Photographed by Flynn Sullivan
San Francisco is one of the most iconic locations on the west coast of the United States. It’s known for the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, and unfortunately, the cost. But what if you don’t have the best budget for your trip?Well there’s one place that beats all the rest, for a fraction of the cost. That place is located in downtown San Francisco, and has more history than your browser.
Located in San Francisco County, California, San Francisco has been home to Union Square since it was created by then mayor, John Geary in the year 1850. Named for the rallies during and before the American Civil War. The city of San Francisco is home to over 815 thousand people as of 2021, per the United States Census Bureau. There are many different places to visit in this memorable city, but unfortunately, not many are budget friendly as California is ranked as the fifth most expensive state to live in according to wisevoter.com.
Union Square on Friday, April 21, 2023. Photographed by Flynn Sullivan
It may seem as if there are no places to go for someone on low funds in San Francisco, but fret not, Union Square is here to save your trip. Free to enter, Union Square offers sun, shade, and everything in between so that you are comfortable no matter the weather.
A poll conducted on Friday, April 21, 2023, showed that when asked if they would recommend Union Square to somebody with limited funds, 10 out of 10 people said yes.
There are people from all over the country who come to Union Square to soak up the sun, like 31-year-old Baltimore native Zach Fellner who told reporters that Union Square was a great place to, “come and hang out, just enjoy it” who came to Union square to “sit in the sun and the weather is really nice right now.”“This is killer. You can just come and hang out for free.” Fellner said when asked if he would recommend Union Square to anyone coming to San Francisco.
Not just citizens of the United States come to see Union Square. In fact, of the sixteen people interviewed by reporters with North Star Broadcast, seven were not even natives to this continent!
Lance Corporal of the British Royal Army, Gareth (Gaz) Oates, was in town for a badminton competition against Google where I found him sitting on a bench, watching the world go by. As it was his first time in. San Francisco, he decided during his, “few hours off, I’ve chosen to sit here and chill. Take it all in.”. When asked if Union Square was a nice place to relax without spending much money, he responded, “Yeah well I think so. I’ve just bought a coffee and I’ve sat here for a good forty-five minutes. As in this park? If you’re on a budget and short on things to do yeah I do.”
“Plenty to do and see round about”
Paul(65) and Susan(64) Watson, Manchester citizens visiting San Francisco
Photographed by Flynn Sullivan
To sum up everything learned in our on the scene investigation of ways to spend time in Union Square, there are so many different ways to relax in this 2.6 acre park in the middle on San Francisco. Ranging from feeding the pigeons, reading under a tree, watching performances, to just plain people-watching, Union Square is a fantastic destination on your budgeted tour of San Francisco.