Montgomery Street

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This article is about the street in San Francisco. For other uses, see Montgomery Street (disambiguation).

Montgomery Street
Montgomery Street from Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.jpg
Looking south down Montgomery Street from Telegraph Hill through the Financial District
Namesake John B. Montgomery
Length 1.0 mi (1.6 km)
Location San Francisco
Coordinates 37°47′43″N 122°24′11″W / 37.79528°N 122.40306°W / 37.79528; -122.40306Coordinates: 37°47′43″N 122°24′11″W / 37.79528°N 122.40306°W / 37.79528; -122.40306
North end Telegraph Hill
South end Market Street

Montgomery Street is a north-south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, in the United States.

It runs about 16 blocks from the Telegraph Hill neighborhood south through downtown, terminating at Market Street. South of Columbus Avenue, Montgomery Street runs through the heart of San Francisco's Financial District and contains one of the highest concentrations of financial activity, investment business, and venture capital in the United States and the world. For this reason, it is known as "the Wall Street of the West".[1][2] South of Market Street, the street continues as New Montgomery Street for two more blocks to terminate at Howard Street in the SOMA district.

History[]

Looking north from Market Street up Montgomery Street towards the Transamerica Pyramid. In the foreground is the flagship branch of Wells Fargo Bank.

In the 1830s, the land which is now Montgomery Street lay at the edge of San Francisco Bay.[3][4] Intense land speculation during the Gold Rush created a demand for more usable land in the rapidly growing city, and sandy bluffs near the waterfront were leveled and the shallows filled with sand (and the ruins of many ships) to make new building lots. Between 1849 and 1852, the waterfront advanced about four blocks.[5] At present, Montgomery Street is about seven blocks from the water.

The corner of Montgomery and Clay is where John B. Montgomery landed when he came to hoist the U.S. flag after the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846. In 1853 the Montgomery Block, a center of early San Francisco law and literature, was built at 600 Montgomery, on land currently occupied by the Transamerica Pyramid.[4]

Offices[]

Montgomery Street building, 1940

Many banks and financial-services companies have had offices in the buildings on or near Montgomery Street, especially between Market Street and Sacramento Street:

High-rises[]

Notable high-rises and skyscrapers along Montgomery Street in the Financial District:

A building bearing the name of One Montgomery Tower is located at the intersection of and Kearny streets, behind the Wells Fargo flagship branch and .

Public transit[]

Montgomery Street is served by the BART and Muni Metro Montgomery Street Station.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ "F-Market & Wharves Streetcar Line – Market Street Railway". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  2. ^ Prentice, Carol S. (2006). "Walk 3:Montgomery Street to Jackson Square". 1906 San Francisco earthquake centennial field guides. Geological Society of America. p. 17. ISBN 9780813700076. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  3. ^ "San Francisco – Before the Gold Rush – 1847". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Office of Historic Preservation: San Francisco". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  5. ^ City of San Francisco and its Vicinity California (Map, 1853)
  6. ^ "EDGAR Online: Wells Fargo & Co/MN (WFC) – 8-K – 7/27/2010". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  7. ^ "555 California St., San Francisco, CA". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  8. ^ "Transamerica Pyramid". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  9. ^ Crovo, Lisa. "When Renovation Meets Litigation -- And the Trash Piles Up". San Francisco Coastnews. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  10. ^ Davis, Lisa (April 12, 2000). "Battle Belli". San Francisco Weekly. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  11. ^ "BART – Montgomery St". Retrieved July 31, 2010.
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