Yerba Buena Gardens
| Yerba Buena Gardens | |
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 Yerba Buena Gardens |
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| Type | Municipal (San Francisco) |
| Location | San Francisco |
| Created | 1993 |
| Status | Open |
Yerba Buena Gardens is the name for two blocks of public parks located between Third and Fourth, Mission and Folsom Streets in downtown San Francisco, California. The first block bordered by Mission and Howard Streets was opened in 1993. The second block, between Howard and Folsom Streets was opened in 1998. A pedestrian bridge over Howard Street connects the two blocks, sitting on top of part of the Moscone Center convention center. The Yerba Buena Gardens are owned by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and were planned and built as the final centerpiece of the Yerba Buena Redevelopment Area which includes the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Yerba Buena was the name of the town in the Mexican territory of Alta California that became the city of San Francisco, California, after it was claimed by the United States in 1846.
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[edit] Critical acclaim and appraisal
In 1999 the Yerba Buena Gardens received the Gold Medal of the biannual Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.[1] In praising the design of the work, the jury noted the process that led to the creation of the gardens, as well as its inclusiveness in terms of the population it serves and its neighborhood: "The mixed-use development enables cultural, social justice, and economic development agendas to coexist within a network of collaborative management practices."[2] Furthermore, the jury "applauded the evolution of the project's development process to an inclusive model involving multiple constituencies." However, in his history of the development of San Francisco from the 1950s to the 1990s Chester Hartman recounts that the entire Yerba Buena project was long drawn out over 3 decades, born of a local struggle that included evictions and harassment of the previous tenants in the area, most of them old and poor, but who had joined together to fight for their rights. Even during the final design stages there were struggles regarding the building program. On hearing that the bowling alley was to be removed from the program, John Elberling, of the Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO), testifying at a San Francisco Development Agency (SFRA) hearing stated: "That's your fun, to go to gala openings at the Museum of Modern Art and the galleries, dress up in black tie and evening gowns, enjoy the boutique wines and rub shoulders with the City's social elite. But what about the kids of the central city?... A Redevelopment Agency that hands out free land for art museums for the wealthy in Yerba Buena but can't find funding for a bowling center too has no moral values..." Consequently the SFRA backed down from its plan and the bowling alley was re-included and eventually built.[2]
[edit] Public art
The original block opened in 1993 contains several public art installations. The Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial is located behind a waterfall, which is the largest fountain on the West Coast. The memorial consists of large, etched glass excerpts of King's speeches in the languages of San Francisco's sister cities. On the terrace level above the waterfall is the sister cities garden, where visitors can see an expertly manicured garden with plants representing each of San Francisco's sister cities, as well as a partial view of the downtown skyline.
[edit] Other attractions
Located in the Gardens proper are the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a contemporary arts center in the North block, and Zeum, an award winning children's media and technology museum in the South block. An ice skating rink, a bowling alley, and a restored 1905 carousel originally located at Playland-at-the-Beach can also be found in the South block. Eateries within the gardens include the B Restaurant and Grill and the Samovar Tea Lounge on the North block's terrace, Mo's Grill on the South block's upper walkway, and a snack shop by the carousel.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is located across the street, the temporary home of the California Academy of Sciences was less than a block away, and the Cartoon Art Museum is nearby as well. The new location of the Museum of Craft and Folk Art (MOCFA) is less than one block towards Market, as is the brand new Museum of the African Diaspora located in the St. Regis Museum tower. Currently being built across Mission St. are the Mexican Heritage Museum and the Contemporary Jewish Museum.
Located within two blocks of Yerba Buena Gardens are many hotels, museums, and retail centers. The St. Regis Museum Tower, W Hotel San Francisco, San Francisco Marriott, and Four Seasons are some of the largest hotels in the area. In addition, a new hotel, the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco is under construction south of the Moscone Center. Retail in the area include the Metreon bordering the North block, and the Westfield San Francisco Centre one block away in the old Emporium building, featuring San Francisco's first Bloomingdale's.
[edit] See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yerba Buena Gardens |
[edit] References
- ^ "Rudy Bruner Award". Rudy Bruner Award. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. http://www.brunerfoundation.org/rba/index.php?page=1999/yerba. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ a b Chester Hartman, City for Sale. The transformation of San Francisco. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2000. The details of the present paragraph, 'Critical acclaim and appraisal', are taken from Hartman's book.
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 37°47′02″N 122°24′07″W / 37.784°N 122.402°W
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