San Francisco Ferry Building

The Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that cross the San Francisco Bay and a shopping center, located on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. In the tower of the building is a large clock, which can be seen from Market Street, one of the largest thoroughfares of the city. During the day, plays the clock tower on the hour and half-hour part of the Westminster shock. Architecturally, the tower of the Giralda of Seville Cathedral in Spain is inspired from the 12th century.

Architecture

The current building was designed by the local architect A. Page Brown and replaced when it opened in 1898 a wooden building. It survived both the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 almost unscathed. Until the completion of the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s, it was after the Charing Cross railway station in London, the second largest trading center in the world. Ferries of Southern Pacific and Key System landed here to bring commuters from the East Bay to San Francisco. Until 1942, also led a large pedestrian bridge in front of the Ferry Building on The Embarcadero.

History

When, after the construction of the bridges from 1939 new Key System trains the East Bay could connect to the Transbay Terminal, the use of passenger ferries declined noticeably. Although the Ferry Building with its clock tower remained a popular part of the skyline of San Francisco, fell into the interior of the building in the second half of the twentieth century.

Over the years, the areas of the ticket office and waiting rooms were converted into offices. Became a close, dark hallway from the formerly extensive, public part of the building had to cross on their way to the pier the travelers. Passengers had to wait for outside benches and the ticket booths were moved to the piers.

Renovation

2004, the building was reopened with gourmet shops and upmarket offices and is now used again as the ferry terminal. The repair lasted for many years, with special emphasis was placed on restoring the atmosphere of the building from 1898. San Francisco's largest farmers' market is held here on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the year, in summer on Thursday evenings.

Ferries

  • Alameda / Oakland Ferry connects the Oakland Ferry Terminal in Oakland's Jack London Square and the Alameda Ferry Terminal in the North Shore area of " Iceland City " with the Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf.
  • Golden Gate Ferry connects Larkspur Landing in Larkspur with the Sausalito Ferry Terminal in Sausalito, both located in Marin County North Bay.
  • The connection of the Vallejo Ferry Terminal in Vallejo in Solano County is taken over by Vallejo Transit.
  • Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry service between Alameda Bay Farm Iceland and the Ferry Building.
  • Angel Iceland - Tiburon Ferry departs from Tiburon to Angel Iceland State Park and offers tours of the bay with views of the coast and the Ferry Building.

Transport

The main line of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system runs directly under the building. The port area to the eastern side is used as a transfer point from the Transbay Tube Market Street Subway. The only one block away from the terminal subway station Embarcadero station is used by both Bay Area Rapid Transit and Muni Metro. From here, trains run to the city, to East Bay and the Peninsula.

View of the famous clock tower

West side

The Ferry Building after the 1906 earthquake

East side at night

Inside the Ferry Building

Embarcadero (San Francisco) Market Street (San Francisco) 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Southern Pacific Transportation Company Farmers' market Alameda, California Larkspur, California Sausalito, California Marin County, California Vallejo, California Solano County, California Tiburon, California Angel Island (California)
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