The Heart of the City

There is a place in the City by the Bay that has come to be identified as the city’s cultural and retail heart. Hemmed in by Geary, Post, Stockton and Powell Streets, Union Square is home to a number of fine hotels, luxurious retail establishments, and more than its fair share of chic restaurants and cafes. The location of the annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza, Union Square is to San Francisco what Times Square is to New York.

Though the city is rather cosmopolitan — and does have a decent public transportation system — it has a long road to hoe before it begins to challenge the Big Apple. No, New York remains the unchallenged imperial city of the United States. I say this, of course, as a native Londoner. So, with the hindsight of having lived in two of the top ten imperial cities in the world, I must say San Francisco is a far cry from either.

Now that I have offended the majority of San Franciscans, I must confess to having a rather large soft spot for the city. I had the good fortune of living here for a few years, writing copy for an Internet start-ups, which are never in short supply in San Francisco. When I was waiting for my belongings to be shipped across country from Brooklyn, I indulged in a luxuriant stay at a Union Square hotel.

I was within a toss of some of the greatest attractions the city has to offer. I could, for instance, walk to any number of first-class eateries, retailers (including Macy’s, Armani, and Barney’s), and then enjoy a nightcap before strolling back to my room. These were the best of times. Had I been able to afford the average one bedroom in the city, I would have been a happier man.

In a moment of Hauerian reflection, I must say that though I have seen Times Square and Trafalgar Square, Union Square still replays the most in the video cassette recorder in my mind. Perhaps it was that time in my life, perhaps it was the palm trees. Perhaps it was the sunny days and perennial afternoon fog. The square that saw its first day break in 1850 now ones a very precious, meaningful place in the mind of this ex-patriot Englishman.

The best way to enjoy the splendors of San Francisco is to reserve a sumptuous room in a Union Square hotel.