The next voice of San Francisco--cultural/artistic/social? (Oakland, Berkeley: rent, living in)

[dalparadise]

For me, San Francisco, at least in its broader image, has always been defined by cultural, economic, political or artistic movements that resonate around the world. "Voices" of the City and good an bad pivotal moments in time have emerged (Gold Rush, The Great Quake, Jack Kerouac, UC Berkeley protests, Summer of Love, Herb Caen, Jerry Garcia, Bill Graham, AIDS epidemic, etc.) and their marks have endured. Who or what defines the City today for the rest of the world? Is it important that we have such a voice today? Do we have one? What will be the next one?

[RWingFan]

Well I have never seen San Francisco through those lenses or that perspective but today's San Francisco is defined by Dot.com companies moved up from Silcon Valley because they got off work and had nothing to do and the bio tech industry maybe you could make the argument that healthy San Francisco is leading the country in terms of city socialized health care??

[Natural510]

Twitter & Yelp

[Carlite]

Unanswerable question, really. Many of the movements you cite were considered marginal when they were happening--nobody would have named them as the voice of the city. The same thing could be happening now, although subcultural trends do tend to surface quicker nowadays. Some would say--I'm not sure it's true but they'd say it--that with the ongoing gentrification of San Francisco there's no longer much social space for insurgent social/cultural trends. They'd look to Oakland or Portland instead.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by Carlite

Unanswerable question, really. Many of the movements you cite were considered marginal when they were happening--nobody would have named them as the voice of the city. The same thing could be happening now, although subcultural trends do tend to surface quicker nowadays. Some would say--I'm not sure it's true but they'd say it--that with the ongoing gentrification of San Francisco there's no longer much social space for insurgent social/cultural trends. They'd look to Oakland or Portland instead.

I think this may be exactly what I'm getting at. I hope the romance isn't gone with this city I love so much. For good or bad, events, writers, musicians and political figures used to elicit some vivid mental imagery around the world about San Francisco. I don't see that as much anymore. Maybe it's just me.

I don't think Facebook and the tech world has the same power to create a sense of place that Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead did. Or Kerouac's beatniks. Or Herb Caen's columns. Or the Barbary Coast days. Or... I just don't think Twitter and Yelp add anything of substance to my city's imagery. Not like things used to, anyway.

I will say that it was hard to imagine the romance being gone here this evening, dining at a sidewalk cafe on Columbus and watching the fog roll into the Financial District and North Beach--a bit uncharacteristic for this time of year. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees in as many minutes and the tourists from the middle of the country, fresh in from 80+ degree humidity, all bristled and zipped their "winter coats" up to the top. Under the heated awning, my wife and I sipped wine in short sleeves and chuckled at the scene, as the fog horns bellowed in the distance. We were on Kerouac's avenue and life was pretty fine.

[Natural510]

That's the problem; other than long-time property owners and the homeless, regular people are priced out of San Francisco. Technology and those who build it dominate more and more, taking the city's character with it. Not to say technological-minded people aren't also creative, but generally the result of their labor makes people more dependent and reclusive, which is opposite of the city's history.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by Natural510

That's the problem; other than long-time property owners and the homeless, regular people are priced out of San Francisco. Technology and those who build it dominate more and more, taking the city's character with it. Not to say technological-minded people aren't also creative, but generally the result of their labor makes people more dependent and reclusive, which is opposite of the city's history.

Absolutely. I think the San Francisco of days past have faded away.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by clongirl

Absolutely. I think the San Francisco of days past have faded away.

That's true of everywhere, though, right? The question is, does the spirit still exist to shape and define this city, or at least its imagery in the world?

I still love it. I'm still caught up in its charm. It occurs to me that I don't perceive a spirit of the times with regard to the City in its present tech-dominated state, like I once did.

Isn't this still a place that inspires? Are all these people (in increasing numbers, by the way) paying this ridiculous rent just to work at a certain company and brag about living in SF, without understanding the City or drawing from its history, charms, vitality and unique sense of place?

I don't honestly believe so and, in fact still stand by the idea that SF delivers great benefits for its hefty price. What do you think?

[sav858]

Did anyone outside the Bay Area give a crap about Herb Caen? I don't consider that guy some national personality or influence at all.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by sav858

Did anyone outside the Bay Area give a crap about Herb Caen? I don't consider that guy some national personality or influence at all.

I did, from Texas, because he offered some personality and real insights into the city I loved.

But, I do see your point. No, Caen didn't mean much outside the Bay, in the grand scheme of things. But, he was a powerful personality with a distinct voice. That voice shaped San Franciscans' attitudes and they, in turn, projected an image of the City to the world.

Caen fostered a unique spirit of civic pride and constant personal evaluation. we learned to have both pride and a critical eye toward this city. So, in that way, Caen did shift perceptions about San Francisco nationwide, if not worldwide, in my opinion. Of course, that was in the time of newspapers--a time which has passed.