A fountain for reflection in Yerba Buena Gardens
Every city has its “Times Square,” that intersection of agora and neighborhood ego. San Francisco’s center of identity is (arguably) on Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets in Yerba Buena Gardens. Its location and mood suggest a city that is—compared to, say, Manhattan—quieter, more laid-back and self-absorbed, less diverse, and, despite its left-coast reputation, increasingly reserved.
If you’re picnicking in Yerba Buena Gardens, you may notice St. Patrick’s Catholic church, standing defiantly in all its 19th-century glory, seemingly dwarfed by mile-high skyscrapers. In the midst of all this modernity, the church is a reminder that San Francisco remains a small town, somewhat Gothic and always brimming with huge ideas.
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Address 750 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103, www.yerbabuenagardens.com | Public Transport Bus: 14, 14L (Mission St & 4th St stop) | Tip Soak up some sun and enjoy a great selection of teas at the Samovar Tea Lounge in Yerba Buena Gardens.
Yerba Buena Gardens is grounded by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), which is noted for its community affiliations. The gardens, which are adjacent to the Moscone Center, incorporate various museums, including the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Children’s Creativity Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora, and, across 3rd Street, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The centerpiece of Yerba Buena is Revelation, the city’s Martin Luther King Memorial, a site-specific work built in 1993 as a collaboration between sculptor Houston Conwill, poet Estella Conwill Majozo, and architect Joseph DePace. The memorial is veiled behind a 50-foot-long wall of water, which flows down from a reflecting pool above. Along the corridor behind the waterfall are 12 glass panels with famous quotations from Dr. King. Each has been translated into various languages and dialects. With the sounds of the city drowned out, the site is an ideal place for reflection: a spot to contemplate, among other things, the whole notion of community.
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