ATT Park from Mission Bay

Glorious day at Mission Bay today. Walked all the way around Mission Creek (well, not ALL the way around it, but from the Channel Street side to Berry Street and back again). The fog was burning off at the ballpark when I took this picture from the kayak launch in the Creek. The Lefty O'Doul Bridge is in front of the ball park (Question: Who was Lefty O'Doul? Was he a) a baseball player, b) a labor leader, c) a mayor of San Francisco? Answer below). God, I love our baseball stadium. For such a modestly-sized structure it packs a very satisfying punch along the skyline as you come upon it from the Embarcadero. It looms over Mission Creek like the perfect punctuation mark. Look at me! Over here! But it respects its space, its neighbors and the history of its site. A downtown waterfront ballpark that isn't gargantuan in scale. What's not to love?

Plus, added bonus, a Great Blue Heron was sitting on the roof of a houseboat taking in the sun, looking like it was in no hurry to leave. I know, you can't really see it in the photo (right). It's on the middle houseboat.

Props to the developers who did a superb job integrating the Mission Bay apartment buildings with the creek via natural landscaping and materials that preserve the views and the creek's vitality. I talk more about the Mission Creek Conservancy's role in preserving the Creek in an earlier post below, but I gotta hand it to the Mission Bay folks as well - that side of Mission Creek is also awesome.

www.missioncreekconservancy.org
www.missioncreekpark.com

(Answer: a) a baseball player - Lefty O'Doul was a San Francisco-born major leaguer. How perfect is that? btw, if I could have typed this upside-down, I would have.)

Mission Creek (not the Mission but just as cool)

Perhaps you've heard that somewhere in San Francisco folks live on houseboats. Where could that be? Most of the City's waterways now lie under our houses (and flood our basements - karma kickback). Mission Creek still runs free on the east side of town (if you can find it - the Mission Bay development road closures makes it even more of a challenge than usual). That's where you'll find the Mission Creek Conservancy folks living on houseboats who care for the creek and its shoreline park. The houseboat community negotiated a long-term lease with the Port, and good thing too, because if it hadn't been for them the creek would have been buried below concrete long ago. Birds use the creek as a rest stop as they cruise the Pacific Flyway. The gargantuan Mission Bay buildings present an urban counterpoint to this bucolic bit of heaven. An unlikely new park has recently opened under the freeway adjacent to Mission Bay along the creek and it will blow your mind. Volleyball and basketball courts, a colorful kayak shed, chairs and tables to sit and gaze at the view. Low-maintenance landscapes that wind beside serpentine walkways. And just the right amount of grass. Too much dog poop (don't get me started) but otherwise very pretty, and green because it's February.

Take Channel Street from 3rd near the ballpark to find the houseboats and walk along the creek. The park is on the other side, accessible from 16th Street. Be respectful (Hey! You with the dog! Pick up the poop for cryin' out loud.). This is someone's neighborhood.

www.missioncreekconservancy.org

The park was built by the SF Redevelopment Agency and is managed by MJM Management Group that also manages Yerba Buena Park, Union Square, etc. The best thing about MJM is how they manage public spaces while remaining virtually invisible. They totally get that it's a buzz kill to see guards in uniform patrolling our parks.

www.missionbayparks.com