San Francisco

The building

50 UN Plaza is on historic Market Street between 6th and 7th streets, in the Civic Center neighborhood. The Bay Area Rapid Transit authority (BART) and MUNI both have underground stops at this location, and the historic F Market streetcar line has two local stops at 6th and 7th Streets.

TTS SF office is in room #5685 on the fifth floor. When you get off the elevator, go to the left.

There is a lively farmers market literally out our door every Wednesday. There are many historic buildings within walking distance---San Francisco City Hall and the Asian Art Museum are but two of them!

Getting here

From San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Public transit from SFO to the TTS San Francisco office is cheap, fairly quick, and convenient. Take the AirTrain from your terminal of arrival to the SFO BART station. Trains run from the airport to downtown between 15 minutes and 20 minutes with the actual travel time around 35 minutes. The office sits right above the Civic Center stop for BART.

From Oakland International Airport (OAK)

The smaller of the two San Francisco area airports, OAK is just across the bay from downtown. You can hop on the automated monorail from the airport, then change to the BART system train at OAK/Coliseum station. It's a 25 minute ride to Civic Center BART station.

BART Service is M–F, 4 a.m. to midnight; the last train is generally 10 to 15 minutes after the hour. Saturday service is 6 a.m. to midnight. Sunday service is 8 a.m. to midnight.

Walking

San Francisco is a very walkable city; there are plenty of hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, and bars within walking distance of the office. Via the F Market streetcar, you can get to the Castro in one direction, or hop on the other direction to the Ferry Building and the piers overlooking the Bay.

Biking

If you're visiting: San Francisco has a , external,bikeshare program called Bay Wheels.

If you have your own bike: the SF office offers bike parking.

Public transit

San Francisco is very accessible by its public transportation system, , external,SFMTA. The larger Bay Area is also accessible via , external,BART. Taxis, while available, aren't generally necessary for getting around the city, which is only approximately 7 square miles.

, external,Clipper Card is the Bay Area's transit pass. It works on many of the different public transit systems, including SFMTA and BART. SFMTA one-way fare is $2.25 with a 90-minute transfer (although sometimes you get a bit lengthier time for your transfer). BART fares are based on distance. SFO to Civic Center Station is $8.65; OAK to Civic Center Station is $10.05. See , external,BART's website for further fare prices.

Parking

Don't do it! Your best bet is public transit and/or walking; downtown streets have one ways and can be very confusing. Street parking is horrible, and paid parking is way expensive. But if you do drive, you may park at 355 McAllister Street. The hours for this underground parking structure are 6 a.m. to midnight M–F. Fees vary but $4.50 to $2.00 per hour depending on when you enter garage.

How do I...

Enter the building for the first time?

During business hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), pass through security with your badge visible. Your GSA ID grants you access to the building at any time during those hours.

If you’re having trouble, call one of the points of contact listed above, or give a shout in the #sf channel on Slack.

Get my fingerprints and badge?

You can get them at 450 Golden Gate. , external,Schedule an appointment online or call (415) 844-9759.

Once you’re there, turn right after entering past security, then the office for the MSO Credentialing Center is directly across from IRS. This is also where you can get your card activated.

Attend GSA and TTS orientation?

GSA onboarding is typically conducted on Mondays at 50 UN Plaza. TTS SF onboarding takes place after GSA orientation at our office suite. You should receive an email confirming the times that you will meet with your team.

Find out everything I need to know about working in SF?

Whether you're new at TTS and are joining the SF office or you're a long-time TTS member relocating to SF, here's an office onboarding checklist for you:

• If you would like a locker, or if you need a keyboard and mouse/trackpad for working with the office monitors, please email , external,mailto:peter.rowland@gsa.gov.
• Ask in the #sf channel for a person to give you a tour of the office so you know where to find the printer, kitchen, etc.
• Ask in the #sf channel to get added to the 18F SF mailing list and 18F SF calendar.
• If you'd like to get the GSA Region 9 email newsletter (such as notes about optional GSA staff events and trainings at 50 UN Plaza), ask the #sf channel for the link.
• If you use public transit to/from work, set up your TRANServe card.
• If you want to get notified about coffee/tea/lunch outings, set up a sfeats Slack highlight.

Bring in one-time guests?

Meet your guests at the front security desk to escort them in. You are responsible for your guests during their visit.

Be aware that IDs from , external,a few states are not acceptable; see that page for the current list of "noncompliant states". For these states, another issued picture ID is required (or they can just show a passport).

Government staff and project partners are welcome to co-work in the office. Please let the rest of the team know so that they can say hello!

If you would like to host a group from a non-government organization, please coordinate with Outreach.

Host long-term guests?

You may host folks from other government agencies. As the host you are responsible for access issues and for any requests. You will need to complete , external,50 UNP Auth Form.pdf using your own information and email it to , external,mailto:50UNPBuildingServices@gsa.gov. Please make sure you do this with advance notice, since the building will need time to update the guards’ list of approved guests. Once the form has been accepted, guests will be able to access the building without an escort.

Access the building after hours?

If you're based in SF and would like to regularly access the building after hours (6pm-6am), fill out the , external,TTS-only, 50 UNP Security Access Card Application. Have a supervisor ("Director") sign it for you, then take it to the Operations Coordinator in the Building Manager's office, located in room 0651 in the Basement, which is open 8:00am - 4:30pm. You may also scan and email the form to , external,Ahmed Mahdi, the Operations Coordinator. He'll send the form to the Golden Gate Security Office, and email you once your application has been approved. You'll then need to go in-person to his office to register your PIV card and choose an access code, which you'll be able to use at the SW entrance to the building.

If you're a visitor arriving outside business hours, you'll need to arrange for a TTS staff member inside the office to escort you.

Book rooms for meetings?

The SF office has small team rooms. You can book other conference rooms using BookIt! Recommended rooms include Yuma and Carson City, because they are videoconference-friendly.

Wireless works well in the beautiful courtyard, so work outside for a change!

Access a printer?

Refer to , external,TTS-only, our printer information document for more details.

Get on the wireless?

The Wi-Fi network is "gsa-wireless". For type of security, choose "WPA2 Enterprise" and enter your ENT username and password.

The guest Wi-Fi network is "GSA-Guest". The password changes monthly. To get the current password, type “GSA Wireless” into any room on Slack (eg. in a DM to yourself) and the current password will pop up.

Access GSA websites from inside the building?

First, make sure you’re on the gsa-wireless network, per the previous section. If you can access other websites but not .gsa.gov websites, keep your laptop open, go to the 4th floor, and you should suddenly be able to access .gsa.gov websites. You can come back upstairs and the new settings will stick. (Preposterous but true.)

Charge my laptop or phone?

Many of the power strips turn off automatically, so if you plug in your device but it doesn’t start charging, look for the small power button next to the power strip (it’s a little rounded rectangular switch).

Adjust a standing desk?

Under the keyboard platform, you’ll find two levers. Compressing the right-side lever allows you to modify the tilt and height of the keyboard platform. Compressing the left-side lever causes the entire desk to immediately drop, so it’s wise to keep a hand on the rest of it and remove hot liquids and anything valuable first.

Close up if I'm the last to leave for the day?

If you're the last to leave your side of the office (north or south side), take care of these things on your side:

• The fans are set to stay on until 6 pm. If you're leaving after 6 pm and the fans are still on, turn them off.
• Close the windows.
• Turn off the lights. (You just have to turn off the big overhead lights; there are some small lights along the walls and in the team rooms that we can't turn off.)
• Check the other side of the office if you have time.

Where are the...

Bathrooms

Men's and women’s bathrooms are just down the hall from the TTS office — walking away from the elevator bays of the building, the men’s room is on the left, and for the women’s keep going down the hall to just past the stairwell on the left.

There is an all-gender bathroom in the Nimitz Suite on the third floor (room 3198), TTS-only, at the southwest corner of the third floor map here. The Nimitz Suite is a set of conference rooms named after an admiral.

An all-gender bathroom is also available for limited hours on Tuesday through Thursday in the Health Unit, which is in the basement. See the health center section for further details.

Supplies

If you need supplies, there are two supply drawers on the northern side of the office. One has general office supplies, the other has electronics and computer accessories. Feel free to take what you need to get the job done. The drawers are self serve, and no one takes inventory. If you see something running low, or are in need of something not already in the drawer, see the general Equipment page for ordering more.

Batteries

There are rechargeable batteries throughout the office space. You will find them plugged into sockets charging. Please replace the fresh ones you pulled out with the dead ones for recharging and re-use by another employee.

Cafeteria and snacks

There's a cafeteria located on the first floor, serving breakfast and lunch. Official hours (they say they close at 2 pm, but they usually close down around 1:50 pm). The cafeteria has a good salad bar.

There are machines in the basement area with snacks as well as soft drinks.

Kitchen

To find silverware and dishes: go to the kitchen down the hall (the one with the sink), look in the cabinets.

To find the refrigerators: There's one in the little kitchen room. There's also one in the little "break room" behind the orange wall within our office area (on the UN Plaza side).

What goes in the recycling, composting, and trash bins: The building's default brown paper towels go in compost. For details on other items, see , external,the recycle/compost/trash lists provided by SF's waste handling company.

Postal mail

Incoming mail is delivered as needed. Outgoing mail should be taken to the mailroom downstairs.

For incoming USPS mail, please use this address (otherwise USPS may return your mail as undeliverable):

U.S. General Services Administration
50 United Nations Plaza
Suite 207, Room #5685
San Francisco, CA 94102

For FedEx and UPS, please use the address as usual:

50 United Nations Plaza
Suite 5685
San Francisco, CA 94102

Amenities

Gym

There is a gym in the basement area (, external,Federal Fitness Center). To gain access, you will need to sign up at 450 Golden Gate — there are drop-in hours all day on Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or you can make an appointment.

There are men's and women's locker rooms with lockers and showers. You do not need a gym membership to access these; they are available for day use (not overnight) for everyone in the building. Ask a coworker for the code to the locker room of your choice or , external,contact Building Services.

Interior courtyard

The interior courtyard has Wi-Fi access so you can work outside!

Transit subsidy

All GSA employees are eligible for transit subsidies which cover the cost of your Clipper travel. You will get a debit card (called a “TRANServe card”) which you use to load your Clipper card each month.

See the Transit Benefit page for information on enrollment and deactivation. This TTS-only, page on InSite has additional information.

Health center

The health unit is located in the basement. Hours are:

• Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

You can receive basic first aid, screenings, and flu shots. The phone number for the health unit is 415-556-2766.

The Health Unit also includes an all-gender bathroom.

Bike parking

Bike parking is next to the loading dock, entered from the far corner at McAllister and Leavenworth.

To request bike parking access: Fill out , external,TTS-only, the bike access request form and return to , external,James E., either by email or by printing and returning the form to the building office in the basement level.

If you have any questions about this, contact the , external,TTS-only, #SF Slack Channel.

Helpful contacts

• 50 UN Plaza Building Management, including how to contact our Building Manager and Building Service Desk.
• 50 UN Plaza Building Directory, including additional helpful phone numbers.
• , external,Lyvette Jones, handles transit benefits in SF.
• , external,Public Health Clinic - 101 Grove St.
• , external,18F SF Mailing list
• , external,50 UN Plaza Mailing list

Food and coffee

, external,Google Map with lots of food and drink options near 50 UN Plaza.

If you’re looking for people to eat with or suggesting an outing, use the keyword sfeats in , external,TTS-only, #sf. (This is an alternative to @here, which is intrusive for people who want to screen out those notifications). You can also add that to your , external,Slack highlight words to be notified when other people are talking about food.

Evacuation procedures

See , external,TTS-only, the emergency guide.