Bay Area Icons

- Can't remember where it was, but there was a giant Hill's Brother's coffee sign, where smoke to simulate coffee brewing came out the top. I believe it was at end of bay bridge, SF side, and featured the time and temperature.

- Where all the buildings now stand, there used to be wood sculptures of planes, houses in the mud flats at the foot of the bay bridge at Emeryville.

- clown diner, on Lombard


- also, no one caught this: [couldn't find the old doda sign on the corner in north beach.]
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Oh yeah, the "Burgie Beer" billboard!!!! Flastaff Brewery made "Burgermister Beer" or "burgie beer" for short. I believe that's the billboard.
Boy, what I'd give to go back to 1964 again!

A lesser known but more critical SF land mark is actually over a dozen... the brick circles on various streets throughout San Francisco. I knew what these were back in the 80's when I finally saw one and asked about it. You guy's remember why they exist?

 

I know a guy that is one of the guards there. Fortunately, the state doesn't think that San Q isn't a waste of land to house the bad guys.

 

hahaha LOL... How did we forget the joints on Broadway? The Condor, Big Al's, the Garden of Eden, Lusty Lady...

 

Mitchell Bros 'theatre' (Now that is using that word lightly); Polk and Castro streets. (Since that was were it all began, and it is part of your culture)

 

San Jose has/had two icons that are/were people. One is the rollerskating dude with the cowboy hat waving to everyone, usually dressed in all white. He is everywhere. He even ran for mayor at least once. I saw him last a couple of months ago, and he's looked the same for at least 20 years.

The other was the cactus man. He was severly disabled in an electric wheelchair. I don't think he could even talk, I think a quadrapeligic steering with his chin. His wheelchair had a trailer that was his rolling cactus shop. He cruised all of the valley for at least 10 years. It was the honor system on the trailer. Pick your plant and tuck the money in his purse. He also managed to canvas the entire city at 4mph. He cruised the bike lane on all the major streets until a new teenage driver ran him over and killed him.

 

The Golden Gate has always been the big number. In the sixties maybe early seventies it was 50 cents 'each way'! - George

One more to add to my list:

- Sears Point Raceway

 

Well definitely then Candlestick Park, Cow Palace, and Oakland Stadium

 

I'm surpised nobody selected Alcatraz as a landmark.
Lived here all my life and I've yet to visit!!!!

 

I remember seeing the roller skating guy all the time back when I was at San Jose State. Can't believe he is still around!

Speaking of college days my brother went to Berkeley around the same time 1992+ when "the naked guy" was on campus. Anyone remember him? I heard he committed suicide in jail or something.

 

hah..more like the Garden of Girls Who Can't Get Hired Anywhere Else. Get your vaccinations before you go here.

 

I remember hearing about the naked guy at UCB but I never knew why he did it or what he looked like. I did hear from friends that they were a group that followed but in the end it was only him to stay with that cause. What an idiot...kids don't do drugs, and wear your clothes!

 

Mitchel Bros.

 

speaking of which: how many have made the journey up Koit tower?

 

NOW I'm dating myself.....

ok, how many can identify these....saw them as a kid.......[walker slinking away]
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remember when one brother wasted his other brother so "save him from himself: coccain?" he got off free.

AND

[of course not that I would know ] there was a picture of whales or something on the buildings side:

QUICK: Name the oldest bar in SF--left standing--- hint, on Van Ness

can you believe Ellis Brooks still is giving away 5#'s of coffee if you can make a better deal: I mean, what's that... five starbucks? wahooo.

 

From what I understand, that guy's an attorney in San Jose. I don't know if he does litigation or what, but the outfit definitely doesn't seem appropo for the courtroom! I've seen him many times as well - he says "Hi" to just about *everybody* he passes...

That's terrible...

 

Um, no. It was on O'Farrell and Polk. I know because I used to live in the tenderloin (771 O'Farrell). Yes, I was a ghetto child once. We didn't have a garage but we did have a cool turntable so we could turn our car around; in those days, the drive into our "garage" was just wide enough to fit our Fairlane Station Wagon so the turntable was installed so we could turn it around and leave.