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.

Green and Brown

First for the "Green" - Dig It!, a greening event in our very own Sunset District is coming up on Saturday, October 18th. This an opportunity to volunteer in our neighborhood, planting trees or helping clean up dismal playgrounds. Here are the details:

The Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) is collaborating with Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF), Timberland, and SF Rec and Park on Dig It!, an Outer Sunset greening event on Saturday morning, October 18, 2008. Approximately 400 volunteers will work on various greening projects throughout the Outer Sunset, including tree plantings, and playground, park and schoolyard cleanups.

Two of the playgrounds that volunteers will be working on, Sunset and West Sunset Playground, received a failing grade in NPC’s 2008 Playground Report Card, meaning that these sites have safety and health concerns for the children of the Outer Sunset who play there.

Therefore, Dig It! is an exciting opportunity for San Franciscans to improve the condition of the recreational spaces in the Outer Sunset that need the most attention. Moreover, Dig It! addresses the fact that the Outer Sunset is an area of the City that greatly lacks adequate street trees and parks.

EVENT DETAILS

The event kick-off will begin will begin at 8am on Saturday, October 18 at West Sunset Playground at 3223 Ortega. At 1:00pm, volunteers will reconvene at West Sunset for lunch and prizes. Scheduled to appear are Sunset District Supervisor Carmen Chu and world-renowned environmental photographer James Balog.

The first 400 volunteers will receive a special Timberland t-shirt and a ticket to a concert that evening from 6:00 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. featuring Stone Gossard, founding member of Pearl Jam, at the Regency Center’s Grand Ballroom (1290 Sutter).


VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP

To volunteer at a Dig It! park, playground, or schoolyard cleanup project, contact NPC Outreach Coordinator Matthew Silva at (415) 621-3260 ext. 116 or msilva@sfnpc.org.

To volunteer at Dig It! tree plantings contact Reed Milnes at the Friends of the Urban Forest at reed@fuf.net or (415) 561-6890 ext. 103.

And now for the "Brown".
1970's buildings, how ever did you guess? First up, we have a specimen on 21st Ave from 1972.


Pretty typical, we've even seen this tile before. I don't take pictures of interiors of residences, that you can't see from the street. I could have pressed up against the glass to show you the mirrors. So many, many gold-framed, tiled mirrors.


Instead you will have to be satisfied with the wallpaper.


And a close-up of the rocky accent shapes.


As I headed down the block I spotted this cousin of the first. Although the windows are different, the ground floor has the same shape, and the rock stuff is the same color. However, the records show it wasn't built until 1975.

Random

I'm out of town at the moment, hence the light posting of late.  Here are a few random photos from around the neighborhood.

1970's (I actually don't know what to call this, decorative wall tile, raised pattern tile, ugly?) on 10th Ave.


This is for Al_Pal.  We were talking about those pieces of metal that (I think) are supposed to help keep the garage walls from getting bashed.  Here's another example on Funston at Irving.

And finally, from the makers of "2th Ave", another tongue-twister.  Thirty-Oneth?  Thirty-Firsth?

You Are My Sunshine...

...when skies are grey


This two unit building, built in 1978, caught my eye one sunny day.

Apartment Names

I love it when apartment buildings have names. Is it me or are there fewer and fewer these days?

Here is a batch of named buildings I have photographed to date.


The Park West runs along Lincoln, behind Andronico's:

Saint Anne's is nearby:


The Parkview Apartments even have a shield above the entrance:



Bonus 1970's tile, doors, and yellow glass at the Parkway Apartments on 10th & Lincoln:


And the best for last. The Sunset Apartments at 8th & Irving.

Decades Apart...

...yet right next door.

These caught my eye because, well, you know how I feel about 1970's architecture. Then I realized that there are few 1970's single family homes, they are mostly apartments.

These four houses encompass a wide range of decades. From the right: 1906, 1978, 1978, 1919.

On just the next block is another range of building dates. The house on the left was built in 1908. The one on the right in 1919, and remodeled in the 1970's, I'm guessing by the shingled mansard. And to the right of that, just an edge shown, 1924.

That '70's Building

Here's another building I recall bugging me as a kid. It's at 25th and Irving and built in 1978, according to City records. Back then I think I found it vaguely dark and scary. I don't think the shingles were originally a light color.

Today I can verbalize my dislikes. Of course the usual 1970's complaints: black aluminum window frames, brown bricks, etc. But these arches are the main thing. I don't understand them, they seem really out of scale with the top of the building. All these curves just don't gel with the rectangles up above.


Two tones of brown bricks! The entry has huge tiles on either side of the door, and yellowish brown light fixtures.

I've seen this attempt at dentil on a few 1970's building around. It just doesn't work on a contemporary building, in my opinion. Especially one that is not trying to be anything but contemporary with the big brick arches below.

Garage Doors

Another thing I like are original garage doors like this:


And this:


Especially when the details have been painted, the door hasn't just been coated in one color.


No surprise, 1970's looking garage doors are not my favorite:

1970's Tile

Another thing I don't like about 1970's architecture is the tiles. Big brown tiles.

Tiles on the wall:




Tiles on the floor:

1970's Corner

The 1970's

I do not like 1970's architecture. For starters I don't like the whole '70's brown, orange, yellow, green color scheme. I can't stand orange glass, fake stone, black aluminum window frames, "decorative" rocks mixed into concrete, brown tile. I actually like bricks and shingles. But the mixture of shingles, rocks, yellow glass, bricks and more is just too much.

Here is an example. I don't know if shingles would have made it better or worse:


I think I subconsciously picture the interiors devoid of any trim, and filled with avocado and gold appliances. My dislike actually started in the '70's when I was a kid. There is a row of them on 9th Avenue. My sister and I actually have used them as a landmark. Here is one:


I had forgotten about another '70's attribute I despise: oozing mortar around the bricks.


I guess I just don't get the whole natural, "organic shape" '70's thing.