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
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
Brick And Mortar History – The Bars Of North Beach, Part 1 As any seasoned traveler will tell you, San Francisco’s North Beach is one of America’s quintessential drinking neighborhoods. Sure, there’s some steep competition out there: The French Quarter of New Orleans, Key West, Williamsburg….the list goes tipsily on. But North … Read the rest
Vagabonds, Lunatics and Scoundrels in San Francisco History, Part 1 One morning in the Spring of 1841, Pennsylvania businessman Paul Geddes was on his way to the bank to deposit $7,000 for his employers. Geddes must have been feeling lucky that day; he decided to stop and play a few … Read the rest
Notorious Belle: The Story of Belle Cora Born Arabella Ryan in 1832, Belle Cora was the daughter of a Baltimore minister and a doting mother. She rose to become one of San Francisco’s most celebrated madams. Along with her paramour Charles Cora, Belle opened her first San … Read the rest