Pier 23, San Francisco Bay

Pier 23 looks out over the busy waters of San Francisco Bay, where ferries, fishing boats and small craft cross between the city waterfront and the bay islands. The view takes in the Embarcadero shoreline, the nearby Ferry Building and the city skyline rising behind the piers, giving a clear sense of a working harbour in the middle of a major city.

Early mornings are calm and often hazy, with fog rolling over the bay before the sun burns it off. Afternoons bring stronger winds and choppier water, while evenings show the waterfront lights coming on. Summer fog and winter rainstorms both change the scene noticeably, and ferry traffic picks up around commute hours.

Pier 23 stands on the northern Embarcadero, a stretch of waterfront that has served shipping and fishing for well over a century. The nearby Ferry Building was once the main gateway for commuters arriving by water. Today visitors walk the waterfront promenade, eat at the piers and take ferries to Alcatraz and the bay communities.