A weekend on San Francisco's Embarcadero

6 min read Apr 4, 2024

In late 2022, right before we had our second child, we spent a weekend In San Francisco. For lodging, we chose the Hyatt Regency San Francisco for its proximity to The Embarcadero.

Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Completed in 1978, the hotel is part of a large mixed-use development. The focal point is a grand light-filled atrium — a signature element of its architect, John Portman. His firm hit its stride in the late 60s and early 70s, a time of social upheaval and urban decay. It was just after Jane Jacobs published her seminal book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

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Portman’s influence stemmed from his role not just as architect, but as property developer. His work transformed American downtowns not building-by-building, but in large swaths at once. His atriums were the primary instrument in applying the idea of “interior urbanism”, which challenged traditional ideas of public space. Unlike open-air plazas, expansive hotel lobbies created climate-controlled islands that isolated, not integrated, visitors from the surrounding city.

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My experience was mixed. Today, it is hard not notice the stark contrast between the clean atrium and the the relative squalor of nearby Market Street and the Tenderloin. I slept in peace on my hotel bed, while the homeless and mentally-ill were on the streets.

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Yet, while there, we loved it. The atrium made the perfect safe zone for our child to run and walk around. The huge glass windows offered up the chance to view the passing cars, busses, cablecars, and boats.

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The Embarcadero

The Embarcadero, ever since my days working at the nearby Carrot Fertility offices, has been a favorite walking spot for me. The combination of clear skies, cold air, and a light breeze always clears my mind.

This time around, we used the wide sidewalks of the Embarcadero as our conduit to nearby attractions like the Exploratorium, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and restaurants like Coqueta.

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Group Text art show

One of the afternoons we were there, my wife stayed behind while our child napped. I hopped on a Muni to attend an art show. Group Text, held by Alice Lee, Amy Wibowo, and Susan Lin, feature a wide variety of work by the trio of artists.

I loved seeing Susan’s game consoles, mechanical keyboards, and keycaps, the latter which she sells under the brand Mintlodica.

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Alice, in addition to her prints and other work, brought beautiful ceramics from her Mooncake Wishes collection.

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My absolute favorite part was the three computers on display. They were a collaboration between all three artists. Read Amy’s Instagram post for full details.

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Before I returned to the hotel, I had a chance to enjoy some live music played by Amy on the violin and Alice on the piano.

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Chinatown Car Show

On another day, while walking to a park, we happened upon the Chinatown Car Show. Up and down the street was a wide mix of cars. There were American muscle cars, Japanese imports, and everything in between. The tight streets of the historical Chinatown formed a unique backdrop for the eclectic manifestation of car culture.

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California Academy of Sciences

Finally, after checking out of the Hyatt, we made one last stop — the California Academy of Sciences designed by Renzo Piano. It is one of several public institutions in Golden Gate Park, including the De Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, and several others.

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The building, with its undulating green roof, is one of my favorite works of architecture in SF. It looks thoroughly modern, yet it hints at the history of the institution going back to 1853. Its footprint matches the previous incarnation of the institution that was severely damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Episode 9, season 2 of How Did They Build That? covers the design and construction of this building at length.

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