Portsmouth Square Park — Attraction in San Francisco

The oldest public space in San Francisco! The older folks playing mah jong and gambling often live in single-room occupancy public housing in very poor, cramped conditions: the square is their living room. Surrounding the square underground are the remains of clipper ships that were abandoned in port (the bay shoreline used to be right here, downtown SF is on infill) during the 1849 Gold Rush when the ships' crews abandoned ship to test their fortunes in the gold fields. A few of the buildings on the north and west sides of the park started out inside the hulls of ships and the structures were built around the hull over time. A block south at 818 Washington St. a big Chinese Mafia shooting took place in 1977 at the Golden Dragon Restaurant that left 5 dead and 11 injured. The pedestrian skybridge to the hotel to the north will likely be torn down soon but there are great views from there, so go now. The parking is convenient-best place to park in Chinatown, and there's good dim sum and a fortune cookie factory nearby. The Chinese New Year parade used to be staged here in this park, not sure if it still is but it's fun to see all the dragons together in the park. The guys on the loudspeakers are proselytizing, just ignore them like everybody...

This is the park I used to sleep in when I was homeless. It's a great place to rest your head at night. The Rangers and the cops only come through once in awhile (issuing tickets). The Gardners pretty much leave you alone as long as you clean up your area (throw away all your trash, dispose of your cardboard and anything else someone has dragged to your spot throughout the night.) Every morning from about 5am to 8am and every night from about 7pm to 9pm all the Chinese people gather for what can only be called Chinese Line Dancing. The songs start to grow on you after awhile. And feel free to join in...You can also catch illegal card gambling throughout and deep into the night. The women gamble with pennies while the men gamble with dollars. I am not sure you are allowed to join in unless you are willing to throw down lots of money and speak Chinese. Every major Chinese holiday and sometimes just for the hell of it the dancing dragon comes through. Great place to spend the...

Portsmouth Square is beloved to me. I think what people might be bothered by the most is the busyness of it. There’s locals taking up the benches to play card games, or kids skating on the bridge when they’re not supposed to. But for me, that’s what makes it charming. There’s a community here, and I can see it. If you want a quieter park near Chinatown, I would recommend St. Mary’s Square.

You can spot many skyscrapers from the park, especially the Transamerica Pyramid, 555 California Street, and the Salesforce Tower, making a great place for pictures. They seem so close from here (and they are; Transamerica and 555 are just a few minutes away by foot)! It’s also by the main Chinatown area. There isn’t a lot of nature, but there is lots of plaza space. A few historical landmarks here and there. They also have a playground and a garage beneath the park....