Among Giants

Last week, I had the fortunate opportunity to venture back up on the roof of Embarcadero Center 2 (EC2) in San Francisco’s Financial District.  The tower, constructed by John Graham & Associates, Inc in 1974, sits 413ft (126m) in the sky with 31 floors, higher than approximately 95% of the rest of The City.   

Owned and managed by real estate investment trust powerhouse Boston Properties, the Embarcadero Center is comprised of six buildings: four office towers, two hotels.  Both EC4 (571ft) and EC1 (568ft) are taller than EC2, and although EC2 contains one less floor than EC3, the two towers are the exact same height.

Embarcadero Center is also home to Justin Herman Plaza, known among skateboarders as "EMB," which was the most famous skate spot in the world for a number of years. On any given weekend in the early to mid '90s, one could find upward of 200 individuals skating the plaza, which served as a proving ground for any newcomers trying to make a name in skateboarding.  The original plaza was demolished and rebuilt in 1999.

Last week’s excursion would be my second visit to the roof.  I was far more prepared this time around than last, as my first visit was a spur of the moment deal.  Good thing I make it a point never to leave home without my camera.  This time, I came prepared with a couple of different lenses, and although it was brighter than all hell -- borderline blinding, I’m fairly satisfied with how the shots turned out.  I’m scheduled to go back on the roof to catch the sunrise shortly after Labor Day, which I’m really looking forward to.  Now I just need to see if I can secure a visit during San Francisco Fleet Week…that would be a real treat indeed.

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It's a long way to the bottom