{"id":28663,"date":"2014-04-30T01:12:37","date_gmt":"2014-04-30T08:12:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?p=28663"},"modified":"2014-04-30T01:12:37","modified_gmt":"2014-04-30T08:12:37","slug":"things-youll-never-see-san-francisco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/things-youll-never-see-san-francisco\/","title":{"rendered":"21 Things You\u2019ll Never See In San Francisco Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Joe And His Cable Car Restaurant<\/h2>\n

\"Joe's<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Thomas Hawk<\/div>\n

After 49 years of service\u2014delicious burgers, crispy fries, putting smiles on people\u2019s faces, and probably adding a few inches to their waistlines\u2014Joe\u2019s Cable Car Restaurant closed last March when Joe decided it was time to retire. We miss you, Joe!<\/p>\n

2. That Fighter Jet You Used to Play On At The Corner Of 19th And Vicente<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Friends of Larsen Playground Facebook<\/div>\n

Yes, the fighter jet that you used to use as a jungle gym, crawling around in the cockpit and scampering through the corrugated metal exhaust pipe, is gone; but don\u2019t worry, it hasn\u2019t moved too far. These days, the old plane is in a hanger undergoing restorations just 45 minutes from its old home at the Larsen Park Playground in Sunset. Apparently she looks better than ever.<\/p>\n

3. Who Needs A Historic Century-Old Shopping Center When Westfield Mall Can Expand?<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Chris<\/div>\n

It\u2019s been a while since the Emporium, a mid-line department store downtown, has been in business, but long-time residents will know what I\u2019m talking about. The Emporium was in business for 99 years, from 1896 to 1995, before it was bought by the Federated Department Stores. These days, it\u2019s a part of the Westfield Mall downtown\u2014because who needs history when you can have Bloomingdales?<\/p>\n

4. And Who Needs Christmas Cheer When Westfield Mall Can Expand?<\/h2>\n

\"Christmas<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Jarek Pi\u00f3rkowski<\/div>\n

With the closing of the Emporium in 1995, something else came to an end: All Christmas cheer forever. Okay, that might be a bit much, but the end of the Emporium\u2019s annual Christmas carnivals left a gaping hole in San Francisco\u2019s holiday cheer. There was even an indoor ice rink and an auditorium for lectures and concerts by the Emporium Orchestra. It was truly magical. Now there\u2019s a Cheesecake Factory.<\/p>\n

5. The Public Housing Nightmare That Was Geneva Towers<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user San Francisco Public Library<\/div>\n

San Francisco<\/a> may have lost some of its charming old buildings over the last few years, but the Geneva Towers wasn\u2019t one of them. This place actually started out in the late \u201860s as an exclusive private dwelling for doctors, lawyers, and a whole other cast of characters straight out of \u201cMad Men\u201d. Over the years, though, things started falling apart. Literally. The elevators stopped working, plumbing so deteriorated the water ran brown, there was rampant drug dealing and shootings\u2026 you know, not the best scene. Finally, in 1997, after years of abandonment, the towers were knocked down and replaced with lower-density units.<\/p>\n

6. The Museum Of Craft And Folk Art: Making Crafting Cool Since 1982<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user throgers <\/div>\n

After 30 years of unique craft and folk art exhibits, MOCFA closed its doors in 2012, ending its long run with an exhibit called \u201cFiber Futures: Japan\u2019s Textile Pioneers.\u201d You couldn\u2019t find exhibits like these in other museums; and today you can\u2019t find them at all. That\u2019s what made MOCFA so unique, and for all of the lovers of arts and crafts out there, there is still a hole to be filled. Perhaps with paper mache.<\/p>\n

7. The Tamale Lady At Zeitgeist<\/h2>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Eddie Codel<\/div>\n

It was a sad day last year when SF city codes and regulations forced the Tamale Lady, aka Virginia Ramos, to stop selling her beloved namesake treats at Zeitgeist. Ramos was \u201cone of those transcendent characters that San Francisco nurtures best,\u201d as Joe Garofoli put it in his 2003 piece on her. She may be transcendent, but SF certainly isn\u2019t showing her any love these days.<\/p>\n

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8. This Gingerbread House Wasn\u2019t For The Faint-Hearted\u2014And Certainly Not For Kids <\/h2>\n

\"Women<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Matthew Stone<\/div>\n

No, I\u2019m not talking about the beautiful and intricate gingerbread house that the Fairmont Hotel creates each year; I\u2019m talking about the underground rave scene at the Gingerbread House in Potrero Hill. For years, this warehouse space was devoted to devoted ravers, those glowstick toting, pacifier-sucking, furry boot-wearing party animals up until the early hours of the morning while the rest of San Francisco slept.<\/p>\n

9. Sam Wo Wooed Us With Poor Service, And We Loved It<\/h2>\n

\"Sam<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Thomas Hawk<\/div>\n

In 2012, after 100 years of service, Chinese restaurant Sam Wo served its last spring rolls and wonton soup. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant was known for its cheap dishes, greasy Chinese comfort food, and, of course, a rude waiter named Edsel Ford Fung, who was famous for his brusque attitude and for slamming patrons\u2019 dishes onto their tables back in the day. Comfort food with a just the right amount of attitude. Oh how we miss it.<\/p>\n

10. The Red Vic Movie House In The Haight<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user CTG\/SF<\/div>\n

This little movie theater was one of the wonderful things about the Haight neighborhood. It was worker owned and operated since 1980, had delicious buttery popcorn, comfy seating, an array of films from re-released box office hits to indies, and, best of all, an $8.50 admission price.<\/p>\n

11. The Original Gold Dust Lounge In Union Square<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user The Inadvertent Gardener<\/div>\n

Yes, the Gold Dust Lounge is still alive and prospering in its new location (on Jefferson Street right next to Ripley\u2019s Believe It or Not), but locals still miss the old classic where Johnny Z and the Camaros played, where there was a mural covering the ceiling, and where the moment you stepped in, you felt like you\u2019d been transported to old Las Vegas. Rumor has it, Bing Crosby used to own the original and there was a tunnel in the basement so that Bing and his buddies could go from place to place without being noticed.<\/p>\n

12. The Hottest Union In Town At The Lusty Lady<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Jesse Varner<\/div>\n

The Lusty Lady was certainly the most unique strip club I\u2019ve ever heard of. It started out just like any other club\u2014until in 1997 when the lusty ladies of the club decided to unionize. Ever since, it was run by its own crew of dancers, then, in 2003, the ladies went a step further and turned the club into a co-op, buying it from its original owners. It was a place where customers couldn\u2019t tell the dancers what to do or say; where the women picked what they wore and didn\u2019t wear; and, until 2013 when it closed its doors, a place where the lusty ladies themselves were in charge.<\/p>\n

13. The Curious Curiosity Shoppe In The Mission <\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user David Lytle<\/div>\n

This Valencia Street favorite closed down in February 2013. Residents miss the strange and awesome mix of art and artifacts\u2014especially those local indie artist residents, whom the Curiosity Shoppe supported greatly.<\/p>\n

14. That Old Furniture Mart Building You Never Went Into<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Kazuhisa Otsubo<\/div>\n

Once upon a time, in a land called Mid-Market, there was a Furniture Mart building between 9th and 10th. It was dirty, it was old, and it was very Mid-Market. Today, Twitter is there. It\u2019s new, it\u2019s shiny, and it\u2019s becoming more and more Mid-Market.<\/p>\n

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15. The Old AAA Building Has Become Condos\u2014And WTH Is Nema?<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Torbakhopper<\/div>\n

Another fabled tale of San Francisco\u2019s past: Once upon a time, there was the AAA Building, just off of Market. Today, the building is being remodeled and turned into 399 luxury condos with sleek glass walls and rent starting at $2,000 for a studio (for real). Once it was just called Market. Now it\u2019s shiny and new so we call it Nema.<\/p>\n

16. The Carnelian Room And Its Breathtaking View<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Roberto Ventre<\/div>\n

Perched 52 stories above the city, The Carnelian Room was a mainstay for weddings, anniversaries, and special occasions. After nearly 40 years in business, the swanky restaurant called it quits, serving its last meal on New Years of 2010, mostly due to the rough economy at the time.<\/p>\n

17. Candlestick Park\u2014And The San Francisco<\/a> 49ers<\/h2>\n

\"Candlestick<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Christian Arballo<\/div>\n

This year, the San Francisco 49ers might have to drop the first part of their name and replace it with \u201cSanta Clara,\u201d because that\u2019s where they\u2019re heading. The team has been in SF since 1946 and now, because of a some shady dealings back in \u201897, a former mayor\u2019s pressure, an admittedly rather outdated stadium, and a whole lot of other reasons, the Niners are leaving Candlestick Park to join the throngs of tech companies in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n

18. The (Original) Guy Pretending To Be A Bush<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Andy Delcambre<\/div>\n

Gregory Jacobs, i.e., the original Bushman, had been scaring passersby at Fisherman\u2019s Wharf since the early \u201890s, until he died in February of this year. These days, his long-time friend David Johnson continues the job; but regulars of the Wharf miss Jacobs for his quick wit and ever perfect timing (like that moment you are just taking a sip of your coffee).<\/p>\n

19. Lo Siento, Pero No Esta Noche<\/h2>\n

\"Esta<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Steve Rhodes<\/div>\n

Translation: \u201cSorry, but not this night;\u201d at least not for the beloved dive bar, Esta Noche. Esta Noche was SF\u2019s only Latino gay bar, and just a few months ago, it closed its doors after 33 years. Don\u2019t worry, it will be turned into (yet another) New York style lounge with House music, DJs, and lots of red velvet. Why not just go to Vegas?<\/p>\n

20. Doggie Diner\u2014Well, Everything But The Dog Heads<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user Scott Beale<\/div>\n

This small fast food chain served hot dogs and burgers in the Bay Area from the late \u201840s to the early \u201880s. Unfortunately, the chain went out of business in \u201886, trying to stay afloat with all of the McDonald\u2019s and Burger Kings popping up; but a couple of the famous dog heads still remain, dotted around San Francisco like as tributes to the beloved old restaurant.<\/p>\n

21. The Thrills (And Seaside Chills) Of Playland At The Beach <\/h2>\n

\"Playland<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr user rocor<\/div>\n

When I first visited San Francisco years and years ago, before I even thought about moving here, I wondered, why on Earth is there no boardwalk here? To my 8-year-old mind, it was the perfect place for a boardwalk filled with carnival rides, hot dogs, and cotton candy\u2014but then again, so was everywhere. Little did I know that from 1928-1972, this was a reality; a beautiful, ride-packed, sticky-food-filled place called Playland at the Beach.
\nThese are just some of the places and things you\u2019ll never see in San Francisco again, but with a city this steeped in (oftentimes weird) history, there have to be hundreds more. What are some of your fondest memories of things gone but not forgotten in SF?
\nLike This Post? You\u2019ll Definitely Love These:<\/b><\/p>\n