Jackson Square, San Francisco, California
Encyclopedia
Jackson Square is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California
, bounded by Pacific Ave. and Broadway
east of Montgomery St.
, Washington St. on the south, Columbus Ave.
on the west and Battery St. on the east with any number of nearby satellite buildings and residents outside the bounds that truly belong to the neighborhood.
, the collection of three-story brick buildings found on the narrow streets and alleys offer a bright glimpse into the California Gold Rush
that gave San Francisco its start. Buildings on the north side of Jackson between Montgomery and Sansome retain cast iron shutters as protection against fire, but when the city burned, in one case, a warehouse's contents turned out to be more significant in saving the building in the 1906 earthquake and fire
:
Walking tours regularly assemble for the sights and recounting of history, even as the neighborhood changes with dramatic new development and commercial instability fueled by high rents. With few vacancies, there is plenty of evidence of neighborhood vitality. This is the interior designer's district (predating the San Francisco Design Center), where the well-heeled order elegant furnishings, wall coverings, carpets, prints and the like most often only through the trade, and occasionally at retail. With twenty-five furniture and decorative art galleries, advertising agencies, architects and industrial or graphic designers still survive in the neighborhood, and law firms have offices in many of the prime locations.
Watering holes and restaurants and clubs dot the streets and alleyways, and many of these are historic institutions in themselves. Recently, there has been a resurgence of these businesses, opening up to breath new life in to the area.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, bounded by Pacific Ave. and Broadway
Broadway Street (San Francisco)
Broadway is an east-west street in San Francisco that runs from The Embarcadero to the Cow Hollow district. The neon-lined stretch of Broadway through North Beach is the city's red-light district, home to strip clubs and other adult businesses, as well as many nightclubs and bars, and has been...
east of Montgomery St.
Montgomery Street
Montgomery Street is a north-south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, in the United States.It runs about 16 blocks from the Telegraph Hill neighborhood south through downtown, terminating at Market Street. South of Columbus Avenue, Montgomery Street runs through the heart of San Francisco's...
, Washington St. on the south, Columbus Ave.
Columbus Avenue (San Francisco)
Columbus Avenue is a diagonal street that runs through the North Beach and Chinatown areas of San Francisco, California, from Washington and Montgomery Streets by the Transamerica Pyramid to Beach Street near Fisherman's Wharf.Avenue This street is home to several notable venues, such as Jack...
on the west and Battery St. on the east with any number of nearby satellite buildings and residents outside the bounds that truly belong to the neighborhood.
History
Jackson Square encompasses the northeastern part of the former (and notorious) Barbary Coast.Character
Jackson Square Historic District retains its character as one of the oldest commercial neighborhoods in San Francisco. Though in some cases extensively altered during seismic retrofitSeismic retrofit
Seismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. With better understanding of seismic demand on structures and with our recent experiences with large earthquakes near urban centers,...
, the collection of three-story brick buildings found on the narrow streets and alleys offer a bright glimpse into the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
that gave San Francisco its start. Buildings on the north side of Jackson between Montgomery and Sansome retain cast iron shutters as protection against fire, but when the city burned, in one case, a warehouse's contents turned out to be more significant in saving the building in the 1906 earthquake and fire
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
:
- If, as they say, God spanked the town for being over-frisky,
- Why did he burn the churches down and spare Hotaling's Whiskey?
Walking tours regularly assemble for the sights and recounting of history, even as the neighborhood changes with dramatic new development and commercial instability fueled by high rents. With few vacancies, there is plenty of evidence of neighborhood vitality. This is the interior designer's district (predating the San Francisco Design Center), where the well-heeled order elegant furnishings, wall coverings, carpets, prints and the like most often only through the trade, and occasionally at retail. With twenty-five furniture and decorative art galleries, advertising agencies, architects and industrial or graphic designers still survive in the neighborhood, and law firms have offices in many of the prime locations.
Watering holes and restaurants and clubs dot the streets and alleyways, and many of these are historic institutions in themselves. Recently, there has been a resurgence of these businesses, opening up to breath new life in to the area.