Photos of My November Visit to San Francisco (Part Two - Historic and Modern Urban Art in Mission Dolores (San Diego: fit in)

[DenverAztec]

Photos of My November Visit to San Francisco (Part Two - Historic and Modern Urban Art in Mission Dolores, San Francisco)



Here is part two of my photos in San Francisco. Met up with a friend for a walk from the Castro to the Mission Dolores basilica and neighborhood on the 14th of November.

The walk from Alamo Square is about 15 minutes to the Castro, but some great views down from the hills. Temps were in the high 70s and low 80s for my visit, I know, I lucked out with the great weather.

You can see the Mission Dolores down the hill and Mission Bay in the far distance.



The Castro Theater with Eureka Valley/Noe Valley in the distance.



The Castro Theatre is a popular movie palace and the 100th San Francisco City Historical Landmark. It was built in 1922 with a Spanish Colonial Baroque façade that pays homage, in its great arched central window surmounted by a scrolling pediment framing a niche, to the recently rebuilt basilica of Mission Dolores nearby. Its designer, Timothy L. Pflueger, also designed Oakland's Paramount Theater and other movie theaters in California in that period. The Castro Theatre originally opened at 479 Castro Street in 1910. For the filming of the Gus Van Sant biopic Milk, restorations were made to the neon on the theater's marquee and the facade was repainted.







The old street cars that run up and down Market street are from all over the world. A must do is to ride them if you visit.













The Mission District is surrounded by Eureka Valley, Noe Valley, Bernal Heights, Potero Hill, Fillmore, Haight and the Castro.

Misión San Francisco de Asís, (Mission Dolores), edifice was started in 1788 and was dedicated August 2, 1791. An adobe structure that is the oldest building in San Francisco. The original adobe brick walls and roof tiles are still in place. Since I didn’t burst into flames upon entry, I guess I am not as wicked as I am often told. Of the 21 California Missions, this is the third most northerly and the sixth to be established under the direction of Father Junípero Serra.







No there were not three Jesus guys running around, it is the trinity you are looking at. If you don’t know what that is, then you better ask somebody.





In the movie “Vertigo”, detective Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) follows Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) into Mission Dolores and out to the cemetery, where she lays flowers at the grave of "Carlotta Valdes". Although the grave marker was fictional and set up specifically for the film, it was reportedly left to stand in the cemetery for a number of years after filming. America's first African-American Millionaire William Alexander Leidesdorff is buried within the Old Mission--he was not Catholic. The mission is the subject of the Jerry Garcia song "Mission in the Rain."




Out to the cemetery on the side of the church:



The statue in the center is of Father Junipero Serra. The San Francisco de Asís cemetery, which adjoins the property on the south side, was originally much larger than its present boundaries, running west almost to Church Street and north into what is today 16th Street. It was reduced in various stages, starting with the extension of 16th Street through the former Mission grounds in 1889, and later by the construction of the Mission Dolores Basilica Center and the Chancery Building of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in the 1950s. Some remains were reburied on-site in a mass grave, while others were relocated to various Bay Area cemeteries. Today, most of the former cemetery grounds are covered by a paved playground behind the Mission Dolores School.







During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the adjacent brick church was destroyed. By contrast, the original adobe Mission, though damaged, remained in relatively good condition. However, the ensuing fire touched off by the earthquake reached almost to the Mission's doorstep. To prevent the spread of flames, the Convent and School of Notre Dame across the street was dynamited by firefighters; nevertheless, nearly all the blocks east of Dolores Street and north of 20th street were consumed by flames. In 1913, construction began on a new church (now known as the Mission Dolores Basilica) adjacent to the Mission, which was completed in 1918. This structure was further remodeled in 1926 with churrigueresque ornamentation inspired by the Panama-California Exposition held in San Diego's Balboa Park. A sensitive restoration of the original adobe Mission was undertaken in 1917 by the noted architect, Willis Polk. In 1952, San Francisco Archbishop John J. Mitty, announced that Pope Pius XII had elevated Mission Dolores to the status of a Minor Basilica. This was the first designation of a basilica west of the Mississippi and the fifth basilica named in the United States. Today, the larger, newer church is called "Mission Dolores Basilica" while the original adobe structure retains the name of Mission Dolores. Again, no feelings of internal combustion, so here is what I shot:

[DenverAztec]

This place has not changed since I ventured in as a kid. It is still creepy, dirty, smell of bar and no change to the décor, however, one of the best times to be had. Gay salsa dancing at its best, just don’t ever disrespect the drag queens. I have seen them go from ghetto fabulous to vicious attack dogs in the blink of an eye at this bar. Their victims were hauled off in an ambulance, but the party continued once the wigs were readjusted. The reviews on this site sum it up well - Esta Noche - Mission - San Francisco, CA . Gay or straight, the shows are fun but best to have a friend with you so you don’t look like you are there for something other then a show.



I had to quit shooting for a few blocks due to heavy drug dealings and not wanting to be accused of snitching. Though we probably could have fit in visually, our cameras did not. We eventually stumbled upon this alley covered in urban art, another must see if you are the adventurous type. I will mix in the alley shots with some of those of the surrounding neighborhood so it is not too overbearing with one topic.







The Bay:









































You could smell the food that was cooking in those pots above:











What Hispanic neighborhood would be complete without a Taqueria?







































Self portrait:






































Mission Dolores High School:







Hopping on the Bart to head down to the Embarcadero and Ballpark areas!



Thanks for looking and more on San Francisco to come!

Denver Aztec

If you missed part one:

Photos of My November Visit to San Francisco (Part One - Alamo Square and the UofSF areas)

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-francisco/506943-photos-my-november-visit-san-francisco.html

[eightiesfan]

Nice, thanks for posting these.

[CiNYC]

aztec strikes again!

maybe the most thorough tour of mission alleys i've seen yet. i could look at these for hours and keep finding new cool little things in the art.

[DenverAztec]

Thank you for the comments EightiesFan and CiNYC! How could anyone not enjoy the art in the Mission?