The big Super Bowl 50 events may be happening down at the Embarcadero, but Alamo Square saw its own series of Super Bowl 50 events unfold in its namesake park last week.
Several Super Bowl 50 statues were installed in various locations throughout the city, without the required permits and legal approval. Residents responded with what some have called "vandalism" and others have called "a work of art". We're not sure who thought putting letters that were even remotely movable on the statues were a good idea, but some residents have found them to be quite entertaining. The statue at the Civic Center had its letters rearranged to spell "Sup Bro 50" and the one at Twin Peaks exclaimed "Up Your Bowel".
Yet it was the statue at Alamo Square Park that started it all, when its letters were first rearranged to spell "Superb Owl". After multiple attempts at restoring the Super Bowl 50 statue from repeated vandalism, the statue was finally removed after it was found tipped over and its letter rearranged to read "Oops".
Contrary to this being a defeat, the removal of the statue is a touchdown for Alamo Square residents. Many San Francisco home owners were not pleased about the statues being on public property and especially without going through the proper channels.
This is not to say that vandalism is okay. What it points to, though, is a neighborhood camaraderie. With the lack of both front and back yards in San Francisco, for many Alamo Square residents, the park is their local green space. The view is that it's a space for community gathering, not corporate advertising.
And this is the beauty of San Francisco. It's a city comprised of residents who truly care about their neighborhoods. Alamo Square is much more than a cliche tourist postcard view of San Francisco's skyline, it's home to residents who want their neighborhood to be a place for community. If something disrupts that sense of community, residents get creative, in the true spirit of San Francisco.
If you want to know more about the Alamo Square neighborhood, reach out! The team at SFhotlist and Keller Williams San Francisco would love to help.
