Eggs, Milk Bottles And The Market: New Isn’t Always Better When I was a child growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, we learned a lot of nonsense about what, and what not, to eat. In my memory of that time, the two most demonized culprits were eggs and butter. The nutritionists … Read the rest
Vice’s Angels: Notable Harlots in San Francisco History San Francisco has always loved its prostitutes–or in today’s parlance, sex workers. But the relationship between the world’s oldest profession and our city’s development is a complicated one. Over the last century, law enforcement has grown increasingly hostile to the … Read the rest
Vagabonds, Lunatics and Scoundrels in San Francisco History, Part 3 If one neighborhood has set the tone for San Francisco and cemented our city’s reputation for rebelliousness, it has to be the Barbary Coast. The environ we now call North Beach has had a persistent influence on the city’s development, … Read the rest
North Beach Echoes: Music Venues We Miss Among its manifold charms, North Beach has one of the richest musical traditions of any neighborhood in the United States. In the popular imagination, North Beach and jazz are almost synonymous, and looking back, it isn’t hard to see why: … Read the rest
The Saints Peter And Paul Church: Italian Cathedral Of The West Coast By Joe Bonadio Towering over the streets and alleyways of North Beach, the dignified spires of the Saints Peter and Paul Church are a defining element of our storied neighborhood. They keep faithful watch over Washington Square, the state’s oldest … Read the rest
The Sydney Ducks: California’s First Street Gang Our charming quadrant of San Francisco has borne more than one name since the first European settlers decided to build on these strange and beautiful hills. Today’s strip clubs on Broadway owe their lusty lineage to the Barbary Coast, … Read the rest