Civic Center Stories 2017

“I’m always passing through but lately I’ve been stopping here like a couple times a week. I go to the library every now and then; I come to get some sunshine.”

“I’m happy there are public spaces, I’m happy for this space. I would say more seating, make it more inviting for people to spend a little bit of time to eat your lunch or just relax and read.”

“Here you see all walks of life. I always see people that I’m running into that I’ve known. San Francisco is very small and you’re more than likely to bump into someone you know.”

“I really appreciate being able to be here and be myself. It’s nice to be able to do that here. I would say that out of all the places that I’ve been, San Francisco and right here has been the most accepting.”

“A guy asked me the other day, “How much does it cost to do this? To walk on the Quiet Walk to do this?,” and I told him, “All this gonna cost you is a smile,” and he smiled and he was happy and he laughed about it.”

“It’s great because there’s a lot of stuff going on and there’s a lot of potential but I guess it just doesn’t feel completely comfortable.”

“It gives me a place to feel like a part of something. Like you come and that’s your space and you get to know the people that are around you. It makes you feel like you belong somewhere, not just an outcast.”

“If you’re going there regularly, you get to know the people and they become a part of your extended community and sometimes it extends beyond just meeting there and you become friends with that person.”

“I’m 73 years old. I need to sit down! Park benches seem to be disappearing everywhere.”

“I think the more you can focus on making public spaces usable, then they would be more appreciated and the more you restrict public spaces, then it doesn’t serve anyone’s interest.”