Polk Street facts for kids
A Neoplan bus on Polk Street operating on San Francisco Municipal Railway's (MUNI) 19-Polk Line
|
|
| Location | San Francisco, California |
|---|---|
| South end | Market Street in SoMa |
| North end | Beach Street at the Marina District |
Polk Street is a famous street in San Francisco, California. It runs north from Market Street to Beach Street. It is a main road in the Polk Gulch neighborhood. The street goes through areas like the Tenderloin, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill. Polk Street is named after a former U.S. President, James K. Polk.
The street also has special lanes for bikes. These bike lanes were approved in 2002. San Francisco bike route 25 uses Polk Street. It is the only north-south bike path that is easy for casual riders for about a mile in either direction.
Contents
The Name of Polk Street
Polk Street is named after James Knox Polk. He was the 11th President of the United States from 1845 to 1849. During his time as president, he was interested in California. He hoped to get the territory from Mexico. His main goal was to gain control of San Francisco Bay. This bay was important for trade with countries in Asia.
Sometimes, people still call the street Polkstrasse or Polk Strasse. This is a German name, as "Straße" means "street" in German. This name comes from a time when Polk Street was a main shopping area for German immigrants in San Francisco. In 1912, the German community built a building called California Hall. It was at the corner of Polk and Turk streets. The building looked like a German town hall.
Polk Gulch Neighborhood
Polk Gulch is the name for the neighborhood around a part of Polk Street. This area is near Nob Hill and Russian Hill. It stretches from about Geary Street to Union Street. The name "Gulch" is a bit funny. It is used because the street crosses an old stream at the bottom of a gentle valley.
Polk Gulch was a very important community center in San Francisco. This was from the 1950s until the early 1980s. Many people from this community started moving to The Castro and SOMA around 1970. This was because many large Victorian houses were available there. They could be rented cheaply or bought with small down payments.
Polk Gulch was one of the main gathering places for a specific community in the city. Other important areas included The Castro and South of Market (SOMA). On New Year's Day in 1965, police raided a fundraising event. It was for a new group called the Council on Religion and the Homosexual. This event happened at California Hall at 625 Polk Street. Some people say this event helped start a more organized movement for community rights in San Francisco.
By 1971, Polk Street was known as a vibrant street for this community. In 1972, Polk Street was the starting point for the first official San Francisco community parade. In the 1970s, many people moved from Polk Street to the Castro District. They found more affordable homes there.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the neighborhood started to change. It became more developed and popular. Today, it is still well-known for its lively evening activities.
Public Transportation
In 1883, the Sutter Street Railway started cable car service on Polk Street. This service ran between Post and Pacific streets. In 1907, electric streetcars replaced the cable cars. The streetcar service stopped for a short time in the early 1940s. It was brought back during World War II. But in 1945, buses finally replaced the streetcars. The old tracks stayed in the road until at least 1948. Today, the San Francisco Municipal Railway 19 Polk bus line follows a route similar to the original cable railway.
Other Interesting Places
The San Francisco Police Department Northern Station is located in the Polk Gulch area. Polk Street is still a busy business area. It has many restaurants, cafes, and different kinds of shops.
McTeague Novel and Film
Frank Norris wrote a novel in 1899 called McTeague. The story is about a dentist whose office is on Polk Street. An American silent movie from 1924, called Greed, was based on this book. It was written and directed by Erich von Stroheim.
In 2008, a place called McTeague Saloon opened at 1237 Polk Street. It was reportedly "inspired by the novel."
