A Paean to Crissy

Without fear of contradiction I think San Fran-cisco is a great city. Like every metropolis it has some major problems but more often than not they get it right. One of the things that their population should be eternally grateful for is the renovation and reclamation of Crissy Field. Once run down and obnoxiously neglected, Crissy is now a park with 100 acres, or so, of stunning, windswept shoreline and is obviously a favorite place for walkers, joggers and bicyclists; all of who seem to be there to do their thing but mainly, I think, seeking the enhance-ment of inspirational visuals; both natural and architectural. You can also swim there if you have an affinity for blue feet. Crissy is home to thousands of birds (certain areas are cordoned off as sanctuaries), and the occasional seal (our designated denizen-of-the-deep greeted us almost instantly when we took a long walk on a short pier early in our stroll).

The views are 360 degree spectacular. At one end is the GG Bridge and at the other is an incredible view of the sun dappled city, dominated at this ground-level angle by the dome of the Museum of Fine Arts. The bay itself, and the view across it of the Marin Headlands and the rough North Bay coastline (hiding the tourist traps therein), is a thing of beauty, enhanced by the busy shipping lanes and graced by numerous sailing vessels of various sizes.

Originally a rich salt marsh, Crissy Field was brought into the realm of modern civilization with a bang in 1915 when it was flattened and filled in for the Panama Pacific International Exposition. Shortly thereafter, the area became one of the country’s foremost military airfields and part of a U.S. army post (presumably that’s when the name “Crissy” was applied; sorry, I didn’t do that research) and was a major staging area for the war in the Pacific during WWII. It con-tinued as a military base as part of the Presidio until it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. It pretty much was allowed to fall apart until a site restoration effort in 1998-2000 when civic organizations put in 100,000 (who counted?) native plants to help restore natural systems.

Nowadays community volunteers are fierce protectors of their park and, as far as I can see, continue to sustain stewardship. Would that it will always be so! It’s a feast for the eye and kind to the feet with a couple of miles of easily-walked shoreline and seems to have quite a few wet dogs who want their ears scratched.