May 2012: UPDATE +my own disclaimer, THIS PARKING IS NOT FOR PUBLIC USE and it appears to be for staff. Please read the comment section (latest feedback) from fellow bicycling citizens pertaining this particular space, so you are not misguided by my 3yr old post
--thanks all! xxomeli
ORIGINAL ENTRY the below texts has remained intact, NOTE THAT this was originally published on April 2010
es the mall. San Francisco Centre between Market and Mission, 4th and Market. Enjoy it while you can because I just never find myself there, except this time I had to exchange an item and thought I might as well make an adventure out of it, of course.
Sometime after the re-opening in 2006 while walking with my mom downtown, she really wanted to sit under the dome of the old emporium, drink our coffee and listen to the pianist [see recent Caliber photo here] which you should maybe do at least once if you haven't. It is a very beautiful dome. Being the curious being that I am, I asked a staff if they had bike lockers. Whenever possible I always ask, I need to know these things, you know. They are second nature. The nice young man told me to ask at the concierge for a code to the designated space where there are plenty of racks, he said. I was excited and made a mental note, next time I come to the mall *I will remember to do that.*
Fast forward a few years, I found myself having an hour or so to spare. Having the chance to return this item, I thought I would give that unknown locker space a try. I have always found an alternative to parking my bike downtown if I'm not able to see it every 2 minutes. Those damn thieves are pro, we know so.
And so, here is the following report from my mall adventure, enjoy it.
• First stop the concierge. "Hi, I'm here to find out about the bike parking" He was nice, gave me directions to the bike locker and the door code. That was all.
• What is a mall visit if you don't try on clothes and play with mirrors :D
This is as close as I will get any pair of jeans, and that my bike and I on the second floor (level?) of the mall. Frenchie field trip.
Meet Martin.
• This is where you take a left. The lockers are located on the same floor as the food court, so if you are coming into the centre from Bart, it's past the elevators near the Peet's and that one market.
This way.
•This is the space. I smiled like a leprechaun would if gold was found at the end of a rainbow. Sweet.
Frenchie chills out
Parked bikes
Shiny
When will the next time I will find myself at the mall? I'm not quite sure. The length of my stay this time was less than 45 minutes, but thought I might as well share my very positive bicycle parking experience with you all so if you need to be around the area, you know there are options even in the teen-crowded mall. That's right.
Frenchie and I continued about our business and the rest of the evening couldn't have been better for riding. We went past a few more bikes on our way out, and off we went.
Bike & vendor.
Two bikes on Market.
---til next time!---
The San Francisco Centre offers information on their site about public transportation
but there is no mention of assigned bicycle parking. I have come across
this information based upon pure personal curiosity and asking within
the premises. Unfiltered, this is a personal and non-commercial post.
Thanks for reading!
Charming :D Frenchie and the vintage Varsity enlivened that bunker.
ReplyDeleteWe have a little mall in this podunk town and my dad and I used to go there to the coffee court located under the dome at the main entrance. We'd drink coffee, tell each other lies (stories) and watch the girls pass.
ReplyDeleteNow my dad is gone, Woolworth is gone, the coffee bar is gone and the little old Chinese lady that made the best spring rolls is gone but I still have the memory. Thanks for bringing it back.
Maybe I'll check the mall out this week, it's been years.
By the way, thanks for not wearing jeans.
That's weird timing- I was just talking to a friend about bike parking downtown. We were wondering which shopping centers and movie theaters had good bike racks or hidden bike garages like this.
ReplyDeletebtw, that pic of the jeans ad rocks :)
whoah - thats really cool! I'm also kinda tickled that I was in there the other day :) Makes it even more neat to me!
ReplyDeletecameron/ i even made small chat with people around the mall :D who knew!
ReplyDeleteoldfool/ oh that is great, thanks so much for sharing - there are certain thinkgs that we must not forget to revisit, even if they are small, or even if they come from a young person like me, life is too short :D
tejano/ yes! and for some reason there are places i have found where you least expect them. whatever keeps thos thieves away, we'll take it
san/ YAY - im so bummed we didnt get to meet, too much music that past week was insane! cant wait to see your pretty posts
xxox.m
It's really good to know this! It's hard to find street (bike) parking around here, and with the SFBC moving onto this block it might get even harder. I used to have a bit of a shopping problem and would find myself at the Westfield way too often. I'm doing better now...
ReplyDeleteme ol' lunch-time stompin' grounds...sigh...
ReplyDeletehow rockin' is that parking?! one thought...if you were a thief couldn't you get the code? regardless ~ love. it's kind of like all the little hidden gem parks on building rooftops downtown. now, there's an adventure for you and Frenchie...
The mall in Flag is pretty so-so and I've never noticed exterior bike parking. Quite sure they don't offer interior secure bike parking. I've been meaning to make the trip by bike, if nothing else to explore parts of the urban trail I've never ridden - and I admit to being somewhat obsessed with the gourmet section of World Market. You have inspired me to make the trip.
ReplyDeletemeli,
ReplyDeletethe [hoto of you in front of the jeans commercial is a nice one. it looks as though those legs in jeans are yours. cool photo!
peace :)
I had no idea there's bike parking at Westfield SF Center. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI always go there on my forays to Union Square because that's where I can find public restrooms and BART Powell St dumps me off right inside the mall.
Indoor bike parking is the coolest thing next to indoor bike parking next to coffee!
ReplyDeletedale/ look elvis over there!!! dont look that way the mall is not really there - you crack me up!! :DDD
ReplyDeletesigrid/ well i guess if they have gone *that* far, then is just losing hope in logic society, cant we all just get along?! ;-)
karen/ awesome! you never know, you might come across a new cafe or something bike friendly! +gourmet is always a plus, rite :D
thanks chandra! i thought it was one of those fancy video ads +then I was like wait- who is that poser gal?! LOL
richard, well now you know :D
there are also the racks in the mint plaza, in front of the blue bottle *and* if that is the case u better let me know and i'll join you all for a cup. okthxbye
steve a/ that's rite!!
hey, i am a dc writer. saw your blog linked to ours. i love your site. i love the pix of sf. damn, i miss that city. i lived there a long time ago. :)
ReplyDeletehey judi! great to have you - thanks for the nice compliments, and welcome!! SF +coffee get much much love on my blogesphere planet
ReplyDeleteI just went to Westfield at lunchtime to check this out.
ReplyDeleteThe security guard stalked me on my way to the concierge desk but got distracted by someone else for a minute.
During that minute, the concierge asked me if I worked in the mall *wink* and then called for the code. The phone rang and there was no answer.
Then the security guard came back up and started interrogating me. "Are you an employee in the mall? Where do you work?"
I gave up because the security guard was annoying me.
So, unfortunately it seems that if you aren't a pretty girl in a skirt, you get harassed by security and never make it to the secure bike parking. Bummer.
Now that's warm customer service! Mall-goers like you will surely love that. A day at the mall can be made so much better by the knowledge that your things are safe. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is for employees only!!!!! The concierge was a jerk and told me I couldn't use it. Looks like it doesn't work for gay men either :-/
ReplyDeleteso this is for jason + the latest anonymous comment (come on, dont be shy, introduce yourself).
ReplyDelete1st of all, I am not a pretty girl in a skirt, I am a woman who doesnt quite wear pants. I know that is your way perhaps of giving me a compliment, but that is quite unnecessary and sounds rather sexist.
please dont turn this into a gender/looks thing. before i dose you with a feminist response to your 'pretty girl in a skirt' , missing the whole point to this post which is the concern about the access to public bicycle parking around this area, in this case inside the mall. and that to this day, other than the racks @mint plaza near the BBcoffee, not sure there is any safe spot other than 'paid' parking lots(?), I will say this:
this post was from 2 years ago. i simply asked just as the extremely curious person i am, and got through. Either things or their process/access for this has changed over the last time i was there, or I got a concierge/staff that did not know what up.
As I stated in my post above (yea, 2 years ago) "• First stop the concierge. "Hi, I'm here to find out about the bike parking" He was nice, gave me directions to the bike locker and the door code. That was all."
so, i have not been to that mall myself since and well, thanks for your comments and sharing your experience here, to you both. I do appreciate the recent info you have provided and to let others that you found out that this little bike cave parking is not public nor easy to get into
cheers, meli
Hi Meli. I've enjoyed your charming blog. :) I discovered it by Googling "Westfield San Francisco bike parking". Your blog was the first on the list. I was all excited about the parking you discovered but decided to keep reading all the comments because they (like your blog) were fun. I was of course disappointed about the updates/rules. It would be great if you could write some sort of update at the very top of this post somehow. I read to the bottom and some others posted updates, but out of compassion for your fellow bikers, please consider putting some sort of notice at the top. If you can't do that, then please consider deleting this entire blog post. I think the majority of people reading this entry are good people who ride bikes, are going to Westfield and Googled it. I fear many people have been and many more will be very frustrated and saddened if they read your blog entry but skip the comments. Thx. Respectfully, Jay Cash. :)
ReplyDeletehi jj cash;
Deletethanks so much for the nice comment, and taking the time to bring this up - I have just recently returned to blogging, and had not thought of an update for this specific entry, I sincerely appreciate the suggestion it is now displayed at the top.
stay in touch +safe riding
meli