This weekend, the city’s new rooftop park will open with a bang

Salesforce Transit Center Park
Courtesy of Salesforce Transit Center

San Franciscans have become well-accustomed to the construction taking over FiDi over the past several years, while the 61-story Salesforce tower was raised to its billion-dollar glory and the creation of a new transit center occupied blocks of Mission Street with more cranes and trucks.

This weekend, the ultra-contemporary Salesforce Transit Center and 5.4-acre park will officially open to the public with an epic block party, featuring food vendors, live music, arts and crafts, and fitness classes in the open-air rooftop space.

The celebration will feature tours of the ethereal transit center, a stunning and sustainable infrastructure inspired by iconic railway stations like New York’s Grand Central; the terminal will play host to tens of thousands of commuters each day from 11 public transit modes, including networks like San Francisco Muni, Greyhound, and Amtrak. The center also hopes to one day welcome a high-speed rail between Northern and Southern California, along with a new port for commuters from the South Bay on the Caltrain.

Overlooking the heart of the Financial District, along 5 blocks of Mission Street, the rooftop park also boasts a glass gondola designed to carry visitors up from the ground level, along with an outdoor amphitheater, a network of lush walking trails, a playground, and a full-service restaurant. The center also features retail spaces for both permanent and pop-up shops, cafes for grab-and-go dining, and a series of colorful murals by Bay Area artists.

The block party will run from 12-4pm on Saturday, August 11, free of charge and rain or shine, for locals looking to welcome the city’s newest urban oasis. Meanwhile, Sunday marks the beginning of the bus lines’ maiden voyages from the station.

Anyone who’s visited San Francisco’s legendary Golden Gate, Dolores, and Crissy Field parks knows picnicking in the city is serious business. We can’t wait to add this elevated green space to our must-visit list.