Polk Street facts for kids
Polk Street (also sometimes referred to by its German name, Polkstrasse) is a street in San Francisco, California, that travels northward from Market Street to Beach Street and is one of the main thoroughfares of the Polk Gulch neighborhood traversing through the Tenderloin, Nob Hill, and Russian Hill neighborhoods. The street takes its name from former U.S. President James K. Polk.
The street also has bike lanes, which were approved in 2002. San Francisco bike route 25 runs along Polk Street, and is the only North-South route suitable for casual bicycle travel within at least a mile in either direction. Some of the changes have been debated by residents and the improvements have continued as part of the SFMTA Polk Streetscape Project and Shared Spaces program, which has allocated outdoor street space for local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Name
Polk Street is named for James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) the 11th President of the United States (1845–1849). During the Mexican-American War, and after the Texas annexation, Polk turned his attention to California, hoping to acquire the territory from Mexico before any European nation. The main interest was San Francisco Bay as an access point for trade with Asia.
McTeague
Frank Norris's 1899 novel McTeague is about a dentist whose office is on Polk Street. In 2008, McTeague Saloon, located at 1237, opened in his honor.
Other notable locations
The San Francisco Police Department Northern Station serves Polk Gulch. The street remains a busy business district with many restaurants, cafes, and numerous bars. Today, the Academy of Art University owns a building on the street for academic purposes.
Images for kids
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A crowd walks up Polk Street during the March to Remember and Reclaim Queer Space, March 2018.
