San Francisco Relocation Guide - Antevia

Union Square, San Francisco, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Looking down into Union Square from Macy's
Union Square is the central shopping, hotel and theater district in San Francisco,
California. Its name is derived from the one-block park situated between Post, Geary,
Powell and Stockton Streets, but its importance as the largest collection of large
department stores, swank boutiques, tourist trinket shops and salons in the West
continues to make Union Square a major visitor draw and downtown San Francisco a
vital, cosmopolitan place. Grand hotels and small inns, and repertory, off-broadway and
single-act theaters contribute to the area's dynamic, 24-hour character.
While Union Square proper dates from the United States Civil War era, the park has
undergone many notable changes: the 1906 San Francisco earthquake leveled most of the
buildings that surrounded it, a large underground parking garage was installed in the early
1940s and relocated the park's lawns, shrubs and landmark statuary to the garage "roof,"
and in the 1990s, the square was remodeled again to create more paved surfaces (for
easier maintenance) with outdoor cafes. Union Square today retains its role as the
ceremonial "heart" of San Francisco, serving as the site of many public concerts,
impromptu protests, speeches by visiting dignitaries, and the annual Christmas tree and
Menorah. Two cable car lines pass the Square on Powell Street, and public views of the
park can be had from such high places as the St. Francis Hotel tower, the Sir Francis
Drake Hotel, Macy's top floor, and the Grand Hyatt hotel.