Sue Bierman Park

Sue Bierman Park, previously known as Ferry Park, is a 5.3-acre (2.1 ha) park in San Francisco, California in the Financial District, in the U.S. state of California. The park is named after Sue Bierman, a San Francisco civic activist and San Francisco Supervisor. It was completed in 1975 and is owned and operated by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department. Sue Bierman Park is bordered by Washington Street on the north, The Embarcadero on the east, a combination of Embarcadero Plaza and Clay Street on the south, and Davis Street on the west. Drumm Street cuts through the center of the park.

1. History


1. = 1970s–1989: Construction and early history =

Designed alongside Embarcadero Plaza by Lawrence Halprin & Associates, the park was completed in 1975 and covered two blocks. The park was known as Ferry Park until its renaming in 2007.

Upon completion, it was bordered by Washington Street on the north, The Embarcadero on the east, a combination of Embarcadero Plaza and Clay Street on the south, and Davis Street on the west. The Embarcadero Freeway, including its on and off ramps, passed over the park.The original design included a concrete bridge and stairs connecting the park to Maritime Plaza. As street skateboarding became popular in the late 1980s, this bridge and stairs became known as Hubba Hideout, a well-known skateboarding location.

1. = 1989–2010: Earthquake and changing use =

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused significant damage to the Embarcadero Freeway, leading to the freeway's demolition in 1991, causing the surrounding area to open up. This included the on and off ramps within the park.

1. = 2010–present: ROMA redesign and current use =

Beginning around 2010, the park was fully redesigned by ROMA Design Group. Renovations included the removal of all Lawrence Halprin-designed features, as well as the bridge connecting the park to Maritime Plaza, removing direct access between the two parks. In 2007, the park was renamed "Sue Bierman Park" after Supervisor Sue Bierman, who died in 2006. On October 4, 2011, the renovation was completed. Press panned the new park, describing it as "a design that squanders the setting". In 2013, a playground was constructed at the northeast corner of the park. In 2025, a report by an independent consultant found that Sue Bierman Park was not individually eligible for listing in the National Register or California Register under any criteria.

1. References

Nearby Places View Menu

Hubba Hideout

Hubba Hideout was one of the most famous skateboarding spots. It was located in San Francisco near the Justin Herman Plaza on The Embarcadero. Its central features were two oversized sets of 6 stairs with large concrete ledges on both sides. The spot is part of a pedestrian walkway but was more commonly used by the local skateboarders and vagrants. The city of San Francisco made numerous attempts over the years to ward off skateboarders from the spot, and in January 2011 city workers completely demolished its ledges and stairs.

Landmark Skate Park

Vaillancourt Fountain

Vaillancourt Fountain, sometimes called Québec libre!, is a large fountain in Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco, designed by the Québécois artist Armand Vaillancourt in collaboration with the plaza's landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin, and completed in 1971. It is about 40 feet (12 m) high and is constructed out of precast concrete square tubes. Long considered controversial because of its stark, modernist appearance, there have been several unsuccessful proposals to demolish the fountain over the years. It was the site of a free concert by U2 in 1987, when lead singer Bono spray painted graffiti on the fountain and was both praised and criticized for the action. The city determined the fountain to be a historic resource in 2025, and later voted to remove it citing concerns about structural deterioration.

Art Landmark

Abraham Lincoln Brigade Monument

The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Monument is a steel and onyx art installation in Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco's Financial District, in the U.S. state of California. The Monument was designed by Ann Chamberlain and Walter J. Hood with US$400,000 in funding from the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives to honor the Lincoln Battalion and XV International Brigade, formed to fight for the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. It was dedicated on March 30, 2008 and is part of the San Francisco Arts Commission collection. One side of the monuments' panels show portraits of the volunteers. The other side of the panels contain annotated maps of the front lines between 1936 and 1938, as well as quotes of volunteers Abe Osheroff, Dave Smith, Alvah Bessie, Edwin Rolfe, Frederick Martin, Ruth Davidow, Robert Colodny, and Steve Nelson. The remainder panels contain words about that period from historians, labor organizers, writers, and musicians, such as Dolores Ibarruri, Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, and Paul Robeson. Intermittent repairs occurred in the decade since the Monument was installed. In August 2018, the onyx stone panels were removed and taken offsite for repair, due to a combination of design issues and neglect. The Monument was restored by May 2020.

Art Landmark

The Embarcadero and Washington station

The Embarcadero and Washington station is a light rail station in San Francisco, California, serving the San Francisco Municipal Railway's E Embarcadero and F Market & Wharves heritage railway lines. It is located on The Embarcadero at Washington Street. The station opened on March 4, 2000, with the streetcar's extension to Fisherman's Wharf. The stop is served by the L Owl bus route, which provides service along the F Market & Wharves and L Taraval lines during the late night hours when trains do not operate.

Landmark Train