San Francisco and Los Angeles have long been considered urban opposites. One is a sprawling collection of diverse communities, stretching from inland valleys to fabled beaches, linked by a web of freeways. The other is a densely packed assemblage of distinctive neighborhoods contained in roughly 49 square miles, best navigated on foot or by public transportation.
These days, however, the two iconic California metro hubs have something in common: They are both reinventing themselves by making the most of neglected assets. In Los Angeles, a once-moribund downtown is taking on new vitality. In San Francisco, a once-obscured waterfront is coming alive with major visitor attractions, restaurants and expansive views of the bay.
Bay Magic
On the heels of such landmark events as America’s Cup and the opening of the Bay Bridge’s new span, San Francisco’s waterfront is taking its rightful place as the city’s crown jewel.
“The new infrastructure, everything from a new cruise ship terminal to the relocated Exploratorium and an outdoor concert series held during America’s Cup, is really shining a spotlight on the waterfront and showing off its possibilities to meeting planners,” says John Reyes, executive vice president of the San Francisco Travel Association, the city’s CVB. “There’s a real renaissance going on there.”
That renaissance, which began over a decade ago with the opening of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and the transformation of the Ferry Building into a gourmet mecca of food purveyors and dining spots, has continued in earnest this year.
At the north end, improvements to Jefferson Street, which runs along Fisherman’s Wharf, are creating a pedestrian-friendly environment of wider sidewalks and outdoor cafes. At nearby Pier 39, the Aquarium of the Bay debuted a new rooftop area housing a beguiling exhibit of North American river otters in a water and land habitat overlooking the bay. The aquarium, which also has a state-of-the-art theater and walk-through acrylic tunnels showcasing 20,000 marine creatures, accommodates large receptions and other events. PageBreak
At Pier 15 on the Embarcadero, the relocated Exploratorium unveiled its stunning new digs in April, The acclaimed science museum provides event spaces showcasing views of the bay, including a glass Bay Observatory building and 1.5 acres of outdoor space embellished with large-scale exhibits and public art.
“The Observatory makes a really elegant setting for dinners, with beautiful views of the Bay Bridge,” says Barbara Edwards of California Host, a local DMC. “The options at the Exploratorium are practically unlimited for groups.”
Just completed at Pier 27, the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal served as headquarters for the America’s Cup and will become the city’s main cruise ship terminal next year. The wave-shaped structure with huge glass windows framing the bay offers both indoor and outdoor spaces for receptions and other events.
Want to combine a major bash with a ballgame? Pier 48, located next to McCovey Cove and AT&T Park, is a new event center for as many as 7,000 guests, offering 118,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor areas.
L.A. Glam
While San Francisco has shifted attention to its waterfront, Los Angeles’ center of action has moved downtown. The past decade has brought such major additions to downtown as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, hip hotels and L.A. Live, an exciting complex adjacent to the once-isolated Los Angeles Convention Center that includes Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels, the Nokia Theatre, the Grammy Museum, restaurants, shops and more.
In the next decade, downtown L.A. will continue to blossom with world-class hotels, restaurants and amenities designed to serve visitors as well as its own growing population, according to Ernest Wooden Jr., CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board and a downtown resident himself.
“Downtown is really thriving—with over 60,000 people living here now,” he says. “It’s become really hip to be in downtown L.A.”
Additional hotels near the convention center are in various stages of planning, according to Wooden, chief among them a 900-room, 72-story property being built by Korean Airlines and expected to open in 2017.
“We’re also looking at a major convention hotel of 1,000 rooms two blocks from the convention center. We hope to announce something on this soon,” he says. “We could easily add another 5,000 hotel rooms downtown and still have high occupancies.”
Exciting new downtown venues include Vibiana, a former 1876 cathedral with a magnificent main hall with a marble stage, vaulted ceilings and Corinthian columns that can accommodate receptions of up to 550 people. Other spaces at Vibiana include an outdoor courtyard shaded by palm and olive trees, and the new Redbird Restaurant. The Broad Los Angeles is set to open next year, a stunning contemporary art museum across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It will have nearly an acre of column-free gallery space, a multimedia gallery and a lecture hall seating 200 people.
