Your Memories of San Francisco-Bay Area (Oakland, Fremont: apartments, townhome, neighborhoods)

[sera]

Reading this Forum, recalled when my Dad, a musician, played for the Grand National Rodeo, Daly City, at the Cow Palace, mid-1950's. Wikipeida.org in the history of the Cow Palace, the Beatles first North American
concert was held there August 8, 1964.

Using tokens to ride the train on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge mid-fifties, when traffic on the upper
deck was for cars only, lower deck trucks, trains.

The aroma of coffee being roasted at the Hills Brothers Company? Burgermeister Beer, still available?

Just recalling a few memories when I grew up near Tech High (Oakland) in the mid-fifties. Enjoy, I would, reading your memories.

[mayorhaggar]

I remember when a 1 bedroom apartment just west of Valencia was $1200 a month, around 2004. And everyone considered that to be ridiculously expensive.

[llowllevellowll]

This isn't a personal memory of mine, but one a topic I like to dabble in and its because of my love for old theatres that makes me wish I could time travel to a day when San Francisco had as many 100 active cinema houses.

I was walking up and down Mission about 2 weeks ago photographing the old El Capitan, New Mission, Grand, and Tower Theatres and was just struck by what life would have have been like if you had been around before they all closed. They stand now as relics - ghosts of a bygone era. But they're still gorgeous. I also very much enjoy walking down Market for the same reasons. (See Instagram: PartiRhinoceros)

I thought this was a fantastically written piece: The Standing Dead - The Bold Italic - San Francisco

[ccm123]

March, 2000 (dot com boom) when the NASDAQ index peaked at 5132 and closed at 5048.
I was working in Santa Clara at the time and thought that I could retire in about 10 years. I was wrong.

A nice townhome could be purchased in Sunnyvale during that time, for around 375K-425K.
A nice townhome in Fremont, was around $225K-$275K.

How times have changed!

[Hemlock140]

I was born at Kaiser in SF and until about age 10 lived in San Bruno. I too have fond memories of the roasting coffee! I remember when they made the changes to the bay bridge, and when they had that "bump" on the upper deck near the tunnel for a year or so. I remember the big Christmas displays at Stonestown Emporium. I also remember a great very elaborate Christmas display at some shopping center down around Millbrae. The Tanforan Race track which operated until about two years before we moved from San Bruno, Hancock gas stations, where you selected your own blend depending on the octane you wanted. In SF but also Oakland my favorite burger joint, Doggie Diner. Miss that place!!

[ccm123]

Being a sports fan, I recall the San Francisco 49'ers heydays and the players (Montana, Rice, Lott, Clark, Rathman and crew). They could do no wrong those years!

[sliverbox]

I moved here in late 2000. I got here right at the very end of the dot-com. Rents were absolutely ridiculous. I shared a 2 BR apartment with 4 other people in the East Bay. It was $500 per person, so you do the math. Going to downtown SF, there were signs for a zillion dot-coms, many with cute names and slick looking offices. The next time I went just a few months later, almost all of those places were closed. SF became a ghost town for about a year. I also recall that during that time period the city streets were lined with parked moving vans. The local economy sucked for at least 2-3 years. I worked at low paying jobs because there was no work available in my field. It was pretty tough back then.

[ttocs99]

Moved to SF on 9/11/99 from NJ. Landing in SF that Saturday morning was one of the happiest days in my life. I was starting my new job on 9/13, and had almost two full days to tool around SF (though I had no idea where I was going). I had first visited SF on a vacation in 1989, and fell in love with the city. Fell in love with a girl from California in 1998, and decided she was going to be more than just my girlfriend (married 10/01, divorced 10/06), so I decided to try to get a job and move cross country. Though our relationship didn't last, my love for San Francisco will be a lifelong, ongoing affair.

I was staying in corporate housing set up by my new company I was going to work for, and it was an amazing place, on the 6th floor of a great building on Russian Hill, had this wide, tall window with a view that was incredible, I could see the whole Bay from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge. I remember after I got my meager belongings (the rest of my stuff was in storage) moved in, I called down to the front desk, and asked where the A/C switch was, and he laughed, he said, we don't have A/C, open your window. Within 20 minutes of opening the window, I was freezing, lol.

That afternoon/evening, I took a walk around town, and decided to get some Italian food. After eating dinner, I realized what a huge hill I had to climb, and not being used to it, I thought I was going to die, lol. BUT, one thing that amazes me about SF, though a rather large city, the air always seems fresher, more healthy than other large cities. It was a beautiful sunny day.

After several weeks and weekends looking for apartments (my corporate housing was supposed to be a month, spilled over to 1 1/2 months due to trying to find a place that accepted pets), I finally found a great place in Walnut Creek. In November 1999, found a 2 bedroom for $1,250. Recently saw the same place going for $1,600.

Part of the fun looking for a place, was I got to learn about cities and towns in the Bay Area, plus my GF would come with me on weekends, and those are some of the memories I really cherish. Learning about the Bay Area, the history, seeing some of the cities, that's what helped me love the Bay Area even more. I actually lost out on an apartment a month before I got one on the same block in November 1999. I fell in love with Walnut Creek in October 1999, and was devestated I lost out on the apartment, who knew I'd wind up living there for 7 years. Every time I visit SF on a vacation, I spend part of a day in Walnut Creek.

Discovery was the main thing I remember most about SF. Finding all the restaurants, book stores, movie theaters (Love the Metreon !), just all the places that make me happy, and make life enjoyable. I still to this day, enjoy discovering new places in the Bay Area.

[clongirl]

I remember when Emeryville had all of that "found/recycled art" off of I-80 in the marshy area prior to getting onto the Bay Bridge exit. My grandfather used to take me to Golden Gate fields to watch the horse races (and he also took me to the Cow Palace for the rodeo back in the 70's). We used to go for dim sum in Chinatown (there was pretty much only one place to get it back then...Tung Fong- which no longer exists).

There used to be plays for kids on the lawn in Union Square at Christmas time (when there was a lawn). I used to be able to park without any major problems (maybe drive twice around the block to find a spot) in nearly every neighborhood in the City! KFRC with Dr Donald D Rose was the main radio station that everyone listened to. I remember when the King Tut exhibit came to the De Young---it was really hyped up and the lines were out the door for months-- same for the movie Star Wars when it played at the Coronet. Lines around the block.

Also, I managed to work PART time as a waiter making 5$ bucks an hour, few tips, and still live fairly well in one of the nicest neighborhoods in (with roommates). I remember showing up at an open house for one of the mansions on my street- had a gorgeous yard/garden and even had an elevator, three levels, 6 bedrooms. It went for 700k (which seems ridiculously cheap by today's standards).

[sav858]

FAO Schwartz during Christmas time! Was watching Big the other night and it totally reminded me of every Christmas season my mom would take us FAO Schwartz in Union Square. Always wanted one of those little gas powered mini-Mercedes or BWW convertible cars they had.