For a century, the residential hotels of San Francisco's inner city have been saturated with the sigh and tumult of human emotions and experience. So many people, so many stories, so much living has taken place within their often stained and dingy walls, they have become infused with a fugitive beauty, an aura of human existence.
About Me
I have found that most people rarely look upward past eye level. They are most often surprised when their attention is directed above to something they have passed by without seeing, perhaps for years. One friend of mine had lived for a long time in a Central Towers apartment, across the street from the old Turk St. YMCA (now the Oasis Apartments). When he first saw one of my photographs of the Oasis, he asked me where the building was located. Learning that it was the same building he had seen from his window all those years shocked him, for he had never noticed what was right before his eyes. He has since told me that now, when out and about, he often looks upward and has discovered many beautiful and pleasing aspects of his city that he had never before appreciated, which delights me no end. Cast your gaze aloft every now and then, just to see what is there — you might be surprised.
Hotel Ambassador
AMBASSADOR HOTEL - 55 MASON STREET
The Real Bonnie & Clyde © 1968, Ace Books
Exit Theater
EXIT THEATER: STOREFRONT, WILLIAM PENN HOTEL - 156 EDDY ST.
YMCA
SHIH YU-LANG CENTRAL YMCA - 220 GOLDEN GATE AVE.
Summer Day - O'Farrell St.
BEN HUR APTS. - 400 HYDE ST., SOVEREIGN APTS., ADA COURT APTS., FARLOW APTS., ALLEN GARAGE, APARTMENT BLDG., APARTMENTS - 666, 656, 646, 640, 628 & 626 O'FARRELL ST.
Sovereign Apts. 1924. Architects: Baumann & Jose. 5 stories, stucco facade, free-standing, high entry arch.
Ada Court Apts. (formerly Hermione Apts.). c.1916. Designer unknown. 5 stories, brick & galvanized iron facade.
Farlow Apts. (formerly Madrone Apts.). 1915. Architect: C.O. Clausen. 3 stories, Flemish bond brick & galvanized iron facade, cornice removed.
Allen Garage. 1924. Architects: O'Brien Bros. 2 stories, stucco facade, Tudor ornament.
Apartment Bldg. 1921. Contractor: Monson Bros. 4 stories, stucco facade, cornice & base altered.
Apartments & restaurant (formerly Annandale House). 1908. Architect: George A. Dodge. 3 stories, brick facade, entry remodeled in Art Deco style, base recently remodeled.
View from Natoma Street
447 MINNA ST. (rear), CHRONICLE HOTEL, HILTON TOWER I
447 Minna Street
Labels: 447 Minna, Chronicle Hotel, Hilton Tower, SoMa
Sunset - The Cadillac
CADILLAC HOTEL – 380 EDDY ST.
Labels: 380 Eddy, Hotel Cadillac, Hotel Elm
Antonia Manor
ANTONIA MANOR - 180 TURK ST.
Labels: 180 Turk, Antonia Manor, Mimi's Manor House
Dalt
DALT HOTEL - 34 TURK ST.
DALT HOTEL LOBBY
Labels: 34 Turk, Dalt Hotel
Loving Life
SERGE ECHEVERRIA - TENDERLOIN RESIDENT, SPAULDING HOTEL
Just Passing Through
(VANTAGE POINT - 835 GEARY ST.)
We have come to dream.
Suddenly we come out of the dream...
And we have only come to dream.
It is not true, it is not true that we have come
to live upon this earth.
Our lives are as the grass in spring.
Our hearts give birth to flowers from our flesh
and make them germinate.
Some open their corollas, others fade.
You have lived your songs, opened your flowers,
lived your lives!
A Toltec poem, translated through the Spanish by Serge Echeverria
Labels: Serge Echeverria, Tendernob
Ellis & Mason
EED'S CORNER SALOON, THAI NOODLE CAFE & HOSTEL - 201 ELLIS ST.
Labels: 201 Ellis
Sunrise - The Ambassador
AMBASSADOR HOTEL - 55 MASON STREET
Labels: 55 Mason, Ambassador Hotel
Dusk - Harriet Alley
PARKING LOT - HARRIET ALLEY
Labels: SoMa
Golden Era
SWEDEN HOUSE HOTEL, ABBEY GARAGE, FARALLONE APTS., COAST HOTEL - 570, 550, 540, 516 O'FARRELL ST.
Abbey Garage. 1924. Architect: W.H. Crim, Jr. 2 stories, stucco facade, gargoyles.
Farallone Apartments. 1922. Architect: August G. Headman. 6 stories, stucco facade, griffins-supported balcony/door head, door grill.
Coast Hotel (formerly Hotel Shawmut). 1912. Architect: L.B. Dutton. 6 stories, brick facade with terra cotta details, some store sash & prism glass transoms intact.
Lower Leavenworth
(far left) ST. GEORGE (K & H) HOTEL - 395 EDDY ST.; McALLISTER TOWER - 100 McALLISTER ST.; YMCA - 220 GOLDEN GATE AVE.; PAGE HOTEL, HOTEL HURLEY, IVANHOE APTS., APARTMENT BLDG., GRAND RAPIDS APTS., APARTMENT BLDG. - 161, 201, 223, 237, 245, 255 LEAVENWORTH ST.; ALLEN HOTEL - 411 EDDY ST.
Lower Turk
HELEN HOTEL, STAR GARAGE, BOSTON HOTEL, BUILDING, CAMELOT HOTEL, YOUTH HOSTEL CENTRALE - 166, 150, 140, 132, 124, 116 TURK ST.; TAYLOR ST. CENTER, WARFIELD HOTEL - 111, 118 TAYLOR ST.
Turk & Taylor
WARFIELD HOTEL - 118 TAYLOR ST.; BUILDING, DAHLIA HOTEL, ARANDA HOTEL, BUILDING, DALT HOTEL, HOTEL METROPOL - 76, 74, 64, 50, 34, 16 TURK ST.
Jones & Geary
HOTEL ST. CLAIRE - 595 GEARY ST.; HOTEL NAZARETH, BUILDING, HOTEL PIERRE, BUILDING, PACIFIC BAY INN, ABBEY APTS., APARTMENT BLDG., RIVEIRA HOTEL - 556, 548, 540, 532, 520, 450, 424, 420 JONES ST.; HOTEL MENTONE - 387 ELLIS ST.
O'Farrell Street
AMBIKA HOTEL, EDGEWORTH HOTEL, CRISTOBAL APTS., O'FARRELL GARAGE, APARTMENT BLDG., GARAGE - 788, 770, 750, 740, 730, 720 O'FARRELL ST.
Jones & Ellis
MENDEL APTS., ALDRICH HOTEL - 415, 439 JONES ST.; GARLAND HOTEL, COAST HOTEL - 505, 516 O'FARRELL ST.; (far right) RIVEIRA HOTEL - 420 JONES ST.
View from the Empire Market
CADILLAC HOTEL, HOTEL ELM, EDDYSTONE APTS., PENWELL APTS., HOTEL HERALD - 380, 364, 340, 326, 308 EDDY ST.
O'Farrell & Leavenworth
HARDING APTS., FARRELWORTH APTS., HAMILTON HOTEL (now condos) - 595, 601, 631 O'FARRELL ST.
Upper Tenderloin
ST. ANTHONY APTS. - 795 GEARY ST., REYNOLDS APTS., ARCADIA APTS. - 534, 522 HYDE ST.
Reynolds apts. 1912. Architects: Hladik & Thayer. 3 stories, stucco facade.
Arcadia Apts. c.1910. Designer unknown. 4 stories, stucco facade, pilastered lobby.
Leavenworth above Eddy
HOTEL VERONA, APARTMENT BLDG., WESTERN HOTEL, APARTMENT BLDG. - 317, 325, 335 & 345 LEAVENWORTH ST.
Apartment Building. 1907. Architects: John & Zimmerman. 3 stories, brick facade, base altered.
Western Hotel. (Formerly Hotel Rocklin, Hotel Blank). 1907. Architects: Welsh & Carey. 4 stories, painted brick & galvanized iron facade.
Apartment Building. c. 1919. Designer unknown. 4 stories, painted brick & stucco facade, new door.
TO BE CONTINUED!
Labels: Tenderloin Survey
Magic Hour
(VANTAGE POINT: EAST ENTRY STEPS - CITY HALL)
Labels: Civic Center, Hilton Tower, Oasis Hotel
Alhambra
ALHAMBRA APARTMENTS - 860 GEARY ST.
Labels: 860 Geary, Alhambra Apartments, Tendernob
Aarti
AARTI COOPERATIVE HOTEL - 391 LEAVENWORTH ST.
Labels: 391 Leavenworth, Aarti Hotel
Detective Story
CRAWFORD APARTMENTS - 620 EDDY ST.
Labels: 620 Eddy, Crawford Apartments
Tenderloin Chronicles
INTERSECTION - ELLIS & LARKIN
Labels: Marathon Hotel
Earle
EARLE HOTEL - 248 GOLDEN GATE AVE.
Labels: 248 Golden Gate, Earle Hotel
Zubelda
CALIFORNIA HOTEL - 910 GEARY ST.
Labels: 910 Geary, California Hotel, Painted Advertisements, Tendernob
Briscoe
BRISCOE APARTMENTS - 946 GEARY ST.
Labels: 946 Geary, Briscoe Apartments, Tendernob
Sentinel
McALLISTER TOWER - 100 McALLISTER ST.
Reverend William Taylor,
from the frontispiece of his book
Seven Years' Street Preaching
in San Francisco, California
David Seward, CFO for U.C. Hastings, kindly took me on a personal tour of the tower, including a visit to the spot which I had long coveted, but which is accessible to just a handful of people – the very top of the building, where I was able to walk around in the open air, 27 stories above the street, with the Tenderloin, Civic Center and South of Market spread out before me! Our time was limited, so I was able to take only a few photographs. If you examine them closely, you can see where some of the buildings in this blog are located. Here are some views from 27 stories up:
Boundary Lines
Hive
Intersect
Grant Building
Labels: 100 McAllister, Empire Hotel, McAllister Tower
Hibernia Dome
HIBERNIA BANK - #1 JONES STREET
Labels: 1 Jones St., Albert Pissis, Hibernia Bank, Market Street
Battambang
MANILA TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS - 335 EDDY ST.
Labels: 335 Eddy
Herald
HERALD HOTEL - 308 EDDY ST.
Labels: 308 Eddy, Herald Hotel
Musicians Union
MUSICIAN'S UNION - 230 JONES ST.
Labels: 230 Jones, Musicians Union
William Penn
WILLIAM PENN HOTEL - 160 EDDY ST.
Detail, showing fire escape
and arched entry.
Labels: 160 Eddy, Albert Pissis, William Penn Hotel
Union
HOTEL UNION - 811 GEARY ST.
Night Monsters © 1969, Panther Books
Labels: 811 Geary, Fritz Leiber, Union Hotel
Windeler
WINDELER APARTMENTS - 424 ELLIS ST
Labels: 424 Ellis, August Nordin, Windeler Apartments
Jones Hotel
JONES HOTEL - 515 JONES ST.
Labels: 515 Jones, Jones Hotel
Edgeworth
EDGEWORTH HOTEL - 770 O'FARRELL ST.
Labels: 770 O'Farrell, Edgeworth Hotel
6th Street Beautification
STREET-LEVEL 6th STREET
6th & Jessie
6th & Mission
Club Six
Beer, Liquor, Wine — Jesus Cares
Labels: 6th Street, SoMa
A New View
DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO from 7th & BRANNAN STREETS
The views from my new rooftop are very different from what I saw while standing atop the roof of my old hotel. While awe-inspiring in their own way, they have no soul. This is the legacy of downtown development and urban renewal.
October Fog
SARATOGA APTS. - 1008 LARKIN ST., LAUREL APTS. - 970 POST ST.
Labels: 1008 Larkin, 970 Post, Laurel Apartments, Saratoga Apartments, Tendernob
6th & Natoma
ST. CLOUD HOTEL - 170 6TH STREET
Labels: 170 6th St., 6th Street, Dudley Hotel, SoMa, St. Cloud Hotel
Chronicle
CHRONICLE HOTEL - 936 MISSION ST.
Labels: 936 Mission, Chronicle Hotel, SoMa
Incandescent
COAST HOTEL - 516 O'FARRELL ST., PACIFIC BAY INN - 520 JONES ST., FIFTH CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST - 450 O'FARRELL ST.
Labels: Coast Hotel, Fifth Church of Christ Scientist, Pacific Bay Inn, Painted Advertisements, Shawmut Hotel
Golden Gate Theater
GOLDEN GATE THEATER - 1 TAYLOR ST.
Labels: Golden Gate Theater, Market Street, neon signs
A New Day
HAMLIN, K & H and ALLEN HOTELS - 385, 395 & 411 EDDY ST.
Labels: Allen Hotel, Hotel St. George, K and H Hotel, Painted Advertisements
Early Morning - Eddy Street
JEFFERSON, FAIRFAX & KINNEY HOTELS - 440, 420 & 410 EDDY ST.; HOTEL VERONA - 317 LEAVENWORTH ST.; CADILLAC HOTEL - 380 EDDY ST.
Labels: Hotel Cadillac, Hotel Fairfax, Hotel Jefferson, Hotel Kinney, Hotel Verona
Jefferson
HOTEL JEFFERSON - 440 EDDY ST.
Labels: Hotel Jefferson
Reflection #2
LAWRENCE & HILLSDALE HOTELS - 48 & 51 6th ST.
Labels: 6th Street, Club Six, Hillsdale Hotel, Lawrence Hotel, SoMa
Dawn - Hotel Alder
HOTEL ALDER - 175 6TH STREET
Labels: 6th Street, Hotel Alder, neon signs, SoMa
Page
PAGE HOTEL - 161 LEAVENWORTH STREET
Labels: Hotel Hurley, neon signs, Page Hotel
Hospitality House
HOSPITALITY HOUSE - 146 LEAVENWORTH ST.
Defenestration
HUGO HOTEL - 6th & HOWARD STREETS
*"They can put the low-income people somewhere else... you can be homeless somewhere in Idaho." — Varsha Patel, owner, Hugo Hotel
Labels: 6th and Howard, Defenestration, Hugo Hotel, SoMa
Bristol Hotel
BRISTOL HOTEL - 56 MASON ST.
Labels: Bristol Hotel
Ambassador
AMBASSADOR HOTEL - 55 MASON STREET
Labels: 55 Mason, Ambassador Hotel
West
WEST HOTEL - 141 EDDY STREET
Labels: neon signs, West Hotel
St. Boniface
ST.BONIFACE - 133 GOLDEN GATE AVENUE
Labels: St. Anthony's, St. Boniface
Dawn - Hotel Boyd
HOTEL BOYD - 41 JONES STREET
Labels: Hotel Boyd, neon signs
Roofscape
(VANTAGE POINT: PACIFIC BAY INN – 520 JONES ST.)
Labels: Garland Hotel, Mosser Tower
Hurley
HOTEL HURLEY - 201 LEAVENWORTH ST.
Labels: Hotel Hurley, neon signs
Neon - Pacific Bay Inn
PACIFIC BAY INN - 510 JONES STREET
Labels: neon signs, Pacific Bay Inn
Hotel Mentone
HOTEL MENTONE - 387 ELLIS STREET
Labels: Hotel Mentone, Painted Advertisements
National
NATIONAL HOTEL - 1139 MARKET STREET
Labels: Market Street, National Hotel
Kinney
HOTEL KINNEY - 410 EDDY STREET
Labels: Hotel Kinney
Sunrise - The Hurley
HOTEL HURLEY - 201 LEAVENWORTH STREET
Under most lighting conditions, the Hotel Hurley's architectural details are obscured by the building's murky, dismal colors. It glowers and stares in bright sunshine and broods sullenly under overcast skies. The light of a rosy dawn softens all that it touches, making the Hurley an ideal subject for an early morning photographic foray.
Labels: Hotel Hurley
Allen
ALLEN HOTEL - 411 EDDY STREET
Labels: Allen Hotel, neon signs
Shawmut
HOTEL SHAWMUT - 516 O'FARRELL STREET
Labels: Coast Hotel, Painted Advertisements, Shawmut Hotel
Sai
SAI HOTEL - 964 HOWARD STREET
Aldrich Restored
ALDRICH HOTEL – 439 JONES ST.
Labels: Aldrich Hotel, neon signs
Elm
HOTEL ELM - 364 EDDY STREET
Labels: Hotel Elm, neon signs
Warfield
HOTEL WARFIELD - 118 TAYLOR ST.
Labels: Hotel Warfield, Painted Advertisements
If Walls Could Speak
HUGO HOTEL – 6TH & HOWARD STREETS
Labels: 6th and Howard, Defenestration, Hugo Hotel, SoMa
Jump to Part Two
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