Veronica T.

A rooftop oasis in the heart of the financial district. Came up on my way to dinner at Hakkasan. It's small, but you've got views of the surrounding high rises; it's very "city." This rooftop has been on my list for awhile. The original plan was to come up w a sandwich & have a picnic. But since we were on our way to our dinner reservation next door, this was just a drive by. The guard has you sign in. Then he tells you what you're supposed to do & not to do. We showed up at 4:50. It closes at 5:00 sharp. "The elevator will shut down..." we were warned. We went up. You end up at a beautiful manicured rooftop. It is immaculate. There are even restrooms up here!? We took in the views, & hustled back to the elevator. I hit the button. It was 5:00 on the nose. I worried for a second. Until I heard the elevator coming up. The guard had told us that if the elevator did shut down on us, he'd go up & get us. So I wasn't really worried. Next visit... Lunch. 5 stars.

Bruce K.

If you're near... It's worth it to just come up and chill. Problem with this place is, that there's no shade! So, if you're going on a sunny day its going to be pretty hot. However, there's actually better parks that have more shade and better views of the city. I thought this park was alright, but you'll probably only see some people only come up for a quick second and then leave. However, I think if I worked in the city, this would be a park I would go to just because there wasn't that big of a crowd. It's a little less known, but it requires more effort to get up to this park. For instance, you have to sign in downstairs. That just requires more work. Anyways, it isn't as bad as you think it is...it's just an extra step that some of the other parks don't need. Lastly, the views are mediocre. It's not bad, it's not amazing, but I thought it was just okay. I wanted a little more shade, but it is what it is.

Adam S.

There are some amazing places open to the public in SF. You can get places with big time views and perspectives. Yes, they are really free and accessible. This is on the 11th floor on the intersection of Kearny, Geary and Market Street(s). There's a fair amount of space to eat, but no tables and no real shade. You are looking down Market or 3rd Street. Great views. Nuts and bolts: The entrance is on Geary and there is a sign noting that it's here. They ask you to check in at the desk. Then, take the elevator up. You're on a roof. The walls around the edges are reasonably high, but it didn't keep me from a little quiver looking down. Adding photos to give a better perspective. I'd check it out.

David K.

Preface - Well, I'm pretty new to the area. So, I was delighted to discover something called POPOS (privately-owned public open spaces). It turns out that the financial district and SOMA is chock full of them. There are even published guides (google them), and yet I didn't see this one turn up in my guide ... and I couldn't find a review. So, I'm writing one! Review - Yes, POPOS are nice, but often noisy. Are you looking for that calm oasis in middle of the bustling SOMA district? How about going up to the 11th floor terrace of this lovely building on Kearny and Geary? Enter through the 23 Geary entrance, and ask the guard to point you to the terrace. He'll take you to the elevator and indicate the terrace floor. Once you come out, you'll find that it's pretty simple area, small, quaint, but well kept with roof garden, benches, and WOW! the view of the hills and SOMA! So, it's not well-known (well, maybe now it will be), meaning you can have a fairly quiet time to yourself, either reflecting or meditating or eating. And the small scale of this roof-top garden feels homey. It might be perfect for a quick break, or a conversation with a friend apart from the din of the ground floor. Check it out!

Carloalexi M.

One of the secret public spots in downtown SF that helps you get away from the hustle and bustle! Located obscurely above the One Kearny bldg, this hidden neighborhood gem is still relatively unknown and, because of that, you'll find it mostly empty. Entering the front lobby, you're greeted a security guard, who asks you to sign in and to take take the elevator to the 11th floor. I only found out about this place after hearing about it from my BF (Jason S.) who read about it in an article in the Chronicle. Once on top, you have a fantastic view of 3rd street to east and Market to the south. The space is filled with several benches while potted plants and trees add to the decor. It's not the highest viewpoint of SF, but it's a great spot when you need to clear your head from work/life/random stresses or if you're looking for a quiet place to eat your lunch.

Sarah C.

It's pretty small up here, but the quaintness is kinda endearing. Views are ok, but with like all of the POPOS the buildings around are too tall to really see anything. Yes, you do have to check in the with security guard and have him swipe you in to the elevator, but it's kinda like you are part of an exclusive club, right? I also think that this makes it so there are less people up there - which there definitely were in comparison to other POPOS with easier access. Funny thing though - there are bathrooms up there, but they are locked and to get the key you have to go down to the security desk and get the key. It does sorta seem like they don't want you up there....

Reanne G.

Beautiful views of such a beautiful city. Best of all, it's free. Luckily, my husband did some research on finding spots like this (Privately-Owned, Public Open Spaces aka POPOS) in SF while we were there for the weekend and we stumbled upon this rooftop deck. You have to sign in with the security guard and show him ID. He gives you a couple of rules (don't jump off, don't throw stuff off the roof, don't eat the plants, lol, etc.) and you're free to go up to the 11th floor. If we had more time, we'd probably eat lunch up there. But we were able to score some good photo opps and then head back down. They are open Monday-Friday - 10am to 5pm.

Aaron S.

This is a small but beautiful rooftop space right at Market and Kearny streets. There are only a few benches but great views up Market Street to Twin Peaks, and down Third Street to the water. You also get an interesting close up of the architecture of the top of the building, a classy pre-1906 French Renaissance Revival landmark. It's a relaxing place with potted greenery, where you can get away from your hectic downtown day for awhile. You do need to check in at the lobby and sign in, but once you get to the 11th floor time seems to slow down just a little. One annoying thing is that although there are bathrooms on the deck, they are locked. You are supposed to get the key from back in the lobby which seems like a colossal waste of time. So check it out for as long as you can hold it in.

Jboogie L.

I saw the signage for "public open space" so I went ahead to check it out on the 11th floor. Small seating area. Yelpers posted photos and this is what you basically see. There is public bathrooms on the roof top. It shares the same elevator floor as event/venue company.

Bryan R.

One of the Best POPOS (privately-owned public open space)!! Very small but that doesn't necessarily mean cramped because there was no one else there when we went. Still a hidden gem. Peaceful and great views of Market St!

Ron W.

Enter the front lobby, a security guard will ask you to sign in & show your ID, then take the elevator to the 11th floor. Near Union Square. Intimate garden spot, great place for lunch or to meet someone. Excellent views. Quiet space that's not used by a lot of people. Only open Monday thru Friday. This is another POPOS (privately owned public open space) you can find out more about them at the San Francisco City Planning Dept. online.

Ah, One Kearny. As my first stop in my journey to visit all of the public rooftop parks in the FiDi, this one certainly did not disappoint. To enter, first you have to sign in at the lobby, show your picture ID to the guard and go over a long list of quirky rules ("Don't eat or cook any of the plants. If you want a salad, this is not the place to be" hahaha). Then walk to the back and take the elevator to the 11th floor. Once you get there, you're immediately greeted by impressive views of San Francisco. It wasn't crowded, much to my surprise since I came around lunchtime. The area is fairly small and there are hedges and wooden benches scattered throughout. If you're short like me, you might have a bit of trouble looking over the wall to see the view... but whatever. That's what the benches are for. :)

Eddie H.

This is my favorite FiDi rooftop / public space in the city. It's small but quaint. It's perfect for taking naps on the bench (when space permits). There is room for about 20 people sitting (just to give you an idea of the size). It's the ideal place to try out my hammocks in the city plan (kind of like Citi Bike in NYC). The other place so far on my list is the palm tree outside Giants stadium on 3rd and King.