Remembering Playland at the Beach

History is often best marked by the buildings and landmarks left behind.  These edifices act as scars, reminding us that our time is short and that there were people here before us, just as there will be after us.  It’s the buildings remaining once an era has passed, that allow us access what that era might have been like.  Buildings are our time machines, our magical portals into history.

Unfortunately real estate developers have no great love for history or time travel or even beautiful buildings for that matter.  What they care for most is money.  The  regal and beautiful old Penn Station was torn down to build New York’s Madison Square Garden.  Blocks upon blocks of the Victorian splendor in San Francisco’s Western Addition was demolished to build the Fillmore Center.  And Playland at the Beach was razed so that condos could be built.  It’s always condos with these fucking guys.

Playland at the Beach was San Francisco’s 10 acre seaside amusement park that ran from the late 1800’s to 1972.  It’s considered by most to be one of San Francisco’s lost treasures.  Tomorrow night the Balboa Theatre is screening Remembering Playland at the Beach, a full length doc by Tom Wyrsch about the the long gone landmark.  This is your chance to see yet another movie about something amazing that ceased to exist before you were born.  Ain’t that a bitch?

Remembering Playland at the Beach
The Balboa Theatre
3630 Balboa St. btw 37th and 38th Aves.
[Outer Richmond]
Tuesday 3/16
7pm
$6.50-$9
Buy Tickets HERE.