Flashback Friday: Herb Caen’s Take on “Frisco” (But Never, Ever ‘San Fran’)
Caen famously granted “permission” for folks to call it Frisco—but don’t get it twisted. “San Fran” was an absolute no-go in his book. He once wrote, “I’m sorry, but you can’t call it San Fran. You just can’t.” His love-hate relationship with Frisco went from outright disapproval to begrudging acceptance, as long as it was used with a little reverence and understanding of the city’s rich history.
Flashback Friday: From Tombstones to Textbooks – The Fascinating History of Lone Mountain at USF
Let’s talk about Lone Mountain—the hill, the legend, and the quad that defined my legs during my time at USF. Running (fine, speed walking) from McLaren Hall to Lone Mountain in under ten minutes was like competing in an Olympic event. And those stairs? I still don’t know how many there are—I was always too out of breath to count by the time I reached the top.
But once you got there, Lone Mountain made it all worth it….
Flashback Friday: Islais Creek – The Sh*t Creek of San Francisco’s Butchertown
Happy Friday, friends! I’m so excited to bring back Flashback Friday, a series where I share some of my favorite weird, wonderful, and occasionally smelly stories from San Francisco’s past. As a total history nerd and a lover of The City, this has always been one of my favorite ways to connect with you—and what better day to revive it than on a rainy Friday?
Speaking of rain, let’s kick things off with a story that’s all about water—specifically, the (not-so-clean) kind that ran through Butchertown back in the day. Today, we’re talking about Islais Creek, affectionately (and accurately) nicknamed “Sh*t Creek.” Yep, this is going to be a good one.