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Civic Center revitalizes San Francisco
Author: By Louis A. DiIorio, Globe Staff
Date: SUNDAY, June 2, 1996
Page: B14
Section: Travel
SAN FRANCISCO -- Earthquakes, seismic retrofitting, fires and even a Nancy
Drew controversy don't stand a chance when it comes to progress in ``America's
favorite city.''
The bay, that 500-square-mile cleft in the California coastline; North
Beach; and vibrant new neighborhoods South of Market are undergoing a
renaissance, but none more so than the Civic Center, an architectural treasure
where the symphony, opera and ballet dazzle audiences, and where a new
seven-story, state-of-the art main library opened in April.
In 1848, sand dunes shifted on what is now the Civic Center, while the new
city that lined the waterfront churned with activity. Soon, Yerba Buena
Cemetery was dug into the dunes, seemingly a long way from town, and as the
city sprawled outward, the graveyard was replaced by a grandiose city hall
completed in 1898. On April 18, 1906, the poorly constructed building
collapsed in six seconds and the fire that followed the earthquake consumed
its contents, which included the public library. The Pioneer Monument,
commissioned to enhance City Hall, was left standing, alone.
As the city was rebuilt, an ambitious and beautiful civic center was
planned. The Civic Auditorium and the new City Hall were completed in 1915,
the Main Library in 1917. Unfortunately, by 1944 the library reached its
capacity of 500,000 volumes, and in 1957 was described in the local press as
``a national disgrace.'' Seeking a location for a new building, supporters
staked out Marshall Square, a site relegated to temporary uses next door to
the Old Main. Passed over by the Opera in the 1930s, eyed by the Symphony in
the 1970s, it was finally officially designated as the site for a new library.
In 1988, San Franciscans overwhelmingly passed a bond measure to build the new
Main, completing the Civic Center.
On April 23, 1992, ground was broken, and on April 18, 1996, ninety years
after the great earthquake, the new Main Library was opened at Grove and
McAllister streets. It has been described as one of the greatest public
learning centers in the nation and one of the most technologically advanced in
the world. More than 1 million books, 400 electronic work stations, a
children's discovery center, and special rooms on African American, Chinese
and Filipino American works surround a light-filled atrium.
Today the Civic Center is alive with enterprise. Current and planned
construction and seismic upgrading costs are estimated at $1.2 billion, which
includes the library, the revamped Billy Graham Civic Auditorium, the new
Asian Art Museum, the refurbished City Hall, the War Memorial Opera House, new
state and federal office buildings, a redesigned Civic Center Plaza and more
to come.
The Asian Art Museum will move into the the old library in fall 1999; the
War Memorial Opera House will reopen in June 1997, having survived a recent
four-alarm fire and now undergoing an $80.5 million structural renovation; and
the beaux arts-style City Hall will again house politicians in January 1998
after a three-year renovation.
What all this means is an enormous boon to surrounding neighborhoods and
businesses. A block away at 333 Fulton St., the 48-room Inn at the Opera no
doubt will continue to cater to its arts patrons, and the restaurant scene
will take off. Neighboring Hayes Valley is lined with outstanding places to
eat, galleries and antique shops, but it is exceptional restaurants like Carlo
Middione's ``Vivande'' ristorante (670 Golden Gate Ave.) we'll see coming to
the forefront.
Charming, warm and the youngest of 13 children, Middeone, a Buffalo, N.Y.,
native, is an author and TV personality (``Carlo Cooks Italian'' on The
Learning Channel). But it is as chef and owner of his 200-seat ``Vivande''
ristorante that he is leading the culinary renaissance at the Civic Center.
His kitchen skills and enthusiasm for mouth-watering Italian food are
contagious.
Meanwhile, . . .
On the waterfront
Since the earthquake of '89, the one that sent the Embarcadero Freeway on
its way, the waterfront area south of Market -- that stretch from the ferry
building to beyond the Bay Bridge -- has taken on new life.
A soon-to-be Muni (the local transportation system) surface line, stately
palms and benches parallel a wide harborfront promenade and several new
neighborhoods. It's all fairly new, it's clean and it's safe.
The area is punctuated with historic plaques and pylons recalling events
and people of the past. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien, the Liberty Ship that made an
Atlantic crossing in spring 1994 to commemorate D-Day, docks at Pier 32.
(The O'Brien, by the way, the last seagoing survivor of 2,751 identical
ships built to carry cargo during World War II, will be going on a seven-week
cruise June 21 to British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. A popular
tourist attraction, the 53-year-old ship will return Aug. 10. For cruises and
tours call 415-441-3102.)
A proposal to develop a ``maritime recreation center'' that would include a
small-boat launching and storage and a 170-seat restaurant near Pier 38 is
also on the books. The pier, at the foot of Brannan Street, is just one block
from what most people hope will be Pacific Bell Park, new home of the Giants.
. . . And when all this come to fruition, it's likely that the Bay City Bar
and Grill (at Third and King near the proposed stadium site) will have to
change its slogan: ``San Francisco's best-kept secret.''
A few blocks south of the bridge, in an area locals refer to asSouth
Beach, outdoor patios and cafes, gardens and parks, and new apartment
buildings and condos are helping complete the renaissance. But this is just
the beginning, for the Giants are moving uptown! By the year 2000, the team
that left the Polo Grounds for Candlestick is expected to be playing in their
new, voter-approved 42,000-seat China Basin stadium. That's South of Market
near the Cal Train station and within walking distance of downtown. Meanwhile,
down at ``the Stick,'' the 49ers are making news of their own. Political
consultant Jack Davis has signed on to head a drive for a new stadium for the
49ers next to Candlestick Park.
No snorkels required!
In submerged, see-through tunnels, UnderWater World, America's first
``diver's-eye view'' aquarium -- which opened in April -- has already given
thousands of visitors a chance to mingle with leopard sharks and sea stars,
and to meet face to face with shimmering schools of colorful fish. A
headphone-narrated dive journey guides you along moving walkways through a
400-foot lone transparent tunnel that loops between two main tanks and beneath
filtered bay water, 16 feet deep.
Part entertainment, part education, the $40 million aquarium and marine
science center is ``an eye-opening perspective that very few people have ever
enjoyed,'' said Erik Pedersen, president of Tarlton Aquastar, developers of
UnderWater World. ``San Francisco Bay is the start of the greatest tidal
estuary on the Pacific coast. We want to show people of all ages the amazing
richness of local marine life and the importance of protecting the
environment,'' he added. Pier 39's newest attraction is open from 10 a.m. to
8:30 p.m. daily; admission is $13.50 for adults and $6.75 for children and
seniors. Group discounts also are available. . . . The only floating national
park, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park -- a collection of
ships visitors can board and explore -- at Hyde Street, and the World War II
submarine USS Pampanito at Pier 45 are offering money-saving family packages.
The reduced prices mean significant savings for families of four or more and a
visit to both sites on a combo pass would be 40 percent off regular ticket
prices. . . . First-time visitors should take in ``San Francisco -- The
Movie'' at Pier 39's new Citibank Cinemax Theater. Located above the Entrance
Plaza on the second level of Pier 39, the theater is adjacent to UnderWater
World.
On the beach
Marsha Garland, executive director of the North Beach Chamber of Commerce,
who promotes San Francisco's old Italian quarter as a labor of love, is often
far too busy to take an espresso break. So what does this English-born bundle
of energy do? She becomes California's first woman boxing promoter. And, in a
bid to help the Special Olympics and bring professional boxing back to San
Francisco (after a four-year hiatus), she packed them in June 1 for five
fights, including a six-rounder between two women at (where else?)
Longshoreman's Hall (Local 10). . . . Add Reed Hearon's ``Rose Pistola'' to
the list of fine restaurants making a home in North Beach. Specializing in
Genoese and Ligurian food, the newly-opened hot spot at 532 Columbus
personifies the vibrancy and honesty of its 88-year-old namesake. Just who is
she? Rose Evangelista ``is an absolutely charming, delightful and vibrant
woman, one of the sexiest 88-year-olds I've ever met,'' said Hearon. As a
child she stole from the wagons of truck farmers, at 12 she left school to
work in local canneries and at 19 escaped an arranged marriage by eloping.
According to Hearon, ``Her father moved here from Italy and worked on the
wharf as a fisherman. Her first husband was a crabber. In the early '50s, Rose
ran a restaurant in North Beach called Pistola's (where fishermen and
garbagemen came for early morning coffee royals, and longshoremen, writers,
musicians, poets and all the Italians came and went until closing). She sold
it to Ed Moose, who in the '70s turned it into the Washington Square Bar and
Grill. Rose is full of wonderful stories about the neighborhood, and I think
in many ways she personifies what we love so much about North Beach.''
As for the name Pistola: After the accidental death of her first husband,
Rose married Fred Evangelista, a waiter who earned the nickname ``Pistola''
after brandishing a pistol at a temperamental cook.
Moving on
San Francisco is losing one of its finest (and one of our favorite)
restaurants. Joyce Goldstein is closing Square One on July 12 after 12
mouth-watering years. ``Every 15 years I make a major life change,'' she told
columnist Herb Caen. Says she's going to travel, write, consult and continue
her charitable work among the poor and hungry. . . . It appears that May
Ditano's popular Columbus Italian Food Restaurant at 611 Brodway also will be
calling it quits by the end of October. . . . Emporium, the venerable San
Francisco department store (next to Nordstrom's) on Market Street, is empty,
and Macy's (home department) is expanding into the former I. Magnin building
on Union Square. . . . Also on the square: Saks Fifth Avenue plans to expand
its men's department into a nearby building at 220 Post, which formerly housed
Eddie Bauer. . . . Stacey's bookstore, a financial district fixture for more
than 73 years, is undergoing a $3.9 million expansion. ``Gutting the place to
the beams,'' says GM Rod Froke. The bookshop is taking over the remaining
floor of its Market Street building, expanding to 28,000 square feet from
17,000 and boosting the number of titles it carries to 150,000 from 100,000. .
. . The Orchards, a lovely little hotel at 562 Sutter, is now the 94-room
Hotel Rex, and Caffe Roma on Columbus has been reopened as Figaro, a
``ristorante Italiano.'' . . . The 550-room Hilton at the San Francisco
Airport may be looking for a new home. The airport, undergoing an ambitious
expansion project, would like to build two access roads from Highway 101 and
an aircraft parking strip on the hotel site. . . . Bulgari is moving to Post
Street this summer from the Campton Place Hotel. . . . Petrini's, the upscale
61-year-old chain of 13 Bay Area grocery stores, has been sold. . . .
Oakland's 14th Street has been renamed International Boulevard. . . . Now in
its 22d year, SF Camerawork has moved to a new site at 115 Natoma, just one
block east of YerbaBuena Gardens. . . . 451 Pine has a new name, a new look
and a new owner. Murphy's Exchange, named after owner John Murphy, who used to
work the stock exchange, opened May 1. . . . And, if you're planning to attend
Mass at either St. Brigid's on Van Ness or St. Francis at Vallejo and
Columbus, look elsewhere. The archdiocese has closed both churches.
Streetcars restored
Did a double take when I saw an old-fashioned trolley heading down Market
Street, the same type I took from Watertown Square (Mass.) to Boston
University in the days when most of us commuted to school. (Goodness, does
that sound old!)
Inaugurated in fall 1995, Muni (the operator of the world-famous cable
cars) now runs these restored historic streetcars (trolleys or trams, call
them whatever) from Castro Street to the Ferry Building at the foot of Market.
The fleet represents cities from all over the United States and the world,
including some from Italy, Australia, Russia and Japan. They have been
refurbished with their original style and colors.
The project, which grew out of the success of Muni's summer Historic
Streetcar Festivals that started in 1983, is considered an important part of
improved transit service along the city's main artery, Market Street. Muni
also feels that its newest streetcar line lends historical character to the
city and, at $1 for adults and 35 cents for seniors and children under 17,
provides an attractive surface alternative to the underground Muni Metro.
Eventually the F Market will reach Fisherman's Wharf, running to a terminal at
Jones and Beach streets. Construction on the Fisherman's Wharf segment is
under way, with completion expected before 2000. . . . If you have time, visit
Muni's Cable Car Museum, recently recognized as one of the 10 best free
tourist attractions in the world. The museum at 1201 Mason is open from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Festival turns 40
Next year, when the San Francisco International Film Festival turns 40,
Mayor Willie Brown promises the biggest, best publicized, most glamorous and
star-studded event ever. (Cannes, Berlin and Locarno, watch out!) This year's
winners: ``Follow Me Home,'' which marks the directing debut of San Francisco
filmmaker Peter Bratt; and ``Troublesome Cheek,'' a documentary about an Iowa
farm family. . . . Picked up a copy of ``San Francisco Downtown,'' one of
those free papers you usually see strewn around coffee shops. Terrific little
tabloid with plenty of things to do and places to see. . . . The 46th annual
summer Pops series -- July 12-Aug. 2 in Davies Symphony Hall under principal
conductor Emil de Cou -- will feature appearances by Patti LuPone, Randy
Newman, Penn & Teller and Rosemary Clooney. . . . Cafe Claude, a little bit of
France at 7 Claude Lane, is still packing them in with great food and jazz. .
. . The Lanzone family, with more than 40 years in the restaurant business,
has opened ``The Old Place'' at 498 Broadway. ``It has been described as
``nice and comfortable, like restaurants used to be.'' . . . Elvia Tapia, a
Sacramento art student on her first visit to the San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art, was showered with gifts May 8 when she became the museum's 1
millionth visitor. . . . The 1997 San Francisco Ballet season, its 64th, will
include world premieres by Helgi Tomasson, Val Caniparoli and Lila York, as
well as company premieres of ``Four Last Songs'' by Ben Stevenson and a ballet
by Christopher Bruce. Six programs will be danced variously in the Center for
the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens, the Palace of Fine Arts and in Berkley for
nine weeks. It all begins Feb. 3 with a mixed repertory at Davies Symphony
Hall. . . . There's a move on to make the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate
Park more than a local landmark. Rep. Nancy Pelosi has introduced legislation
that would make the sanctuary a national monument. . . . Still in Golden Gate
Park: Last year's wind- and rainstorms -- and current cutting practices --
have stripped the 126-year-old, 4-mile-long mecca of more than 1,200 trees. .
. . The Clift hotel, spearheaded by new general manager Micarl T. Hill
(director of sales at the Boston Harbor Hotel in '86), has joined the Bay
Area's efforts to find a cure for AIDS and cancer by donating $5 from the cost
of every Sunday brunch to the AIDS/cancer research work at the University of
California, San Francisco. Near Union Square and the Moscone Convention
Center, both the Clift and Bill Kimpton's Hotel Monaco (across-the-street
neighbors at Geary and Taylor) have helped revitalize the theater district.
The elegant Clift (with its world famous Redwood Bar) is one of the city's
grand dames, and the 201-room Monaco, a little more than a year old, has
already developed a bona fide reputation.
Controversy reigns
While Washington debates the financial lifeline of the Presidio, the jury
is still out on the kiosks and 20 French-style ``outhouses'' dotting the
city's thoroughfares. Some locals say `oui,'' others ``non,'' and others could
care less. . . . Appears that San Francisco libraries are giving in to Nancy
Drew fans. Several library officials had categorized these mysteries as junk
literature, lazy writing and of questionable literary merit, but there are
reports that they are on order. Stay tuned. . . . The Napa Valley Wine Train
has been given tentative approval to increase its number of daily runs despite
some objection. The California Public Utilities Commision has ruled that
expansion of the train service would create few environmental problems. An
official said any impact on noise and air quality would be offset by few
automobiles in Napa Valley and increased taxes, revenues and jobs. The Wine
Train operates three round trips on weekends and may add a fourth this summer.
According to line president Vincent DeDomenico, a fifth daily run may be added
within a year. . . . In a ruling applauded by Bay Area hikers, the court has
ordered mountain bikes off certain -- the steepest and narrowest -- trails of
the Marin Headlands. Mountain bikers, however, are still allowed on 47 miles
(or 60 percent) of trails in the headlands, all part of the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area.
Legion of Honor reopened
After being closed for a three-year, $36.5 million rebuilding program, the
California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park (at 34th and Clement)
has been reopened. Seismically stabilized and enlarged, the museum is a must
visit, if for no other reason than to see its 50 Rodin sculptures. . . . Can
someone please tell me why they're standing in line outside the House of
Nanking restaurant on Kearny, or at Michelangelo's on Columbus? Packed every
night! . . . They're ecstatic at Stars, what with Harvard-trained architect
Jeremiah Tower, ex of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkley, being named
winner of the James Beard award as the top chef in the United States. . . .
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have appointed Timothy Burgard as Ednah
Root Curator of American Art. Before coming here, he was associate curator of
American art at the Harvard University Art Museums. He will oversee
installation of ``Beat Culture and the New America, 1950-1965,'' the major
fall exhibit at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum set for October. . . . The
Monticello Inn, Sir Francis Drake and the new Hotel Monaco at 501 Geary (whose
Grand Cafe is a convenient place to eat before the theater) are offering
theater ticket-hotel packages for ``The Phantom of the Opera.'' Aabi
Shapoorian, formerly at Seattle's Vintage Park Hotel, is the Grand Cafe's new
GM.
Exploring the Exploratorium
With more than 650 hands-on exhibits, the Exploratorium is like a mad
scientist's penny arcade, a scientific fun house and an experimental
laboratory all rolled into one. . . . It's the busiest time of year for the
handful of staff and hundreds of volunteers at the Marine Mammal Center in the
Marin Headlands, the largest of six centers that rescue and rehabilitate seals
and sea lions found along the California coast. Since 1987, the number of
animals treated at the Marine Mammal Center, which covers an enormous stretch
of the California coast from San Luis Obispo to the Oregon border, has risen
sixfold to about 800 animals a year. A great place to visit, the center is
open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with no admission fee. For more information
call 415-289-SEAL. . . . Thomas Osano gave Kenya its sixth consecutive victory
in the annual fun-filled Bay to Breakers race May 19, covering the 7 1/2-mile
course in 34 minutes, 35 seconds. The top woman finisher, Elana Meyer of South
Africa, recorded a time of 38:56. In all, 71,500 runners participated. . . .
The San Francisco Giants and the Red & White Fleet have teamed up to make it
easy and fun to get to 3Com Park at Candlestick Point from Tiburon (in Marin)
for Saturday and Sunday afternoon ballgames. The ``Bay & Ballpark'' package --
through Sept. 22 -- includes round-trip ferry service between Tiburon and 3Com
Park and a reserved seat for the game. Call (415)-546-2800 for additional
information. . . . San Franciscans have voted to fund the construction of
additional meeting anmd exhibit facilities for the Moscone Convention Center
Complex. . . . The Ritz-Carlton will be ``Celebrating The Pacific Northwest''
July 9 through Aug. 4 with Washington's abundant culinary bounty, wines and
art.
Did you know . . .
South Park on Third between Bryant and Brannan streets is a charming place
to relax. Several fine restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and studios
surround the park. . . There are seven sushi bars in Japan Center; Tony
Azzollini of Caffe Roma Coffee Roasting fame (on Columbus) will be opening a
second coffee shop and roasting plant in July or August at Bryant and Seventh
across from the Hall of Justice; Mario's Bohemian Cigar and Store Cafe (566
Columbus) serves one of the best hot focaccia's sandwiches in the city . . .
and why not, they get their focaccia from Liguria's Bakery (Filbert and
Union), where you may think they close too early. When Liguria's sells out,
they go home! . . . On the site of what was once home to the Shadows
restaurant, a Telegraph Hill landmark, proprietor Jeffrey Pollack has opened
dalla Torre (``at the tower''), a contemporary Italian eatery. . . . Someone
should open a decent bagel shop in this city!
Is there a better veal chop in the city than the one new chef Fabrice
Canelle serves at ``Moose's,'' a better lamb chop than at John's Grill (63
Ellis), a better breakfast takeout than at Kuletos' on Powell, or wood-burning
rotisserie chicken than at Gira Polli's (659 Union)? . . . Noted chef Donna
Scala, last seen at Caffe Espresso (462 Powell), is reportedly cooking up a
storm at ``Don Giovanni's,'' her restaurant in Napa. . . . and if you eat in
``Scala's'' on the street floor of the Sir Francis Drake hotel, say hello to
Tom Brantl, by far the best maitre d'hotel in the city.
Came across a bike rentals store at 1095 Columbus named ``Blazing
Saddles''; a golf school on Grant called ``Driving Obsession''; California
license plate ``CELTC 33'' in the middle of Chinatown; a poster in a North
Beach restaurant: ``In Italy, a nice quiet meal is a tragedy''; and in a
coffee shop on Market Street (taped onto one of those ``please-put-tips here''
containers): ``Help support counter intelligence?''
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