San Francisco, part 3 – Streetcars on Market Street: 1 March 2015

As I was rambling down Market Street, heading for the Ferry Building, I became aware of the old streetcars heading up and down Market Street. I have meant to take photographs of San Francisco streetcars for many years, but I never found the right time to do so. I quickly realized that this was an excellent opportunity to snap pictures of many of the extraordinary San Francisco streetcars. Also, about a month ago I purchased an excellent little book about, among other things, the history of each San Francisco Streetcar. The book is "On Track; A Field Guide to San Francisco's Historic Streetcars & Cable Cars." Now let's get rolling!

Part Three

The hulking concrete building on the left, with the large vertical windows, is the San Francisco Mint. The San Francisco Mint currently only produces proof coinage. 

Streetcar #1006 was built for the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) in 1948 by the St. Louis Car Company. It has served San Franciscans since 1948. The streetcar is heading outbound. I will be using the terms "outbound" and "inbound" to describe the direction that each streetcar is going. Simply stated, outbound means that the streetcar is leaving downtown San Francisco, and inbound indicates that the streetcar is heading to downtown San Francisco.

Streetcar #1052 was built in 1948 for Philadelphia Transportation Company by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Philadelphia from 1948-89. It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 1992. It is painted in tribute to Los Angeles Railway Company. The streetcar is heading outbound.

Streetcar #1059 was built in 1948 for Philadelphia Transportation Company by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Philadelphia from 1948-89.  It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 1992. It is painted in tribute to Boston, Massachusetts. The streetcar is heading outbound.

Streetcar #1062 was built in 1948 for Philadelphia Transportation Company by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Philadelphia from 1948-89. It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 1992. It is painted in tribute to Louisville, Kentucky. The streetcar is heading outbound.

Streetcar #1072 was built in 1946 for Twin City Rapid Transit Company, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Minneapolis-St. Paul from 1946-1953. It served Newark, New Jersey from 1953-2001. It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 2004. It is painted in tribute to Mexico City, Mexico. The streetcar is heading inbound.

Streetcar #1008 was built for the San Francisco Municipal Railway in 1948 by the St. Louis Car Company. It has served San Franciscans since 1948. The streetcar is heading outbound.

Streetcar #1074 was built in 1946 for Twin City Rapid Transit Company, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Minneapolis-St. Paul from 1946-1953. It served Newark, New Jersey from 1953-2001. It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 2004. It is painted in tribute to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The streetcar is heading inbound.

Streetcar #1077 was built in 1947 for Twin City Rapid Transit Company, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Minneapolis-St. Paul from 1947-1953. It served Newark, New Jersey from 1953-2001. It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 2004. It is painted in tribute to Birmingham, Alabama. The streetcar is empty and stationary. It is waiting near the Ferry Building.

Streetcar #1080 was built in 1946 for Twin City Rapid Transit Company, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, by the St. Louis Car Company. It served Minneapolis-St. Paul from 1946-1953. It served Newark, New Jersey from 1953-2001. It was purchased by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni) in 2004. It is painted in tribute to Los Angeles, California. The streetcar is heading inbound.

Streetcar #1893 was built by Carminati & Toselli, in Milan, Italy in the 1970s. It has served San Franciscans since 1998. The streetcar is heading outbound.

The route of the 1 March ramble. The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 8.8 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 652 feet. Mile markers are shown on the route’s track.

GO HERE to view part one.

GO HERE to view part two.

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com

San Francisco: Noteworthy buildings on Nob Hill, the Financial District and the Castro: 27 February 2015

Click on an image to see the full-size photograph

A view from upper Castro Street. The Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest building in San Francisco, and 555 California Street, the second tallest building in San Francisco, are prominent structures visible on the skyline. 

280 Divisadero Street. It is located between Haight Street and Page Street. 

A house on Divisadero Street north of the Panhandle. 

These buildings are located on Pine Street within the Polk Gulch area. 

An apartment building on the northwest corner of the intersection of Pine Street and Powell Street. 

555 California Street, formally known as Bank of America Center, is a 52 story structure, and it is the second tallest building in San Francisco. The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest building. 

The iconic San Francisco Ferry Building. It was designed in 1892 and construction was completed in 1898.

“A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.”-Dorothea Lange

You are welcome to visit my primary website at www.mishalov.com  

San Francisco, from West Portal to Mission Street: 25 February 2015

I started this ramble at the West Portal Muni Metro Station and concluded the ramble at the BART Station located at Mission Street and 24th Street.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph.

 Bernal Heights Park is situated in the middle of the image.

The route: 7.7 miles, with 780 feet of cumulative elevation gain. 

A graph of the elevation changes in this route. 

A view looking west towards the Pacific Ocean, as seen from Ulloa Street. 

A view looking east. Oakland and Alameda are visible across the bay, as is Mount Diablo, in the distance on the right. 

A picture of downtown San Francisco, Berkeley is visible across San Francisco Bay. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera." Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com  

A ramble from Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park to downtown San Francisco: 24 February 2015

The Rustic Stone Bridge over Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park was erected in 1893. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A cutie! Stow Lake. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

A burbling creek in Golden Gate Park. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A produce store at 843 Clement Street in the Richmond District. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The 700 block of Clement Street in the Richmond District. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A view from Nob Hill at California Street. The view is looking south, down Jones Street. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The route: 8.2 miles. Click on the image to see the full-size map.

“A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.”-Dorothea Lange

You are welcome to visit my primary website  www.mishalov.com

Nike Missile Launching Sites SF-08L and SF-09L & Nike Radar Acquisition Site SF-09C: 1 February 2015

The majority of this ramble takes place in Wildcat Regional Park. We will pass Nike missile launching sites SF-08L & SF-09L as we walk north on Nimitz Way. This was the location of a large six-battery surface-to-air missile site; built during the Cold War. The SF-08L & SF-09L buildings were removed in the early1970s. The underground missile storage areas were covered with two or three feet of gravel and dirt, but the underground magazines are still there. The earthen berms separating the batteries from the liquid fueling area are still present. Very few people who pass this location have an inkling about what was once here… and what is still here, buried beneath the dirt and gravel.
We will also view the Nike Radar Acquisition Site  SF-09C and the former location of Grande Vista Sanitarium, also known as the Belgum Sanitarium.

NOW 

This coyote is roaming through the former location of Nike missile launching sites SF-08L & SF-09L. The view is looking east.

A map of the route. The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 14.7 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 2,259 feet. Mile markers are shown on the route’s track. The ramble started at the North Berkeley BART station, and it ended at the El Cerrito del Norte BART station.

A graph that shows the elevation changes encountered during the ramble.

THEN: This photograph of Nike Missile Launching site SF-08 and Nike Missile Launching Site SF-09 was taken sometime between 1959 and 1968. Four of the six launching platforms are visible. One of the launching platforms has four Nike Hercules missiles loaded and in firing position. This missile battery is unusual in that it has two launching sites versus the more common, one launching site per location. Two missile launching sites had the ability to launch twenty-four missiles simultaneously. The picture was taken from a plane, and the view is looking northeast. 

NOW 

THEN
 This is an airborne photograph of the Nike Missile radar acquisition site SF-09C. This picture was taken sometime between 1959 and 1968. The view is looking northeast.

NOW 
What once was is no more.

This is a view of the San Pablo Reservoir Recreation Area, with beautiful Mount Diablo overlooking the scene.

This is a view from the San Pablo Ridge Trail with Mount Tamalpais in the background.

Another scene of the lovely and serene San Pablo Ridge.

The San Pablo Ridge Trail. San Pedro Mountain, which is located in Marin County, is in the background.

 San Pablo Ridge Trail.

The Grande Vista Sanitarium, aka the Belgum Sanitarium was established in what is now known as Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. 

The palm trees that were planted at the Grande View Sanitarium many years ago still remain as a reminder of what once was, and is no more. This view is looking southwest.

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.

The San Francisco Columbarium is located in the Inner Richmond: 20 January 2015

San Francisco has had an interesting history concerning its deceased residents. When gold was discovered in 1849, the gold rush was the catalyst for the beginning of a tremendous influx of people to San Francisco. Many individuals who arrived in San Francisco via sailing ships immediately went to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada where gold was discovered. Some of the immigrants stayed in San Francisco, and some of the men who went to find gold returned to San Francisco. Whatever the case, the population of San Francisco, grew. With an increase in population comes an increase in the number of people who die. It, therefore, became necessary for San Francisco to find additional places to bury the deceased. All eyes turned to the "Outside Lands," the area now known as the Richmond District, the Sunset District, and the Lone Mountain District. The Outside Lands were covered by sand dunes, had few residents, few roads, and no public transportation.

Five large cemeteries were built on the Outside Lands, in what is now known as the Lone Mountain District:

The Odd Fellows' Cemetery

The Masonic Cemetery

The Laurel Hill Cemetery

The Calvary Cemetery

The Lone Mountain Cemetery

The (San Francisco) City Cemetery was built on the Outside Lands in what is now known as the Outer Richmond.

Two Jewish Cemeteries were built in the Mission District on what is now known as Mission Dolores Park.

A view of the San Francisco Columbarium as seen from Loraine Court.

A map of the locations of the five cemeteries in what is now known as the Lone Mountain District. The cemetery sites are now covered by houses, apartments, stores, roads and a college.

 As the population continued to increase San Francisco required more buildings to accommodate the rising population. Since San Francisco is located at the tip of a peninsula, the amount of useable land is finite. Starting in 1900, San Francisco did not allow any more burials within the city limits. Most people who died after 1900 were buried in Colma, a small town south of San Francisco. Colma has a current population of approximately 1,800 people... And it also has more than two million bodies buried in or stored on, the many cemeteries that are located within Colma. Starting in the early Twentieth Century, San Francisco proceeded to remove the remains of the deceased from the cemeteries in the city. More than 50,000 human remains were removed from San Francisco and reinterred in one of the numerous cemeteries located in Colma. After the bodies had been removed, homes, apartments, stores, schools, and parks were constructed on the sites of the former cemeteries.

The San Francisco Columbarium was designed by Bernard J. Cahill, a British architect. It was constructed in 1897 and was open to the public in 1898. The Columbarium was built on land that was part of the 168 acres Odd Fellows' Cemetery. Of the five cemeteries that were once located in the Richmond District, the San Francisco Columbarium is now the only remaining structure. 

About four months ago, I became aware that the San Francisco Columbarium was still standing; it was on my list of places to visit. As I was heading east on Geary Boulevard, I saw the Columbarium. I soon met Emmitt Watson, who has been the caretaker of the Columbarium for the past 28 years. He is a pleasant man, and he provided me with information about the Columbarium.

If you are interested in visiting the Columbarium, please note that the entry is on Loraine Court.

An interior view of the San Francisco Columbarium's copper-covered roof.

A happy man is feeding the birds at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park.

A detail of the Spreckels Temple of Music, aka the "Bandshell." It was built in 1899 and named for Claus Spreckels. It is located within Golden Gate Park.

Two gorgeous Nineteenth Century homes located on California Street.

An attractive apartment building which appears to have been built in the 1920s or 1930s. It is located on California Street.

Old Saint Mary's Cathedral was built in 1854. When it opened, it was the tallest building in San Francisco and all of California. Under the clock face appears the words "Son, Observe the Time and Fly from Evil." This statement was aimed at the men who frequented the surrounding brothels during the 1850s. The building is located on the northeast corner of California Street and Grant Avenue.

A map of the route. The approximate distance traveled as tracked by GPS was 8.6 miles. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 584 feet. Mile markers are shown on the course’s track.

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the ramble.

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.