Saturday Morning in Civic Center

Even though I've lived in San Francisco for 3 years, I haven't explored much of the city. The only neighborhood, other than my home neighborhood- Stonestown/SFSU- I've spent more than 2 hours in is the Mission. I walked through Civic Center for the first time 2 years ago, my impression was that of a depressing and dangerous neighborhood.

A few days before our first Reporting class, I researched the Civic Center and realized it would be a great beat because of the protests, museums, and irony that exists between the homeless who find refuge in Civic Center Plaza and the rich who rent 1-bedroom apartments starting at $2,500 a month just a few blocks down the plaza. To me, Civic Center is a reflection of 2 extremes.

My first experience at Civic Center, for the purpose of this class, was a little bit frustrating. Not many people wanted to speak to me. Saturday morning was hot and the streets were crowded with tourists. I found two apartment buildings; however, the leasing consultants weren't willing to share information if I wasn't interested in resnting an apartment. The apartment's residents walked in and out in a rush. At Archstone Fox Plaza Apartments, located on Market St., the firefighters and police arrived to an emergency phone call. The concierge had no idea an emergency call had been made.

Later I walked into a $1 store where you can find from tailor sets to Mexican cooking spices. The manager was amiable. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell me much about living in the neighborhood because his hometown was Sunnyvale. Donut shops and liquor stores are found throughout Market. Later, I spoke with the security guard at the Art Institute of California. He said small thefts were common in the neighborhood.

That night, I went home and did more research. I learned that the Farmer's Market is hosted on United Nations Plaza every Wednesay and Sunday. My next visit was set for Sunday, Aug. 30. Stands with fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and plants, were set up around the plaza. People walked around taking samples of nectarines, oranges, apples, and grapes. I bought 3 delicious nectarines myself. I couldn't resist! I spoke with 4 vendors. I learned a lot about their work in the fields and their drives to San Francisco every week. All for of the people lived outside of the city. They said San Francisco's weather was a nice break from Modesto's, Fresno's, and Bakerfield's heat. Later that day, I walked around the Main Library and approached a homeless man. He wore a jean jacket, a black binnie, and red sweatpants. He said Civic Center was "toxic." Usually, he spends most of the day reading in the library's fifth floor. Afterwards, I walked into a little fashion store that is popular in the nieighborhood for its 'human-hair' wigs, according to the store's manager.

I left Civic Center with more confidence and a sense of safety after my second visit. I look forward to builiding up skills that will allow me to approach people with better questions to acquire important information about the neighborhood.