101 Second Street

I keep forgetting this place is open to the public. And in cold, windy San Francisco, indoor public eating spaces (let alone CLEAN ones) are a rarity. Why would someone maintain such a place for the public? I don't know, but bless them! If we patrons can continue to keep the space clean, I hope they continue to keep it open to the public.

The space resembles a greenhouse / art gallery. Floor-to-ceiling windows, open space and high ceilings. Very modern. A great place for a lunchtime escape. It's also ideal for an impromptu meeting when you just need to get out of the office. It sure beats scowering for tables at Starbucks.

I was here during the holidays to watch a traveling group of carolers sing Christmas songs during lunchtime. It was awesome and so random. Yet another reason why I am so in love with my city. I have a feeling there may be more events like this, so if I find a calendar of events I'll be sure to post it here.

I love art. I especially love things like architecture, public art, and community open space in a built environment. I will keep beating the following drum: Public spaces are where it's at. SF is a beautiful place to begin with, but all these little POPOS's are jewels pretty much just sitting here to be enjoyed at will. Of the 68+, this POPOS is in the the upper echelon. 101 Second Street Greenhouse and Mezzanine is a terrific space that you might not realize is open to the public.

My first experience with this space was walking by on a December evening shortly after sunset. The space at 101 Second Street looks normal enough during the day - a large window facade on another nice, relatively new building. Well, at night, the facade shows the space inside with a lot less effort. This is a huge glassed-in lobby with a mezzanine-level. There are trees inside, and there are two nice pieces of public art. On a sunny day (and we have some of those in California) the light is amazing through the two-story+ glass. There are also a number of tables and chairs on the mezzanine-level to eat, which also provides a nice view of the space and the art.

Of course this is the FiDi, so almost everyone here if working and on a lunch or a break. This place is pretty vibrant, so if you're looking to chill it may not be your first choice. (There are several places around that will work for that - try the KPMG Building.) This is also a place where the irony is that it's indoors, but particularly beautiful on a nice day. I look forward to coming in once it gets Novemberish/Decemberish and open during the darker hours to see what it's like in that light.

Oh - and there's a Peets Coffee on the ground floor. It's also very near several other terrific POPOS such as: 560 Mission Plaza, 555 Mission Sculpture Garden, Shaw Alley, The Sun Terrace, KPMG Greenhouse and Galleria, 235 Second Street and Marathon Plaza... just to name a handful.