Close to downtown, with easy access to public transportation and an uncluttered route with no significant stop lights along the way, the Embarcadero easily became the go-to spot for running clubs and friends meeting after work.  Thank you Loma Prieta!!  It was the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that finally answered the stand off between the supporters of the original 1948 plan for a network (see adjoining map) with the Embarcadero Highway as the bridge to bridge connection (Bay to Golden Gate) versus the NIMBY naysayers who were the first neighborhood groups in the country to debate the merits of highways in an urban setting, stopping construction with the highway half finished, ending abruptly at Broadway.

Times have changed.   Plans are in the works to extend this strip of public park past Mission Bay on toward the Bayview and beyond in a hope to someday completely encircle the Bay.  I would much rather have bike trails and running paths than highways.  Wouldn’t you?

Running along the Embarcadero with the salty air in your nose, and the squawks of sea gulls in your ears, it’s a wonder to imagine that a highway on the edge of a beautiful waterfront would have been the right idea.  Properties flourish, ballparks sprout, towers rise, and people come out to exercise and play.

In the midst of the Great Recession, South of Market Commercial properties are in short demand as trendy e.companies grab up office space with quality of life amenities such as bay views and access to green space.  SalesForce recent purchase of 14 acres along the bay will boost prices in nearby Potrero Hill and Upper Missions as high paid employees look for homes close to work.