California Street (San Francisco) facts for kids
View from the top of California Street Looking towards the financial district with the Bay Bridge in the background
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| Length | 5.22 mi (8.40 km) |
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| Location | San Francisco |
| Coordinates | 37°47′30″N 122°24′42″W / 37.791761°N 122.411739°W |
| East end | Market Street, Main Street, and Drumm Street |
| West end | 32nd Avenue |
California Street is a very important and long street in San Francisco, California. It is one of the longest streets in the city. Many famous buildings and places are found along its path. The street runs mostly straight from east to west for about 5.2 miles (8.4 kilometers). It starts in the Financial District and goes all the way to Lincoln Park in the far northwest part of San Francisco.
Exploring California Street
California Street starts where Market Street, Main Street, and Drumm Street meet. This spot is right in front of the Hyatt Regency hotel, near the Ferry Building. From there, it travels through many interesting neighborhoods.
It passes through the lively Chinatown area. Then, it goes over Nob Hill, which is famous for its fancy hotels and clubs. After that, it continues through Lower Pacific Heights, Laurel Heights, and the Lake District.
The street bends a little at 8th Avenue. Then, it runs next to the Presidio of San Francisco, which is a large park. It goes through the Richmond District until it ends just west of 32nd Avenue, at Lincoln Park.
A big part of California Street, from Van Ness Avenue to its end past 32nd Avenue, was once part of the Lincoln Highway. This highway was the first road that went all the way across America. California Street was the very last section of this famous road, leading to its western end in Lincoln Park.
The street has four to six lanes for cars along its whole length. A special cable car line runs on the eastern part of the street. This line goes from Market Street to Van Ness Avenue. Also, a trolleybus (an electric bus) line runs on the western part, between Steiner and 32nd Avenue.
Famous Places and Sights
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California Street is home to many well-known buildings and landmarks. Here are some of them:
- Embarcadero Center: A large complex of office buildings and shops.
- 50 California Street
- 101 California Street
- 150 California Street
- 345 California Center: This building includes the Loews Regency San Francisco hotel.
- 400 California Street: Home to the Bank of California Building.
- 465 California Street: Where the Merchants Exchange Building is located.
- 555 California Street: Also known as the Bank of America Center, a very tall skyscraper.
- 580 California Street
- 650 California Street: Known as the Hartford Building.
- Sing Chong and Sing Fat buildings: These are famous buildings at Grant and California, right in the heart of Chinatown.
- 600 Stockton: The location of the Ritz Carlton hotel.
- 905 California Street: Home to the Stanford Court Hotel.
- 800 Powell Street: The University Club is here.
- Fairmont Hotel: A very famous and historic hotel.
- 999 California Street: The Mark Hopkins Hotel is found here.
- 1000 California Street: This is the Pacific-Union Club, which used to be the Flood Mansion.
- 1075 California Street: The Huntington Hotel is located here.
- 1111 California Street: The Masonic Auditorium is a large event space.
- Huntington Park: A lovely park on Nob Hill.
- Grace Cathedral: A beautiful and large church.
- California Pacific Medical Center: A major hospital.
California Street in Books
California Street has even inspired books! Two novels are named after this famous San Francisco street:
- California Street (1959) by Niven Busch: This book tells the story of how a powerful publishing leader became successful.
- California Street (1990) by Donna Levin: This novel is about a psychoanalyst (a type of therapist) who is looking for a missing woman.
In both books, "California Street" is used as a way to describe the setting and the feeling of the stories. It helps readers understand the world where the characters live.
See also
In Spanish: California Street para niños
