Mission District Part 1: From Ranchos to Dolores Park
Rooted in 1776 with Mission Dolores, San Francisco’s oldest building, the Mission District has grown from open farmland to one of The City’s most dynamic neighborhoods. Its immigrant roots, vibrant culture, and sun-soaked Dolores Park make it the heart of everyday San Francisco life.
Marina District Part 3: Bay Breezes and Modern Charm
From its waterfront trails to its lively Chestnut Street, the Marina District captures San Francisco’s balance of beauty, history, and community. Stroll Crissy Field, explore Fort Mason, dine along the Bay, and end the day watching the Palace of Fine Arts glow at sunset—a neighborhood that proves reinvention can be timeless.
Marina District Part 2: Quakes and Rebirth
The Marina’s beauty hides a risky foundation. Built on landfill from the 1906 earthquake, the neighborhood faced disaster again during the 1989 Loma Prieta quake. Buildings fell, fires burned, and resilience took root. What rose from the rubble is a stronger, safer, and prouder Marina District.
Marina District Part 1: From Bay Waters to a World’s Fair
Before it became one of San Francisco’s most coveted neighborhoods, the Marina was underwater — a tidal marsh turned into the grand stage for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. From earthquake rubble rose the Palace of Fine Arts and the foundation for a new chapter in The City’s history.
Hawk Hill: History on the Horizon
Once a WWII military lookout, Hawk Hill now offers one of San Francisco’s most breathtaking views — the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay, and the city skyline all in one frame. It’s where history meets beauty, and every gust of wind feels like a whisper from the past.
Sutro Baths: Ruins, History, and a Hint of Ghosts
Perched on the edge of the Pacific, the ruins of Sutro Baths are one of San Francisco’s most hauntingly beautiful landmarks. Once a grand Victorian bathhouse, now a windswept monument to the city’s past, it’s a place where history and ghost stories mingle with the ocean air.
Haight Ashbury Part 2: Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll
Welcome back to Part 2 of my Haight-Ashbury series. In Part 1, we dug into the neighborhood’s early beginnings. Today, we’re diving into the Haight’s most infamous years: the 1960s. Think counterculture, chaos, and the legends who put this neighborhood on the map.
Haight Ashbury Part 1: From Sand Dunes to Painted Ladies
Long before the Summer of Love, Haight-Ashbury was all sand dunes, fog, and a dream called Golden Gate Park. Cable cars and grand Victorians soon followed, transforming the “Outside Lands” into one of San Francisco’s most storied neighborhoods—where even the trails of Buena Vista Park still whisper the past.
Cole Valley Part 3: Village Vibes and Modern Day Magic
Cole Valley blends San Francisco’s past and present in perfect balance. The N-Judah still hums through the fog, locals gather at Zazie and The Ice Cream Bar, and corners like Finnegans Wake and Cole Valley Tavern carry stories that span decades. It’s a neighborhood that feels like a village—timeless, layered, and distinctly San Francisco.
Cole Valley Part 2: A Quiet Counterculture
In the 1960s, while Haight-Ashbury burned bright with counterculture, Cole Valley caught a gentler wave of creativity. Artists, students, and musicians settled among its tree-lined streets, shaping a quieter bohemian spirit that still hums through its cafés, murals, and easygoing charm today.
Cole Valley Part 1: From Sand Dunes to Streetcars
Before its pastel Victorians and café culture, Cole Valley was part of San Francisco’s wild “Outside Lands.” The arrival of Golden Gate Park and the N-Judah streetcar transformed sand dunes into a hillside retreat, where Edwardians rose, families settled after 1906, and a true village community took root.
North Beach Part 3: Beats, Booze & Vesuvio Nights
The sailors and shanghai tunnels gave way to espresso bars and poets. In the 1950s, North Beach became the heartbeat of the Beat Generation — where Vesuvio Café and City Lights Bookstore turned rebellion into art. Jazz, poetry, and late-night philosophy defined this new era, and the echoes of that creative fire still linger in The City’s most literary neighborhood.
North Beach Part 2: Plague, Panic, and a Ripper in the Fog
In 1900, North Beach faced a threat far darker than its wild Barbary Coast past — the bubonic plague. Fear spread through the narrow streets as quarantines, rumors, and even whispers of a West Coast “Jack the Ripper” gripped the neighborhood. Out of fear and loss, a new North Beach emerged—resilient, redefined, and ready for its next reinvention
North Beach Part 1: The Barbary Coast & Shanghai Nights
Before cappuccinos and gelato, North Beach was San Francisco’s Barbary Coast—muddy streets, gas lamps, saloons, and shanghai gangs. The Saloon on Grant Avenue, open since 1861, still echoes that wild past with live blues and a hint of rebellion. Step inside, and you’re standing where The City’s original nightlife was born.
Flashback Friday: That Dapper Swagger on Pine Street, By Fred Lyon
I didn’t know who Fred Lyon was when I first saw this photo, I just knew it hit me. It’s one of those black-and-white masterpieces—Nob Hill, Pine Street—with a dapper Joe mid-step, hat at the right, The swagger is undeniable. The backdrop? Cars parked at an impossible angle, clinging to the hillside like they might slide off into oblivion at any moment. (If you know the stress of getting in our out, parked at than angle, you know!) .I just knew it hit me. The City’s hills, the parked cars hanging on for dear life, that guy striding down the stairs like he owns the block—it all felt so familiar, like a memory I never actually lived but somehow still knew.
So I looked the photographer up. I saw the rest of his photos. And suddenly, it all made sense.
Flashback Friday: The Holy City Zoo, Robin Williams, and the Magic of San Francisco
Welcome back to Flashback Friday—a series where I share some of my favorite weird, wonderful, and occasionally hidden stories from San Francisco’s past. This City is full of history, but beyond the landmarks and famous addresses, it’s the people who have made it truly special.
Lately, everyone’s been buzzing about the recent sale of Robin Williams’ former home at 540 El Camino Del Mar in Sea Cliff for $18 million. But while the headlines focus on the price tag, I can’t help but think about the man himself—his legacy, his impact, and the magic he brought to San Francisco. Long before he became a household name, Robin Williams was just another comedian trying to make people laugh. And he did that in one of the most legendary, yet under-appreciated, spots in San Francisco history—The Holy City Zoo.
Flashback Friday: Streetcars, Surf, and Carville’s Hidden Secrets
Welcome back to Flashback Friday - a series where I share some of my favorite weird, wonderful, and occasionally hidden, stories from San Francisco’s past. If there’s one person who loves San Francisco history more than I do (and trust me, that’s hard to beat), it’s Woody LaBounty. This guy lives and breathes SF’s past—and his storytelling skills are second to none. One of my absolute favorite topics he’s tackled is the story of Carville-by-the-Sea, a delightfully quirky neighborhood in the Outer Sunset that was literally made of repurposed streetcars.
Snapshots of San Francisco's Past: Fort Point
If you’re at Fort Point today, you’re probably a tourist or you’re wearing a wetsuit! This photo from 1890 is from the Golden Gate Recreation area from Above Fort Point – but if you notice, something is missing. It’s big, it’s red, and it’s being retrofitted right now! (Yes, it’s the Golden Gate Bridge if you hadn’t guessed.)