Prompted by the completion of the Moscone Convention Center ? San Francisco?s largest convention hall ? and in an effort to transform one of the city?s dingiest areas, the Yerba Buena Gardens is a popular bustling leisure and recreation destination in San Francisco. The creation of the gardens started in 1981 and was intended to be a mix-use district composed of restaurants, museums, shops, gardens and hotels plus a top caliber arts complex for the residents of San Francisco.

The Yerba Buena Gardens was created in two phases. The first one which is bordered by Howard, Mission, Third and Fourth Streets was finished in 1993. The second phase which is bordered by Folsom, Howard, Third and Fourth Streets was completed five years later in 1998.

The original wing of Yerba Buena Gardens which sits on the deck of Moscone North feature the Yerba Buena Esplanade, expansive greenery with small pocket gardens and a favorite relaxation and recreation spot for many urbanites of San Francisco. Adding to the rejuvenating ambience of the esplanade is a floral terrace called the ?Sister Cities Garden? which showcases plants hailing from San Francisco?s 13 sister cities around the world. As if this colorful display is not enough, a waterfall flows from the terrace pouring into a small pool. What makes this water feature unique is that it conceals a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Behind this water screen are passages from Martin Luther King Jr.?s well-known addresses carved in glass panels. There is also a shopping and entertainment facility called the Metreon found in the Yerba Buena Esplanade.

Aside from this, Yerba Buena Gardens boasts of a children-friendly complex called the Rooftop at Yerba Buena Gardens. The centerpiece of this particular attraction is a historic and one-of-a-kind hand carved carousel. There is also a humongous playground, an amphitheater, a bowling facility and hedges that form a labyrinth where kids can navigate their way through.

Rounding up the list of must-sees in the Yerba Buena Gardens is the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This avant-garde arts hub is composed of two structures ? the Theatre and The Galleries and Forum Building. Conceived by architect James Polshek, The Theatre is cladded with aluminum panels giving it a dynamic exterior which changes appearance depending on how the sunlight hits the building. The Galleries and Forum on the other hand is the first significant commissioned work of Japanese design guru Fumihiko Maki.