Sydney G. Walton Square's a great spot for waterfront studying, napping, or lunching.

And, of course, a ton of free art to ponder. Perfect when paired with a sandwich from one of the bistros on Jackson Street, or with that huge midterm at the heart of your hardcore procrastination. Statues of literally all shapes and sizes are dotted about the park's generous two acres. Tour Sartle style by looking up all the dirt on the artwork here. It's cheaper than springing for a guide.

Sydney G. Walton was a native San Francisco with a nasty habit of being awesome at everything he put his mind to. Walton returned to San Francisco after attending MIT as an ace entrepreneur with a benevolent streak. He rose to the top as a business maestro before joining community centric organizations and some of San Francisco's top social clubs. For instance, he was a member of the Bohemian Club, which is one of those Skull and Bones type societies that people can't help but think runs the country in secret. 

One of Walton's various commitments was as vice chairman to the Redevelopment Agency which, as one of its many projects, had its eye on transforming an older section near the city's waterfront into a primo living community. This particular endeavor sought to replace the Colombo Market with what's now known as the Golden Gateway Center. The endgame was to replace Colombo, the chief patrons of which were San Francisco's immigrant community, with a green space surrounded by colossal high rises with terrific Bay views. Two high rises and the park made it to completion before existing residents formed the Telegraph Hill Dwellers Association and protested the hell out of more high rises blocking their own Bay views. #SFProblems.

Golden Gateway pivoted and put up low rise living structures in place of the remaining planned high rises and focused on transforming the park into a kick-butt area for the community at large. A cool $1 million was set aside for installing public art. The park, as you probably guessed, was named in honor of the Redevelopment Agency's vice chairman chiefly responsible for making the entire project happen, despite the hiccups along the way. You can still see the ivy-covered arch that once denoted the entrance to the Colombo Market at the park's western edge. 

When the ground shook and rumbled in San Francisco during the 1989 earthquake, homeless people and yuppies did the inconceivable and mingled together while taking refuge in Sidney Walton Square.

The square was named after San Franciscan banker and vice-chairman of the SF Redevelopment Agency, Sydney Grant Walton. He orchestrated an agreement between the nearby apartment complex, Golden Gateway Center, and the city, in which $1 million dollars was put aside for public art, some of which are located in the square.