Embarcadero (San Francisco)

The Embarcadero
The Embarcadero photographed from southeast, with the Ferry Building to the right and Alcatraz Island in the distance.
Maintained bySan Francisco DPW
Nearest metro stationBay Area Rapid Transit Embarcadero station
Southeast endSecond and King Streets
Major
junctions
Northwest endPier 45
Central Embarcadero Piers Historic District
LocationPiers 1, 1½, 3 and 5,
The Embarcadero
San Francisco, California
Coordinates37°47′55″N 122°23′49″W / 37.7986°N 122.3969°W / 37.7986; -122.3969
Area6.6 acres (2.7 ha)
Built1918
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
NRHP reference No.02001390[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 20, 2002
Rincon Park and Cupid's Span with the San Francisco skyline and The Embarcadero in the background.

The Embarcadero (Spanish for "Embarkment") is the eastern waterfront of Port of San Francisco and a major roadway in San Francisco, California. It was constructed on reclaimed land along a three mile long[2] engineered seawall, from which piers extend into the bay. It derives its name from the Spanish verb embarcar, meaning "to embark"; embarcadero itself means "the place to embark." The Central Embarcadero Piers Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 2002.[1]

The Embarcadero right-of-way begins at the intersection of Second and King Streets near Oracle Park, and travels north, passing under the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. The Embarcadero continues north past the Ferry Building at Market Street, Pier 39, and Fisherman's Wharf, before ending at Pier 45. A section of The Embarcadero which ran between Folsom Street and Drumm Street was formerly known as East Street.

For three decades, until it was torn down in 1991, the Embarcadero Freeway dominated the area. The subsequent redevelopment and restoration efforts have, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, "contributed to a remarkable urban waterfront renaissance", with the Embarcadero Historic District serving as a "major economic engine for the Bay Area".[3]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  2. ^ King, John (October 4, 2016). "Embarcadero in SF on list of nation's at-risk historic treasures". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  3. ^ "11 Most Endangered: San Francisco Embarcadero | National Trust for Historic Preservation". savingplaces.org. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2016.