Let’s take it back to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush of 1848. The discovery of gold marked a turning point for the Bay Area, ushering in a new era of industrialization. This was of course, at the expense of the native Ohlone people, who had been suffering enslavement

I moved to San Francisco in 2002, a time I like to call “between gold rushes.” The fervor and swagger of the first dot com boom had not so much burst as it had flown around the city like a balloon with the air let out, taking down everything it crashed into. San Francisco had ridden the dot com monster into the 21st century on a wave of optimism and massive change, and not unlike the original gold rush that created this place, more than just a handful of people ended up with obscene wealth. And then like anything too good to be true, it ended with a whimper, causing those who hadn’t managed to strike a vein of digital ore, left to pick up the pieces and create something of their own.

As 2024 winds down, we’re reflecting on another incredible year of sharing the stories, art, culture, and nightlife that make the Bay Area so unique. BrokeAssStuart.com wouldn’t be what it is without you—our community of readers, supporters, and believers in independent media. This year, instead of asking you to join Patreon

We all have ideas in our minds of what the Gold Rush years were like, and what blossomed from that. No doubt, our thoughts–and the actual history–involve a lot of alcohol. In fact, in 1852, San Francisco had 350 bar rooms, and in 1853, 537 places in the city were serving alcohol. Ever wondered what exactly San Franciscans were sipping on in the 1800s? If so, read on.

Maybe you’ve heard the rumor that some San Francisco streets are named after famous female courtesans of the Gold Rush era. It’s true! But only in a couple of cases. We busted out our history books, mythbusters and trips to the San Francisco Library History Center to determine which San

Ah, the hanky: Our community’s polychromatic tradition of flagging the way we like to fuck. Being a perv and a nerd, I’m obviously a fan, with it’s origins supposedly going back in the mists of time to square dances full of randy forty-niners and wayward sailors out for a hot