People in the Plazas

Lunch breaks hit differently when there's a live band waiting outside. People in Plazas has spent decades turning downtown San Francisco into one giant outdoor stage, filling plazas from the Embarcadero to Fourth Street with free weekday concerts that range from jazz and funk to Latin, soul and indie rock. Instead of eating at your desk, grab your lunch, follow the music and see where you end up. One day it might be a high-energy brass band outside an office tower, the next a jazz trio tucked into a quiet courtyard. It's one of those quintessential San Francisco traditions that rewards wandering, and a reminder that some of the city's best live music doesn't require a ticket at all.