San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog

01 March 2015

San Francisco, part 2 – Noe Valley and the Castro: 1 March 2015

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

Cranking up Castro Street; leaving Noe Valley and entering the Castro District.

The route of my 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.

Looking at Noe Valley from Sanchez Street. San Bruno Mountain can be seen in the background. San Bruno Mountain is located in the city of San Bruno in San Mateo County.

The intersection of 24th Street and Castro Street, which is part of a shopping district in Noe Valley.

I saw some lovely houses on Castro Street.

Castro Street

Near the summit of Castro Street. The view is looking north, and the Castro District is straight ahead.

The heart of the Castro District.

Harvey's Restaurant is named for Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated inside San Francisco City Hall on 27 November 1978, along with Mayor George Moscone, by Dan White, who was also a San Francisco Supervisor. About two weeks before these assassinations, a group of 913 people, mainly from San Francisco, and members of the Peoples Temple, an American religious organization, committed suicide in Jonestown, which was located in Guyana, South America. I still remember what a horrible month that was for the Bay Area.

The Castro Theatre is showing Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 movie Vertigo. (Vertigo)

Outdoor seating at Café Flore.

A view of upper Market Street. Castro Street is at the intersection. The hill in the background is the northern portion of Twin Peaks and beyond Twin Peaks is Sutro Tower.

GO HERE to view part one.

GO HERE to view part three.

"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, 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.