Walk one more block east on Clay and you’ll hit Portsmouth Square, the birthplace of San Francisco. Captain John B. Montgomery raised the American flag here in 1846, claiming the settlement from Mexico. Two years later, gold was announced in this very square, and the city exploded overnight.
Today the square is Chinatown’s living room. On any given morning, dozens of elderly residents practice tai chi, play chess, and deal cards. A replica of the “Goddess of Democracy” from the Tiananmen Square protests stands in the upper level. The square sits atop the Portsmouth Square Garage if you drove.
From here you can walk one block south to Mister Jiu’s on Waverly Place for dinner (book ahead), grab dim sum at Hang Ah Tea Room on Hang Ah Street, or head east on Clay to reach the Financial District and the Transamerica Pyramid in five minutes.