Union Square, Plaza with shopping district in downtown San Francisco, United States
Union Square is a plaza with a shopping district in downtown San Francisco covering around 2.6 acres (roughly 1 hectare) with a tall monument at its center. Palm trees and wide granite steps frame the plaza and provide seating around the central column.
The square received its name in 1850 following pro-Union gatherings held on the eve of the Civil War. Since then the surrounding area has grown into one of the city's main commercial centers with many shops and hotels.
The name recalls pro-Union rallies held before the Civil War, marking a turning point in the city's political life. Today locals and visitors come here to shop in the surrounding stores or rest briefly on the steps near the central monument.
The Powell Street BART and MUNI Metro station sits directly at the plaza and connects to several lines across the network. Visitors coming from outside the area will find links to different neighborhoods and major sights here.
Below the plaza lies a parking garage on four underground levels with space for nearly a thousand vehicles. This facility ranks among the largest underground garages in the downtown area and uses the limited space efficiently.
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