Comments on: Part Three: Uptown Tenderloin

By: Paul Zilis

Paul Zilis — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:05:57 +0000

I found the Edison film by doing a search on the Lurline Baths. If you put EDISON LURLINE into a search engine, it’ll pop up. It was shot in 1897 and is, alas, only 20 seconds long. There’s more on the Lurline Baths (including an old postcard of the Greco-Roman structure) at cliffhouseproject.com. You’ll see that water was pumped all the way from the ocean to Larkin St. for the baths. The only reason I know anything about it is because I happened to pick up McTeague a few weeks ago, the entirety of which is set in the Polk Gulch in the 1890s. The alley between Pine and Bush and from Larkin westward was renamed Frank Norris Alley some 20 years ago to honor the novelist.
Thanks again, I can see that there’s plenty to the site that I haven’t even glanced at.
Regards, Paul

By: tobymarx

tobymarx — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:47:01 +0000

Thanks very much for your comments and corrections, Paul. Re: Patty Hearst, it’s a good reminder for me to double- and triple-check my sources! I’ll pass along the info about the Larkin Street baths to Michael Corbett. Again, my sincere thanks. Does the film you mentioned by Edison have a title?

By: Paul Zilis

Paul Zilis — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:10:12 +0000

Thank you for all your work here. I see that you love cornices and old painted ads as much as I do. When the California Hotel was being painted that awful pumpkin color, I girded myself for the destruction of the Zubelda ad, but they had the good sense to preserve it. The Rossmoor is a favorite of mine; there’s something sinister about its deadpan symmetry. The cornice on that one is amazing- a bevy of faces staring down at you.
Two corrections: Patty Hearst didn’t rob the Hinernia Bank in the ‘loin, she robbed the one out in the avenues- at 20th Ave. and Noriega, I believe. Also, the baths at Larkin and Bush were the Lurline Baths, not the Larkin Baths. Frank Norris mentions them in McTeague. Thomas Edison shot some film inside. The internet contraption tells me that they survived until the ’30s, a Walgreens is there now.
Thanks again, you have a good eye.
Regards, Paul

By: tobymarx

tobymarx — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:20:55 +0000

I drove for Yellow very briefly in 1978, but I wasn’t cut out to be a cabbie. Over the years, I’ve had friends at different times who were “old school” cabbies. All of them drove for Veteran’s Cab on Tenth and Harrison.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:56:43 +0000

The only people I ever heard use the term “unit block” were pro old timer cabbies and cab radio dispatchers in San Francisco. I was both in the 70s at venerable old Yellow at 8th & Townsend. Brought tears to my eyes. Dave in Amsterdam

By: tobymarx

tobymarx — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:49:11 +0000

“Pops” was apparently a very cool guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of music.

By: nursemyra

nursemyra — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:32:14 +0000

the record exchange looked like a great place to hang out

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:43:37 +0000

Thank you for the photos. My great-great uncle was Albert Schroepfer the architect for the film exchange buildings and the Nazareth Hotel. Thank you for helping with my genealogy info.

By: Anntelope

Anntelope — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:28:01 +0000

oh bless you for these photographs. what memories. especially the Lafeyette Coffee Shop on Hyde and Eddy. I used to live at 555 Eddy St
for five years I won’t forget. I also lived at an old dilapidated hotel
filled with musicians, hippies and a variety of other lost souls – called the Hotel Padre which later on became very messed up and finally
was closed due to health violations. But when I lived there it still hadn’t gotten too bad and a nice but very tough lady named Jane ran
the place. Oh and dogs and cats were allowed which is why I moved there in the first place as I just had found a little puppy on the street and my landlady threw me out two hours later lolol. I’m in NYC now and miss San Francisco lots. I’m so grateful for your photographs. Thanks.

Thank you, too. What a pleasure to know that my photos have brought back such meaningful memories for you.

By the way, I very much like your poem “Dark Realizations.” If you have read the introduction to Up from the Deep, I think you’ll understand why.

Peace to you, Anntelope. If ever you return to San Francisco, please look me up.

Mark

By: J.S.

J.S. — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:39:59 +0000

This site is a treasure in the making. I've lived at Geary and Polk for the last 10 years, and even though i'm realizing i'm not "officially" in the TL, it's the neighborhood I still enjoy more than any other in the city. The vitality and energy of this 24-hour a day neighborhood keeps my blood pumping and my interest piqued! I have to ask, how do you find out all the historic information on the origins of these buildings? The Planning Department isn't exactly easy to wade through... All the best. you're doing a great service to the city by sharing this with us.. Thanks, J.S. I'm working on a map of the Uptown Tenderloin Historic District that, when I'm finished with it, will be included in Part Three. Take a look at it; you may find that your building is within the historic district. My two main sources of architectural data are Anne Bloomfield's 1983 draft of the San Francisco Apartment Hotel Historic District National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form and Michael Corbett's 2007 Uptown Tenderloin Historic District National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form, although I have also culled some information from the Records room at City Hall. Thanks again for your comments and good wishes. Mark.