South Park, San Francisco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Park |
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Three and four story buildings surround the tree-filled South Park.
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| Type | Urban park (San Francisco) |
| Location | San Francisco |
| Area | 0.85 acres (0.34 ha) |
| Created | 1852 |
| Open | All year |
| Status | Open |
South Park is a small, green space and a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It's part of the larger South of Market area. The park itself is about 0.85 acres (0.34 hectares) big.
The neighborhood is built around this oval-shaped park. A street called South Park Street goes all the way around it. This creates a cool, enclosed feeling for the park and the buildings nearby. You'll find local shops, restaurants, and many apartment buildings along the street.
In January 2016, the park was closed for a while. It got a big upgrade costing $2.8 million. This included new features and improvements to the park's structure.
History of South Park
The land for South Park was bought in 1852. An English businessman named George Gordon put the area together.
How the Park Started
The park was first built in 1855. It was the center of a fancy neighborhood. The design was like a square in London, England. There were 17 mansions and many townhouses around a private grassy park. This oval area was about 550 feet long.
South Park had the first paved streets and sidewalks in San Francisco. A windmill in the middle of the park pumped water. This water was used for the houses around the park.
Japanese American Community
From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, South Park was home to a large Japanese American community. It was close to the waterfront and a train station. The area had hotels, baths, and shops run by Japanese owners. Some of these old buildings are still there today. For example, the Madrid Hotel used to be the Eimoto Hotel.
Changes Over Time
The neighborhood became less exclusive after a new street, Second Street, was built. This made the area easier for more people to reach. Rich residents started moving to the newer Nob Hill neighborhood. In 1897, the city took over the park.
South Park also faced challenges after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Most of the homes nearby were destroyed. But the oval park itself stayed the same. It continued to be a central meeting spot. After the earthquake, the area was rebuilt with warehouses and factories. Many immigrants, along with longshoremen (dock workers), moved into the neighborhood. In the 1970s, artists and young professionals started to move there.
The Dot-Com Era
The area became very popular during the "dot-com boom" in the late 1990s. Many new Internet companies started there because office space was cheap. Some people even called it "ground zero" for the dot-com revolution.
However, by late 2001, many of these companies closed. But by 2006, South Park was again home to many small web-related businesses.
Future Transportation Plans
Recently, some people living in South Park were worried about a new subway stop. There was a plan to put an above-ground stop on the Central Subway line. This stop would have been on Third Street, near the park.
But the city's transportation agency, the Municipal Transportation Agency, made a different decision. The subway line will now go along Fourth Street. This is one block farther away from the park.
Businesses in South Park
South Park is home to many different kinds of businesses. Here are some examples of what you can find there today.
Current Businesses
Design and Engineering
- Aidlin Darling Design
- CMG Landscape Architecture
- Levy Design Partners
- WRNS Studio
Arts and Culture
- Lamplighters Music Theatre, a group that performs music shows
- Gallery 16, a place to see modern art
Food and Drinks
- Blue Bottle Coffee
- Caffe Centro, a coffeehouse
- HRD, an Asian fusion restaurant
- South Park Cafe
Media and Web Companies
- Alternet, a journalism website
- Apartment List
- Macworld
- PC World
- Wired, a popular tech magazine
Technology Companies
- Dropbox, a service for storing files online
- Olark, a company that provides live chat for websites
- Sauce Labs
- Splunk, a software company
- Strava, an app for tracking sports activities
- Twitter, a social media platform (used to be here)
Venture Capital Firms
- Accel
- GGV Capital
- GV
- Kleiner Perkins
- Redpoint Ventures
Neighbors Around South Park
South Park is in a busy part of San Francisco. It's located between the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and Oracle Park. Oracle Park is the city's baseball stadium.
Many streets nearby are one-way. They carry a lot of traffic to and from the bridge, the stadium, and Interstate 280.
Oracle Park is just two blocks south and east of South Park. This is where the San Francisco Giants baseball team plays their games.
The Moscone Center is also nearby. It's San Francisco's main place for big meetings and events. It's about four blocks north and west of South Park.
