TODAY'S RAMBLINGS
3 Minute Read
This is not a Travel Guide, not even a Micro one. No, this is a simple retelling of a fairly magical day out that Julie and I enjoyed this past Sunday. I am hoping it might be useful for both residents and guests to my beloved SF.
Because if you miss our rapidly blossoming Treasure Island neighborhood, you’re missing one of the best new old things anywhere.
Wait, what?
Well, Treasure Island has been around since the 1939 World’s Fair, when the swampy area north of Yerba Buena Island was filled in and 17 million guests arrived. But for most of the time since, it was occupied by the United States Navy and much of the island was off-limits to the public. Even after the Navy left, and scattered wine bars and eateries opened, there was really no there there, and apart from the otherworldly views, there was little reason to go.
Well, there was a rugby club and pitch that I better mention if I wish to stay in the good graces of some readers, but still. It was mostly a wasteland of asphalt and shitty government naval base architecture.
That’s over now and I’d encourage everyone to get over there before it gets too busy. Because the 8 minute ferry ride from downtown transports one from hectic-again SF proper to an oasis with real-deal parks and eating and drinking establishments worth a visit from anywhere, and not just San Francisco. Yes, it’s that good, and Treasure Island offers real SF experiences, yet in a new way.
It starts by how you get there. Of course, one could drive, but why on earth would you when there is regular ferry service, that takes you exactly where you want to be in 8 minutes for $10 roundtrip? With the bonus of getting out on the Bay, always a treat?
Pro tip: buy your ticket online and have it emailed to you, and do what we did: enjoy a coffee and top-flight pastry from the outpost of A16 inside our wonderful Ferry Building before boarding.
We took the 9:50AM ferry, and you may wish - whether celebrating an anniversary as we were, or not - to also do as we did: bring a bottle of Champagne to enjoy upon arrival. And wait until you see the park - perfect for outdoor drinking - right at the Treasure Island Ferry Terminal.
The cool thing? The park isn’t finished, but it almost is, and woo boy, this is going to be a beloved city park for generations. It’s almost a half-mile long, and directly on San Francisco Bay. Based on what we saw, it can’t be more than a couple of months at most from being fully open.
And that will be a great excuse to return.
Next, follow the water north to your destination for lunch, the Diamond Certified eating and drinking paradise Mersea. Yes, I do know something about bars and restaurants, and after just one visit, this place joins the rarified air of Sofie Hutte in The Dolomites and Blue Bar on Formentera as one of my all-time favorites. The food, drinks and service were easily as good as the setting, which is saying something.
It’s true, and did I mention they have live music and that the guitarist playing when we were there sounded like Pat Metheny?
And after lunch, the fun doesn’t need to stop. Head to the equally Diamond Certified Gold Bar Distillery, a luxurious bar located in the historic Treasure Island Administrative Building. It also houses the informative Treasure Island Museum, and an impressive mural that spans an entire wall. It is a great spot for an after lunch cocktail and I could not have been more impressed.
As we returned downtown on the ferry, we turned and said to each other, “We could live there.”
Or at least hang out again.
And while it is not quite yet an Adult Disneyland like my beloved Hoboken, I bet in 5 years it just might be. Like Hoboken, Treasure Island is The City . . . but not, too.
FROM THE UNWASHED MASSES
A note to Randy Smee: I bet you a pint you like that Common Saints album!
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
KLUF
Yeah: Treasure It.
Beer on me 🍻