All-Star San Francis - rejuvenation of San Francisco's South of Market district

Sunset, April, 2000 by Jeff Phillips

* Exquisite food can be found at Hawthorne Lane (22 Hawthorne St.; 777-9779).

* Admission is free on the first Thursday evening of every month at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts galleries (701 Mission St.; 978-2787), and the first Tuesday evening of the month at SFMOMA (151 Third St.; 357-4000).

* At the rooftop Carousel at Yerba Buena Gardens, whirl with horses and tigers (Wed-Sun, daily in summer; $1). Nearby, sit in front of Chico McMurtrie's sculpture Urge, and the globe-topping figure will wiggle and drop into a crouch.

* On Wednesdays, enjoy noontime concerts at St. Patrick's Church ($5 donation; 756 Mission; 777-3211). -- Lisa Taggart

* South Park: The land of buzz

If any one neighborhood exemplifies the metamorphosis of San Francisco from 19th-century seaport to 21st-century cybercity, this is it. Modeled on London crescents, the charming oval park south of Market was planned, 145 years ago, as an oasis of inherited privilege on Rincon Hill--one of the few spots where 19th-century San Franciscans "could be born respectably," according to memoirist Gertrude Atherton. Now the area is a haven to multimedia whiz kids with stock options, the irreverent privileged of the dot-com world.

Sandwiched between bustling Second and Third streets 2 1/2 blocks from the new ballpark, South Park's tree-lined green feels like a hidden garden in the urban jungle. It's surrounded by architectural firms, small galleries, and a handful of restaurants and stores. Alleys thread to warehouses-turned-offices for multimedia successes such as Wired magazine and LookSmart. On a sunny afternoon you're likely to find kids on the oversize play structures, as well as business meetings on the benches.

South Park earned English developer George Gordon little money in the 1850s and '60s: An economic downswing and the ugly leveling of Second Street (which left mansions stranded high above the road) put the neighborhood into a long decline shortly after it was built. Society families fled to Nob Hill, leaving the area to be colonized eventually by machine shops, auto repair services, and warehouses.

But 15 years ago, Kathleen Hagen and Robert Voorhees opened the South Park Cafe, a butter yellow bistro serving French dishes. "Robert has an eye for developing neighborhoods," says Hagen of her partner's inspired choice of a location then evolving into a community of architects, graphic designers, and photographers. More recently, arty software designers have flooded in.

The area has become known as the place to find a great meal or the latest IPO party. The new ballpark will also draw increasing numbers here. This sudden popularity inspires mixed feelings among locals. "South Park used to have a secret quality," says Hagen. "I'm nostalgic for what it was." But turning from busy Second Street into the haven of the keyhole park still feels like a discovery.

Architect Toby Levy, whose firm designed the angular, modern-looking building where she lives and works, says the best thing to do in the neighborhood is hang out. Linger on the poetry-inscribed benches, test the swings, or "eat at one of the cafes and eavesdrop. That's what's most fascinating," she says.