The Janet Pomeroy Center
207 Skyline Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132
(For more accurate directions, use the links below)
Google Map
Mapquest Map
Yahoo Map
GPS: 100 Herbst Rd
Formerly the Recreation Center for the Handicapped, the JPC has hosted Balance the Bay since 2009. Located just 2000 feet from the ocean, overlooking Lake Merced, it is kept cool in summer by sea breezes and coastal fogs. Because the only neighbor is the San Francisco Zoo, there is no problem with late-night music, and there is plenty of parking.
The dance floor is a gym with a "sprung" wood floor, whose biggest problem in 2009 was a slippery spot. The main room does not have a danceable floor, but has plenty of room for mingling, eating (we serve an on-site supper on Saturday), singing, and having a good time.
How to Get There (Driving)
Although the address of the JPC is 207 Skyline Boulevard, there is no entrance on Skyline. The entrance is on a side street, officially labelled "Herbst Road", but known to MapQuest and some other sources as "Zoo Road." If you are using a GPS, your best bet is to enter "100 Herbst Rd" as the destination.
If you are using a paper map, locate the San Francisco Zoo. It's in the south-west corner of the city, bounded by Sloat Boulevard on the north, Skyline Boulevard on the east, and the Great Highway on the south and west. The Janet Pomeroy Center is nestled against the zoo on the eastern side, just across Skyline from Lake Merced.
The JPC occupies a little triangular block, with the sharp point to the north. The east side is Skyline Boulevard. The west side is variously labelled as Herbst Road or Zoo Road. The south side is labelled Zoo Road or Armory Road. Sorry for the ambiguity. Traffic flows one way around the triangle. You enter from Skyline going south on Herbst/Zoo, turn left on Zoo/Armory, and exit again on Skyline.
From the north, over the Golden Gate bridge, you can take 19th Ave to Sloat Boulevard, turn right on Sloat, then left on Skyline and Herbst/Zoo will be your first right. You may also want to take the scenic route down the Great Highway along the beach, then left on Sloat to Skyline.
From the south, come up 280. You can take the Pacifica exit for Hwy 1 south and then get off on Skyline Boulevard going north, or you can continue up to 19th and turn left (you may need to make 3 right turns here) on Sloat. Or there are lots of other ways to go, including John Daly Boulevard and the Sunset.
From the east, over the Bay Bridge, go through the city as if you are going south on 280, and get off at Junipero Serra/John Daly Boulevard. Take John Daly west to Skyline and turn north. Or you can get off the freeway earlier and make your way through the city on your own.
From the regular SF contra location at 43rd and Judah, go south on 43rd to Sloat, turn left, then right on Skyline.
There's plenty of parking on Herbst/Zoo/Armory roads. It's all at 90 degrees to the curb. Pay attention to the spaces marked for handicapped parking. They care a lot about that at JPC. And we do have some dancers who need them. Also try not to park in front of the bus stop shelter across from the JPC entrance.
When exiting onto Skyline, you may find it easier to turn right (south) and go around the zoo to head north on the Great Highway rather than waiting for an opening to turn left.
To get to the San Francisco Contra on Sunday, go north to Sloat, turn left (from Skyline) and then right on 43rd, and go north to Judah. Alternatively, go south on Skyline, turn right to go north on the Great Highway to Sloat, turn right on Sloat and left on 43rd. But it may be better to leave your car parked at the JPC and take the #18 bus to the dance and back. Parking spaces closer to the dance than the 46th & Judah bus stop are hard to find.
How to Get There (Public Transit)
The Janet Pomeroy Center is served directly by the the MUNI #18 (46th Avenue) bus, which runs until about 12:20 am. Get off at the "Skyline Blvd and Zoo Road" stop. The southbound stop is on Armory Road, just across the street from the entrance to the JPC. The northbound stop is across Skyline Boulevard at the intersection with Herbst Road.
The #18 bus will also take you to the Sunday night dance at 43rd and Judah. It stops 3 blocks away, at 46th and Judah.
You can use 511.org to plan a trip online.