SF History

19 May 2023

Oakland Creates Tupac Shakur Way to Honor a Legend

Tupac Shakur Way is Oakland’s newest street. With a unanimous vote this past Tuesday, Oakland approved a commemorative plaque which will rename a stretch of McArthur after the late Shakur who passed away at just 25 years of age. The West Coast emcee claimed that Oakland was where he “learned

Katy Atchison 0
27 Apr 2023

Ice Cream Cone Shaped UFO’s in the Bay Area

On February 9, 1950, the San Francisco Examiner reported on what appeared to be a “flying ice cream cone” over the Alameda Naval Air Station. From different parts of the station, at least five civilians and two officers reported seeing a large vapor substance traveling at a high speed across the station, heading south. It was shaped like an ice cream cone.

tjpayne 0
13 Apr 2023

The Daly City Thrill Killer, ‘Penny’

Penny giggled while acting out her crime for the police and various journalists. The fashionably dressed, gun-chewing teenager was a goldmine and the media ran with it.

tjpayne 0
Firefighters spraying down a building.
20 Mar 2023

San Franciscans Rallied Together After Hardship Before. They Could Do It Again.

On April 18, 1906, five-foot-deep holes cracked through Market Street and ate people whole like cavernous maws to hapless anchovies. Author David K. Randall recounts in Black Death at the Golden Gate how Howard Street’s American Hotel collapsed on firefighter James O’Neill, crushing him beneath. And, when the first intense

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16 Mar 2023

Where The Bodies Are Buried: San Francisco’s Former Cemeteries

It has been over 100 years since anyone was buried in San Francisco. In 1902, it became illegal to bury new bodies in the city, and by 1921, bodies were being moved to new land in Colma. By 1941 nearly all the cemeteries were gone, and largely forgotten.

tjpayne 0
24 Jan 2023

What are Those Boxes Under MUNI Seats For?

Ever wonder why there’s a metal box in the way when you try to tuck your feet under your seat? It’s the one beneath those side-facing, longitudinal seats. There’s a window on the front-right panel, a gauge to assess the volume of its content from outside. When I find myself

Jake Warren 0
10 Jan 2023

Bay Lights at Risk of Going Dark

Any date night about downtown should conclude with a walk along the Embarcadero. The waterfront crescent serves up several city landmarks on a platter: the Ferry Building, Coit Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid. Provided you’re well-dressed for the winds whipping off the Bay, the stroll promises romance whichever end you begin.

Jake Warren 0
23 Dec 2022

Appease Visiting Tourists With This 1-Day Drive Through San Francisco

I’m sure I’m not the only one that dreads having to accompany visiting friends and family to all of the San Francisco tourist-y destinations. I figured out a solve though. Having lived here for most of my life, I’ve developed the perfect 1-Day Driving Tour of The City with short

Katy Atchison 0