Published in "Semaphore" newspaper, San Francisco (2024)
Art! Nature! Prosperity!
Being immersed in nature can be a luxury for city dwellers. In Downtown San Francisco, we now have the Redwood Grove at Shvo's Transamerica. It's a mid-block oasis that offers forest retreat, artsy adventure, soft seating & even a hand-crafted ping-pong table on the DG (you know, that compacted sandy material, like at R&D Kitchen in Yountville). When you play ping-pong on it, you feel nature under your shoes.
BONUS: the paddles for public use are new & clean...11 days in. Not so for the granite benches along Washington St, which have been marred by skateboarders...they couldn’t resist…until the cops came....
A better drama awaits on the round stage of redwood in a fancy parquet pattern. I dream of my favorite local musicians playing here, with dancing & lounging like at shows in Big Sur. Stage lights are already strapped to the tall trees. Bring on Folkyeah Productions!
A worse drama awaits at the pond with a flush edge that juts out into the walking path. I was worried for a lady in a wheelchair, for babies & for my ankles.
Alas. Back to bucolic luxury on the cushiony lounge chairs (wisely, they're bolted down). The Pyramid is an ideal place for Sunday in the Park with George and some sake. And the people-watching is as good as in Paris. NOTE: Leave your bike at home - no bike racks exist.
I caught up with my construction friend Beatrice at the park and had a good laugh when we both recognized the large curvy planters - the same model as at a mixed-use project we worked on together in Silicon Valley. In terms of urban property development, we admired that Pyramid Park has some very nice landscaping. Think rhododendrons en masse. When those bloom, it’ll be WOW. (I expect Shvo’s gardening budget is as robust as their Security budget. And WOW that park is well-staffed with Security guards.)
The Public Art program was also clearly well-funded. Sculptures in pleasantly faux-naturale forms are skillfully located around the park. From a smooth oversized ape on a pedestal doing the final twist from Bikram Yoga, to two tortoises with mossy carapaces hidden on the ground, to abundant animals sculpted from stone & metal located among the greenery, these installations in the Redwoods give park-goers a breath of fresh air, PLUS a sense of shared PROSPERITY.
The best bang for the buck? You know my stance: outdoor ping-pong is one of the most fun activities I’ve discovered in California since moving here in 2013.
I was glad that Beatrice also plays. We had a good game before heading inside to gaze at the gorgeous building models from Sir Norman Foster currently on display. The Gherkin is like giant architectural jewelry – a dark and sparkling tour de force of geometric perfection. For a free exhibit, it’ll have a long-term impact on my finances. Because I want to go to London to see it in person, sigh.
For now though, I’ll keep playing ping-pong in the cool California breeze, under the glorious Redwoods, for FREE.
0 GPT