Find your Niche on 17th Ave

I headed out to find this house a couple weeks ago:


Can you guess why? What is up with these things?:


I could have sworn there were a couple houses on the block with this detail, but not here. However I discovered that almost every house on the west side of 17th between Kirkham and Lawton have niches:

Here are a few:



This house has a neat entrance:


And the original garage doors (another favorite disappearing detail of mine):

Happy New Year

Here are some random shots:

Cousins in the Richmond

I finally stopped to take pictures of three buildings on outer Fulton. They have the same detail as some buildings on Judah.









I often wonder if houses in the Richmond and Sunset with similar details were built by the same companies, or if the builders just shopped at the same decoration supplier.

Here is the post about the 31st & Judah versions.


I like the place where these two meet.













And this one is a different layout, but it has the same detail across the top.

Guess Where - Reader Tip

Can you guess where this building is?

And what it is?


Inside the lobby there are more painted arches like this and at least one mural:


It's an apartment building on 8th and Irving, right between Pasquale's pizza and the "Sunset Apartments".


It's been on my list to photograph. I don't know what kind of arches these are but there aren't seen too much in the Sunset. (edited to add: I've been calling this the "Moorish" building, and the horse shoe arches are also called Moorish)

A reader recommended checking it out.


I found much more of interest than just the arches. The entry is full of wonderful details.

According to the City, it was built in 1927.

Curious Collections

I have a few additions to various collections. First, some more cement mix-ups.

Spotted on Noriega Street.

Say this one if you can. Forty-threeth.


Next, another named apartment. This is on 48th Ave between Kirkham and Lawton, unless I'm wrong, then it is on 47th.




And finally a house that has some really neat lines.

So much to love: the porthole, the glass blocks, the vertical and horizontal lines, circles & lines on the balcony echoed on the front railings.

On the road

I took a few other photos on my bike ride over to 18th Avenue Monday.


Can't say I've seen any decorations like these on the top of these flats at 19th Ave & Pacheco before.


They look a little weird from the side. I wondered if they were an afterthought, but no, they match this railing in the back.


Also finally got a photo of this house.


I love these giant motifs on the front and side.

Events and Curls in the Neighborhood

Need to know what's going on in the neighborhood? Visit the Sunset District Events Calendar to find out about everything from birding to ukulele lessons. There are also handy links to local places, organizations, and City government.

All around the neighborhood I keep coming across the curl from what I call the "Pagoda House".

On the top of arches:


Kind of randomly placed:


And way off on a back wall.



They are not all the exact same piece, but similar enough. There's even one one the market I have featured a couple times.

What is it?

I'm not sure what it is, but this house always catches my eye:


I think it's the incongruity between the elements. The shapes above the left window look like the stereotype California Mission split in half, then add the roof tiles, creating one look; the bold lines on the doors create another; and then really fancy classic decorations applied over the windows and doors are another.


I'll bet this is what the original garage door looked like:

Re-Visit

I was back at the corner of the house in my first post on this blog. I've been meaning to put up new shots to put it into better context. It was built in 1940, according to City records.

I still haven't come across another exactly like it.


Since the last time I was on this block a couple houses have been painted. Here's a very bright one. Quite cheerful on a foggy day.