Union Square (San Francisco)
The district Union Square is the central shopping, hotel and theater district of San Francisco in California. As Union Square and the 10,500 -square-foot park is considered, which is bounded by the streets Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton. The name Union Square comes from the fact that this place has been famous for rallies in support of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Today is nowhere in the western U.S., a higher concentration of large department stores, boutiques, souvenir shops and taverns than in the surrounding streets of a block of parkland, making Union Square a major attraction for tourists and a lively, cosmopolitan place in downtown San Francisco has become. Large hotels, small inns and unique theater contribute to the dynamics of this place and fill it 24 hours a day with life.
History
The park was created in 1850 changed significantly over time, a few times. The earthquake in San Francisco in 1906 made the most of the surrounding buildings to the ground. A large underground parking garage was built in the early 1940s, making lawns, shrubs and sculptures were moved to the "roof" of the parking garage.
In early 1998, started to reshape the park. It more paved areas were created, which were easier to service, with street cafes and a four-story underground parking garage. On 25 July 2002 the Park, whose conversion had cost $ 25 million, was re- inaugurated by the then Mayor Willie Brown.
To date, the Union Square retains its role as a cultural center of San Francisco and serves as a venue for many public concerts, impromptu protests, speeches by dignitaries and a year as a place for Christmas tree and menorah. A good view of Union Square feature the upper floors of the surrounding buildings like the St. Francis Hotel, the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Macy's top floor and the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Attractions in the surroundings
Union Square not only refers to the immediate surroundings of the park, but generally the shops, restaurants and theaters in the surrounding blocks. One block west lie in the direction of the Tenderloin Geary and Curran Theatre in " Theater District ". In Union Square is also home to San Francisco's TIX Bay Area, where tickets to many theatrical performances that take place on the same day, to be sold at half price.
At the end of Powell Street two blocks south, where apply the Cable Cars at Hallidie Plaza, there is a growing shopping district, which extends to the Metreon and Yerba Buena Gardens, and have their own art and entertainment facilities, additional large hotels, the Moscone Center and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art features. Also south of Market Street and near the Yerba Buena Gardens is the historic United States Mint building, which was built in 1874 of granite and one of the few buildings is that the earthquake in 1906 survived.
Nob Hill with its large mansions, apartment houses and hotels is located north- west of Union Square. This area is home to both some of the most exclusive luxury hotels in San Francisco. To the north lies Chinatown, one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia, and in the north east is a small, French Quarter to Belden Place French street with cafés and restaurants. Here, every year a grand celebration on the occasion of the French national holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French Revolution, in which the Bush Street will be temporarily renamed Buisson (French Busch).
East borders the British sounding Maiden Lane, a narrow alley with exclusive shops and cafes. At Union Square and leads to the Financial District Is San Francisco's only designed by Frank Lloyd Wright buildings to her: 140 Maiden Lane is an early study of its nearly ten years later realized in New York Guggenheim Museum.
Shopping
Union Square has become a popular shopping destination that can boast six major department stores: Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Barneys New York, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. In addition, there are at Union Square a few known, exclusive boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Marc Jacobs and Hermes, as well as on the corner of Powell and Post the first Goyard boutique in the country. More shops are located south of Union Square settled on Market Street in the renovated Westfield San Francisco Centre. Even fashion stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch are only two or three blocks away on Market Street.
Some retail chains such as Hennes & Mauritz, GAP, Zara and Mango are represented several times in Union Square.