For years, San Francisco's east wat...

For years, San Francisco's east waterfront, or Embarcadero, stood underutilized. A major culprit was an unsightly double-deck highway that effectively deterr residents from enjoying the bay. The devastating Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 resolv the issue, as the expressway was torn down after sustaining irreparable damage.

Still, it wasn't until almost a decade later that city planners implemented a $400 million renovation of the former nave of shipping activity. That investment is bearing its first fruit as a former sugar-cane warehouse now shines as a beacon for novel ...