Union Square, San Francisco: the plaza, Maiden Lane and the north side of Market Street

The plaza is at 333 Post Street, bounded by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Streets, and San Francisco Recreation and Parks records it as a civic plaza of 2.6 acres owned by the department. No source states opening hours for it, so none are given here. The Dewey Monument is a bronze figure on a granite column at the centre of the plaza, by Robert Ingersoll Aitken; the San Francisco Arts Commission dates it to 1901 and gives its height as 1,265 inches, which is 105 feet 5 inches. Four columns by R. M. Fischer stand on the south side of the plaza, in stainless steel, polycarbonate and aluminium on granite, and the Arts Commission dates them to about 1999-2002, giving two at 240 inches high and two at 180. The Union Square Garage is beneath the plaza at the same address, telephone 415.765.9069, open Monday to Sunday from 5:00am to 11:00pm and run by LAZ Parking from January 2018.

The Westin St. Francis is at 335 Powell Street, facing the plaza. Beacon Grand is at 450 Powell Street in a building of 1930, and its Starlite Room bar is on the twenty-first floor. The Chancellor Hotel is at 433 Powell Street, in a building of 1914. Sears Fine Food is at 439 Powell Street, open every day from 7am to 3pm and again from 5pm to 9pm, with its Swedish pancakes served eighteen to an order.

Maiden Lane runs between Stockton Street and Kearny Street. It is a street: no operator, no admission and no hours. San Francisco Planning's parcel records give construction years along it - number 16 in 1906; 34-40, 50-58 and 60 in 1908; 177 in 1907; 140 and 170 in 1909; 134 in 1910; 69 in 1920; and 118-120 in 2001. The V. C. Morris Building at 140 Maiden Lane is San Francisco Landmark No. 72, designated in 1975, and San Francisco Planning records its shell as built in 1909.

Three venues stand on the Geary Street block. The Toni Rembe Theater is at 415 Geary Street: the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 27 May 1975 as the Geary Theatre, reference number 75000472, and San Francisco designated it Landmark No. 82 the following year, in 1976. The Curran Theatre is at 445 Geary Street, in a building SF Planning records as built in 1922, and is programmed by BroadwaySF. The Clift Royal Sonesta San Francisco is at 495 Geary Street, and its bars and dining rooms include the Redwood Room, Fredericks and The Living Room. August Hall is at 420 Mason Street, with a kitchen called Fifth Arrow and Gold Leaf Catering in the same building.

The north side of Market Street between Fifth Street and Kearny Street carries a run of buildings that each hold a register citation. The James Flood Building at 870-898 Market Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 154, designated in 1982, in a building of 1907. Samuel's Clock is a street clock on the pavement at 856 Market Street: San Francisco Landmark No. 77, designated in 1975. The Phelan Building at 760-784 Market Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 156, designated in 1982, in a building of 1908. The Wells Fargo Union Trust Branch at 744 Market Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 131, designated in 1981, in a building of 1910. The Chronicle Building at 690 Market Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 243, designated in 2007. At the corner of Grant Avenue and Market Street, the Savings Union Bank branch at 1 Grant Avenue is San Francisco Landmark No. 132, designated in 1981.

The Golden Triangle Light Standards are the cast street light standards of the retail blocks between Market and Sutter Streets. They are San Francisco Landmark No. 233, designated in 2003, and they run through the whole of the shopping core rather than standing on any one parcel.

Grant Avenue carries the Home Telephone Company Building at 333 Grant Avenue, San Francisco Landmark No. 141, designated in 1981. Sutter Street carries the Hammersmith Building at 303 Sutter Street, San Francisco Landmark No. 117, designated in 1980, and the Four Fifty Sutter Building at 450 Sutter Street, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 22 December 2009, reference number 09001118. The Metropolitan Club at 640 Sutter Street was listed on the National Register on 10 September 2004 as the Woman's Athletic Club of San Francisco, reference number 04000955. The City of Paris Building at 181-199 Geary Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 23 January 1975, reference number 75000471, and Neiman Marcus takes addresses at 150 Stockton Street and 199 Geary Street.

On Bush Street, Notre Dame des Victoires Church and Rectory at 564-566 Bush Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 173, designated in 1984, and Fire Station 2 at 460 Bush Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 143, designated in 1981, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 17 April 2002 as San Francisco Fire Department Engine Co. Number 2, reference number 02000371. At 600 Stockton Street, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's Pacific Coast head office building is San Francisco Landmark No. 167, designated in 1984. First Congregational Church at 432 Mason Street is San Francisco Landmark No. 177, designated in 1985.

Steer by the cable car turntable and by addresses. The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines both begin at Powell and Market Streets, where the cars are turned by hand on a turntable. Fares at this stop must be bought before boarding between 8am and 8pm. The cable cars were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 15 October 1966, reference number 66000233, and are a National Historic Landmark; the San Francisco Cable Car Historic District carries a period of significance beginning in 1873.

Two public garages serve the blocks around the square. The Sutter-Stockton Garage is at 444 Stockton Street and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency gives it as always open, with bicycle parking. The Ellis-O'Farrell Garage is at 123 O'Farrell Street and opens Monday to Sunday from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, also with bicycle parking. The Union Square Garage is beneath the plaza itself at 333 Post Street, open Monday to Sunday from 5:00am to 11:00pm.

The addresses that matter: Union Square, 333 Post Street, bounded by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton. Maiden Lane, between Stockton Street and Kearny Street. The Toni Rembe Theater, 415 Geary Street; the Curran Theatre, 445 Geary Street. Britex Fabrics, 117 Post Street. Apple Union Square, 300 Post Street. Macy's Union Square, 170 O'Farrell Street. Sears Fine Food, 439 Powell Street. John's Grill, 63 Ellis Street.