A Waterfront
History Walk
The
Embarcadero in San Francisco
(Herb Caen Way)
"These (clipper
ships) were our Gothic cathedrals,
Directions: CalTrain from the Peninsula (the station of your choice) to Fourth
and Townsend, San Francisco. Exit the station on Fourth Street, and turn right
to the next street--King Street. Left on King Street two blocks where the
street becomes the Embarcadero, now Herb Caen Way. Continue north to Pier 39 and
return.
Grade: Level.
Distance: Six miles.
Time: Three hours, but plan to
spend more.
Special Conditions: Dress for the San Francisco waterfront; bring a sweater and a
windbreaker. Check the schedule to catch the train home.
What do the "White Angel" and "Talbot Geddes" have in common? Who were the "Frisco Crimps" and the "Alaska Packers?" If you say that each is a part of San Francisco history, you pass the test. But if you recognize these names as part of the San Francisco Waterfront history walk, you can go to the top of the class.
This week's walk is enjoyable for everyone. It covers a three-mile distance (six miles round trip) along the Embarcadero from South Beach to Fisherman's Wharf. But you don't have to do the entire walk to enjoy the waterfront. Just pick your place, and meander for an hour or two. The Embarcadero has to be one the world's most beautiful city walks, and it continues to improve.
Over the last few years, the Embarcadero has taken a new shape. First, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake rendered the elevated freeway useless, and it was removed. Then the city began to develop its front yard. New sidewalks and street trees, pedestal-style street lights, objects of art, and a public pier are now in place. Light rail (streetcar) tracks are being installed and will start service in a year or so between Fisherman's Wharf and the CalTrain station at Fourth Street.
We start most of our San Francisco walks from our home in San Carlos. We walk to the CalTrain station, hop a train, and a mere 45 minutes later, we are at the San Francisco Fourth Street station. To reach the Embarcadero, exit the station on Fourth Street, turn right a half block to King Street. Turn left, and walk two blocks to the Embarcadero. Along the way you will experience a new and better King Street designed for the light rail system. In another year or less, you will be able to board a streetcar and ride to Fisherman's Wharf or connect to the Market Street line.
When King Street turns into the Embarcadero, you are at South Beach, where you begin to catch the historical flavor of this walk. The mini-park with a red and silver metal sculpture looming overhead and a yacht harbor at the Bay front alongside the Java House, a local favorite for breakfast and lunch, set the stage for what lies ahead.
From here to Pier 39, look for reminders of San Francisco's waterfront history. There are 14-foot high metal pylons, plaques in the sidewalk, and pedestal displays that recount the golden years when San Francisco was the waterfront and shipping was king.
In rough order, the historical displays feature the following. (Those marked with (E) are on the east side of Embarcadero. All others are on the Bay side.)
Ghost Ship Lydia
Whaling out of San Francisco
The Pacific Mail Duck
Building the Sea Wall
The Alaska Packers
Beale Street Wharf
The Bay Bridge
The Matson Line
Yerba Buena Cove
Fireboats on the Bay
A Sailor's Life
"Frisco Crimps" and Waterfront Dives
Telegraph Hill
Vallejo Street (E)
Barbary Coast
Green Street (E)
Buried Ships (E)
Those Who Harvest the Sea
The White Angel (E)
Gold Mountain (E)
"They Go Down to the Sea in Ships"
Beltline Railroad (E)
Francisco Street (E)
And there is more. You will walk by two well-known eating and drinking establishments--the Boondock Restaurant and Red's Java House near Pier 28. The USS Jeremiah O'Brien, our only operating Liberty Ship, is at Pier 20. You pass under the Bay Bridge and alongside the SSFD house for Engine No. 35 and Fireboat No. 1, one of the fire boats that pumped water to save the Marina after the 1989 earthquake. And on you go, past the Ferry Building, the new Public Pier (7), with spectacular water views on your right and equally beautiful buildings and Telegraph Hill on your left.
We ended our walk at Pier 39 and walked the Embarcadero back to the train station reflecting on what it was before and what it is today. History buff or not, you should find this a wonderful way to experience the city.