Sight-Ems

Seen daily in front of The Drake on Powell Street.

Meet Famous Wayne

Another in our series of The City's Most Known Unknowns...



If you travel often to the lower end of Market Street, you've most likely seen Famous Wayne -- The Shoe Shine King of the World.

He's been there for 22 years and has served as boot black to your favorite banker, sports star, secret service agent (?!?), politician, cable car grip man, and maybe even that fellow that shares the cube next to you.



60-something Kenny Wayne Bowens travels daily to the EMB BART station from Oakland. He "Shines 'Em Up" 5 days a week and serves a mostly male clientèle in his 5-chair booth. The City charges him "a reasonable monthly rent" for the space where his booth sits, located directly east of the Cable Car turnaround at Market and Davis.



The Details:
Name: Kenny Wayne Bowens
Age: 60s
Resident: Oakland/San Francisco
Cost Per Shine: $8-$10
Avg Shines Per Week: 75
Total Shoe Shines: 100,000+
Clientèle: 87% male
Regulars: 300+
Marital Status: Divorced
Current Status: 2-3 Girlfriends
Zoot Suits Owned: 32
Favorite SF Hangout: The Metreon



I asked The Most Famous One about the product he applies to the black and brown leather of his customers. "I dont mess with nothin' but Meltonian," he says.

Tip: Get the 25-Shine Card for $50, or pay $300 for a lifetime of shines.



So what keeps Famous Wayne going day-in and day-out?

"I'm not bragging, but I love ME!! I'm the Shoe Shine King of the World!!"



Flickr set here.

Who Is ORFN??

We've spent the better part of 90 minutes reaching out to our field correspondents via phone and fax text message...and sadly have nothing to report on the one named "ORFN." Who is this malnourished manic depressive, haunting the streets of This Mean City for the better part of 10 years?

The explanation to this graffito's mystery is blurry at best. We do know he is age 20-40, and might be good friends of a friend of one of our good friends, possibly.

Consider this:

















If any 1 of our 8 loyal readers can help unravel this mystery wrapped in a riddle, pls leave your fact-based feedback in the comments section or hit us up directly on the tipline.

NOTE: We are not looking for a government name.

Flickr set here.

The Cool, Grey City of Love

"Love makes this town go round, my loyal reader, love and hate, pot and booze, despair and buckets of black coffee, most of it stale. But when the wind is fresh off the sea and you're walking in the sunshine with the foghorns already blowing way out there by The Gate, you know this is where you want to be, loving what you see, hating it only for not being what it could be." - Herb Caen, 1976

Hollywood Billiards

Many of my Thursday nights were spent (literally) in this joint when I lived on Market St above the Parlor of Porn. It was the kind of pool hall you don't see anymore, and you wont see anymore -- because it has closed its doors for good.

It is said to have been one of the oldest pool halls in The City -- opening its doors in the 50s -- when Mid-Market was full of legitimate movie houses. It was at one time home to some of The Bay Area's most infamous hustlers, con men, and general transient lurkers. Regulars included Mark the Snake, Philippine Jean, Sawdust Sam, Poker Paul, and Charlie Bucket.

Seedy, dark, old, and gone -- Hollywood Billiards at 61 Golden Gate.

Sight-Ems

Seen on Kaplan Lane in the SOMA sector.

Levi Strauss & Co.

In 1848, Levi Strauss sailed from New York to San Francisco to join the rush to riches and make it big in the Little City.



The Gold Rush had created a population boom. Most were men that had made the trek in search of shiny yellow nuggets, yet a select few decided to capitalize on the needs of the growing population itself.



Strauss had originally launched a West Coast version of his brothers' East Coast dry goods store. One of his bestselling items were bolts of thick canvas.

A Reno based customer named Jacob Davis was a tailor who had been frequently buying the bolts to make work pants for the miners. Davis had an idea to use copper rivets to reinforce the points of strain, however, did not have the $68 required to register the patent. In lieu of a loan from Strauss, Davis suggested that the two go into business together.



In 1877, a pair of overalls arrived at the Levi's office. An illiterately penned letter was attached that read:

"The secratt of them Pents is the Rivets that I put in those Pockets and I found the demand so large that I cannot make them fast enough. My nabors are getting yealouse of these success and unless I secure it by Patent Papers it will soon become a general thing. Everybody will make them up and thare will be no money in it."



Strauss agreed to the venture, and the business was an instant success. Davis soon moved to San Francisco to become head tailor while Strauss expanded into full-blown factory production. They sold over 21,000 pairs of the riveted work pants in the first year alone.

To ensure brand recognition, a special stitching was applied to the back pockets, forming a double crossed "V" in orange stitching.



Around the 1880s, a new branding label made of leather was created bearing the words, "The Two Horse Brand." Strauss and Davis stood behind their mass produced craftsmanship and guaranteed a brand new pair to any customer that experienced premature wear or outright ripping in the denim.

In 1890, patent #139,121 had expired. Levi's continued to produce high quality work pants, including expansion into the mail order business.



By his forties, Strauss had turned much of the business over to his nephews. A true work-a-holic, he was never married. He died in 1902 at the age of 73.



Flickr set here.

A Migrating Girafa

A wandering Long-Necker arrived in our inbox yesterday:

"Hey, I spotted this guy on the side of the 5 freeway this weekend. Painted on an old trailer just south of the Lassen Ave exit in Avenal."

Nice catch! Thats just a hop, skip and a jump from Fresno!!



Seen a 4-legged Camel Leopard on the loose, be it rural or urban? Drop the cross-streets off in the comments section or hit us up on the Girafa Hunting tipline!

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard

Our continuing love affair with the bastardized Eastern Waterfront...



The Hunters Point Shipyard is located in the southeastern BV-HP neighborhood, one of The City's most historical and neglected.

From World War II until the mid-1970s, the 638-acre site was a major source of jobs for the community -- at one time employing almost 8500 locals.



"HP", or "The Point", came to life around two dry docks built in the late-19th and early-20th century built by Union Iron Works, headquartered at Potrero Point.



Like much of the Eastern Waterfront, the shoreline had been extended by landfill dumped into The Bay shortly after the FireQuake of 1906. During WWII, the Navy purchased and used the docks as a halfway point between San Diego and Seattle.



The Navy recognized the importance of shipbuilding and repair in The Bay Area and began land-grabbing at a quick-fast rate, developing what was at one point The West Coasts largest shipyard. In 1974, the Navy sold the land to The City, neglecting to mention the ecological abandonment that had begun to damage the surrounding land and water. Like most industrial areas of the era, The Point was home to many facilities that left a wasteland of pollution -- pumped daily into the air and soil.



After WWII and into the 1970s, the shipyard was the secretive Superfund site of the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, the US military's largest factory of nuclear research and production, which left the majority of the shipyard radioactively contaminated to the point where fires were literally burning underneath The Earths surface...YIKES!



So what does the future hold for this massive, underdeveloped, toxic, abandoned, and forgotten cesspool of governmental experimentations and mistakes? And for the community around it?

Well, its up to the voters via Props F & G on June 3rd. See what the developers have in mind here and here.



Flickr set here.

Potrero Hill Fire

***BREAKING NEWS***

Shortly before 5:30 this morning, a fire broke out under the 280 overpass at the Mariposa off-ramp in Potrero Hill's North Slope.

The sirens were aplenty, the billowing flames -- not so much.



A Center Hardware employee noted that several homeless sleep along the east side of the building and this most likely was a "campfire" gone awry.



SF's Finest contained and quelled the blaze clouds of smoke in less than 30 minutes. No injuries were reported.



Flickr set here.

Mini City On A Mini Van

It takes a certain type of person to push a vehicle like this around town. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw it, and conversely let down when the owner was no where to be found.

Any ideas or more info on this automotive oddity? Drop them off in the comment section!!

Sight-Ems

Seen on 3rd Street near the South Park sector.

Day & Night on 280

Looking north on 280 @ 9:00 am/pm.

Feathered Rats

A reader once asked me if I hate pigeons, and the answer is no, even though I sometimes write disparagingly about their beastly habits. As the original dirty bird, they are roundly and even squarely disliked. They lead a hard life in The Cool, Grey City of Love. Just last week, I saw a pigeon hobbling around in front of Nordstrom on Mid-Market, and wondered "Why?"

Getting these filthy animals to go away is a major minor industry, and the famous architect, Timothy Pflueger, attempted to solve the problem long ago. He designed the I. Magnin building Macy's at Geary and Stockton to be pigeonproof, and so it remains to this day, with no pigeon remains to be seen. There are absolutely no ledges for a squab to squat upon. Anyway, that's why pigeons shop at Nordstrom.

Inspired by the Late, Great Herb Caen

Times, Signs Of

6th & Jessie

Hell hath no fury like a signmaker scorned for public urination, nor a urinator scorned for public signage.


2nd & Minna

For Sale: Lake Berryessa

Beautiful Lake Berryessa: weekend/summer retreat for working class Bay Area families for the past 50 years. That is, until mid-June when 1300 of those working class families are told to get packing and to get out.



The landlords US Bureau of Land Reclamation, who own and operate much of the 20,000 acres surrounding the reservoir have pulled the rug from underneath the trailers and repurposed the lakeside properties to fit the "needs" of an Arizona developer.



The redevelopment plan pushes the mobile-home owners out of their trailers and into new, bureau-designed housing owned by resort operators and located further from the shore. Lodges, motels and hotels will be built in their place. The current lot rate of $500/month will jump to a more Tahoe-esque $500/night in the yet-to-be built resorts.



"We are going to have a very different lake," says Carol Kunze, executive director of Berryessa Trails and Conservation.

Kunze argues that the planned exclusionary land usage eliminates middle-class families interested in a 3-day weekend at the lake and contributes to the reservoirs reputation as a private playground for the wealthy.



The reservoir, located 50 miles northeast of The City, gained its popularity and destination status in the 1950s. The lake is the overflow of the Monticello Dam in the dry, tree-covered hills of Napa County.



What remains today in this transitionary phase are 100s of abandonments, each slapped with a sticker advertising cheap trailer removal. And as of mid-June: a few dozen soon-to-be squatters.



Flickr set here.

Bait-N-Switch

Given the ridiculously high price of motor fuel (above), imagine our surprise when we stumbled across an old filling station advertising realistic prices per gallon (below)...



After lining up our tank with their pump, we sadly realized this oasis in Solano County was indeed a mirage in the desert of a recession (below)...



Confused, I asked the attendant what the !?! was going on.

His answer: "We don't have no more gas, young man. We got some fancy coffee and fishing bait, tho -- and we do take personal checks."

Umm ok, let me grab my....eh, nevermind.

Skrach-n-Sniff

Belden Place

Girafa hunting has been slow of late. Yet here at WHAT IM SEEING, we continue to have an itch that needs to be scratched -- shooting graffito characters with our lousy point-n-click.


Columbus & Gibb

Alas, a newer prey has entered our selective cross-hairs: Skrach-n-Sniff. Seen primarily in the Chinatown sector, we spotted 3 last week in their native habitat: around the produce markets.


Ross Alley

Seen some Skrach-n-Sniff bananas, strawberries, grapes, oranges, or watermelons? Drop the cross streets off in the comments section or hit us up directly on the tipline.

Critical Mass on Nabob Hill

Yesterday whilst Plug2 and I made our way thru the 100 Martini menu at The Mark, 100s of bicyclists made their way thru the Nabob Hill sector 19 floors below.



Pics taken with the 8120 BlackBerry Pearl and an unsteady hand -- after 2 very dirty martinis.

Schroeder's German Pub

A San Francisco tradition since 1893...



One drinks off bare boarded tables, in a great hall adorned with hairy trophies and a series of vast, gut-grumbling murals. This is the land of Spaten liters and free meatballs -- all that is German and good. Here at Schroeder's, you are honored for your gluttonous tendencies and shameful passion for lager beer!!



Schroeder's was founded in 1893 by a German immigrant named Henry Schroeder. The original pub -- located on the lower end of Market Street -- collapsed during the FireQuake of 1906. The bar moved to 16th and Mission for the next 5 years, eventually relocating back into the Fi-Di in 1911.



Fun Facts: Schroeder's was a "Men's Only" establishment until the 1970s. Artist Herman Richter painted the dozens of murals lining the mahogany walls.



2008 marks 115 years of San Franciscans enjoying the finest of German beer and cuisine at exceptionally moderate prices. Next time you find yourself on the 200 block of Front Street, go inside and ask for Stephan Filipclk -- the GM and one of the nicest fellows you'll ever meet. Then head over to the bar, and grab yourself the Dice Cup and a cold frosty.



Flickr set here.

Sight-Ems

Seen at Fifty24SF: 3 LV inspired 48-inch cans of spray paint.

Quoth The Gavin...

Get the Hennessy ready, our 8 loyal readers...Its a celebration!!

Click for larger image

In our neverending quest to gain Mayor Newsom's support and official endorsement, we took the courtesy and leisure of sending him a "Save The Date" card in March. Logic would follow that if We (Plug2 & me) celebrate living in The City, then the mayor of said city might celebrate the union of the aforementioned We. Right?? Nope.

What follows is his his assistants response...

"On behalf of Mayor Newsom, I would like to thank you for the invitation to the Mayor to attend your wedding on August 31. Mayor Newsom appreciates the invitation; unfortunately, at this time the Mayor will not be able to attend due to possible scheduling conflicts. If there are any changes, we will let you know.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us."

So there you have it. Next move: invitation to my bachelor party.

Intergalactic Planetary Earth Day

Seen on The EMB, "Electricfied Earth" by Jill King.



Seen on a napkin, "Earth Cookie" by Unknown Baker.

Precita Park Memorial Bench

In June of 1996, the lives of two teenage lovers ended tragically at Precita Park. The murderer of Carlos Hernandez and Sylvia Menendez turned out to be an unstable relative, who was never convicted of any crime.

A memorial was erected by local residents in 1997. The cedar bench is supported on each side by the melted metal of 130 guns. The surface below the bench is surrounded by 900 hand-painted mosaic tiles, each one telling a story relating to the lives of the young couple.

Flip This Doormat

Gale force winds sent our former generic doormat sailing into the sky yesterday, likely landing somewhere between 280 and 3rd St.

This tragedy gave us the perfect excuse to fly down to Flax today and get this dandy.

Let Me Ride

Now that gas prices have reached a disgusting $4 per gallon, we salute those who ignore common sense and public transport -- boldly pushing these gas guzzlers up and down Our City's hills.

Quiz Time!!
Can any of our 8 loyal readers name the make and model of the below 15 throwback automobiles? Leave your answers in the comments section.

UPDATE: A Photo A Day and Tomato Farcie came thru: gas, scrape, dip, break. Still looking for #s 3 & 12.

Ford Country Squire Station Wagon:


Ford F-150 Pickup:


3


67 VW Beetle:


Citroen Quatrelle 56 Ford Fairlane:


Dodge?? Dodge Dart??


Plymouth??


Winnebago??


GMC Carryall:


Winnebago??


Dodge Valliant:


12


Lincoln Town Car:


Cadillac Coupe de Ville:


Ford F-150 Pickup:


Flickr set here.

Climbing The Hills...Half-Way To The Stars

As a tourist attraction, the Cable Car is the greatest thing that has happened to The City since the Chinese decided they liked the local climate. They help make the backdrop look "different," an adjective that would prove a lot less simple to apply without them. And as a way of getting people to and fro (forward motion not always guaranteed) they still do a pretty fair job.

But mainly it is The City's sentimentality that gets all wound up in the cable car lines. The citizens want the trolleys around as a constant working reminder of a supposedly glorious past that keeps fading away, elusive as the fog.

As The Late, Great Herb Caen once put it, "Todays San Franciscans know there was some special magic about Yesterdays City, but there no longer sure what it was or where it was. However, they think the cable cars had something to do with it, and so they insist on seeing them climb around our hills as long as possible -- even to the point of impossibilty."

Noisy, illogical, outmoded, hard to operate, harder yet to maintain, getting in everybodys way while getting somewhere in the slowest possible fashion. Jolting, shoving, jerking, along our narrowest hilly streets.

We hated them too, for far too many years -- that is until we finally boarded one.



Inspired by the Late, Great Herb Caen

Sight-Ems

Seen in the Chinatown sector.

Waxing Gibbous at Ye Olde Ballpark

Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of The SF Giants bringing Major League Baseball to The City by The Bay. Two of the best-who-ever-did-it have been immortalized in statue form and can be found lurking daily outside of 24 Willie Mays Plaza.

Juan Marichal (top) and Willie McCovey (bottom), both seen here playing baseball with the lunar moon.

The Market Street Railway Mural

On the corner of Church and 15th is The Market Street Railway Mural, painted by Mona Cannon in 2004. The 12'x38' project consists of three major sections -- historically spanning the length of Market -- from Seventh to The Ferry Building.



The mural was inspired by the late Dave Pharr, a preservationist at the Market Street Railway. Sadly he passed away unaware of her project, to which Cannon said, "I thought I would surprise him with it, but I never got a chance."

Can Control or Cannot??

Yo!! It's right here, right here. It's right through the fence...



As I collect more grey hairs and even more forehead -- I sometimes wonder what the youngsters of today think of US, the generation prior. If they weren't the way we were at their age, so much the better. They seem bright, amused, talented, and very much involved with, and concerned about, what's going on in The City, the country, and even the world around them.

A Saturday afternoon ago, I was trapped at the Alemany Farmers Market, lurking with these fascinating characters. The fumes were at unbearable levels, and the camera contact just short of annoying (to them), but the views were excellent (to me).
Also the aroma...intoxicating.



Contempt was not what I was feeling. Listening to the feverish and generally literate conversations, shouts, grunts, and clichés, I reflected that maybe our schools aren't so bad, after all. It is possible, of course, that the Under-21 crowd is made up exclusively of youngsters who went and go only to private schools, but there must be a fair sprinkling of public schoolers, too, and they come off as reasonably educated. Aside from an unfortunate "addiction" to writing their names in graffiti on the wall, they are what used to be called "good kids."



To put it plain to you, my 8 loyal readers, I wish these San Franciscans would hurry up and start running things on the underside of our prized peninsula. Shades of Mike DREAM and TIE ONE have long ago taken over the sunny skies of an alley near you. The ancients have been running and ruling The City long enough, and there's an election this year that doesn't promise anything to them or even, WE. Fortunately for The Establishment, the young of today are not near as revolutionary as their predecessors. But those days will undoubtedly come. There has been, is, and will always be a youthful voice that one hopes, will never die in cynicism.



That said, I raise my empty fist to The Young San Franciscans, gathering in groups, yelling, laughing, and chattering away. The mood right now is still as mellow as the weather, as redundant of The City's long history, that as long as the foghorn has sounded occasionally. I am reminded briefly of my own youth, of making the rounds in The City That Was, hitting up freshly buffed walls; returning home not until the wall was full of OUR names, the cup was empty, and the eastern sun was awake.

Gradually, the youngsters moved off in all directions but my own, and I wondered if they thought about the miracle (too strong a word?) of being San Franciscans, building up their own memories of a city that will one day seem strange and changed to them, too. We Old-Timers are burdened with the most beautiful of yesterdays, a steady mix of what they will never know. The kids of today will have their own memories -- HUF, Saturday nights at The Metreon, and a new Bay Bridge -- but I wouldn't trade my memories for a million tomorrows.

Well, wait. Uh, let me think about that, OK??



Inspired by the Late, Great Herb Caen