The Embarcadero

The Embarcadero is the broad waterfront boulevard running from the Ferry Building north past Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. Walking, jogging, or biking its length is one of the simplest pleasures in the city — wide sidewalks, Bay views the entire way, and a constant background of working ferries.

Highlights along the route: the historic pier numbers; the Cupid's Span arrow sculpture by Claes Oldenburg; the F-Market historic streetcar line. Allow an hour each way at walking pace, or rent a bike at one of the shops at the Ferry Building.

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A story
Until 1989 a double-deck freeway ran the length of the Embarcadero, cutting the city off from its waterfront. The Loma Prieta earthquake damaged it so badly that it had to be demolished. San Franciscans took one look at the bay views without the concrete and voted not to rebuild — the resulting boulevard is one of the most successful pieces of late-twentieth-century urban planning anywhere.