343 Sansome Rooftop Deck

I’ve been wanting to visit the rooftop park for a long time, and I finally got the chance to the other day.
I brought my quiche and coffee from a local place nearby and ate it as I looked at Karl the Fog hug the Transamerica Pyramid. It was a nice way to spend time in-​between appointments.
And it was great way to view the city from another vantage point. I saw a building with strange statues, and luckily a tour group passed by explaining why they were there.
I can imagine this POPOS being really busy on a warm day. Luckily for me, it was cold so it was pretty empty and quiet despite all the traffic noise below.

Oh, rooftop parks. You know, I was thinking of taking a date here and go around trying to find rooftop parks. But I have to say, Sansome was definitely one of the best rooftop parks in the city in my opinion. This is because I have several things that this place meets:
1. This place is mad unknown to the normal eye. You have to actively search for this place. I wouldn’t have known where it was, I only did because I had photos to guide me to where it was. Luckily, Unilocal came in handy with a ton of photos.
2. This park is on a higher level, in my opinion, than the other parks.
3. Plenty of seating both in the shade, and not in the shade. You get to have your choice!
4. It was pretty empty when I was there, but maybe this place does get packed but I sure didn’t see it during lunch time.
If I am ever find myself needing to find a place for a date or to eat lunch, this rooftop deck will definitely be a place to eat at.

In this busy, noisy, bustling city, sometimes all you need is a little peace and quiet. The hidden gems in San Francisco aka POPOS (privately owned public open spaces) in San Francisco are great for this purpose!
Located on the 15^th floor of this building, this rooftop deck offers sunshine, many bench seating, cool views of neighboring buildings, and a cool sundial. It is quite a cute little place to eat your lunch or just chill with friends. It does close at 5pm though! And this place isn’t opened on the weekends.

Granted it could be okay if it’s quiet. It was for a little while… Sf does has its fair share of public roof decks. But too many smokers here, a turn off for us non smokers

Highly recommend coming here for a quick escape within the city! It’s free for public access during the week, so I’m sure the people who work in this area would frequently come here for a quick break or lunch during the day. And as for tourists *like me!*, this rooftop deck gives you a great photo op to snap a pic of the Transamerica Pyramid.
Since it’s located on the 15^th floor, you do get a pretty good view of SF’s FiDi (Financial District hehe). Plus, there’s also a small rooftop garden that makes a great contrast in this busy downtown part of the city.

Came to this place for the photo opportunities, and just to check out the roof of a building because it sounded pretty cool. Its just kind of the expected. Theres a lot of chairs, not very many chairs, but If you’re in the city and you need a place to chill out for a while, or just get out of the people, here’s a perfect place. Cool to be up here though.

I once watched a special on Popos on a local Bay Area program. No, I’m not talking about the show Cops. POPOS: Privately Owned Public Open Spaces. These are all over downtown SF and the majority are on building rooftops. They are best kept secrets of urban oases sprinkled all over FIDI. For a nice getaway from the office without having to go too far, these popos are the perfect quick escape on a lunch or break. 343 Sansome (15^th floor sun terrace) has tables, chairs and benches for public use. It is landscaped nicely where you can feel the tranquility and peace of being momentarily away from the hustle and bustle. I’m diggin’ the popos!

As you walk around The City, you might start to realize that there are a bunch of small areas that just seem to be there that are really cool and really beautiful. Are these SF Parks? Are these spots exclusively for the people that work at or near these office buildings? The answer is: No. One of the things that might sneak past the more casual observer is the concept of a POPOS. It’s an acronym: Privately Owned Public Open Space. Did you know that a certain amount of Downtown development has to include a percentage-​contribution to public space and public art? True story. As a result, there are 65+ little spots around that meet this criteria.
Long story longer… Yes, you may have heard of 343 Sansome. This access here is not restricted during the workday. You are welcome to come here. You may not have heard of this either. It’s a rooftop deck at on the 15^th floor in the thick of the FiDi. The patio up top is huge. There are a bunch of trees with circular benches around them on the west side, and a very open space with tables and a center «Mini Obelisk» piece of art. The views of the urban canyons are pretty striking up here. You have an up close view of the Transamerica Pyramid. You can see quite a bit and it’s worth coming up here just to check it out so you can come back and really enjoy it. It’s free. And, it’s easy to get to.
If you are in this neck of the woods, it’s a great place to get to-​go and eat your lunch. If you are a visitor, especially on a budget, this is something you won’t find everywhere. I would also recommend looking into the POPOS’s, because there are more of these. I aim to get to many many more. But, this is definitely the coolest so far, despite strong competition. … sigh. Too many cool things to do in SF.

Pretty cool place for lunch. The entrance of the building is not very fancy or conspicuous, so I had to pay attention to the numbers to find this place, but I am so glad I did. Love the height (15 floors!) and being able to munch my lunch while observing the hustle-​bustle down below. If you are in need of a quick get-​away, this is as good as it gets!

I went to the rooftop for lunch and it was beautiful. Not the tallest skyscraper but it is an amazing view and the garden they have adds a great visual.
I would definitely recommend coming here for lunch to get a little stress release from work.

Even though I work in this building; I’ve never been to this rooftop before in 2 and a half years. For the first time ever; it is so peaceful and the scenery is awesome! Definitely worth coming to!!!

I came with some coworkers around 1pm one afternoon and we had a nice time just getting away from the office and getting some fresh air. At that time, there wasn’t too much of a crowd and I think I remember one or two free tables. You could certainly find a spot to have your lunch if you wanted to. It’s a shame how much better the view would be without those pesky buildings surrounding it.

I’m tempted to give this one star in hopes of dissuading people from coming here. But it’s a great rooftop escape on sunny days — my favorite place to eat downtown. Grab your salad to go from the Mixt Greens on Commercial and head up to the 15^th floor!

Awesome place to grab lunch when it’s sunny out. It can get kinda packed, but if you wait a couple minutes a table will eventually clear up. A great break from the florescent lights of the office and really easy to find given that «roof garden» is labeled inside the elevator.

My secret escape has finally been exposed.
You know how you would have that one place that you only take special people to? Or the place that you want to keep alllll to yourself? This is that place for me.
It’s comforting, enclosed, and high enough to give me a sense of freedom. I love having lunch here or just coming to get away from the hectic rumble of downtown. I hate to expose my sanity station, but Unilocal has helped me locate it today and I can do nothing more but to share it
Enjoy!

Reflections.
Still one of my favorites:
Now one of my favorites: To the left you can see the actual Transamerica Pyramid. To the right you can see a reflection of the Transamerica Pyramid in the FiDi buildings.
Either way it’s a serene scene of seats and benches to enjoy lunch while taking a respite from the ever growing bustle of the city below.
Reflect and enjoy.

Awesome place to go for a a meal or just to get away from the office, by yourself or with a group. I love rooftops! Overall its has a nice view from 2 different angles. A few chairs/​small tables, and cement benches.

Really mellow rooftop deck with no pigeons and lots of space. There are some small tables to sit at (most popular with the lunch crowd) but also lots of benches around all the potted trees. Today wasn’t the sunniest day but there were at least a dozen people eating lunch there — still plenty of room though. From the table side you can see a slice of the bay and straight down Sansome St. From the other side beyond the planters you can see the Transamerica building. Direct sun (if there is any) during lunch — aka it’s not in the shadow of the other buildings.
You don’t need to sign in with security. Just take the elevators right up. No bathrooms.
From
— «The terrace at 343 Sansome Street is one of the FiDi’s best kept secrets, and it’s also been called downtown’s best outdoor lunch spot. It features tables, benches, planters filled with seasonal flowers, and views of a portion of the Bay. More than half of the space’s Unilocal reviews mention that it’s never crowded. The space is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.»

Walk in with confidence & go up to the 15^th (yep — not the 16^th!) floor. Really nice place to eat lunch. Just wish there were more /​better lunch places around here.

Don’t be intimated to hop on the elevator to head on up to the 15^th floor of the 343 Sansome building for the rooftop deck. It’s open to the public as long as you go during building hours (9am to 6pm).
It’s one of the nicer POPOS (Privately Owned Public Open Spaces) in the area. You can sometimes spot a hummingbird. There’s no rats of the sky (pigeons). It’s an awesome way to soak in some sun and provide nice views of the city while on lunch break.