This is one of my favorite gardens in San Francisco. It’s at the lobby level of the Fairmont. There is a long hallway on the South side of the lobby that leads to it. Along that hallway you also get to look at the amazing paintings at Le Cirque.
The garden is old fashioned and looks like something Jackie O would have loved because it’s pretty, neat and a bit modest. It smells like flowers and honey, and is very quiet. All you can hear are the sounds of the city, including the bells of the cable cars.
While most small parks in San Francisco are lovely they’re usually loud from someone blasting a radio or screaming something about how the bankers killed Elvis. And they smell like urine, which is fine because I love dogs in the park, but still, I’ve always wanted a clean, quiet, private garden to read in and this one pretty much fits the bill with the added bonus that someone else maintains it. I get a cup of coffee at Cafe Cento, downstairs, and sit in the Roof Garden reading in the sun.
But get it while it lasts. It’s right above the Tonga Room so I assume it’s also scheduled to be torn out when they build condos on the back part of the Fairmont.
On her way to finding answers to your questions, Babe sees and hears a lot. Loiterer tells some of these stories, but she’s just one loiterer in a city of thousands — send your overheards and pocket-sized anecdotes her way.
