Sunday, September 23

After feeling crappy for most of the day - sneezy, achey, congested and generally tired I finally got out the door walked up the block and caught the 22 Fillmore. The plan was to head on up to Japantown, get some dinner and then wander the old neighborhood where I and most of my family had lived from March of 1968 until March of 1972. It had been a while since I had revisited here and I was curious to see what changes had occurred.

 

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My bedroom, office, breakfast nook and view to the outside world.

My friend - the 22.

Waiting for the bus. (Shot from the bus through dirty glass)

Delores Street in the Mission.

I saw a lot of interesting structures on both the bus ride and later on my walk.

A struggling tree tries to erupt out of the sidewalk.

More nice Victorians. Even if one were able to afford such a house the upkeep and taxes would keep you in debt.

And now to dinner: Mifune at the Japanese Cultural and Trade Center.

I had been to this noodle joint before and trusted to luck it would still be open. I had a steaming bowl of soba (buckwheat noodles) in broth with a side of tempura and a large bottle of beer. Talk about a pig out!

A bystander was kind enough to take this shot for me.
Notice the bulging gut. YIKES!

The Peace Pagoda says we are very sorry we killed many civilians and caused cancer in many more. So sorry...

The ornate and well kept homes seemed endless.

 

This is were I got my first "real" job as a store clerk and plumbing specialist. I loved running the pipe cutter and threader so the other guys always gave me the orders to work up.

The store was about 2-3 blocks from where we lived so there was no excuse for being late. But the boss was late most days when he opened up.

I remember being told that once someone gained access through the skylight and hacked open the safe with the tools off the shelf. To me, this sounded like a story out of a cheap dime novel. But I am sure it was not an uncommon occurrence.

Back then it was a full service hardware, paint and housewares store. There was also a glass shop up Bush Street. So, back then it was called Fillmore Glass and Hardware. When last I was there - 19??? the store had been partitioned down the middle and the left side was a Radio Shack store.

As the sign now says it is a Hardware and Variety store. Radio Shack is gone and there is now a ladies clothing store.

The third house up is 2381 Bush Street where we lived for 3 (?) years.

The Pentecostal Church was there back in the 60's and the person who was either the caretaker of the preacher lived next door to us. He had a "V" shaped roof for some reason instead of a flat one. There was about a two foot wide channel at the bottom of the V roof for drainage. Being a black built-up roof it got very warm down in the V on sunny days and was out of the nearly constant wind. We found these conditions very good for growing our weed crop. We used empty Baskin-Robbins ice cream containers for flower pots. Worked quite well. Eventually our neighbor discovered them and moved them to our roof.

The house was a row house and we shared a common back yard with the two other houses. The middle house changed occupants regularly. I remember a mixed family, then three trannies, then a rock band, and underground newspaper and I am not sure who all.

The end house was occupied by a mother, father and sevens sons - from Scranton, PA.

This was the Gibbs family. Ma, Pa, AJ, Wheezer, Chuck, Richie, Bones, Stevie, and Babs - and what varied lot they were! We spent a lot of time at there place. My mom and Babs (now deceased - AIDS) became best of friends and Mr Gibbs and I took a liking to each other. He later got a me job where he worked at Cost Plus Imports down by Fisherman's Wharf.

Considering all the various goings on between the three houses there are enough stories to write a book - or two.

Back in 1967 this was an automotive brake parts distributor. It was here I got the parts for the brake job on the IH D-1200 PU we bought and drove back to West Virginia in our quest for back-to-the-land nirvana.

Before moving to 2381 Bush Street we lived on California Street a few blocks away. I no longer remember that address and did not recognize the house or location. Was it here, where there is now a parking lot?

Or was this the house (2568)? I cannot remember now.

On up the hill I go along the tree lined streets.

Here is the next stop. Alta Plaza park at Peirce and Clay.

There are some nice views from the top. This is looking south east towards Mount Sutro.

This is looking towards the downtown area.

Another look at Sutro and the fog settling in.

Way back when in the in the 60s the staff of the underground newspaper "Good Times" lived in the middle house on Bush Street. At the time I was working at Cost Plus Imports and to them I was "straight" meaning I had short hair and had a conventional job.

It turns out they were going to run a story on the follies of being an evil capitalist working in the Business district of San Francisco. Apparently they must have though anyone leading this kind of life would surely commit suicide after a time. So, in order to convey this message a young hippie-chic photographer for the newspaper asked me if I would be willing to wear a suit, walk to Alta Plaza with her and then take a leap off the steps so she could grab a shot of me airborne. Not having a reason to say "no" I did the deed and was then on the cover of the paper, in mid-flight superimposed in front of one of the office towers like I had just jumped out of a window.

What a hoot. Wish I could see a copy of that paper now!

????

This is the public toilet at the Park.

Me.

Entrant to an old high rise at Pacific and Fillmore Streets.

This is the top of Fillmore looking down over Cow Hollow and the Marina.

This street always makes me think of the chase seen in the move Bullitt. However, I found out just recently none of the scenes from that chase we shot on Fillmore.

One of the scenes was shot atop Russian Hill in front of a large Cathedral. I was a passenger in a car going by there that day and saw the scene being shot were Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn are having words. Pretty cool. I was/am a big fan of both actors.

Day 5 - FINIS