Powell Station is a central downtown station. On Market street level, you can catch the Cable Car and also go browse through some stores in the area. The escalators and station vibes are usually fine, but evening or late hours, it can get quiet with less crowds. During the busy commute hours, this station is very busy, with trains coming and going every five minutes. So I would say it's a dependable station, but is also like any urban city transit, it can have its moments. read more

New Gates prevent fare Jumpers.... A clean, safe and uncrowded BART. Seats available and NO Hassles!! Big Thanks!! read more

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I've chosen to live car-free because of the city's convenience, but BART is making that choice difficult lately. To be fair, the fares are decent and when it works, it's the best way to get around. However, the consistency just isn't there. Almost every day there is a new 'issue' or delay. The stations are consistently dirty, and broken escalators have become the norm rather than the exception. What's most frustrating, though, is the customer service. I've approached station agents for help only to feel like I'm 'interrupting' their personal phone time or chats with colleagues. A little professional courtesy would go a long way. I want to keep supporting public transit, but the overall experience needs to improve. read more

Since growing up in San Francisco & Oakland, CA, I have always liked the Powell BART station due to convenience in downtown San Francisco & Market St. attractions. Today, I still like stopping here whenever I visit the city. It's not cheap riding from San Jose/Milpitas to this station $10 one way now. I can still remember old times when riding only cost a few bucks. Powell BART station connects riders to all sorts of trains/muni destinations. Public restrooms are always available and staffs do their jobs well. You will see lots of foreign visitors and often hear people speaking in French, Spanish, German, etc. This is one of San Francisco's best stop. It's unfortunate that SF Westfield Shopping Center lost its businesses due to high crimes, high cost of doing business here, and other city regulations. This BART station really had it all years ago, especially when it was easily accessible after stopping here and walking distance to the food court and retail stores. I think Powell Station vibes are still positive for commuters. Advertisements are everywhere. This BART station still feels safe in public and it does feel like home of San Francisco center. I'm still glad that their tunnels and walkways are spacious and can accommodate major transportation for event days. JPMorgan Chase ads are highly visible. read more

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Coming off Bart, the escalators are always off which was painful for someone that was bearing a foot injury. Could have walked to the elevator, but it was closer with stairs albeit 3 flights. The bathroom is manned but this is the second time in 3 months we've been to this station where the sink outside was not fixed. Using the bathroom without washing hands is a bit of an ugh for me, thank goodness for Purell. Otherwise fairly clean. One other sidebar. Bart allows credit card payment via NFC now for the train rides but not the parking (still Clipper). So be wary that the new change only is helpful on weekends. Weekdays, you still need your clipper card for parking. Obviously not at the Powell St station but you had to get here, yeah? read more

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Easy access to various parts of San Francisco! The area you wait in is a little dirty but that's okay. It was affordable to ride the BART around the city and would definitely do again! We used this station the most as it was by our hotel and easy walking distance to many shops and restaurants. read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good enough for a BART station. This one is more extensive and connects to the Chinatown line. New fare gates helped clean up the station.

Came by to ride the MUNI the other day and it was a touch and go experience. Downtown SF is rather deserted with merely a handful of homeless along with staff at the station. Fare machines are available and one machine takes credit cards, including transit cards. $3 for a clipper card. The Powell station seems to be clean and rather bright. There is still leftover signage suggesting masks and social distancing. read more

Very well kept and maintained stations. Quick access to the BART as well as the Muni train.

This stop lets you off right in the midst of the downtown action. It's some interesting sights and atmosphere when you emerge from the station . read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice subway/metro. I visited New York City before, and it looks quite similar to that. You would generally need a Clipper card (though it is find if you also don't have it; you can part with a debit or credit card as well). read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My husband and I took the BART from SFO to the Powell Street Station. It was easy now that you can use your Apple wallet for Clipper Cards. I didn't have to buy a physical card, which was ideal. I have way too many transit cards lying around collecting dust and expiring. The Powell Street Station is just by the Westfield shopping mall and Union Square. There is plenty of signage to direct you to the exits and on the way back to the airport, we took the BART from the same station. It was super easy to do. Who needs a car in San Francisco when you have access to public transit for cheap? The station is well maintained. Granted, there might be a few homeless people nearby, but they mainly don't bother you if you don't look them in the eye. read more

I've yet to have a bad experience on BART. I wish getting a ticket was easier. I wish the routes were all computerized where you select your your destination based on the BART station you are at and if you want round trip back to that station. Include more restrooms read more

When I asked for help wondering why my cards were suspended I had the worst help in my life on public transit. A chunky girl who was African American mocked and laughed at me telling me over and over " just add a card to your wallet" repeatedly... after asking what she meant by that she started getting more aggressive by speaking with a louder tone like if that was going to help. She was awfully rude. And I'm not one to ever make a review unless I sincerely feel targeted or disrespected. I hope this reaches out to the right amount of people who have been treated awfully when asking questions and concerns. All I wanted to know was why it wasn't working, I had another lady who was also African American help me and she was kind and supportive and understood my concerns. Cheers to her for being kinder to me. I'm new to the city and I'm trying my best I don't want to feel like I'm stupid just for asking a question who shameful of her. read more

My mom says Bart just upgraded their ground-level platform entrances at this station, to supposedly prevent people from entering without paying. But, it's not really making a difference. She says today she witnessed a young man hurry out a gate behind a person who paid. And a middle-aged woman tagged along behind my mom to exit after she tapped her clipper card. And then there's also the smoking and drug use witnessed on the actual Bart trains, but that's not exclusive to just one station. Don't get me wrong, Bart is valuable to the bay. I would just appreciate it if the company was a little more honest regarding difficulties in policing and monitoring, instead of putting out a false message that everything's improving and secure, when it might not be. read more

I like this Bart station a lot since it is connected to Westfield and leads right up to the cable car area. During peak hours, trains come very often. The restroom is a communal open door concept with a security guard stationed outside. People can see your feet when you use this so if you're against that, there's a restroom in Westfield read more

I am very happy that the CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO has the Powell Street Bart Station!!! It is very convenient for me when either, I go to work or shopping around while getting off the Powell Bart Street Station... This is my yelp review #591 and my last of 2019 before the HAPPY NEW YEAR OF 2020 comes along!!! AND 9 MORE YELP REVIEWS TO REACH #600!!! read more

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great place to be homeless I guess. I talked to a homeless druggist on the train he rolled me that it's safe in this place especially the n line because you can stay passed out on the whole train ride. It's a little bit smelly in the station until you come to the new part read more

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It's a BART station, so it's probably as good as the other BART stations out there. It's off of Market street and close to Union Square, shopping centers and it's a cheaper and faster (at least during the day) to take you to Oakland compared to Uber or Lyft. Just make sure you pay attention to when your train is scheduled to come because it's pretty on time. If you're riding this at night and they don't come as often, you might end up waiting a while for the next train. read more

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A bart employee put a sticker on my card. She let me know to go back to Powells Bart station to get my card reset. The employee that was in the station was beyond rude. Just raising his voice and saying what and what over again. He was more into his phone than actually helping me. read more

This station is well maintained, and it has the added feature that you can exit from here straight into a mall, which is nice. However, it can get a bit crowded on the platform here sometimes if there are delays, which there often are. As BART stations go, this is a pretty good one. read more

Never have an issue at this location. Even with all the homeless around it's never any problems. They try to keep it as clean as possible and moving like a well oiled machine. read more

I'm a pretty experienced traveler but this was a first on BART from Powell Station to SFO. $9.15 plus $3 for the Clipper card. Cheaper than Lyft though and no traffic!! Super sketchy homeless people who look wasted and act aggressively. Security is sparse like SF can't afford it?? They need someone doesn't here to help direct newbies and keep the homeless away. read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

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When my husband and I were travelling for pride this was the station that we exited at to get to our hotel. We obviously had the need for the elevator but.... something surprised us! No more pee smell in the elevators! And.... There were attendants who were inside the elevator taking count of who goes in and out. Kind of gave us that safe sense of feeling. Not sure if its a regular thing or not but was nice to see nonetheless. Everyone at that station that was working and helping out were very accommodating for the both of us. read more

Rude large blck woman with lb's of makeup yells more than she stands, I needed help with my clipper not working and she yells instead of moving and actually helping me fix the issues so I can take the bart. Never again am I dealing with that. The Bart in under construction by the way so there is only one entrance in: ah. read more

As tourists to San Francisco, we needed to get to our hotel in Union Square from SFO airport. We purchased our Clipper cards ($3 each) and fare ($10 each) at the station at SFO and rode the yellow line towards Antioch seamlessly to the Powell Station. BART was clean and on time. No transfers needed. Environmentally friendly. Only about 6 people in our car when we started; more added with each stop. (August, 2022, starting about 6:30 pm; 28 minutes). read more

Just like most of SF, the homeless are everywhere. Trying to pickpocket or harass you when you are trying to buy a ticket. Now you can't even get a "ticket". They only have Clipper cards available. somewhat ridiculous for people who are here for 2/3 days. As one of the most touristy stations, I hate that I don't see ANY cops here. None. There has been shootings, stabbings and other dangerous acts in this area and it doesn't seem to be taken seriously with BART. The station is connected to Westfield Centre. Union square is located about 4 blocks north of this station and plenty of hotels. read more

The rides themselves are fine & I know there's a schedule to keep but the conductors leave little time for people to get on the platform before the doors close. Buses run behind time and escalators are often down I don't see the harm in holding the doors an extra 2-3 minutes or just to make sure there aren't stragglers running down the stairs trying to make it in time. I would like to see some form of solution to this read more

Hello my lovelies. I first signed up for this community at the urging of my good friend, G. She's a woman of taste, and loved it so much I thought ... hmm. I wasn't initially inclined to talk about places to eat, or venues of an alternative stripe, or anything really - save for the moon. I wanted to Yelp the moon. I was stymied, initially, because of my ignorance over addresses. I've overcome that. And my perceived distaste for the mundane. There's beauty in the mundane, I knew that all along. I just resisted. I thought of the moon this evening as I stood motionless with L center stage in the Powell Street station. I don't think it's an accident of design; it's too purposeful. There's a concave disc on the ceiling, maybe 20 feet in diameter. Only a slight concavity, but enough to distort your voice or make magic of music played underneath. Like the Whisper Room in Grand Central Station. Tell me you've been. This evening under the curve was a string quartet. They played Hayden. They were exquisite. It's this, lovies, that makes our world go round. Random acts of beauty that don't smell like pee. Thank you, strings, you've put mortar between the stones of my new year. read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Perfection. - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

If I give a zero star review, I would totally do it. Today I've encounter a very rude young man who is in the station guarding the entrance. I have a clipper card that I have reload it with a monthly pass and it is not working. I asked that gentleman why and he did not know and just ask me to reload. I told him that I've purchased a monthly pass and does not need to reload. I asked him what if you are wrong and he said he is not wrong because he works here. Seriously, you can still be wrong because you don't know everything. Plus he doesn't look that's educated, I have filed a complaint against him, but I know the government will not do anything. I really wish he can be fired. read more

BART - Powell Street Station - This is the guy who is being extremely rude and does not know every policy and pretend he knows. - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

When you don't ride subways often (Charlotte has a light rail), you forget about the smell. Well, Powell Street brought that smell back to me in spades. Wow. As well, at least three people sleeping/lying on the ground in the station which is unexpected at 8:00 AM on a Monday holiday. Once past that, I was able to negotiate the ticket purchase system easily enough (though I had to pay more when I left at SFO), get my ticket and get through the turnstile well enough. Signage for the direction towards the airport was clear though it could have been clearer. The escalator down to the platform was fine and there were places to sit and wait for the train on the platform. The Powell Street BART Station is on all of the four major lines, between Montgomery Street and Civic Center. read more

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For all of the buskers at this and other BART stations: You know when you're thinking of a song, grooving to the beat, then it plays on the radio and your heart just sings? I've had so many moments like that with the buskers at the Powell St. BART and elsewhere. My favorite was the cover of "Your Song" by Elton John. I've also loved "Hello Dolly!" from a perfect bass-baritone as I was coming down the escalators, "Lean on Me," IZ's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with ukelele, and more. I wished that I had paused long enough to fully take in the moment and the music-making. My Clipper card sits unused in a desk drawer, but when I'm back on BART, let's "Drift Away" for sure. This one's for all of the buskers, dreamers, and doers: "And when I'm feelin' blue A guitar's comin' through to soothe me Thanks for the joy that you've given me I want you to know I believe in your song And rhythm and rhyme and harmony You've helped me along, makin' me strong..." read more

Date: 12/11/2016 Time: 4:35 PM 53° Cloudy After five hours of roaming around in the Westfield SF Centre, Chase United VIP Lounge, the stores, and lunch at Chipotle, it was time for my sister and I to head back from one city across the bay (SF) to another city across the bay (Oakland) via BART. The one thing I really like about the Powell Street Station is the close proximity to Westfield SF Centre. Exit out and to the left, up the few stairs and I am in the midst of one of my favorite indoor shopping malls. Then if I exit out and to the right, I am in Halladie Plaza and across from The Gap Store. The cable car turn around is also located in the vicinity of Powell Street. Within walking distance is Macy's, St. Francis Hotel, Union Square and many more retail businesses and eateries. The Powell Street Station is probably one of the busiest station during the holiday season and the weekends. It is filled with people (local and tourists alike). Then you may see a few entertainers singing in a group or solo, playing musical instruments (organ, guitar, saxophone, violin, etc.). I enjoy one of the groups singing gospel songs. They are always in harmony and so uplifting. The times I have been in the general vicinity, especially on Market & Powell, I occasionally would see Kenny the Clown twisting the many elongated balloons into animals, flowers, swords, etc. There are other street artists around, too. Depending on where I enter/exit the Powell Street Station, it is okay in one area. However, the other side (easterly of the station - Stockton Street or 4th Street exits) is where I encounter a certain stench of urine. I try not to access the Powell Street Station to and from that location. There are a few down and out panhandlers in those areas. It is the unfortunate blight of the SF Market Street retail business area. read more

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BART's Powell station is located at Union Square, the central shopping district in San Francisco. We hopped on a train here late on a Monday afternoon and the station was crowded. There was a lot of hustle and bustle. A homeless person approached BART customers as they were paying for their fares, asking for money. It cost $3.55 per person for us to take the Pittsburg/Bay Point train to Rockridge station. I'd like to know how BART calculates these train fares. They seem to be based on distance, but not entirely (e.g. the fare to Rockridge is $3.55 from other stations along the same line). If you don't plan on using BART again (or for the foreseeable future), you better get your fare exactly correct. I can see how the computer used to purchase tickets can be confusing for the first-time user. You need to figure out your fare before you get started. Then, punching in the amount isn't straightforward. You have to increment or decrement in increments as little as $0.05. It'd be easier if we could just punch the numbers in directly. The BART trains have carpet flooring and cloth seating. I'm not sure if this is the way to go because carpet and cloth wear out faster, stain easily, and is harder to clean. Maybe they need to take note from Atlanta's MARTA (I can't believe I just said that), which uses hard, easy-to-clean surfaces for its trains' flooring and seating. The train we boarded was packed and had a musty smell. We could barely hear the train operator announce the stops, so that was useless. Instead, we relied on peeking out the windows to see which stop we were at. I feel sorry for the visually impaired who have to board this thing. BART customers run the gamut from young to old, white collar to blue collar. I saw one young couple hug and kiss each other emphatically goodbye in the station like they were in a romantic drama or something. How cute. Not. read more

Exit to Westfield Shopping Mall (Center) and Union Square. This station is somewhat similar to Hong Kong's MTR Stations. The exit to the malls, coffee shops and dining establishments are one of the features reminding me of Hong Kong's MTR Stations. read more

Goodness! Powell Street BART station. I rarely ride the Bart, so I do not have a clipper card, but have a reloadable Bart pass. I was gallivanting downtown when I decided to hop on the train and was not able to add money onto my Bart card and really thought I was tripping. You see I had just left a cannabis lounge and thought the THC got the best of me. I asked a very friendly employee and she informed me that four stations now only allow you to buy and reload money on clipper cards. Really Bart? So I need to spend an additional three dollars just to load more money to be able to ride the train? That is completely and utterly foolish. Of course they will install this at the Powell Street station since there is more traffic. I ended up just walking down to New Montgomery Station and hopping on the train there. This is greed at its finest! read more

New Year, New Fares. Effective January 1, 2018, BART's Youth Discount Fares are now extended to children 18 years old. Previously, the child BART Clipper discount was valid only for "Youth" ages 5 to 12 years. Now, Youth are defined as 5 to 18 years old. But the discount has been reduced to 50% off Regular Fare rate instead of 62.5% off to compensate for extending the fare age range. Children under 5 remain free. read more

Powell Street MUNI/BART definitely gives you the feeling that you just arrived in the Central Hub of DownTown in the amazing city of San Francisco. Sigh...Something about the hustle and bustle of San Francisco keeps me at ease, I definitely fell in love with SF from the moment I entered this city from the station. From arriving/exiting, Powell station is my prefered entrance/exit. I can't say it's the most astonishing and beautiful station, but...there's always something interesting that's going on. From emerging artist/performers to street vendors, to hobos with interesting lines, like "quarters, nickels, dimes, a giving from the heart.." this station definitely has character and will give you a good laugh. Side note, do not enter/exit from the market entrance (by Diesel), it always smells like urine, gross. read more

No, this is not a clip from "House on Haunted Hill," this is your trashy bart: business as usual. However, I don't want to talk about ghosts, I want to talk about the cops not doing their job. On Bart there's a constant parade of beggars and mediocre musician attempting to provide floor shows on the train. The problem, all these free floor shows are garbage and of course are not allowed on bart. Today, two would be musicians get on the train followed by a cop. Now the cop knows these guys want to play, but instead of going up to them and saying, "look, you can't disturb the other passenger, he's stands there trying to look tough and then gets off at the next stop. Of course, as soon as he gets off, they start their crappy floor show to a "captive" audience; I moved to the next car. Here's what needs to happen: beggars and performers need to be kicked off the trains permanently. If they're caught again, six months in jail. I think that would put an end to that kind of disruption on the trains. read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Bart's House on Haunted Hill. Halloween is nine months away, lol. - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California

Surprisingly impressed with their new lighting and the cleaner look! I used to think it should be condemned but not so much anymore. Keep up the cleaning and brightness please. read more

BART - Powell Street Station - Clean and bright! - Metro Stations Near Me - San Francisco, California