Yerba Buena Gardens’ Features
Map of Yerba Buena Gardens
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Gallery Changing
exhibitions here explore issues of race, class, gender, history,
technology, and art itself. There are temporary exhibitions. 701 Mission St Open noon–8pm Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun Dis. access Adm
www.ybca.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater Multiculturalism
is again the keynote in this 750-seat indoor theater. Performances may
range from world-music festivals to Victorian operetta.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater
Moscone Center Completed
in 1981, this was the building that began the renovation of the SoMa
district. It was the site of the Democratic Party’s convention in 1984.
Most of it is underground; above ground the impression is of glass,
girders, and gardens.
Moscone Center
Esplanade The
Esplanade comprises garden-lined walkways, an inviting lawn, rolling
hills, trees, and interesting sculptures. Free weekly concert during the
summer festival (www.ybae.org).
Aerial view, the Esplanade
Rooftop Children’s Center and Carousel Located
atop the west wing of the Moscone Center, this complex is all about
children. The carousel dates from 1906. There’s also an ice-skating
rink, a bowling center, a learning garden, and an amphitheater. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Featuring
words of peace in several languages, this multifaceted monument
incorporates sculpture, a waterfall, and quotations from the Civil
Rights leader’s speeches and writings. Zeum This
place aims to inspire creative impulses in children – Toyz is a
discovery program for new technological applications; the Production Lab
gives you the opportunity to produce your own film. California Historical Society Museum The
state’s official historical research organization holds vast
collections of photos, books, manuscripts, maps, and fine and decorative
arts. Some of the artifacts date as far back as the 1600s. 678 Mission Street Open noon–4.30pm Wed–Sat Adm
Mexican Museum and Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) Both
of these museums, which chronicle the place of their respective
cultures in the weave of life are set to move to new, permanent homes in
the Yerba Buena complex. The Mexican Museum opens in 2007 and the CJM
in 2008. Check their websites for the most up-to-date information. Metreon Sony
has created an alternative high-tech fun-zone for the city’s youth. Its
main attraction is a state-of-the-art cineplex, where you can take in
the very latest movies’ special effects in all their glory. Elsewhere,
kids sit in vast darkened rooms and play the latest multimedia games. On
the upper deck is a pleasant terrace with a café.
The Rise of South of Market
Formerly a doggedly
industrial area full of warehouses and factories, this flat stretch
attracted few residents. For nearly 100 years, it was considered
unattractive, if not downright dangerous. All that began to change in
the 1970s, when slums were cleared away and the Moscone Center was
built. Upscale interior designer showrooms soon followed, ensuing
decades brought premier nightclubs, and, more recently, the digital boom
added more than virtual life to the place. Public structures have
sprung up lately, and the whole district is now seen as a desirable
neighborhood – at least for creative types.
Esplanade, South of Market
Top 10 New Constructions South of MarketThe Four Seasons and the Marriott hotels
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