Washington Square is the green heart of North Beach, one of the city’s original parks laid out in 1847. Despite the name, the statue at its center is of Benjamin Franklin, donated by a temperance crusader in 1879. A bronze monument to the city’s volunteer firefighters, funded by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, stands near the south edge.
In the mornings the lawn fills with people practicing tai chi. The rest of the day it is a neighborhood commons, with Saints Peter and Paul Church framing the north edge and Coit Tower visible up Telegraph Hill. Bakeries and cafes ring the square.
Part of a self-guided walking tour
