Are you ready for some football? Well, you have to be.
While the Super Bowl is being held roughly 50 miles from the city of San Francisco, in Santa Clara, its events may impact real estate agents with condo listings in the Embarcadero and SoMa districts.
Portions of the two neighborhoods will house various NFL events and fan experience villages spanning January 30 to February. As a result, streets around the Justin Herman Plaza and Moscone Center will be closed to vehicle traffic from now until February 12 to allow for the staging and disassembly of these various experience villages, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)
In short, the next two weeks might not be the best time to set up showings for condo units nearby these events.
However, on the flip side, an increase in foot traffic and out-of-town Super Bowl goers to these neighborhoods could represent a marketing opportunity for agents and leasing offices.
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Super Bowl road closures
Until February 12, the Embarcadero southbound, from Washington Street to Don Chee Way, will be closed to vehicle and bike traffic.
Market Street east of Beale/Davis Streets along with Steuart Street, from Market to Don Chee Way, will also be closed until mid-February. These streets are near Justin Herman Plaza, which will house a free outdoor fan village dubbed Super Bowl City.
If you utilize public transportation, the Embarcadero BART/Muni Station entrance at Market and Spear streets will be closed, as it lies within a security zone. There will be an exception during morning rush hours, from 6:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., when the station will be open.
In SoMa, vehicle traffic will be prohibited on Howard Street, from 3rd to 4th Street and some lanes between 4th and 5th Streets. Those that us Muni’s surface routes in the Financial District and SoMA may see temporary re-routes and stop relocations.
SoMa’s Moscone Center North and South will house the NFL experience, a paid-entry fan experience theme park.
Road closures in both these neighborhoods will only add to existing congestion in the city. According to Forbes.com, San Francisco has the sixth highest average traffic congestion level among national metros. Additionally, it was recently estimated by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute that San Francisco Bay Area drivers spend 78 extra hours a year stuck in traffic, the third highest total among large metros.