MUNI / BART Station – Civic Center

If you find yourself homeless this is a great, safe, warm place to live. The police welcome you and regularly patrol the area for your safety and the safety of your neighbors.
I’m not kidding. People do live here.
There are also transit options available here connecting travelers to all SF Bay Area destinations.
Oddly, there are no bathrooms so all bathing must be done with your paper cup.

I got dropped off here by an Über driver. One person was asking us for money before I even got out of the car. The escalator into the station is surrounded by people smoking and it smells like weed. A second person standing by the BART ticket machine wanted money «to catch the last bus out of here» (BART isn’t a bus and it’s still running for two more hours). A third person asked me for money on the escalator down to the platform.
At least the electronic signs here are slightly better than at the other stations.

Usually a great station, well mediocre at best… but the escalators are constantly broken which is a pain. I saw an escalator repairman working on one & I asked him when the other one would be fixed (the one I use that has been out of service for FIVE weeks!)…he said it’s not the belt is broken… I replied «alright» he said yelled as I’m going up the escalator «you should just be happy this one is working instead of complaining!» First off, I wasn’t complaining I was asking a question. Second I have a right to know and as a paying customer all services should be working. I understand they break, I’m not mad about that I’m mad that it’s taken so long to fix and the attitude of their repair man! Where does my $ 12/​day go? I thought it was to help with maintenance of the trains/​stations to keep Bart running? If this isn’t the case then alright. But come on Bart get it together! You’ve been around long enough and serve soooo many people the system should work a little better by now…
***3 months later I’m updating the review to lower stars. The escalators are ALWAYS broken!!! One was down for 2 months & it was the only one down to the trains forcing everyone to use stairs! You can imagine the congestion! The escalator issue is a big one! I’m so tired of it!!! I pay over $ 11 EVERY day, if others are paying similar they should have a better idea of how to budget to get stuff fixed!!! Very inconvenient and unsafe station with rude homeless people lurking!!! If I didn’t have to use this station I wouldn’t!!! Get it together!!!***

I like Civic Center. Why? Why this particular station? Well it’s right next to the Orpheum. It’s also the «end of the line» of similar priced stations from Embarcadero to Civic Station. The signage for some reason here is large and readable unlike the other stations which I appreciate or will eventually appreciate when I’m old!

This is a big station, one of the ones with both Muni and Bart so its good for changing systems. I usually stay near Church station which is Muni only and often change here driving on Bart from one of the airports.
It isn’t an overly attractive station and usually has lots of… colorful people all around. They have never bothered me though (well one time someone just played down (or passed out) on the stairs ahead of me.
It is also located in an interesting area lots of government buildings, museums and theaters in the area.

A very dirty and unsafe Bart station the down escalators from the station level to the platform have been under construction for several months. The attached photo is from 10÷29÷15 and shows the replacement escalators. As of 12÷04÷15, the down escalator near the 8^th st exit was not operating. It’s been a huge inconvenience and at times commuters will practically push slower commuters who are going down the stairs trying to catch their train.

As I was on my way going to 16^th and Mission St., there was this one homeless man waiting in the Civic Center for Bart to arrive. It looked like he wanted to jump off the yellow bumpy platform but couldn’t because there were too many prying eyes watching our every move. I watched but I didn’t see him jump until they have just mentioned it on the news later that evening saying that he committed suicide by jumping off the platform when the train was coming. Tragic. He should of just laid off the drugs… That’s why I don’t wait inside of Civic Center Station all the time now because of it.

After reading some of the other reviews I would have to say that I do agree with 90% of the reviews.
Okay, I go off the train at this stop yesterday to head to an event and I was in for a surprise that I did not anticipate at all. I arrived at the Civic Center station around 8:00 am and walked upstairs to the main level and was greeted by a homeless guy trying to sell me a newspaper. I told him that I did not need a newspaper. (Keep the conversations short when engaged in dialog with homeless here). After my brief encounter with him I waited for some friends to arrive.
As I waited I found myself highly amused and confused. The same homeless guy that I saw earlier was going around to passengers getting off MUNI and BART trying to sale newspapers and asking for change. Ok. I get it. You are probably looking for a meal but you have to be somewhat tactful in your approach. As I stood watching I was reminded of how AWFUL this station smells. It is almost like a mix of urine, concrete, and diarrhea. That is the only way I can describe it. Sorry to all of you with sensitive stomachs. But, that is the smell. I could not wait to get to the street level to get some cleaner air to breath.
Back to the homeless guy, he was eventually approached by a station agent you yelled out, «Hey bro… wha cha doing over there… you do that all the time… don’t have me come over there». The response that followed was,“Hey man, I got rights. President Obama got my back… you can’t do that to me… I mess you up… I got rights…*tiger growl*”. The most insane part about this conversation was the growl. That was hilarious. But the confusing part was the threatening of the homeless guy from the station agent. Just a very odd and strange morning. Everyone probably just needed some coffee or something to get their mornings started.
Needless to say, I eventually met with my friends and we left quickly. They were not subject to the hellacious scent seeping from the station.
Just another San Francisco treat I guess. Hopefully the city can address the issues at this station at some point soon.

As a sister Unilocaler put it, «Just as creepy, stinky, dirty, bum-​pissy, shit-​littered, shady, and foul as I’ve come to expect from a Bart station in SF.
As someone else mentioned, its only good quality is its convenience — from here, you can get just about anywhere else. But I try to avoid it as much as I can and only pass through if at all possible.»
I have to agree, if this is what SF has come to, I’d assume not step foot here again. OK, well maybe if I drive and not take public transit at all. Escalators are broken because homeless take a dump on them at night? Really? I can believe it with the smell of piss all up and down Market street. No, I don’t have a solution for SF, but that doesn’t mean I need to walk through it. I’d make every effort NOT to come down to this part of SF. Watching these young disrespectful punks just spit on the floor of a BART car, like they were outside, just gives one the insight into the minds of urban youth.

Civic Center BART is all-​encompassing. The location is right near plenty of both public and private sector jobs alike. Attractions such as the Asian Art Museum and a vast selection of markets are nearby. Lots of art is in the station, though the station can be messy at times. Four of the five BART lines go here, while Muni service is very vast into Civic Center.
A host of different destinations can be attributed to my having been here. This place is somewhat of a launchpad into going to places such as Japantown, Van Ness and elsewhere in the city. It can also be easier to get a stop to get seating in heading eastbound due the three stops in San Francisco thereafter only adding to the intensity of the crowd. The tiled circles for seating can and will fill up.
All aboard at Civic Center Station.

Normally Don’t get to spend more than 1 minute here. On rare occasions like today, I’m waiting for a friend lol I get to see another side of the city. SF has a lot to do to create an inclusive space.

My least favorite station. Earlier it was a tie between this and Coliseum/​Oakland Airport but the AirBART connector to OAK made the airport connection a LOT easier.
— Located in one of the more questionable parts of Market. I barely feel safe walking around this area by myself during the day and I don’t even want to be around here at night.
— At least a couple of homeless people surrounding the actual station as well as the entrance and exits.
— Like many people have said, smells like a hellhole. It reeks of urine EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
I’m usually briskly walking to and from this station. The only time that this station would be my final destination is if I was going to SoMa Street Food Park; the nearest bus stop is walking distance from this station. Going from the food park I will modify my bus route so that I get on Powell.
From my personal experiences It’s also easier than the other stations (Embarcadero/​Montgomery/​Powell) to hail an Über.
If you want an alternative nicer-​smelling route that passes through Civic Center BART take the F line.

This is where I usually stop to pick up a cab if I’m coming home from the airport or something. Taxis are typically lined up on Grove, which is convenient. Occasionally, like if there’s some sort of street closure or event on Grove, I’ll just hail one from Market.
Pro: Pretty convenient to lots of places, BART, MUNI, outside.
Con: Hella dirty. Like, the floor is swept and stuff but it could soooo use a good scrub, like everywhere. It could look so much better and brighter. I’m not gonna get into how it smells. *shudder*

This station is know as «septic center». Need I say more? It’s the toilet to most of the homeless population that fill the plaza. Do not use the elevator unless you’re disabled or have an oxygen mask. But, It’s centrally located and often frequent this station. Be ready to face pan handlers once outside the station. Enjoy!

I would probably say that it is stinky but my nose doesn’t work that well. I would say that it’s dirty, but it isn’t horrible, and if you’ve used public transportation anywhere else, especially in the Northeast, you might not notice.
It’s close to a great many things, and if you don’t want to stop at those things, use another station. (If you want to stop at the San Francisco Visitors Center, use the Powell Street station.)
BART works, and having a connection to MUNI helps. It may not be great but you’d be surprised how good it really is.

I can not agree anymore with some of the reviews. Taking BART is very convenient and the Civic Center BART is the perfect for trying to get to the Union Square, Downtown San Francisco and some of the notable San Francisco destinations that include: The City Hall, Asian Art Museum, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall and the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.
The workers in the station are helpful if you ask them a question but usually they are minding there own business.
The smell is unbearable and terrible! I wish the city would take some time and clean the HELL out of this station.
If you can, take Powell and just walk the extra mile.

How this station gets anything more than 1 star is beyond me. If I couldn’t speak, but could only see, I could describe this station to the T. If I couldn’t speak, but could only smell, I could describe this station to the T. Now put sight and smell together, and your sensory overload goes into overdrive.
Coming out of my east bay train, im usually towards the back. Doors open and instead of greeting me with fresh aroma of coffee, i get urine. This has to be unhealthy.
The escaltors going up have been out for 16 days now. And i only complain because i have to treat the bottom of my Cole Haans to a staircase full of dried feces, urine, food wrappers, and the ocassional narcotics paraphernalia.
Hi bart workers… here are some items to consider:
1) add lines or stantions for crowd control during rush hour
2) block off escaltors after hours so homeless and druggies cant use it
3) clean the platforms more often than once a month
4) drench the platforms with boric acid then power wash. Rinse and repeat.

Honestly, it’s hell on earth and I can’t imagine there being a worse station in the BART system. The stench of urine and feces can be vomit inducing on many mornings and it’s the setting of a hotbed of crimes (mostly petty.)
I suppose with companies moving to the area along with restaurants and retail that the area will eventually clean up, but it will take a lot. Pearls didn’t last, and neither did I!
In any case, I make every effort to avoid getting on or off here. Only advantage to commuting to Civic Center is that you are guaranteed a seat. Although I’m not sure that the stench– induced dry heaving is worth that seat.

There’s really only one thing to say about this station, and that’s that it stinks. It’s in the worst area on Market, where the dregs of humantity hang out. The exits smell of you know what.
Avoid if you can, take Powell or 16^th Street, depending upon where you are going.

I love the convenience of having this BART station next to the Orpheum theater. But I would really appreciate it if it did not smell like a urinal it was so disgusting. Trains came on time everything seemed pretty much swept up I just don’t understand why the whole place smells like urine.

Sucio, con muchos vagos y drogadictos en la entrada y al bajar la escalera electrica rumbo a la entrada/​taquilla. La policia de BART deberia de quitar a estos vagos, el olor a excremento desde la escalera electrica era terrible. Justo bajando la escalera electrica que comeinza en la calle, habia mas vagos y cajas en el piso en donde duermen que estaba mojadas con orines. He estado en varias estaciones d BART, pero esta estacion es terrible. Es increible que la policia y la ciudad noesten haciendo nada para eviat que estos vagos/​drogadictos destruyan la entrada a la estacion.