One Kearny

Well, this rooftop POPOS itself is pretty itty bitty. But you do get to look down on downtown where everything else also looks really itty bitty, which is a big plus.
If you say it’s your first time, the sentry at the entrance to the elevator is going to read off a dozen or so of the rules and regulations pertaining to your behavior during your visit. Most of it is reasonable, common sense stuff for any individual maintaining composure in any public space. But there are a couple that are oddly specific. WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN’T COOK THE PLANTS? (Number three down.)
Perhaps the owner has trust issues from past incidents where he or she (and his or her plants) have been burned. Maybe it’s just about liability. But the whole sign-​in process really puts the PO in the POPOS.
They close at five.

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 11^th 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.

I pick the perfect day to visit this rooftop terrace. There are views of Market Street but you can’t see to the Ferry Building. I am on a quest to visit all of San Francisco’s «POPOS» which are Privately-​owned public open spaces (POPOS). It is only open Monday thru Friday from 10:00am– 5:00pm. You have to show Identification and sign-​in. I would definitely use this rooftop seating for lunch if I worked in this building. I wish there was more signage about the history of this building.

What a beautiful escape from the city up top this POPOS !

this place is amazing. i would definetly come back here. it is pretty small but they do have some benches and stuff. it would be a nice place to come up when its sunny and when you are having a coffee or something.

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.

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.

My favorite place to go on break and get away from the city noise. The rooftop is spotless, and when it’s sunny out, you’ll forget all about your 9 – 5 woes while reveling in this secluded little paradise.

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 11^th 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 3^rd 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.

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 11^th 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. :)

Hier mal wieder ein public Open Space.
Ich liebe diese Rooftops in San Francisco. Schaut euch doch mal um. Hier gibt es ganz viele solcher Plätze. Und man hat einen tollen Blick über die Stadt.
Dieser Platz hier ist sehr niedlich aber gar nichts so easy hierher zu kommen
Am Eingang sitzt das Sicherheitspersonal und das schreckt ersteinmal ab. Aber die erklären einem nur die Regeln wenn man noch nicht dort war. Dann kurz seine Daten angeben und Zack kann man mit dem Fahrstuhl in die 11. Etage fahren.
Es ist eine sehr kleine Dachterasse aber wirklich niedlich und direkt an der Market Street.
Also schaut doch hier einfach mal vorbei. Wirklich zu empfehlen.

Epic views I tell ya, epic! Always wanted to know what was at the top of this cool San Francisco building.

Thanks to the first person who reviewed One Kearny building. This is a hidden gem in the city. I took some time out of my schedule to visit the rooftop. The views are truly amazing. The rooftop is peaceful and well maintained. Great place to see the beautiful scenery in Downtown San Francisco. The traffic and people flow is cool during working hours (weekdays). The security lady at the door was very professional and polite. Visitors need ID to enter the rooftop. **The rules are interesting! 1. Don’t eat or cook the plants lollolol**

I’m definitely a fan of this teeny tiny vantage point. When you enter One Kearny, request the rooftop at the front desk. If you’re lucky like me, the person at the desk will give a fun breakdown of the somewhat ridiculous rules of the rooftop, which include basics like don’t throw anything or anyone from the rooftop, to really odd things like don’t eat or cook any of the plants on the rooftop. I guess it’s nice to know they covered all bases?
Anyway, take the elevator up to the top, and you’ll arrive in a small, quiet space that affords you a pretty nice view. A condo view without owning the condo? Sign me up.

It’s a nice little break away from the rest of the city. I thought I wasn’t particularly afraid of heights until I visited the rooftop! When you visit, just make sure you have your ID on you since the security guard at the front will need to let you through. Although there are sometimes meetings happening on the top floor, it’s nice to just come up, enjoy the sun and relax while you can.

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
I doubt this is what Tupac was rapping about, but this rose is tucked away in the hustle and bustle of the City. The «terrace» is only open monday — friday and requires a full fledged customs screening at the front desk. Just like SUVs, once you go up — you’ll never want to come back down.
Best privately owned public open space in San Francisco.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete!

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 3^rd and King.

I enjoyed a very nice quiet lunch here yesterday noon. Everything is exactly as described by all previous reviewers. When I signed in at the security desk, the guard warned me it may be very crowded — but it wasn’t at all, lucky me. Very quiet and peaceful. And just FYI, the terrace is not very big.

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 11^th 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 3^rd street to east and Market to the south. The space is filled with several benches while potted plants and trees add to the décor. 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.

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 11^th 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.

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 11^th 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!