oldest homes face.
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6. ALAMO SQUARE
Postcard central, thanks to its row of perfect Victorians backed by the knock-out
Downtown view. The park itself is a sloping patch of green, while the surrounding
streets are lined with so many grand old houses that it has been declared a historic
site. Two of them have been turned into hotels, although the areas immediately out-
side the square are not the most salubrious at night.
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7. EMBARCADERO PARK
The last few years have witnessed a welcome transformation along the entire stretch
of
the Embarcadero
.
The 1989 earthquake put an end to the idea of running a free-
way into the city center, so the old shipping piers are now set off by greenery and
sidewalks, and the area is being promoted as a breezy park. In-line skaters and cyc-
lists disport themselves where concrete embankments held sway.
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8. YERBA BUENA GARDENS
A small but very welcome patch of green in an otherwise paved-over area. When the
weather is fine, the lawn is populated by sunbathers, while other parts of the gardens
feature beautiful memorial fountains and sculptures (for further details see
Yerba
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