Rolling Forward
kjdfg
Martin Sundberg Cyclists favor the scenic, rolling roads of thePresidio, like this one leading to the Main Post. EXPLORE
Rolling forward Bike, walk, or take a tour of San Francisco’snewly renovated Presidio Park planner By Lisa Taggart Just insidethe 15th Avenue Gate of the Presidio of San Francisco, in the lowerlevel of Arion Press, our tour guide has to shout over the noise. Aclanging type-making machine spits out newly formed letters andlines them up in orderly rows. Down the hall, bulky letterpressesstand ready to fold these words into sheets; in another room, thepages are sewn into bindings. Largely handmade from start tofinish, Arion’s extraordinary books include Andrew JacksonGrayson’s Birds of the Pacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaneybook illustrated by Sol LeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion’sbest-known works, a copy of Moby Dick illustrated with woodengravings by artist Barry Moser. “This is quite a collaboration,”she says. Martin Sundberg Tours of the Arion Press reveal theelaborate process of creating limited-edition letterpress books.It’s a surprise to find the press ― an educational institute,bookmaker, publisher, printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one― in the Presidio, a former military post better known forits bayside views. But with its richly layered history andspectacular location, this army post-turned-national park is fullof discoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly.The post has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and hada role in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Chargedto become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rollingthrough uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living inrehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the hugeSports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digitalcenter under construction, this is a national park like no other.It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve thepost’s architectural character, endangered species, and open space,making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city’sprettiest corner. MORE Travel page Search Travel Martin SundbergCyclists favor the scenic, rolling roads of the Presidio, like thisone leading to the Main Post. EXPLORE Rolling forward Bike, walk,or take a tour of San Francisco’s newly renovated Presidio Parkplanner By Lisa Taggart Just inside the 15th Avenue Gate of thePresidio of San Francisco, in the lower level of Arion Press, ourtour guide has to shout over the noise. A clanging type-makingmachine spits out newly formed letters and lines them up in orderlyrows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses stand ready to fold thesewords into sheets; in another room, the pages are sewn intobindings. Largely handmade from start to finish, Arion’sextraordinary books include Andrew Jackson Grayson’s Birds of thePacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney book illustrated by SolLeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion’s best-known works, a copy ofMoby Dick illustrated with wood engravings by artist Barry Moser.”This is quite a collaboration,” she says. Martin Sundberg Tours ofthe Arion Press reveal the elaborate process of creatinglimited-edition letterpress books. It’s a surprise to find thepress ― an educational institute, bookmaker, publisher,printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one ― in thePresidio, a former military post better known for its baysideviews. But with its richly layered history and spectacularlocation, this army post-turned-national park is full ofdiscoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly. Thepost has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had arole in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Chargedto become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rollingthrough uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living inrehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the hugeSports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digitalcenter under construction, this is a national park like no other.It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve thepost’s architectural character, endangered species, and open space,making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city’sprettiest corner. And in Arion Press’s light-filled galleryoverlooking Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautistade Anza and his party camped in 1776 as they established thebeginnings of San Francisco ― it seems that all of thePresidio is today, in our guide’s words, quite a collaboration. Amarvel of nature On Anza’s expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font,a priest, called this landscape “a marvel of nature.” Though theplace looks decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Upon the Presidio’s Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take inthe blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forestedslopes stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could befooled into thinking you’re not in the city at all. And youwouldn’t be the only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, anatural-resource specialist for the park, was shocked whenresidents reported coyote sightings in the park two years ago. Hewas skeptical until the claim was documented with photographs. It’sone example of the remarkable pairings here. Raffa says he seeks tocreate “harmonious coexistence” for wildlife and human residents.Residents, for their part, are embracing the opportunity to livewith a bit of wildness. “We’re demonstrating that nature does havea place in cities,” Raffa says. What has kept the post undevelopedhas largely been the public’s affection. This has also helpedtransform the landscape in a small but revolutionary way. In thelast decade, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore nativeplant communities to Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and thebluffs under the Golden Gate Bridge. “It’s the big bonus ― tobe somewhere beautiful and make it more so,” says five-yearvolunteer Bernadette C. Hooper. Others come just to appreciate thescenery. On a weekend afternoon, strollers, runners, and dogwalkers parade past the sparkling bay on the promenade along CrissyField. The partially forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptusand pine trees planted by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refugeallowing glimpses of wildflowers and the California state rock,serpentine. And a walk along windy Baker Beach offers peacefulviews of the Marin Headlands. That’s a lot of variety in this smallspace. “There’s a texture and complexity in the landscape that isremarkable,” says Michael Boland, associate director for planningat the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congressin 1996 to manage the long-term care of the park. “We have a300-acre historic forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-roundfree-flowing stream in San Francisco, a host of historicstructures, incredible recreation amenities, endangered species …You could go on and on. It’s incredible.” Moving forward, carefullyTaking care of this diversity is the challenge facing the park. Atthe Main Post, the former parade grounds at the Presidio’s heart,the sound of hammers and power tools indicates that changes areafoot. But plans involve carefully folding history into the future:The post’s oldest building, the Officers’ Club, part of which datesto 1812, now houses a visitor center and gallery with changinghistorical and art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-coloredVictorian homes built for officers now house offices for nonprofitgroups. And in the remodeled Mediterranean Revival San FranciscoFilm Centre, cozy Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafysalads. Beyond, young families overflow from the former armybarracks that now serve as apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenuenear El Polin Spring, a burbling stream reported (back when itswater was potable) to reward drinkers with fertility. Around thespring’s meadow, a father and daughter bicycle, she teeteringdespite training wheels. She rolls down the hill slowly, socautious she’s in danger of toppling. The father reaches out a handto steady the back of her seat as she concentrates. It’s a quiet,personal collaboration ― and a snapshot of the Presidio’s newharmony. MORE Travel page Search Travel Martin Sundberg Cyclistsfavor the scenic, rolling roads of the Presidio, like this oneleading to the Main Post. EXPLORE Rolling forward Bike, walk, ortake a tour of San Francisco’s newly renovated Presidio Parkplanner By Lisa Taggart Just inside the 15th Avenue Gate of thePresidio of San Francisco, in the lower level of Arion Press, ourtour guide has to shout over the noise. A clanging type-makingmachine spits out newly formed letters and lines them up in orderlyrows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses stand ready to fold thesewords into sheets; in another room, the pages are sewn intobindings. Largely handmade from start to finish, Arion’sextraordinary books include Andrew Jackson Grayson’s Birds of thePacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney book illustrated by SolLeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion’s best-known works, a copy ofMoby Dick illustrated with wood engravings by artist Barry Moser.”This is quite a collaboration,” she says. Martin Sundberg Tours ofthe Arion Press reveal the elaborate process of creatinglimited-edition letterpress books. It’s a surprise to find thepress ― an educational institute, bookmaker, publisher,printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one ― in thePresidio, a former military post better known for its baysideviews. But with its richly layered history and spectacularlocation, this army post-turned-national park is full ofdiscoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly. Thepost has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had arole in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Chargedto become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rollingthrough uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living inrehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the hugeSports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digitalcenter under construction, this is a national park like no other.It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve thepost’s architectural character, endangered species, and open space,making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city’sprettiest corner. And in Arion Press’s light-filled galleryoverlooking Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautistade Anza and his party camped in 1776 as they established thebeginnings of San Francisco ― it seems that all of thePresidio is today, in our guide’s words, quite a collaboration. Amarvel of nature On Anza’s expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font,a priest, called this landscape “a marvel of nature.” Though theplace looks decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Upon the Presidio’s Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take inthe blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forestedslopes stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could befooled into thinking you’re not in the city at all. And youwouldn’t be the only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, anatural-resource specialist for the park, was shocked whenresidents reported coyote sightings in the park two years ago. Hewas skeptical until the claim was documented with photographs. It’sone example of the remarkable pairings here. Raffa says he seeks tocreate “harmonious coexistence” for wildlife and human residents.Residents, for their part, are embracing the opportunity to livewith a bit of wildness. “We’re demonstrating that nature does havea place in cities,” Raffa says. What has kept the post undevelopedhas largely been the public’s affection. This has also helpedtransform the landscape in a small but revolutionary way. In thelast decade, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore nativeplant communities to Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and thebluffs under the Golden Gate Bridge. “It’s the big bonus ― tobe somewhere beautiful and make it more so,” says five-yearvolunteer Bernadette C. Hooper. Others come just to appreciate thescenery. On a weekend afternoon, strollers, runners, and dogwalkers parade past the sparkling bay on the promenade along CrissyField. The partially forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptusand pine trees planted by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refugeallowing glimpses of wildflowers and the California state rock,serpentine. And a walk along windy Baker Beach offers peacefulviews of the Marin Headlands. That’s a lot of variety in this smallspace. “There’s a texture and complexity in the landscape that isremarkable,” says Michael Boland, associate director for planningat the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congressin 1996 to manage the long-term care of the park. “We have a300-acre historic forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-roundfree-flowing stream in San Francisco, a host of historicstructures, incredible recreation amenities, endangered species …You could go on and on. It’s incredible.” Moving forward, carefullyTaking care of this diversity is the challenge facing the park. Atthe Main Post, the former parade grounds at the Presidio’s heart,the sound of hammers and power tools indicates that changes areafoot. But plans involve carefully folding history into the future:The post’s oldest building, the Officers’ Club, part of which datesto 1812, now houses a visitor center and gallery with changinghistorical and art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-coloredVictorian homes built for officers now house offices for nonprofitgroups. And in the remodeled Mediterranean Revival San FranciscoFilm Centre, cozy Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafysalads. Beyond, young families overflow from the former armybarracks that now serve as apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenuenear El Polin Spring, a burbling stream reported (back when itswater was potable) to reward drinkers with fertility. Around thespring’s meadow, a father and daughter bicycle, she teeteringdespite training wheels. She rolls down the hill slowly, socautious she’s in danger of toppling. The father reaches out a handto steady the back of her seat as she concentrates. It’s a quiet,personal collaboration ― and a snapshot of the Presidio’s newharmony. MORE Travel page Search Travel Martin Sundberg Cyclistsfavor the scenic, rolling roads of the Presidio, like this oneleading to the Main Post. EXPLORE Rolling forward Bike, walk, ortake a tour of San Francisco’s newly renovated Presidio Parkplanner By Lisa Taggart Just inside the 15th Avenue Gate of thePresidio of San Francisco, in the lower level of Arion Press, ourtour guide has to shout over the noise. A clanging type-makingmachine spits out newly formed letters and lines them up in orderlyrows. Down the hall, bulky letterpresses stand ready to fold thesewords into sheets; in another room, the pages are sewn intobindings. Largely handmade from start to finish, Arion’sextraordinary books include Andrew Jackson Grayson’s Birds of thePacific Slope, as well as a Seamus Heaney book illustrated by SolLeWitt. Our guide opens one of Arion’s best-known works, a copy ofMoby Dick illustrated with wood engravings by artist Barry Moser.”This is quite a collaboration,” she says. Martin Sundberg Tours ofthe Arion Press reveal the elaborate process of creatinglimited-edition letterpress books. It’s a surprise to find thepress ― an educational institute, bookmaker, publisher,printer, and typefoundry all rolled into one ― in thePresidio, a former military post better known for its baysideviews. But with its richly layered history and spectacularlocation, this army post-turned-national park is full ofdiscoveries, especially right now. The Presidio is an anomaly. Thepost has been under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule and had arole in every U.S. military conflict of the 20th century. Chargedto become financially self-sufficient by 2013, the park is rollingthrough uncharted territory. With 1,100 residents living inrehabilitated military housing, new businesses such as the hugeSports Basement store, and the much-discussed Lucasfilm digitalcenter under construction, this is a national park like no other.It balances those developments with a mandate to preserve thepost’s architectural character, endangered species, and open space,making it an experiment in urban harmony, set in the city’sprettiest corner. And in Arion Press’s light-filled galleryoverlooking Mountain Lake Park ― where explorer Juan Bautistade Anza and his party camped in 1776 as they established thebeginnings of San Francisco ― it seems that all of thePresidio is today, in our guide’s words, quite a collaboration. Amarvel of nature On Anza’s expedition, fellow explorer Pedro Font,a priest, called this landscape “a marvel of nature.” Though theplace looks decidedly different now, the views remain majestic. Upon the Presidio’s Inspiration Point, tourists and residents take inthe blue calm of the bay, dotted with white sailboats. Forestedslopes stretch out below, a green carpet so lush you could befooled into thinking you’re not in the city at all. And youwouldn’t be the only creature fooled. Damien Raffa, anatural-resource specialist for the park, was shocked whenresidents reported coyote sightings in the park two years ago. Hewas skeptical until the claim was documented with photographs. It’sone example of the remarkable pairings here. Raffa says he seeks tocreate “harmonious coexistence” for wildlife and human residents.Residents, for their part, are embracing the opportunity to livewith a bit of wildness. “We’re demonstrating that nature does havea place in cities,” Raffa says. What has kept the post undevelopedhas largely been the public’s affection. This has also helpedtransform the landscape in a small but revolutionary way. In thelast decade, hundreds of volunteers have worked to restore nativeplant communities to Crissy Field, Mountain Lake Park, and thebluffs under the Golden Gate Bridge. “It’s the big bonus ― tobe somewhere beautiful and make it more so,” says five-yearvolunteer Bernadette C. Hooper. Others come just to appreciate thescenery. On a weekend afternoon, strollers, runners, and dogwalkers parade past the sparkling bay on the promenade along CrissyField. The partially forested Ecology Trail, under the eucalyptusand pine trees planted by the U.S. Army, is a quiet, shady refugeallowing glimpses of wildflowers and the California state rock,serpentine. And a walk along windy Baker Beach offers peacefulviews of the Marin Headlands. That’s a lot of variety in this smallspace. “There’s a texture and complexity in the landscape that isremarkable,” says Michael Boland, associate director for planningat the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congressin 1996 to manage the long-term care of the park. “We have a300-acre historic forest, a tidal marsh, the last year-roundfree-flowing stream in San Francisco, a host of historicstructures, incredible recreation amenities, endangered species …You could go on and on. It’s incredible.” Moving forward, carefullyTaking care of this diversity is the challenge facing the park. Atthe Main Post, the former parade grounds at the Presidio’s heart,the sound of hammers and power tools indicates that changes areafoot. But plans involve carefully folding history into the future:The post’s oldest building, the Officers’ Club, part of which datesto 1812, now houses a visitor center and gallery with changinghistorical and art exhibitions. Down the road, cream-coloredVictorian homes built for officers now house offices for nonprofitgroups. And in the remodeled Mediterranean Revival San FranciscoFilm Centre, cozy Desiree Cafe serves warming soups and leafysalads. Beyond, young families overflow from the former armybarracks that now serve as apartment buildings on MacArthur Avenuenear El Polin Spring, a burbling stream reported (back when itswater was potable) to reward drinkers with fertility.
Around the spring’s meadow, a father and daughter bicycle, sheteetering despite training wheels. She rolls down the hill slowly,so cautious she’s in danger of toppling. The father reaches out ahand to steady the back of her seat as she concentrates. It’s aquiet, personal collaboration ― and a snapshot of thePresidio’s new harmony.
Home Page | Travel | Garden | Homes | Food | Books
