17 Oct 2019
San Francisco Story Ideas for 2020
The year ahead is going to be a big one for “the great urban outdoors” in San Francisco. Did you know that every San Franciscan lives within a ten-minute walk of a park? Here are some places to get out and enjoy.
150th Anniversary of Golden Gate Park
2020 is the 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park, home of the California Academy of Sciences, De Young Museum, Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Botanical Gardens, National AIDS Memorial Grove, Stowe Lake, a nine-hole golf course, Shakespeare Garden, Rose Garden, two windmills, a bison paddock, the Children's Playground, the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club, and more.
Activities include bicycling, roller skating, Segway tours, golf, disk golf, soccer, archery, swing dancing, drumming circles and lots of picnics. Annual events include the Bay to Breakers Race, Comedy Day in the Park, Opera in the Park, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festivals.
At 1,017 acres, Golden Gate Park is 20% larger than New York's Central Park (1,017 acres vs. 840) and one of the most visited parks in America. With its rectangular shape, the park can be traversed in the north-south direction fairly quickly. In the east-west mode, it's tempting to lose oneself among the groves, glades and glens of the park's lush landscape. https://sfrecpark.org/parks-open-spaces/golden-gate-park-guide/
Salesforce Park – San Francisco's Newest Urban Oasis
Salesforce Park, on top of the new Salesforce Transit Center, is a 5.4 acre living rooftop where a curved walking trail lined with benches surrounds grassy lawns, dancing fountains, a children's play area, and an amphitheater for staging free events and activities from arts and crafts to Zumba®. See the schedule at https://salesforcetransitcenter.com/events/.
Seventy feet above the Grand Hall and accessible by a free gondola, the park runs the entire length of the Transit Center's nearly four-block stretch. Home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants arranged in 13 different botanical feature areas, the newest public park in the San Francisco Bay Area is for the benefit and enjoyment of all. The park's neighbors include tech giants like Facebook, Slack, Trulia and Salesforce. https://salesforcetransitcenter.com/salesforce-park/
30th Anniversary of the Arrival of Sea Lions at PIER 39
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the sea lions' residency in Fisherman's Wharf, Aquarium of the Bay and PIER 39 have launched the “Sea Lions in San Francisco” initiative. Thirty local artists will paint six-foot-tall sea lion statues in their own unique styles, each with an environmental message. Combined with 3,000 smaller statues to be painted by local luminaries, the program will be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World's Largest Statue Contest.”
A few California sea lions began “hauling out” on PIER 39's K-Dock shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit San Francisco in October 1989. By January 1990, the boisterous barking pinnipeds had taken over K-Dock, much to the exasperation of PIER 39's Marina tenants. The Marina staff turned to the Marine Mammal Center, an organization devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals, for advice regarding their new slippery tenants. After much debate and research, the experts from the Marine Mammal Center recommended that the sea lions stay in their newfound home.
With a plentiful supply of food from the Bay and an environment protected from predators, the PIER 39 Marina proved to be an ideal living location for the sea lions. Within a few short months, the number of sea lions grew to more than 300 and hit an all-time record of 1,701 in November 2009. While the number of sea lions at K-Dock rise and fall with the seasons, available food supply and natural migration patterns, the world-famous sea lions always have a home at PIER 39. www.aquariumofthebay.org/sea-lions-30th
Major Art Exhibitions:
Ongoing, “The Chronicles of San Francisco” by JR, at SFMOMA, www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/jr/
Nov. 9, 2019-March 8, 2020: “Soul of the Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power” at the de Young Museum, https://deyoung.famsf.org/exhibitions/soul-of-a-nation
Nov. 26-March 22, 2020, “Lost at Sea: Art Recovered from Shipwrecks” at the Asian Art Museum, www.asianart.org/exhibitions/lost-at-sea
Feb. 13-Aug. 9, 2020: “Levi Strauss: A History of American Style,” Contemporary Jewish Museum, www.thecjm.org/upcoming_exhibitions
March 21-July 26, 2020: “Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving,” de Young Museum, www.famsf.org/press-room/frida-kahlo-appearances-can-be-deceiving
Sept. 17, 2020-Jan. 24, 2021: “Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything,” Contemporary Jewish Museum, www.thecjm.org/exhibitions/114
Oct. 2020-Jan. 2021: “Diego Rivera's America,” SFMOMA, www.sfmoma.org/press/advance-exhibition-schedule/
Fall 2020-Ongoing, “Pan American Unity” by Diego Rivera, SFMOMA, www.sfmoma.org/press/advance-exhibition-schedule/
Extended Theatrical Engagements
Through Jan. 2020 or later: “Hamilton,” SHN Orpheum Theatre
The most game-changing musical in possibly forever, “Hamilton” is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation's first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, “Hamilton” is the story of America then, as told by America now. www.hamilton.shnsf.com
Oct. 23, 2019 – May 17, 2020: “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” The Curran
The most exciting thing to happen to Potterheads since J.K. Rowling set down her wand, this stage play arrives in San Francisco after racking up nine Olivier Awards in London and 6 Tonys in New York. Based on an original new story by Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, the two-part play begins nineteen years after the events of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Harry now works at The Ministry of Magic and his son Albus is about to attend Hogwarts. The San Francisco production at the Curran will mark the fourth engagement of the smash hit play, as well as its West Coast premiere. www.sfcurran.com/shows/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child
San Francisco's Culinary Calendar
San Franciscans mark their calendars and hold their breath on two dates each year:
- Release of the Michelin Guide to California, coming late April, 2020. In the inaugural 2019 edition, 68 percent of the 90 restaurants selected were located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has more three-star restaurants than any other U.S. city.
- Announcement of the James Beard Foundation Awards, coming May 4, 2020. In 2019, Benu won in the Outstanding Wine Program Category, Bar Agricole, nominated every year since 2012, took home the award for outstanding bar program, and Schwartz and Architecture (S^A) won a design award in the “quick bite to eat” or “other” category for their work on El Pípila. See jamesbeard.org/awards.
Chase Center Now Open for Concerts, Events and the Golden State Warriors
Chase Center, an 18,064-seat sports and entertainment arena, opened on Sept. 3, 2019. San Francisco's newest landmark anchors Thrive City, the multipurpose, privately financed complex in San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood consisting of 3.2 acres of publicly accessible plazas and open space that are part of a larger mixed-use development including two office buildings and dozens of unique restaurant and retail locations. Chase Center will play host to games featuring the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, concerts, cultural events, family shows and more, totaling nearly 200 events per year. https://chasecenter.com/home.
2020 PGA Championship
The PGA Championship will be played at TPC Harding Park on May 11-17, 2020. Holding a major golf event on a public golf course like Harding Park is very rare. https://tpc.com/hardingpark/pga-championship/
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 Makes History
On July 23, 2019, SFO opened the first phase of the Harvey Milk Terminal 1, the first airport facility in the world named after an LGBTQ+ leader. Travelers are enjoying a new 9-gate boarding area, including a museum exhibit titled “Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope,” featuring crowdsourced images in combination with those of other photographers and items from archival collections at the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the GLBT Historical Society. Typical of SFO, the new terminal offers art and exhibits, popular local culinary outlets, innovations in wayfinding and environment, amenities for travelers, even a signature yoga room. www.flysfo.com/media/press-releases/amazing-has-arrived-harvey-milk-terminal-1-opens-sfo
The next phase of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 opens March 24, 2020, with nine additional gates and first section of the new façade, including the exterior signage.
Also at SFO, the AirTrain extension to the Long-Term Parking will be completed in Fall 2020, making this area easier than ever to access, and reducing roadway traffic
Grand Hyatt at SFO Linked Directly to All Terminals
The Grand Hyatt at SFO opened in October 2019. As the only on-airport hotel at San Francisco International Airport, the $237 million luxury hotel sits on 4.2-acres and features 351 rooms with 22 suites, 14,435 square feet of meeting and event space, two distinct culinary concepts, and an impressive art collection curated exclusively for the hotel by the San Francisco Arts Commission, with 16 works including sculpture, mosaic, painting, and photography created by internationally recognized artists. The hotel is directly connected to all airport terminals with its own dedicated, newly constructed AirTrain station.
www.flysfo.com/about-sfo/airport-development/hotel
SFO Ends the Sale of Water in Plastic Bottles
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) made national news by prohibiting the sale of water in plastic bottles effective Aug. 20, 2019. This move requires all airport retailers, restaurants, airline lounges, and vending machines to sell or provide water in recyclable aluminum, glass or BPI-certified compostable bottles. The policy applies to purified water, mineral water, carbonated or sparkling water, and electrolyte-enhanced water, but does not include flavored beverages such as sodas, teas, or juices.
AFAR Recognizes SFO as Top Airport in the U.S.
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was named the top airport in the United States by readers of AFAR, the world's leading travel media brand. In their 2019 Travelers' Choice Award, SFO was the winner in the “U.S. Airport” category, which also ranked international airports, airlines, and onboard products. AFAR cited SFO's unique amenities, such as the Wag Brigade of certified therapy animals, and locally-sourced food and beverage concepts, such as Gott's Roadside and Tartine Bakery. The annual awards included air travel categories for the first time. Over 200,000 votes were cast for this year's awards. www.afar.com/surveys/afar-travelers-choice-awards-2019?id=travelerschoiceawards.
Presidio Tunnel Tops Project Underway for 2021 Opening
The Presidio Trust, the National Park Service, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy kick off construction of the exciting Presidio Tunnel Tops project on Nov. 7, 2019. Designed by James Corner Field Operations (the firm behind New York's High Line), the project will feature scenic overlooks with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the City, paths and gardens, a Gateway Plaza with food and visitor services, a campfire circle and picnic grounds, and a Field Station where kids can explore nature.
Built over the tops of the Presidio Parkway highway tunnels, the site comprises 14 acres of new national park land. The Presidio Tunnel Tops will welcome people from all backgrounds to an inclusive and safe space in which to connect with the great outdoors, enjoying a green oasis right within the city limits. The project will open in fall of 2021. www.PresidioTunnelTops.org, www.presidio.gov/,
The San Francisco Travel Association is the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco. For information on reservations, activities and more, visit www.sftravel.com or call 415-391-2000.
San Francisco Travel's main Visitor Information Center is now located at 749 Howard St., adjacent to the Moscone Convention Center. San Francisco Travel also operates Visitor Information Centers at Macy's Union Square and in Chinatown at 625 Kearny St. San Francisco Travel is also a partner at the California Welcome Center at PIER 39.
For more about San Francisco, follow www.facebook.com/onlyinSF, www.instagram.com/onlyinsf and https://twitter.com/onlyinsf. Please use hashtags #sftravel and #AlwaysSF.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop flights to more than 50 international cities on 44 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with 85 cities in the U.S. on 12 domestic airlines. SFO offers upgraded free Wi-Fi with no advertising. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. Follow SFO on www.twitter.com/flysfo and www.facebook.com/flysfo.
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