Streetwise: Autumn Days in the Western Neighborhoods
by Frank Dunnigan
November 2024
Frank Dunnigan, WNP member and columnist. - November is an especially pleasant time of year in San Francisco, with good weather, a variety of outdoor activities for all ages, and the pleasant anticipation of the year-end holiday season. Let’s take a look back at some memorable images from the WNP archives.
Cliff House Gift Shop, 1949 - Photo by Gabriel Moulin; Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of Molly Blaisdell.The Cliff House Gift Shop, located on Point Lobos Avenue between the Cliff House and Sutro Baths, was the largest such retail outlet in San Francisco. Shown here in November 1949, it burned to the ground in a spectacular November 1963 fire—three years before a separate June 1966 blaze destroyed the vacated and closed Sutro’s itself.
Children's Playground Animal Farm at Golden Gate Park, November 4, 1948 - Courtesy of a Private Collector.“Rabbittville” in Golden Gate Park drew this appreciative group of youngsters on a sunny autumn day in November 1948.
19th Avenue at Taraval, November 1940 - CA Hwys and Public Works magazine / Eric Fischer.In November 1940, more than three full years after the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, renovations were completed on 19th Avenue to improve traffic flow between the bridge itself and points to the south.
Ingleside Terraces Sundial, November 1913 - Courtesy of a Private Collector.The sundial of Entrada Court in Ingleside Terraces is shown here in 1913. It remains in place today, but with some alterations to the surrounding landscaped area and the completion of hundreds of homes on the adjacent vacant lots.
R.C. Owens, November 7, 1957 - Courtesy of a Private Collector.Football practice for the San Francisco 49ers in November 1957.
Golden Gate Park, November 11, 1922 - Courtesy of a Private Collector.The 1922 Armistice Day event in Golden Gate Park drew an impressive crowd of spectators to hear a speech from Mayor James Rolph at the dedication of the General John J. Pershing statue.
Washington High Section at Kezar Stadium, November 1947 - Courtesy of Mary-Ann Orr.The Turkey Day championship football game, Lincoln vs. Washington High Schools, at Kezar Stadium in 1947.
Fleishhacker Pool, November 6, 1977 - Photo by David W. Lange.The sad state of Fleishhacker Pool is evident more than five years after it closed. The site has since been paved over and is now used as a parking lot for the San Francisco Zoo.
Read more about Fleishhacker Pool in Woody LaBounty’s 2001 article.
Parkside School, First Grade, November 18, 1954 - Courtesy of Steve Batiloro.This First Grade class at Parkside School in 1954 clearly reflects the post-World War II baby boom in the Outside Lands.
Lick Market ad, November 21, 1930 - Richmond Banner.November’s key event is reflected in this ad from the Lick Market, with a notation promising their customers that “Deliveries Promptly Made.”
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