Espied in SF

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[spotted @ sfsu, fine arts building, 4th floor]

At the corner of Broad Street and Plymouth Avenue sits this empty house.

It's been empty for quite some time. I would say at least a year. You can't see from this picture, but the backyard is filled with discarded wood and sheet rock. It's piled quite high, almost reaching the second floor.

If you look at the windows you can see what is left of the plastic that used to cover the holes. It's been shredded and worn away by the weather. During late last year the plastic was starting to come loose. It would flap in the wind,extending far out of the portholes. I've always thought that the noise of plastic tarp flapping in the winter wind was a bit depressing and eerie. While I did not get the chance to hear this noise it made during the winter months I can only assume that the house's emptiness added to the eeriness of the flapping.

What strikes me as being odd is that this house is an anomaly in the city of San Francisco. San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States. It's hard to find an affordable house to live in. Yet, here lies this empty house. The owners could easily sell the house for some sort of profit at this point.

There's a story somewhere behind its abandonment.

Oh, MUNI, how I love you.

The other day the M street car broke down at the intersection of Byxbee, 19th Avenue and Randolph. It's not the first time this has happened.

I had three choices:

1. Wait until it was fixed
2. Wait until the M shows up in the opposite direction and take it.
3. Walk to the Balboa Station.

I chose to walk the first two choices were not really an option. At that point I was not willing to be friends with MUNI. Besides, it was a beautiful day. Everyone else was sharing my sentiment, so I had some company.


My journey took me through the Ingleside Neighborhood. The Ingleside is a low income neighborhood where ads for Kool and Salem cigarettes are ubiquitous. There is a lot of neglect going on here, but that's what happens when there is not a lot of money to go around.

Amongst the neglect there has to be many stories. Take the Cardinal Electric Company, for example. I love this sign. All the letters are there, you just can't see it at this angle. I don't know any info on the Cardinal Electric Company, except for that this building has been this way for years. There are websites that list contact info for this electrical contractor. However, I sincerely doubt that there is anything in this store front except for mice.

More on Ingleside tomorrow.

Here is the second-to-last David Bradbury Haning rant I am in possession of. Perhaps I should take a trip downtown to see if there are more around. I've always been a sort of completist when it comes to collecting things. Of course, that usually refers to my Radiohead and X-Men comics collections. Of course, that also applied when I was 18 years old and not a starving student.

*sigh* Those were the days.

I've never been a big fan of King Crimson like DBH is. Someone needs to buy him Ege Bamyasi by Can. Maybe he can obsess over the okra on the cover. I've been doing that for years.

Sometimes a picture just comes to you.

I was taking the M Balboa MUNI streetcar from San Francisco State to the Balboa Station the other day. Since the Balboa Station is the M line's terminal it needs to turn around at some point. What the driver usually does is lets everyone off and then goes into the yard to turn around. On this occasion, however, the many lucky passengers on board got to stay in the car while the driver turned around. Thus, we got to see what was in the yard.

The streetcar on the the left is part of the fleet manufactured by Italy's Ansaldobreda S.P.A. that currently runs through town. The car on the right is part of MUNI's historic "F" line. The 'F" line is made up of streetcars that were once used in places such as St. Louis, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Kansas City, and Blackpool, England.

What I am interested in, though, is the car in the middle. From what I gather, this car predates the original U.S. Standard Light Rail Vehicles that were used by the MUNI system from the 1970s until as late as 2001.

Therefore, I can only assume that this is a leftover from the 1940s or 1950s. If that is true, then why is it out here exposed to the elements? I know that MUNI has some historic busses and trolleys on hand should they be needed in film productions (for example, when they recently filmed the Will Smith movie in the Financial District).

Is this car used for such purposes? Why is this being exposed to the elements so that it could just rust away? Shouldn't this be in a museum somewhere? Why is MUNI always late and keeps increasing fares?

So many unanswered questions.

Have a wonderful weekend.

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More info on the history of San Francisco's Municipal Railway can be found here.

Mysteries are abound as to why a pile of nitrous oxide cartridges were laying at the foot of this trashcan at 24th and Guerrero last Saturday night. At first I thought they were bullet casings, but I realized that had I been a few blocks east of Mission Street that may have been true. To my dismay/relief, it was just a pile of nitrous cartridges.

I can only guess that someone -- or a group of someones -- was having a happy time while waiting for the 48 to show up. With the frequency that MUNI operates it is quite possible that the above-mentioned people had plenty of time to partake in the brain-cell-killing gas.

Of course, it is possible that these were used to make whipped cream or some other fluffy edibles. But, who am I kidding?

Had these fictional-people-in-my-mind rode the 48 after inhaling tons of nitrous I'd like to think that it made the whole experience enjoyable. God knows that I've needed something to drink after riding many of MUNI's lines. Perhaps it was just a bit of preventive medicine?

San Francisco's Mission District is known for many things. One thing that has given it its notoriety is the number of murals all over the place. Walls, schools, even entire buildings have been covered by murals.

In this rare case, someone has gotten into the spirit and painted their garage door.

The black lines show the area affected by the fire that followed the earthquake of 1906. The red dot on the map above shows the location of the fire hydrant I mentioned in the last post.

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Map taken from the book Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide by Rand Richards.

Buy here.

At the corner of 20th and Church Streets in San Francisco stands a lone fire hydrant that has been painted gold. It's nondescript other than that. Many walk by this hydrant on a daily basis without acknowledging its presence.

The story has it that this lone fire hydrant helped save the city.

When the earthquake struck the city on 5:12 am on April 18th, 1906 it caused enormous damage. It also ruptured the water mains that fed the city from the peninsula reservoirs. As the San Francisco Fire Department scrambled to find a hydrant that worked, the Mission District and the rest of the city burned.

Finally, a lone hydrant was found that was able to pump water. As the plaque above shows, it saved the Mission and Noe Valley Districts.

It's not the sole, inanimate hero of the Great Earthquake. The army's hastily assembled fire breaks and the winds both helped save the city that many consider to be the best in the world.

For those of you who live in San Francisco, be grateful for this little fire hydrant. Stop by and say "hi" every once in a while. If it wasn't for that little guy, then you'd most likely still be living in the suburban sprawl that you grew up in.

If you haven't visited this city yet, make some time in your life to stop by. Say "hi" to the fire hydrant that sits like a sentinel, watching over the city it once helped save.

In case you hear a ruckus at around 5:12 a.m. tomorrow morning, don't panic.

If you are one of the brave souls who is planning on being at the Kearny/Market/Geary intersection at 4:30, then take some pictures. The rest of us plan to sleep in for another 42 minutes.

At least they'll be running free trains all day. Cool.

Blind Guy on Cell: "... So I was looking at this going, 'I don't know how to do this.' "

On 19th Street, Between Dolores and Guerrero Streets, lies an empty space that used to be an automotive repair shop. All that is left is the façade.

The space that cars once drove through is blocked off by a chain link fence. This is what you see on the other side.

I find it incredibly odd that there is large, blank space in the middle of the Mission District. It is an unusual sight to San Franciscans who are used to seeing houses crammed next to each other and every available space used. During yesterday's surprisingly warm and sunny afternoon I wandered over to this space where I had taken pictures a few days before. There were others there as well, just staring.

Thanks to The Painted Ground for letting me have this one. I promise I won't step on your feet.

I was walking my dog this afternoon in the rain.

Guy #1: "You're a trooper."

Guy #2: "Y'know, I wonder if aliens are watching us. I'll bet they're confused. If someone picks up your poop, you have to be the one in charge."

Old, cantankerous woman:

"Tell your manager that I don't like being forced into a unisex situation."

I'll bet she's fun at parties.



[previous]

Omar was hanging out underneath the entrance to Yoruba at 21st and Valencia last night. This was around 9:30. As I walked by he pointed his guitar at me and sang:

"But, Batman's busy in el Missioné!"

For the uninitiated, Omar hangs out on Valencia Street and plays the guitar, rain or shine. Sometimes he sings standards, while other times he seems to make the song up as he goes along. I know that he cut a record once. I used to have a link to where you could find more info on Omar, but I lost it. Probably when I transitioned over to Firefox.

Frank Chu and DBH have Wikipedia entries... why not Omar? There seems to be no justice in this world.

Guy #1: So, have you guys heard of this lotion that you put on and it gives you a tan in a week?

Guys #2 and 3: "No."

Guy #1: "Yeah, so I've been putting it on all over my body. But I think I'm
allergic to it cause I have this rash all over my face."

Guy #2: "But you didn't put it on your face?"

Guy #1: "No."

***24 Hour Fitness @ 2nd & Folsom
[overheard by genderpretender]

Tween boy looking at greeting card in store.

Tween: "Dad, what are ca-hones?"

Dad: "Umm... Well... They're kind of like... Um... Juevos."

Tween: "What?"

Dad: "Juevos."

Tween: "What's that?"

Dad: "Never mind."

Tween: "Okay."

[previous]

Teen girl talking to bible thumper at 24th and Mission:

Teen: "But, I don't want the world to end. Why can't it just go on forever and ever?

The image on the right was mailed to everyone and their mother here in San Francisco. It warns of our impending doom and tells us that there are ways to change. It's not too late.

I'll tell you, it's quite an interesting read.

Aw... Who am I kidding? I had to dig it out of the recycling bin this morning in order to scan it. I was surprised that it was still there.

Woman: "It's so sad that the only person that is hitting on me tonight is your father's friend."

Man: "You mean [Frank]? He's a good guy."

Woman: "Yeah. It's not sad, but, well... You know what I mean.

[previous]

Woman shouting at the top of her lungs.

"I'm not learning anything!"

Woman #2: "What'd she say? She's not hearing anything?"

Man: "No, she said she's not learning anything."

Woman #2: "Oh. Okay..."

Man: "At first I thought she said she wasn't wearing anything, but I guess that was just wishful thinking."


***Overheard at 24th & Noe

A homeless man crosses Valencia at 23rd Street while pulling a shopping cart. I think it goes without saying that he was talking to no one in particular.

homeless guy: "My fiancé! My fiancé! Then, she gave him a handjob for $80! I later arranged for him to get his ass beat."

Just when I thought I had a brilliant idea.

Looks like the SFist is talking about the man that helped launch this blog yesterday. He even has his own Wikipedia entry. We now sort of have a face to go with the odd rantings.

I just hope I don't get smacked, 'cuz... Well, that would hurt.

More from DBH next Monday.

I'm impressed that someone was able to do this. I'll bet their index finger smarted for weeks after.

Welcome to the inaugural posting of Espied in SF!

The idea for this blog has been running around in my head for the past few months. Its inspiration comes from such sites as Overheard in New York and Overheard in Dublin as well as Found Magazine. Additionally, local blogger and friend DDeThomas and his Painted Ground of San Jose Avenue blog has been an inspiration. I'm also intrigued by blogs such as Overheard Lines and In Passing... which actually deal with the Bay Area.

Since the demise of Confessions of a Restroom Attendant has arrived I feel that I should be continuing chronicling odd goings-on.

The main idea of this blog is to post overheard conversations, graffiti, strange sightings, leftovers from CoaRA, and other unusual, perhaps overlooked, parts of San Francisco. Yes, it is a mish-mash of things, but my hopes for this blog is to keep it from being too confusing. I plan on doing a lot of work myself, but I am trying to get contibutors as well. By contributors I mean I'm trying to cajole my friends into giving me some stuff to post.

Without further ado, let's get started, shall we?

The above picture was found on Drumm St., between Embarcadero Centers 3 and 4. From what I understand is this has been written by a fella named "King Crimson." He seems to be posting these odd essays all around the Financial District. I've seen a few on Battery Street, too. I couldn't pass these up when I saw them. I picked them up on Friday night in order to save them from the rain and record them for posterity. Anything that starts off with, "Hello Fellow Android" cannot be ignored.

I have more of these. Number two will be posted next Monday.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mark