Sometimes, it can be easy to forget all the history in our streets and cities. Kelly Steinhardt finds magic in her city walks by tapping into this history.

Recently, I found a map of major retail closures in downtown San Francisco. On it were dots, representing stores that have left or soon will be leaving — peppered around Market Street and the Financial District. I have fond memories of walking through those areas on my way home from work in my mid-twenties.

I’d hike from the Embarcadero over to Nob Hill and further, detouring through Union Square, especially during the holidays. I took it upon myself to learn more about the history of downtown, which made my 45 minute walk so much more meaningful. For instance, near the corner of Bush and Market Street, you can see where the shoreline used to reach in 1848. If you look up in Union Square, you’ll see Nike, the goddess of victory, towering confidently over the city.

My favorite landmark is easy to miss, if you’re in a hurry. On Market Street, be sure to stop at Lotta’s Fountain. Try to imagine what it was like to be there on Christmas Eve in 1910. According to The Chronicle, the night was soft and clear. Thousands gathered there to see Luisa Tetrazzini, a famous opera singer. Story goes, she ended her show with the song “Auld Lang Syne” — and everyone joined in. “Should old acquaintance be forgot. And never brought to mind.” Think all of those strangers singing in unison, just four years after an earthquake and fire decimated the city.

There are many reasons for us to visit San Francisco’s downtown and experience its rich history. I wonder what it might take for us to come together and breathe more life into the area, once again.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Pier 45 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco could be getting a big boost if a new proposed plan is approved.

It would include a new “experiential museum” that celebrates the history of the wharf.

An 18-page proposal includes big plans for Pier 45.

From a wholesale seafood market, and an area for you to see workers processing fresh fish, to a food hall.

But those are just part of the plan going before the Fisherman’s Wharf advisory committee May 1.

At Musee Mecanique at Pier 45, there’s a certain energy in the air. But the carnival music isn’t drawing in as many visitors as it used to.

The museum’s owner hopes some proposed changes can bring people back to his vintage arcade.

“It could be a great attraction (to here), especially since these past few years, it’s been getting a little sparse, people going out of business,” said

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A new proposal to redevelop Fisherman’s Wharf wants to open an “experiential museum” on Pier 45.

And it also includes plans for a new event center, public spaces, and a winery/brewery, distillery.

The Bay Area Council says the plan could be what San Francisco needs to bring new energy to Fisherman’s Wharf.

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At a time when so many restaurants and stores there have closed.

“If you look the broader national scene around retail, the movement is less shopping mall and more towards those experiences. So whether it’s something like a museum, or a food hall, or something that allows you capture something on IG really is the most simple way to put it right,” said Jeff Bellisario, Executive Director of Bay Area Council.

The proposed museum would allow people to better understand fish processing. The area would include a food hall that sells seafood.

“I do think doubling down on the area’s history, doubling down on the food background we’ve got here in the state and within the region, I think this proposal makes a lot of sense. I think it’s again something the city can hang its head on as it looks to re-brand, re-market itself, kind of do a rebirth of SF that we’ll likely see over the next few years,” said Bellisario.

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The Port of San Francisco issued this statement on Monday writing:

“Fisherman’s Wharf Revitalized’s vision for this iconic San Francisco neighborhood aligns with the Port’s goals of re-energizing the waterfront, supporting the fishing industry, increasing public access to the bay, advancing seismic and flood protection efforts, and making the area welcoming to diverse groups of people.”

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A month into the season, the San Francisco Giants are not where they hoped to be. Heading into Monday’s off day, they’re only 14-15 with a minus-17 run differential, putting them on track to finish the season with a similar record to last year (79-83, minus-45 run differential).

It hasn’t been all bad, though. The Giants have won seven of their last 11 games, winning three of their last four series. And despite their losing record, they’re still in second place in the NL West behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Bob Melvin reflected on the state of his team at this point in the season.

When asked to give San Francisco a letter grade one month into the season, Melvin initially deflected, saying “I’m not gonna do that.” He followed that up by saying, “We’ve been spotty. I mean, you look at the stats across the board, whether it’s pitching numbers, whether it’s the offensive numbers, it hasn’t been great.”

Having said that, Melvin acknowledged that it’s still early in the season and there’s a lot of time left to figure things out. The Giants still have 133 games left, after all, and have only completed 17.9% of their schedule.

“It’s not a horrible place to be,” Melvin said. “No one’s really running in our division too much…At some point in time we’ll hit our stride.”

On the plus side, it’s encouraging that Melvin isn’t panicking yet. Baseball is a long season, and Melvin knows not to overreact to the ebbs and flows. The 62-year-old skipper is in his 21st season managing and has managed nearly 3,000 games, so he’s not going to lose much sleep over a .500-ish start.

That said, perhaps a greater sense of urgency is warranted. San Francisco has failed to capitalize on the slow starts of its division rivals and is merely treading water. Furthermore, Melvin’s San Diego Padres had a sluggish start last year as well and never fully recovered, ending up at 82-80 and missing the playoffs despite being loaded with talent.

The Giants really need to start hitting, as they’re averaging just 3.65 runs per game over their last 26 contests. They also need much better work from their bullpen, which has been horrendous with a 5.60 ERA and 1,40 WHIP thus far.

Without improvements in those areas, San Francisco’s performance is unlikely to get better.