The '70's and 1970's

This awesome 1970's building has a frieze from the '70's, 70 AD, that is.


I don't know my Greek from Romans, but that is one rocking piece of art. I also don't remember exactly where this is, but can narrow down to the west side of the 1200 block of 10th, 11th, or 12th ave.

Hello from the Fog

Well, last week was a bit too warm, no? Not to worry, I had to bundle up with mittens and scarf for my walk this morning. In case all four of you are wondering, I'm still around, and still want to blog about the Sunset. In fact, I see that I have five draft posts just awaiting a couple more photos or a little research.

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Have you seen the new Ocean Beach Bulletin? "News and opinion from San Francisco's western edge". Check it out to keep up with events and learn some history.

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Speaking of history, Frank Dunnigan's Streetwise column in August featured Irving Street memories. The nagging question of what type of gas station was at 16th and Irving was answered, it was a Mohawk.

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I have a couple named apartments to add to the list:


The Georgia Lee Apartments on Taraval (the building to the right is identical, but that name has been removed from the plaque.)


and the La Playa Apartments:


That reminds me, a reader remembered delivering newspapers on Cutler and thought the building on the northwest corner had a name. I went and checked, but couldn't find one.

More Tile

I just found this unfinished post in my drafts. What I was waiting for I don't know. Here are two homes with neat use of tile.

The first is in Golden Gate Heights at 14th and Mandalay Lane.





The second on 17th Ave near Judah is pretty unassuming.


Until you look closely at the ececlitic mix of tiles.

WPA

I want to thank Donald for waking me out of my blog fog. He pointed me to this photo on Caliber. Interesting theory about why names are stamped on San Francisco streets.

Back in January I walked the length of 36th Ave. and found a bunch of concrete markings.

A couple weeks later I decided to check out 37th Ave., just curious if the other side of Sunset Boulevard was poured by the same people. The coolest thing I found was a Works Progress Association stamp from 1941. First I've seen of these. I almost walked right over the first one because it was filled with dirt. I spent quite a while using a stick to clean it out enough to decode it, only to find several nice clean ones further down the street.


These are between Lawton and Ortega. I didn't find any other new marks on 37th Ave.

Weather Vanes Part 3

Here are the latest weather vanes I have come across. Some appear to be original to the homes, some new. The originals tend to be flat.

I think these two were somewhere around 14th and Quintara:


Around 35th near Kirkham:



3rd and Irving:


Finally, these are out by Lakeshore Park, Miraloma Manor, etc:

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):

Bonanza

Well, it's a bonanza if you are interested in cement markings on the west side of San Francisco. Someday they will all be gone, victims of renovations and improvements. I have a feeling when the majority of the houses in the neighborhood start turning a hundred years old there will be more interest in who built this side of town.

I walked down almost the entire length of 36th Ave and onto Ocean Ave heading east, and found a bunch of new markings.

First up "A. B. Rilovich Cement Contractor San Francisco" at 36th and Lawton:


Next, "P.R. Kelly 1947" at 36th and Pacheco:


"Meyer Rosenberg Contractor San Francisco 1931" was in a couple spots at 36th & Santiago:

"Eaton S. Smith 1931" at 36th & Ulloa. The first time I have seen the contractor name with the street name:


Nobody but maybe one or two people who read this blog will understand my excitement for what I found at Wawona: "THIRTYSIXTH AVE" and "Meyer Rosenberg Contractor San Francisco 1931", twice. You can see the date didn't fit below the name on the curb, so it is sideways. I guess it makes sense that the name iron and date would be separate, I just never thought of it before:


Somewhere in there was a G A Love and Sons mark, like I had seen right on Sunset.

Finally we head to Lakeshore Park / Merced Manor.

I think this "Bay Concrete Co. 1931" is the only one I've seen on the side of a curb, found on Ocean at Melba:


While not a marking, I like that they saved this "TWENTY SECOND AVE" which has particularly large letters, when they put in the corner ramp. Not a great photo, but there is new cement on three sides of this:


I almost forgot, here are a couple I found on a bike ride the other day:

19th and Sloat: "A. B. Rilovich San Francsico CAL". Different from the mark in the first photo of this post.


Dewey at Pacheco: "1932 Love & Haun Concrete Construction 1354 20th St. SF 1932":

Happy New Year

Here are some random shots: