Eye Forward

Lost Landscapes of San Francisco

For anybody interested in the history of San Francisco, this is fascinating material. It is a collection of found, archival footage of San Francisco, dating back as far as 1905. Three particular treats are are this 1905 trip down Market Street, streetscapes and cable car scenes from the mid-60s, and footage of the construction of the Bay Bridge.

Seeing these old landscapes made me think back to my childhood visits to SF in the early and mid 80s: the Embarcadero Freeway, a massive double decker knot of concrete and asphalt above Justin Herman Plaza; or the colorful locals that populated the waterfront, the huge drum circle that would form there on weekend evenings. When I compare those memories to the city as it is today - so much has changed. Mostly for the better: the freeway removals that came as a consequence of Loma Prieta. The Embarcadero, once dominated by a massive, cold, concrete barrier between the city and the bay, today is a thriving plaza of people, restaurants, parks and gorgeous views.

Yet, with the progress and improvements, the city now can feel processed, packaged and disney-like. The artistic hippies and free spirits that once roamed the wharf are all gone now, replaced by affluent European tourists, cookie-cutter memorabilia stores, and the the street-vendor-as-small-business. Old, run-down warehouses are now post-modern condo buildings. The Mission is chic. Union Square sparkles. I mean, it's great and all, but the character is blander by far.

Looking at the old video, many things remain the same - Market street is the throbbing, vibrant heart of San Francisco; the streets are terrible; trolleys, street cars, and buses rule the roads; and crystal blue skies greet us day after day. But even now, the city is still growing up, filling in, and evolving. The way it looks and feels today... well, it won't be this way for long.

BARNEVELD & RICKARD

   

I was driving around Bernal Heights, trying to get a feel for the neighborhood and it's surroundings. It is a charming part of San Francisco, located between the Mission, Bayview, Excelsior, and Noe Valley neighborhoods. The definining characteristic is Bernal Hill, massive, bulbous hill, largely free of the greenery that fills most other open spaces in the city. Below it are many steep, narrow and curvy roads, lined with lots of single-family homes, as well as small condo and apartment buildings.

The eastern and souther borders are defined by the 101 and the 280, as it cuts west towards Daly City. Just across the 280 is the Excelsior. It's a quiet, almost suburban area, but at the edges of it quickly turns industrial. I stumbled upon this intersection there. I like the name of the street (Rickard), because it is kinda like Rick + Richard, both variations of my own name. Plus, Barneveld brings back memories of my clubbing days, when we a huge after-hours joint then known as 550 Barneveld was home to some epic parties.

That's huge: 1968 Chrysler 300 Convertible

     

My Grandpa Jack drove an equally massive Chrysler coupe (it was black though) - of a slightly later vintage, I believe. Once, we borrowed it for a family trip from San Diego to El Paso, and it almost killed our dog Wolfy: he got smashed in the door jamb when somebody accidentally shut it on him. (He survived!)

Giant Chryslers like this are a rare site in the city. I suppose they were pretty rare even in their heyday - I mean, really, can you imagine driving a boat like this around San Francisco?! Probably 220-inches long, the suspension and driving feel of a barge, sheesh. But parked like this, the long, long lines and beautiful creamy body just exude class and elegance. Oh, the way we were.

Lunch at Delfina with Quinn and Xis

     

'64 Dodge Polara

First of all, I had never heard of this model name (Polara) until I
did the research to find it out. Second, I shot this one again in
front of the shop on Folsom. You can see it in the background, as well as
a look inside, below.

See more pictures of '64 Dodges here:
http://www.carnut.com/photo/list/dodge/dodg64.html

     

The view from the AAA Tower: High above downtown SF