With all the events and hype along San Francisco's waterfront, you'd think that's where the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers will be playing Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, instead of at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, 45 miles to the south.
A walk around lower Market Street and Justin Herman Plaza, on the other side of the Embarcadero, is loud, with drills, hammers, trucks and forklifts busy moving the pieces of Super Bowl City into place in time for the start of festivities on Saturday. People mill about, taking photos with their smartphones, gawking at the rising spectacle.
Super Bowl City is a free NFL fan village designed for people to come and have a Super Bowl experience a week before -- and during -- the big game. Several blocks away, the Moscone Center will host the NFL Experience, a paid event. Over the week, officials expect more than 1 million people to come together to eat, play interactive games and enjoy live music, including acts like Alicia Keys, Chris Isaak, OneRepublic and Matt Nathanson.
Mark Purdy, sports columnist for the San Jose Mercury News and Bay Area News Group, says the contrast between the glitz of Super Bowl City and the business of the game in Santa Clara is a reflection of today's Bay Area.