Union Square is a public plaza in the middle of downtown San Francisco. It is the hub of the upscale shopping and boutique retailers. There is a place you can rent bikes to tour the city and a coffee shop.
I was able to park and take a stroll around the whole square taking some pictures for us. On each corner is a huge heart. More about those in a future post.
In the center is the Dewey Monument honoring Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Spanish-American war. On the top is a statue of Nike, Ancient Greek Goddess of Victory.
And all around the square for several blocks are the stores that are out of my price range.
Well, maybe Macy’s is okay. Actually, I remember when I was a little girl there was an Emporium Department store and going into the city with my mom to shop at the Emporium was a real treat, especially during the holidays because the store was all decorated and had a huge tree in the middle of it. There were rides on the roof too, which we got to go on after sitting on Santa’s lap. We would be there before the store opened and they would ring a bell when they unlocked the doors. What a push there was by all the women wanting to get in and get the sales! Union Square is also close to the theaters I mentioned yesterday and there is a hotel, The Westin St. Francis, right across the street.
My next “U” is the Urbano Sundial. This is another one of those spots I happened to find while looking at the map of the city. When it was first built in 1913 it was actually part of the Ingleside Raceway. I had no idea that this was even a thing. Of course 1913 is a little before my time.
The original design had a fountain in the middle with statues of seals playing in the water but that didn’t last very long. There are several benches ringing the sundial so you can sit and pass the time. Kids (and maybe some adults?) like to climb to the top and then slide back down. I wasn’t having any of that!
Some occultists claim this is a bit like Stonehenge or the Pyramids, a “cosmic calendar built on a power spot.” How would you feel having something like this in the middle of your street?
Taking a break tomorrow and coming back on Monday with the home stretch in the A to Z. I have all my pictures ready for the finale so I feel pretty confident I’m going to be able to cross the finish line in this race.
Disclaimer notice. The coloring book pages are from the inserts the San Francisco Chronicle put out and I mentioned them in my theme reveal so you can go to that to get the info about the artists if you are interested. I did the coloring and took the pictures.
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Hi, Janet! How are U, dear friend?
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that caught my eye is the coloring book illustration of Union Square. Nice! I always knew San Francisco is a city with a big heart. Looks like it has lots of them. I remember Tony Bennett leaving his there years ago. I am eager to learn what those hearts in the square are all about. I won't cheat by doing my usual reading on the side. I'm thinking maybe they are a pricier version of the lovers' padlocks on the bridge fence. For a certain monthly fee, you can rent your own heart in Union Square and dedicate it to your sweetie. I'm making that up, but it seems anything goes in the City by the Bay. The district does indeed look upscale, clean and welcoming. The Admiral Dewey monument topped by the statue of Goddess Nike are standout attractions and visible, I'm sure, from a great distance. Nonsense, dear friend. I'm sure your hubby wouldn't mind if you blew the whole nest egg on Swarovski crystal and clothing and accessories from Macy's, Saks and Tory Burch. Don't forget to have breakfast at Tiffany's. :) Remember their slogan: "If you need to ask, you can't afford it." :) Thanks for sharing memories of going with your mom to the Emporium dept. store. I have similar memories of my mom taking me to the dept. stores in downtown York when I was little.
I also enjoyed learning about and seeing the Urbano Sundial built the same year as The Shady Dell - 1913. It was also the year my father was born. I don't know if I'd be keen on climbing to the top and sliding down (unless someone placed a net under it).
Wow, Janet. We're rounding the final turn and heading into the home stretch of this year's Challenge. I can't wait to find out what you are doing for "X." Must I show proof of age to get in that day? :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend, dear friend!
Hi there Shady - Our fathers were born in the same year! My mom was 10 years younger, born in 1923. I like the idea of dedicating the hearts and does sound like a reasonable way to bring some money into the city. Little kids are fearless and the little girl who was trying to get to the top would run halfway and then hold on. Good thing her father was there to catch her. I think I'm going to have to read Breakfast at Tiffany's now. See you Monday.
DeleteWhen we visited SF as tourists, we stayed in a hotel not far from Union Square and walked past there numerous times. I don't remember the hearts! I'm decidedly not very observant at times.
ReplyDeleteThe hearts are relatively new I think. I'll be talking more about them in another letter.
DeleteThanks for the tour of part of SF! I've never been, but my wife has and says it's an awesome place. We hope to go some time in the future, and I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for stopping by. It is a very interesting place for sure.
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