sf history

05 Dec 2022

A Glimpse at an Unrecognizable San Francisco During the Gold Rush

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

Jenna Homen 0
15 Aug 2022

The Haunted History of The Rite Spot in The Mission

Back in the Days…is a column about the weird and wonderful history of bars, houses, and spaces in the Bay Area. These histories will often involve ghosts. It will also involve those still living who remember what has been and want the wonderful character of the city to continue to thrive. San

Ginger Murray 0
08 Oct 2024

The November 2024 BAS Voter Guide

A Big Change to This Year’s Voter Guide We’ve been doing voter guides for a really long time. I’m pretty sure we put our first one out in like 2010 or something. And I know that thousands of you rely on our voter guides to help you make decision. But

BAS Editorial Team 0
04 Aug 2022

America’s First Craft Brewery is in San Francisco

With its roots beginning in the Gold Rush, San Francisco’s Steam Beer has been brewed here for at least 150 years.

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Man tugs blue hair and looks at camera
15 Jun 2022

John Vanderslice on Drugs, Dreams, & Legendary Analog Recording Studio

“I simply had a loopy plan that I executed with maniacal energy over 24 years, and I kind of pulled it off.” So says prolific singer-songwriter and record producer John Vanderslice in the final chapter of TrueAnon Presents: “Keep the Dream Alive,” a five-episode podcast series on the history of his legendary analog recording

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
02 Mar 2022

10 Legendary Writers on San Francisco

The evolution of San Francisco is a curious one, an LSD-laced trip towards that ever-elusive thing named Progress. Innovation. Utopia.  Here are 10 writers on San Francisco over the decades, volunteering both gripe and glorification. Rudyard Kipling “San Francisco has only one drawback: ‘Tis hard to leave.” Tongo Eisen-Martin  all

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
19 Jan 2022

Castro Theatre To Become Live Music & Comedy Venue, Will Still Screen Some Films Too

In news that will certainly make some cinephiles glum while live performance lovers grin, the 100-year-old Castro Theatre will be under new management, get a facelift, and diversify its programming to accommodate more live concerts including “music, comedy and community events”. The new management team is Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment,

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19 Jan 2022

Hauntings, Demolition, and Murder: The Fascinating History of SF’s City Hall

In 1942, San Francisco City Hall employees began to fear their place of work.  Every day, shortly after noon, employees heard five rapping sounds, seemingly emanating from within the walls. This was followed by a brief pause, then another three raps. Nobody could explain the source of these eerie sounds. 

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0
15 Dec 2021

From Protest to Puke: The Debasement of SantaCon

For those who don’t participate, SantaCon is an annual spectacle, mildly disorienting and mostly foul. If you’ve ever seen a cluster of self-saboteurs in Santa costumes collectively heaving over a gutter or stumbling about in a daze, you’ve likely been privy to the awe-inspiring merriment of SantaCon.  As a writer

Lydia Sviatoslavsky 0