Since the Gold Rush, San Francisco has been reinventing itself through booms and busts. It is a city where the past, present and future meet. Nowhere is that more apparent today than in the city’s Financial District, which is evolving into a hub where business, culture and community intersect.
On Sept. 12, the Transamerica Pyramid Center unveiled its new public areas and an expanded Transamerica Redwood Park. Last week, the first-of-its-kind entertainment zone in California debuted in the district. And next month, the Financial District will welcome a contemporary art museum.
The Financial District’s ongoing transformation includes new restaurants, bars, hotels, festivals and more for group encounters. Below are more details on what’s new and noteworthy in one of the largest and oldest financial districts in the Western United States.
Transamerica Pyramid Center Ushers in New Era
When erected in 1972, the modernist Transamerica Pyramid instantly became a globally recognized San Francisco landmark. Now the icon has been transformed into a welcoming destination following the completion of the first phase of Transamerica Pyramid Center’s $400 million renovation by owner and real estate development company SHVO.
Previously closed to the public, the reimagined ground floor features a publicly accessible lobby with exhibition space and a coffee bar from local favorite Sightglass Coffee. The Center’s Transamerica Redwood Park, home to over 50 majestic redwood trees, has been restored and expanded and is an urban oasis in the heart of the city open to the public from dawn to dusk.
Located in the Financial District’s historic Jackson Square, the Transamerica Pyramid Center encompasses the park and two adjacent building: Two and Three Transamerica. This fall, culinary offerings led by acclaimed chef Brad Kilgore will open on the ground floor of Transamerica Three. Kilgore, who is making his West Coast debut, will open Café Sebastion, a casual bistro, and Ama by Brad Kilgore, a Japanese-Italian restaurant and bar with ’70s-style hi-fi lounge surroundings.
New Museums Reignite FiDi’s Creative Spirit
Before the neighborhood became known as the “Wall Street of the West” and long before the Transamerica Pyramid was built, the area was a magnet for artists, writers and creatives. The Montgomery Block building, now the site of the Transamerica Pyramid, housed several artists and Beat writers. One block away, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo took up residence in a studio while Rivera completed murals at the San Francisco Stock Exchange and the San Francisco Art Institute.
This October, the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF) will move into The Cube at 345 Montgomery St. The ICA SF, which opened in 2022 in the Dogpatch neighborhood, will more than double its exhibition space in the new location and remain free to visit.
Independent artists and curators have also found inspiration in the neighborhood. In recent years, Jackson Square has attracted San Francisco art galleries, including Rebecca Camacho Presents, Gallery Wendi Norris and Scott Richards Contemporary Art.
California’s First-Ever Entertainment Zone
Brought to life by the Gold Rush, the Financial District encompasses parts of the old Barbary Coast, which was once filled with dance halls, bars and jazz clubs. In a fitting nod to its past, the district is the site of the first entertainment zone in California.
The first event in the new Front Street Entertainment Zone is the free-to-attend Oktoberfest, which will take place on Front Street from 2 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 20, featuring live music, beverages and bar bites specials, themed beer games and costume contests.
Let’s Glow SF, the country’s largest holiday projection event, will return to downtown San Francisco for the 2024 holiday season. From Dec. 6 to 15, the free outdoor holiday event will use high-tech projectors and lasers to showcase large-scale pieces of animated art across the facade of four iconic SF buildings.
In addition, two historic alleyways at the crossroads of the Transamerica Pyramid, Embarcadero Center, Chinatown and the Financial District were transformed into the Landing at Leidesdorff. Launched in fall 2023, the pedestrian-friendly space offers a variety of programming, including outdoor dining and cocktails, live music, and cultural programs. The Landing features a pair of new murals honoring the rich history of Captain William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr., a founding father of San Francisco and one of the most prominent Black and biracial citizens of early California.
Throughout their exploration of the Financial District, groups will be within walking distance of dining options galore. The District’s culinary scene offers a mix of some of the country’s oldest institutions alongside new and diverse dining experiences—encompassing everything from bakeries to Michelin-starred restaurants.
New Hotels & Group Spaces
- The Jay Hotel: Opened in late 2023, The Jay sits on the edge of the historic Jackson Square neighborhood. The 360-room hotel’s Third Floor features a garden terrace and serves food and drinks, and the property houses the new southern-inspired Prelude restaurant. Gathering space includes 13,000 sf of creative meeting and event space, where 16 meeting areas each have their own personality.
- Hyatt Regency San Francisco: Renovated in 2022, the property’s newly renovated guest rooms and suites offer a sophisticated urban-modernist haven in downtown, steps away from the Ferry Building and Embarcadero. Sitting at the intersection of the California Cable Car line and historic F line street cars, the hotel also boasts 72,000 sf of customizable meeting and conference space.
- 1 Hotel San Francisco: Located near San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building, 1 Hotel San Francisco opened in 2022 with 200 rooms and 5,000 sf of nature-inspired indoor and outdoor spaces. The urban retreat also features a wellness spa and restaurant with expansive outdoor seating along the Embarcadero.
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