Modeled after a square in London, South Park was constructed in 1855 as an exclusive residential community comprising of seventeen mansions plus townhouses that surrounded an oval shaped grass area. The community featured the first paved sidewalks and streets in the city, and originally had a windmill in the middle of the park to pump the water to the residences. After the 1906 earthquake demolished most of the Rincon Hill neighborhood, warehouses, nightclubs, and industrial buildings replaced the mansions of this once tony neighborhood. Over the years, dot com companies, restaurants, retail, and upscale lofts and condos have moved in to bring the splendor back to this charming little district within a district. While much has changed in the neighborhood, I love this part of the city for its tree-lined streets, a park with a playground and grass area, beautiful architecture, great restaurants to grab a bite and some unique shops worth exploring.

Following three years of construction at a cost of $500 million, the California Academy of Sciences re-opened in late 2008 and is the largest platinum-rated LEED certified public building in the world. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, the 400,000 sf structure was constructed with over 20,000 cubic yards of recycled concrete, 11 million pounds of recycled steel, and wall insulation made of recycled denim. The finished structure produces 50 percent less waste than the previous building, rainwater is recycled for irrigation, natural light is utilized in 90 percent of occupied space, and 60,000 photovoltaic solar cells help power the building.

Public space at the museum is divided by the the Steinhart Aquarium with its four-story rainforest ecosystem, Morrison Planetarium, the Kimball Natural History Museum and the living roof. There is also a penguin habitat located within the Natural History Museum. Local SF residents can visit the museum for free on specified days based on what district they live in, dates can be found on the Cal Academy web site. Free admission to the facilities are also available every third Wednesday of the month. |CA Academy of Sciences|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 9:30am – 5pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm

With sweeping views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from its front yard, the Legion of Honor is the perfect setting to showcase some priceless works of art spanning over 6,000 years. Located in Lincoln Park, the museum was erected in 1924 as a 3/4 replica of the Palais de laLegion d’Honneur in Paris and was a gift to the city by Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. While the permanent collection includes ancient works from Egypt, the Near East, Greece, the Aegean islands, and Rome, the main draw would be their collection of fine European art. Featuring works by Rembrandt, Degas, Renoir, Monet, Pissaro, Cezanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh, the museum also owns a vast collection of ornate antique furniture pieces from various periods. The museum’s collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures is impressive and includes some of his notable works such as the Thinker and the Kiss. |Legion of Honor|

Museum Hours of Operation:
Mon: Closed
Tues-Sun: 9:30am – 5:15pm

Designed by architect A. Page Brown, the steel-framed Ferry Building originally opened  in 1898 and was a main transportation access point for travel to and from the city. Built atop a 660 feet concrete and pilings foundation, the building was the largest such foundation for a building over water in the world. The 245-foot clock tower was modeled after a 12th century bell tower at the cathedral in Seville, Spain, and the interior contained ornate mosaic floors and dramatic brick and ceramic arches. At it’s peak nearly 50,000 commuters walked through the building every day. With the expansion of automobile use along with the openings of the Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, ferryboat travel decreased dramatically. The Ferry Building was converted to office space in the 1950s, and the construction of the unsightly Embarcadero freeway in 1957 caused the once iconic structure to sit partially obstructed for nearly 35 years. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the double-decker freeway that sat in front of the building, the Ferry Building and central waterfront were once again opened up with the freeway’s demolition in 1991.

After undergoing a significant re-developement to bring the building back to it’s original splendor, the Ferry Building re-opened in 2003 as a mixed-use office space on the upper floors and a marketplace on the ground floor. The marketplace has a nice variety of high-end specialty food purveyors such as |Frog Hollow Farm|, |Cowgirl Creamery|, |Blue Bottle Coffee Co.|, and |Acme Bread Company|, along with upscale eateries |Boulette’s Larder|, |Hog Island Oyster Co.|, |Gott’s Roadside|, |Il Cane Rosso|, and |Boccalone Salumeria| just to name a few. High end Vietnamese restaurant |Slanted Door| also calls the Ferry Building home. Many of the restaurants located at the rear of the building offer al fresco dining with unobstructed views of the waterfront and Bay Bridge. |Market Bar| and Gott’s Roadside, which are located at opposite sides of the building along the Embarcadero both have expansive patios for outdoor dining with views of downtown. The Farmers Market is held at Ferry Plaza three days per week and is a popular place to pick up farm fresh produce, artisan products and gourmet street food. |Ferry Plaza|

Minimum Hours of Operation:
Mon – Fri: 10am – 6pm
Sat: 9am – 6pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm

Farmers Market Hours:
Tues: 10am – 2pm
Thurs: 10am – 2pm
Sat: 8am – 2pm

Standing at 210 feet, the art deco, reinforced concrete tower sits atop Telegraph Hill and was erected in 1933. Designed by architects Arthur Brown Jr. and Henry Howard, Coit Tower was commissioned by the estate of Lillie Hitchcock Coit for the purpose of adding beauty to the city she lived in and loved. Rescued from a severe fire as a child, Coit wanted to pay tribute to the city’s firefighters, which could help explain the fire hose-like shape of the structure. Murals by 26 artists can be found inside the tower and were completed during the Public Works of Art Project, the first Federally funded employment program for artists during the New Deal.

Open Daily:
Mon-Sun: 10am – 5pm

Nestled between much taller buildings (the St Regis and the W Hotel), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s minimalist brick exterior and striped circular skylight, still make a dramatic statement. This |Mario Botta| designed structure, completed in 1995, feels right at home amongst the tall buildings that dot this part of the city.

Founded in 1935, the SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast completely dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The museum now boasts a collection of more than 26,000 pieces of artwork in various mediums. For a quick meal between exhibits, try |Caffe Musseo| near the front entrance or the the new rooftop coffee bar that pours |Blue Bottle Coffee|. Best of all, admission is free on the first Tuesday of every month.

The gallery below has some of my favorite pieces from a recent visit to the museum, copyright credits and more information on all of the SFMOMA’s permanent collection can be found here: |SFMOMA Art Scope|SFMOMA Museum Site|

Museum Hours of Operation:
Mon-Tue: 11am-5:45pm
Wed: Closed
Thurs: 11am-8:45pm
Fri-Sun: 11am-5:45pm

Erected on the site of the 1895 original that was demolished following the ’89 earthquake, the rebuilt M. H. de Young Museum is a great example of modern architecture that enhances its natural surrounding landscape. Clad in perforated copper plates that patina over time, the long, dramatic lines and sharp edges of the exterior exude an industrial feel that create beautiful outdoor spaces, perfect for enjoying a sunny afternoon.

The de Young is a great place for that daytime date, tickets are only $10 for general admission, and the special exhibits, while additional, have featured some amazing art pieces like Chihuly’s massive glass installations (seen below). Current special exhibits include the work of the late fashion designer |Yves Saint Laurent|, currently on display until April 5th, and Andy Warhol Live, on display until May 17th.

When a moment to relax is needed, the expansive outdoor patio at the de Young Café is a great place to enjoy the landscape, accompanied by a hot espresso. |de Young| |Dale Chihuly Glassworks|

Hours of Operation:
Tues-Sun: 9:30am-5:15pm
Fri: 9:30am-8:45pm (extended hours mid Jan. thru Nov.)