Fort Mason

Nestled in between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina, Fort Mason is one of the most scenic neighborhoods in all of San Francisco. It offers spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marina harbor and Alcatraz Island. Although the neighborhood is somewhat secluded, it serves as a tourist hot spot for its historical landmarks and buildings.

The area was formerly a United States Army facility from WWII, serving as coastal defense. At the time, it was considered a temporary wartime post, but it has held the test of time and is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation area with tens of preserved historical buildings.

Due to the geographic nature of the area, the neighborhood is split into two beautifully maintained campuses. One lies on the upper terrace of the area where it offers beautiful coastline and provides a large park where locals exercise along a path that sits along the ridge line. It also consists of small clusters of residential housing including officer barracks, youth hostels and public housing. The lower waterfront area is home to Fort Mason Center where it hosts non-profit organizations, conferences, farmer’s markets and a plethora of neighborhood festivals. In the summer months, Fort Mason Pavilion hosts a Bay Area Brew Festival and the Renegade Craft Fair. Those who want to eat out should head to Greens restaurant, a highly popular vegetarian destination for locals.

Since Fort Mason is relatively reclusive, public transportation is limited. The 45 runs east and west and then cuts down Columbus Street and into downtown San Francisco while the 41 line sweeps along Fort Mason’s south eastern border and runs along Van Ness.

Fort Mason like the nearby Presidio is not really a fort anymore. Now it is just a green space where joggers and walkers go. It is one of the many green spaces in SF that make the city a great place to live. You are just far enough away from Fisherman’s Wharf that you don’t get that many tourists here—which locals like.

I think they also have some kind of museum or art exhibitions here and the facilities might also be used for weddings—I really don’t know. I do know that there is a fairly expensive vegetarian restaurant—Greens—right here, but, not being a vegetarian, I’ve never really been there. I imagine the view of the Golden Gate and the bay must be great from here—in terms of a dining experience I mean. I know that is great as a walking experience.

I suppose it would be really nice to have a green space like this right by where you lived, but given how many green spaces there are around the city, I’m not sure it really would be the deciding factor when choosing a

Fort Mason is an area that tourists must visit. Here at Fort Mason you’ll get to experience the great Bay Area water smell. You’ll also get a great view of the waters from the shore as well as the narrow peninsula built for sightseeing purposes. A lot happens at Fort Mason. Quite often you’ll see weddings happening here as Fort Mason is a quite the scenic environment to have that beautiful wedding. Not only do weddings happen here but there are also shows happening often at the theatres here in Fort Mason. There is also a museum in Fort Mason as well. Fort Mason is basically a park, or at least you might think it is once you step foot in. But because of the old fashioned buildings, you definitely get the feeling that Fort Mason was once a fort, and right you are. Fort Mason dates back to before 1900, and Fort Mason even participated in some ways to World War II (For America of course). And because of this, I think this is why there is a plethora of elderly citizens roaming around Fort Mason at times, I don’t want to say anything unnecessarily true, but there could be some linkage. Or rather the elderly like to take a quiet stroll through Fort Mason; additionally there are a lot of bikers in Fort Mason as well.

Fort Mason hosts a wide variety of events. In fact, you can rent out their center easily for parties, weddings etc. This is a pretty spectacular location for an event of any kind.

There is also the Fort Mason Campus, which hosts nonprofit organizations that mostly deal with arts and culture. This is where California Lawyers for the Arts is located.

Another interesting thing about Fort Mason is that this is where the Greens Restaurant is located. I haven’t eaten at Greens, but I hear that it is a very good vegetarian restaurant. Chef Annie Somerville wrote the cookbook “Field of Greens,” which I do use and like very much. I hope to eat at Greens one day soon.

This area of town is situated on the water, west of Fisherman’s Wharf. Fort Mason is also part of the Golden Gate Recreational Area and that means that it is a National Historic Landmark District too. You definitely can get some nice views in this part of town. There are also some interesting historic buildings to check out. I think it is really excellent that this historic region is so open to hosting the arts. For example, there is also the Artists Gallery at Fort Mason. You can easily visit this building and see the work by various local artists.

Fort Mason is an historic area in San Francisco. As such, you can appreciate conference centers and rental halls where you'll get a lot of space at a fairly reasonable price. You can check the Fort Mason web site where they give you lots of information on rental prices (http://www.fortmason.org/venuerental/index.shtml) and talk to the representatives there who can help you find the right spot for your event. When I've called, I found out they had other spots not even listed on the web site which were a better value (less money for more space) so be sure to call them even if you don't know if they have what you're looking for.

If you're looking for an unusual treat and you're a vegetarian, I absolutely must recommend "Greens" restaurant. Though they are pricey, it's a treat worth enjoying. The food, service and view are all absolutely fabulous. http://www.greensrestaurant.com/