Friday Five

2020 was a cruel year for the Bay. Besides the political and pandemic-related horrors, it felt as if our whole state burned to the ground and a mass exodus began. The letters have come off of The Cliff House, just one of the local businesses, some of them cultural institutions, that was forced to say goodbye to the City forever. Many of us are holding on to nostalgia now more than ever.

Things are changing, but one way to help keep the heart of the City alive is by learning about San Francisco’s past, its culture, and the incredible journey this City has gone through. Here are five essential books that capture the spirit and soul of the City from years past.

1. ‘Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco’ by Gary Kamiya

As an award-winning writer on San Francisco history, author, and historian Gary Kamiya has proven to be an expert on all things San Francisco.

His debut book, #1 bestseller Cool Gray City of Love, shares 49 stories about SF — one for every square mile of the City. Kamiya delves into historical moments and inanimate characters such as San Francisco weather, “the tenements of Chinatown,” the Filbert Steps, the AIDS crisis, and the Gold Rush, writing pieces deeply analyzing them in what he calls a series of written “portraits.” For more insight into the 415, also check out Kamiya’s new book with artist Paul Madonna, Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages through the Unknown City.

Available at Green Apple Books

2. ‘San Francisco Almanac: Everything You Want to Know About Everyone’s Favorite City’ by Gladys Hansen

If you’re looking to brush up on your San Francisco trivia, Gladys Hansen’s San Francisco Almanac is jam-packed with everything you could ever hope to learn about the City. The format allows you to read it through or open it up randomly to get some nuggets of knowledge. Tidbits include:

• Hippies liked to hang out at the Psychedelic Shop, Pall Mall Lounge, and Drogstore Cafe
• January 5 (1933) marks the anniversary of when construction started on the Golden Gate Bridge
• The story of how Cole Valley was named in 1916 after city appraiser R. Beverly Cole
• Explanations of street-name etymology
• Stories of local legends and Ohlone history

This book has all that, and more.

Available at Alexander Book Company

3. ‘Growing Up in San Francisco: More Boomer Memories from Playland to Candlestick Park’ by Frank Dunnigan

Natives who grew up catching games at Candlestick Park, playing arcade games at Playland, and grabbing hot dogs at Doggie Diner will love this trip down memory lane. And if you aren’t from the Bay, it’s fascinating to hear about what it used to be like. Frank Dunnigan’s Growing Up in San Francisco: More Boomer Memories from Playland to Candlestick Park is part of the American Chronicles series; other SF books in the series include Growing Up in San Francisco’s Western Neighborhoods: Boomer Memories from Kezar Stadium to Zim’s Hamburgers and Growing Up in San Francisco’s Chinatown: Boomer Memories from Noodle Rolls to Apple Pie.

Available at Green Apple Books

4. ‘Discovering Vintage San Francisco: A Guide to the City’s Timeless Eateries, Bars, Shops & More’ by Laura Smith Borrman

One of the things that makes San Francisco so physically and culturally beautiful is the immense number of iconic buildings, stores, hotels, and other historic locales. Laura Smith Borrman’s book, Discovering Vintage San Francisco, looks at some of the OG, historic businesses of SF, including Tadich Grill, Red’s Java House, Piedmont Boutique, Li Po Cocktail Lounge, and Buena Vista Café. You can’t truly know San Francisco without knowing about these classic establishments.

Available at Alexander Book Company

5. ‘San Francisco, Portrait of a City: 1940–1960’ by Fred Lyon

Fred Lyon is an iconic photographer and fourth-generation San Franciscan who has captured the beauty of the City since the 1940s. His lens caught classic cars driving across the Golden Gate Bridge; film-noir-esque photos of the City, its buildings, and its inhabitants, shrouded in fog; kids playing in the streets; a well-dressed woman buying flowers from a vendor in Union Square, and an overall glimpse into SF’s classy vintage style. If you want to see what San Francisco looked like in the mid-20th century, then you need to check out his photography book, San Francisco: A Portrait of a City: 1940–1960. It will remind you, yet again, of how gorgeous this place is.

Available at Alexander Book Company

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