Secret Popos

What happens when beautiful public areas are nestled within a privately owned space?

No one ever hears about them.

Say hello to Popos or “Privately Owned Public Spaces”. They are one of San Francisco’s many secrets. While downtown is littered with these gems, I was lucky

Above the front doors of the Fairmont Hotel.

enough to stumble upon one during a walking tour of Nob Hill.

Located within Nob Hill’s very own Fairmont Hotel, you will find a wonderfully manicured space with breathtaking views of the city. It is calm and peaceful and very rarely used. It is also completely open to the public.  Exhausted after trekking around Nob Hill, I usually come to this area to relax before heading home. I’ve only seen a few people occupy this lovely space and they seem to include tourists staying in the hotel and the hotel workers on lunch breaks.

Now you’re asking yourself how can I get there? Fantastic question.

Walk through the Fairmont Hotel’s front doors. It’s impossible to miss them. There should be over 40 large international flags waving above them. Then turn to your right. Walk down the long hallway past a few small shops and bathrooms (which I highly recommend if you ever need to ‘go’ while in Nob Hill, they are wonderful).

 Past the elevators and a bar ( it has circus animals painted on the walls). That hallway will eventually turn into this:

You’re almost there. Doors are located from where this picture was taken.  Walk through them et voilà! 

Welcome to the Fairmont Hotel’s privately owned public space:

You will also see a wonderful view of the bay:

Absolutely Beautiful Pictures of Nob Hill from Flickr

Morning hiking in the city by Raystudio on Flickr

Nob Hill photo by Lewis Shepherd via flickr.

Nob Hill in Foggy Sunlight by David Dugan via Flickr

Nob Hill nights by Jenn Bautista via Flickr

Nob Hill, San Francisco by Dave Glass via Flickr

The doors of Grace Cathedral by Karen Brockney via Flickr

By Randy von Liski via Flickr

An Excuse to Lie Shirtless

Beautifully manicured Huntington Park serves as an epicenter to the neighborhood of Nob Hill and a popular gathering place for both locals and tourists.

Once the plot of land for railroad tycoon Henry Huntington’s mansion, now lays a park that spans an entire city block shaded by large trees. Urban bustle and cable car bells can be heard from the surrounding streets. Serving as a metaphor of Nob Hill, Huntington Park is a luxurious mixture of old and new.

I was relaxing in the sun near Huntington Park’s famous turtle fountain when an older gentleman, who was previously sunbathing, sat near me. He still had bits of grass stuck to his back as he pulled out a shirt from his canvas bag and began to put it on.

As I moved closer to him, I told him that I was a journalism student at SF State and had a few questions about the neighborhood.

“I’ll answer anything,” he said, “as long as you don’t ask my name.”

This is how I met Richard Best, a resident of Nob Hill since 1975, former substitute teacher and SF State Alumni. Needless to say, within a few minutes of our conversation he was more than willing to give me his contact information.

“This is certainly a historic neighborhood, with the railroad tycoons and the Hitchcock movies. They even film commercials here near the park!” he said.

Best has been coming to Huntington Park every Saturday for years, not only to to soak in the sunshine but to relax his mind.  He strongly believes in the healing power of vitamin D, as do many of the other sunbathers that frequent the area.

“Old guys like me come here to soak up the sunshine which improves our health, also it’s an excuse to lie shirtless,” he laughed .

The park is quiet and perfect for meditation. White noise provided by the muted sounds of the city and the trickling of the water fountain ease my hectic thoughts. Every time I come here there are always people congregating together or relaxing alone.

A man is doing Thai Chi under a tree and two girls are picnicking in the sunshine. Light chatter from a few couples can be heard from surrounding benches and a puppy is clumsily chasing after his ball.

After an hour long conversation, the bells from Grace Cathedral remind me of the time and I respectfully wrap up my conversation with Best.

Upon leaving he turns around and asks for my name just in case he sees me again in the park. I was pleasantly surprised by this gesture because most my encounters in Nob Hill have been impersonal.

This was the first sense of community I’ve felt thus far in Nob Hill, and how fitting at a popular gathering place.

Grace Cathedral’s renovation completion date postponed.

The construction work on Grace Cathedral’s iconic Great Stairs and outdoor labyrinth will persist five weeks past the targeted finish date, causing further disruption for tourists.

Grace Cathedral got held up in the process of obtaining a building permit by San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission. The church had to go through a lengthy hearing process which lasted over a month longer than expected.

“We appreciate their concern for what is certainly a historic building, but the delay was frustrating,” said Kathy Kirkpatrick, the Canon Sacrist of Grace Cathedral.

Underneath Grace Cathedral’s Great Stairs lies a community preschool with a leaking roof. The waterproofing membrane under the stairs and outdoor labyrinth has failed in a number of locations causing structural damage to the occupied spaces underneath. If these repairs are put off or delayed, the water damage will get worse causing more serious problems.

“If we don’t fix this problem now, we will have to completely replace the roof underneath the stairs, which would take longer and cost more,” said John Rasmussen, Grace Cathedral’s visitor station volunteer.

The construction work hasn’t made a significant impact on the attendance of the parishioners. The cathedral has been diligent about updating the parishioners about the process of reconstruction, but there has been a decrease in tourism to the complex since the demolition started.

“Despite what you may think the cathedral is open, just don’t expect to see the Ghiberti Doors,” said Harlan Hirshfeld, a City Guides tour volunteer.

The reconstruction of the stairs has been confusing for tourists visiting to the cathedral. The cathedral appears to be closed off to the public because of the dirt and large gates surrounding the entrance. It has also caused a huge disappointment for those wanting to see the famous Ghiberti Doors, which are now covered up to protect them from the construction work.

Clamor and conversation can be heard from behind the wire fence that encloses the front side of Grace Cathedral facing Taylor St. Construction workers have been meticulously working throughout this process to ensure that everything gets put back exactly as it was.  Attached to the wire fence are signs pointing to alternate entrances to the building.

“Although we have posted a lot of signs, some visitors still find it difficult to access the cathedral,” said Kirkpatrick.

In the summer of 2012, the cathedral started waterproofing their planters. This provided an insight to bigger task of replacing the entire membrane underneath the front stairs and labyrinth. Because of this, they were able to make necessary adjustments and haven’t run into any unforeseen construction related problems so far causing no delays. The biggest setback was in obtaining the building permit.

So far the Great Stairs, outdoor labyrinth and failing membrane have been removed. A new membrane has been laid down and the stairs are currently being built. The labyrinth and handrails will be the last things installed after the stairs are completely finished.

Although the outside of the cathedral is a little disheveled, this has not affected any of the scheduled church activities. The renovations are now said to be completed by Thanksgiving 2013.

In memory of Empress I de San Francisco, The Widow Norton

On a fairly typical Friday afternoon while basking in the brilliant sunshine atop Nob Hill, I happened to stumble across a truly unexpected scene. Clueless in the affairs surrounding Huntington Park, I meandered in that direction with hopes of resting my feet and collecting my thoughts. I ventured down Cushman St, which lines Huntington Park to the south.

Although Nob Hill is full of life and bustling activity, I noticed that traffic was at a stand still and horns were blaring in all directions.  Huntington Park is situated on a hill and on one end is level with the sidewalk and on the end is raised above it. Because of the natural geography of Nob Hill, I couldn’t see the commotion coming from what I assumed was Taylor St, which borders the north end of the park.

Excitement flared within in me as I made my way past the water fountain marking the center of the park and through the crowds of onlookers.

Over 15 police motorcycles were parked perpendicular with the curb closest to Huntington Park on Taylor St. Their lights were flashing but only a handful of police officers were actually on them. Most were huddled in small groups around the front steps of the park. Four large tour buses were parked parallel to the motorcycles and the street in front of Grace Cathedral was completely blocked off.

It was a funeral procession I inferred after I saw truly remarkable looking drag queens dressed in shimmering black gowns making their way gracefully across the street. Black lace veils and regal tiaras adorned many of their heads. The funeral party also consisted of men in capes with large crowns and a plethora of other people dressed in an array of outfits.

As tremendous the sight was, I felt a little pain in my heart when I took out my camera to snap a few photos. It appeared to be a very somber moment for the funeral party, something I didn’t feel comfortable with capturing. I quickly put my camera away after a few shots and proceeded on with the rest of my day.

Later that night I did some research and found out that the funeral was for a prominent political and gay rights activist José Sarria, a.k.a. Empress I de San Francisco, The Widow Norton.  Sarria was the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States and founded the Imperial Court System, the oldest and largest gay organization in the world.

In his honor, the police were there to help escort the funeral precession from Grace Cathedral to a formal burial then to the Castro for the reception.

Welcome to Nob Hill

As the name may suggest, Nob Hill is an affluent neighborhood situated on and around some of the most iconic hills in San Francisco. Wedged between Van Ness, Broadway, Powell, and Bush Street, Nob Hill’s densely packed, yet seemingly uncluttered streets may appeal to people who want to experience San Francisco without the chaotic crowds of Downtown.

Manicured trees line the sidewalks and beautiful apartment buildings with glass chandeliers nestle together to create a warmth and intimacy that is very distinct to the area. Cable cars full of people glide down Nob Hills streets further adding to its captivating appeal. The buzz from the trolley rails remind this neighborhood of its authentic finesse. 

“[Nob Hill] is good for me because it’s close to work and near a lot of cool parts of the city like North Beach, Chinatown, and Downtown”, said Blake Carpenter, a resident of Nob Hill living on Mason and Pacific. “As you get deeper into Nob Hill the parks get nicer and the hotels get fancier,” he said. Carpenter had been living in the city for two months and told me that although he technically lives in Nob Hill he fells like he is really living in Chinatown.

The Pacific Heights neighborhood sits just west of Nob Hill and Chinatown lays to the east. To my untrained eye, I could not find a distinct border between Pacific Heights and Nob Hill. On first glance the buildings looked relatively the same and both neighborhoods seemed to have the same demographic of people.

On the other hand, I saw a distinct border between Nob Hill and Chinatown. In fact, Chinatown spills into the ‘official’ boarders of Nob Hill.  I didn’t see any intermingling of cultures or gradient shift. While walking around Nob Hill I don’t think I saw one person of color until I got a few blocks away from Powell Street and a two blocks from Bush Street. Other than a handful of tourists with maps and large cameras, I saw only people of Asian decent towards Powell and mixture of people near Bush. The southern parts of Nob Hill again have a border that was apparent to me but more gradually. This part of the city is called Lower Nob Hill or the Tender Nob which is more alive with people and has an “inner city” feel. 

I spent Friday afternoon meandering the streets of Nob Hill trying to get lost and seek out hidden gems with a completely untainted open mind. I walked through friendly alleyways and saw fire escapes adorned with laundry that had been bathing in the sunshine. I looked on at the construction work on Powell Street and tried to conceal my heavy breathing while little beads of sweat formulated on my brow as I trekked up a very steep hill near Nuestra Senora De Guadalupe Church.

It appears that from the outside that there is nothing more to be known about Nob Hill, it is perfect. It is beautiful. It is suave and charming, sunny and romantic.  But I sense that there is more to be told about each corner of this neighborhood.

I look forward to getting to know you, Nob Hill.