Tim Santry, wigmaster and artist, talks about loving the work you do [NOW IN HD]
Many of the photos in this video can be seen here individually: Elijah Nouvelage Photojournalism on Facebook.
Javier Garcia waxes philosophical about life, death, and the business of being a mortician
Here’s a bit of an interview with Javier Garcia, who is the supervising embalmer at Green Street Mortuary in North Beach. I find what he has to say fascinating, so I mostly let him do the talking. Enjoy.
The Famous Green Street Mortuary Band, and my problems with video
The Green Street Mortuary Band is kind of a big deal. The band has been around in some form or another since 1911, but bandleader Lisa Pollard has been in charge for the last 20, during which time the band has tripled or quadrupled the number of funerals they’re hired for, according to Pollard. She credits this increase in business to the quality and professionalism of the band’s musicians as well as the positive word-of-mouth they’ve had over the years. Currently the band is one of only a handful left in the country, but far surpasses the others in terms of business and fame.
On Saturday I headed to North Beach to capture this legendary band on video for one of my SFSU journalism classes. I am by no means a videographer- stills have always been my thing- but I thought, “how hard can it be?” I figured I’d get some close-ups of the instruments, some footage of the band marching, some footage of spectators reacting, a few sit-down interviews and voila! Sure, I knew that DSLR video has no stabilization and is super sensitive, that the autofocus is terrible and that the audio leaves a lot to be desired.
But I told myself that my hands were steadier than most, that my movements would be mimicking the band members’ themselves, and that it would be a nightmare to sync up audio recorded with another recorder with video of the band playing. And that last one is probably true, but anything would have been better than the built-in mic on my 5D Mark II.
I abandoned, (too late in my opinion), the built-in autofocus and went full manual with my focusing. I don’t trust my eyes for focusing, especially with the small screen, but I quickly learned that it was the most attractive option for recording video. While that lesson came late, it came in time to get some decently focused footage.
I was not so lucky with audio, or with motion. A monopod or tripod may not be essential when standing still, (it turns out my hands ARE pretty steady—when I’m not moving), but for panning, even from a fixed location, would benefit IMMENSELY from a ball-headed monopod or tripod. Uggghhhh. I am SO not doing that again.
The 5D II is a fantastic camera for video, and with some tweaks to my methods and toolkit I should be able to maneuver the medium with only minor problems. However, without way more expensive gear, it simply is not a camera you can walk around with while videoing.
My negative experiences boiled down to three lessons learned. Use an external mic OR use your own audio recorder, bring a tripod/monopod, and always, always, use manual focusing.
I hope yo’ve learned something from my video and my experiences.
Until next time, leave the flying to me.
Kitty McMuffin, the lustiest lady, turns 30!
Kitty McMuffin, who loyal readers may remember from my previous post about The Lusty Lady, turned 30 on Saturday, and celebrated it with a big birthday bash and burlesque show (say THAT three times fast) at Mojito in North Beach on Sunday. Feeling a sense of obligation to cover the event, your loyal blogger grudgingly headed to SF to get the low-down.
I’m kidding, of course. I had been promised burlesque, live music, lots of spankings, (not on my tush thankyouverymuch), and a bacon skirt in the vein of Josephine Baker, so I was primed and excited for the night.
It started at 7, and built up steam as Kitty’s coworkers slowly trickled in over the next few hours. The liquor was flowing, served up with a smile by Stuart, the friendly fauxhawk-styled bartender.
As the night wore on, the birthday fun began. First came the live music, which featured Kitty on background vocals, (while she just meowed over and over again, it was her energy and enthusiasm that made her performance memorable), before the “birthday presents” were administered- in the form of many, many spankings. (Followed by kisses on all the places where she had boo-boos, naturally.)
A birthday strip-tease by the Lusty’s own Princess, (followed by more spankings, of course, this time with a leather riding crop), was the culmination of the first round of entertainment, but Kitty still had that bacon skirt waiting upstairs for the most loyal of attendees.
She put it on and came sashaying down the stairs to resounding cheers and catcalls from the audience. She did a bit of a strip-tease herself, (pasties made her show, as with Princess’, PG-13- alcohol was, after all, being served), before tearing off the skirt and feeding her fans and friends pieces, one at a time, until everyone’s appetites were sated.
Or were they…..if yours wasn’t you can always find her at the Lusty Lady, in a more intimate setting. ; )
Until next time, leave the flying to me.
The Lusty Lady- Advancing feminism & equality one naked woman at a time
Peep shows, unionization and feminism. They’re words not commonly used in the same breath, but The Lusty Lady (follow them on twitter!) in San Francisco’s North Beach has been prompting such word combinations since 1997, when the girls who worked there formed a union following a long battle with management.
Because it’s a peep show, The Lusty Lady attracts a different clientele than the other strip clubs along Broadway. The Lusty, a long-time North Beach staple, is the only place where clients can do whatever they want in the (semi) privacy that exists on their side of the glass partition that separates them from the naked girls in on the other side. While the girls certainly see more than they might want to under such circumstances, Bruno, who works at the front desk, said that “many of the girls prefer it to the other clubs, because here they don’t have to touch the clients.”
Girls can make more money at the other strip clubs, Bruno said, where private dances can be had for a lot of money, but they also have to pay fees to the clubs out of their earnings.
Kitty McMuffin, a stripper at The Lusty Lady, explained why she chose to work for less.
“I definitely made more money at other strip clubs when I danced on the East Coast, but I couldn’t call out sick, I couldn’t have any disputes about my treatment with my management, I had to pay out a house fee to this person and that person…I was working pretty hard for my pay and not being appreciated and supported. [Here at The Lusty Lady] we have a union rep, and she’ll definitely help us out.”
She said that she moved to the West Coast specifically to work at The Lusty Lady after seeing a documentary about the unionization fight called Live Nude Girls Unite! (which is also available for instant streaming through Netflix).
Contrary to the established public record, The Lusty Lady was not the first strip club in the world to become unionized, but it is the only currently unionized strip club. But The Lusty Lady does have one first they can call their own- the first worker-owned strip club.
And now you know.
Until next time, leave the flying to me!
“I Love You, Mrs. McCoveyou”
Dale Silver and her dog JoJo are the subjects of my first audio slideshow. Viewable in up to 1080p HD.
Until next time, leave the flying to me!
A Tale of “Twin Peaks,” aka Making Sure This Blog Includes Strippers
Image from http://wapedia.mobi/en/Carol_Doda
My blog title references strippers, and yet, until now, I haven’t delivered on the promise of naked women (or men) (Not that there’s anything wrong with that). It’s not too surprising, really, since strip clubs really aren’t my thing, and besides, cameras are verboten inside- which makes them as realistic a port of call for me as Siberia in the dead of winter.
You see, I live in Oakland, and when I come to North Beach I do so carrying 40lbs of camera gear on my back, even if I’m only passing through. What if an earthquake happened, or a police chase went down right in front of me? I would hardly have time to drive back to Oakland, (if I even could), just to get my gear. No, I come prepared, ALL the time. Which brings me back to strippers. If I can’t bring my cameras inside, well why bother…… But hey, maybe they’re your thing, that’s fine.
What does interest me though, is history, and North Beach’s history is inextricably intertwined with the stripping profession, thanks to Carol Doda. Doda was a waitress at The Condor Club, (which still stands at the corner of Broadway and Columbus), and is widely regarded as one of the first topless dancers in the country. In 1965 this behavior brought her international fame and notoriety, but also some unwanted legal attention- she was arrested along with the then-owner of the Condor Club for lewd and indecent behavior. After winning her legal case she returned to stripping, becoming one of the first all-nude dancers in the country.
Images from: vintageconcertposters.com and chrystelle.blogg.se
Although famous for her stripping, she made headlines again when she went from a 34 bust size to 44 through the then-new process of silicone implants, a process which secured her place in the history books, along with North Beach’s, and The Condor Club’s. Doda’s implants were so famous they had their own nicknames. Doda’s “twin 44’s” and “the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco.”
It is pointless to recount her entire life story here, so rather than regurgitate ancient history, I recommend that readers visit her wikipedia page, which goes into more detail about her life.
Doda still lives in San Francisco, and is a fixture in some North Beach bars, including Gino and Carlo’s and Mr. Bing’s. She and her manager Dick Winn perform at Amante’s the last Sunday of every month (although the April performance is actually on May 1st this cycle).
And, to save you the time of a google search, one more photo for the road:
Image from: chrystelle.blogg.se
Saint Patrick’s Day at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub in North Beach
Sara Dobra and Mike Chen kiss at the annual O'Reilly's Irish Pub St. Patrick's Day block party in North Beach.
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- A man toasts the camera at the annual O’Reilly’s pub St. Patrick’s Day block party in North Beach.
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- Sara Dobra and Mike Chen’s feet can be seen at the annual O’Reilly’s pub St. Patrick’s Day block party in North Beach.
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- Sara Dobra and Mike Chen kiss at the annual O’Reilly’s pub St. Patrick’s Day block party in North Beach.
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- A woman scans the crowd for familiar faces at the annual O’Reilly’s pub St. Patrick’s Day block party in North Beach.
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- A pedestrian looks at the revelers at the annual O’Reilly’s pub St. Patrick’s Day block party in North Beach.
O’Reilly’s Irish Pub in North beach takes Saint Patrick’s Day seriously. Well, not THAT seriously. Judging by the band lineup, the size of the crowd, the general level of intoxication, and all the smiles I saw, it sure seemed like people were having fun at the 16th Annual OReilly’s Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Block Party. Genuinely Irish and Irish-for-a-day attendees intermingled along a fenced-off portion of Green Street in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, where O’Reilly’s Irish Pub has been an alcohol-slinging staple since it opened 16 years ago.
The party began at 2pm on St. Patrick’s Day, and early comers are rewarded with free entrance—but drag your feet and arrive after 3pm and you’ll have to pony up $10 to get in on the Irish action. This year’s musical performers included The Hooks, who make “Super catchy Irish-influenced rock,” according to Funcheap SF, Irish fiddler Colm O’Riain, SCream (a Clapton/Cream cover band, get it?), and Lunar Groove.
Deirdre Black, who’s actually Irish (as in, from-Ireland-with-the-full-on-accent-Irish, not just by-ancestry-Irish) has worked at O’Reilly’s (and the block party) since the pub opened. Asked to describe the strangest thing she’d seen, she noted that “there’s nothing that shocking on St. Patrick’s Day.” Mostly all she sees are “people putting on beards and painting them orange, and shamrock tattoos, and flag of Ireland tattoos, and some people painting their bodies green.” Black says it’s just about having fun and dancing.
Black estimated that “a few thousand” people attended the block party this year.
Out of consideration for the neighborhood and the neighbors, (especially since St. Paddy’s Day didn’t fall on a weekend this year), the music stopped at midnight. But until then, it was all the drinking, dancing, and merriment the revelers could handle. “According to the police, O’Reilly’s was the example other bars should take [in terms of] the security, the safety, everything,” said Black.
As noted above, the block party is an annual event, so if you’re Irish and/or love public intoxication/Irish music/the color green/bagpipes/leprechauns, be sure to show up early next year (and put that $10 towards your alcohol tab).
Until next time, leave the flying to me!
Bob Anderson – Documentary filmmaker and inveterate wanderer
Bob Anderson, 81, poses for a portrait in his home in San Francisco's North Beach
Bob Anderson, 81, is kind of cat-like. Not in the sense that he has feline features, (he doesn’t, at all), nor in the sense that he sleeps a lot. Nor has he died nine times. But he has had nine lives. Or at least enough adventures to fill the lives of nine, normal, work-forty-hours-a-week-and-vacation-three-weeks-a-year people.
In a non-fiction book he self-published in 2010 called ‘The Errant Nomads’, Anderson wrote about “Greenwich Village in the ’50’s, Alaska as a territory, Europe before tourists, Puerto Vallarta as a village, San Francisco in the ’60’s, China just after Mao, Wreck diving in Micronesia, and life in an expatriate colony” – and that’s just one book.
Anderson’s two sons, Bob Jr., a fishing boat captain, and Tony, a writer and artist, both live and raise their families in a small town up in Humboldt County. Bob Sr. has lived in Mexico, New York, Washington State, Oregon, and Marin before buying his home in North Beach 28 years ago. He hasn’t moved since.
Which is not to say that he’s been stationary. Along with his late wife Jeanne, Anderson criss-crossed the globe numerous times in search of adventure- and most of the time he found it. He has also directed documentaries that touch on subjects only slightly less varied than his own real-live adventures.
The view from his home is gorgeous. Two windows, at right-angles from each other, look out on the Bay Bridge and the Transamerica Building, respectively. Anderson acknowledges the view in passing, admitting that it was the reason he and Jeanne decided to buy the building all those years ago, even though $240,000 seemed, at the time, far out of his budget.
Many of Anderson’s neighbors have moved in the last ten or more years, thanks to the dramatic rise in their homes’ value. The money allowed his neighbors, many of them Italians who had lived in the area since birth, to move to Marin, and other less urban areas. The view may be fantastic, but there’s another reason Anderson hasn’t moved in the intervening years like so many others.
North Beach is “extremely neighborly, it’s very live-and-let-live, [and] it allows a lot of pretty loose living,” said Anderson. For someone who has always lived life on his own terms, this may be the highest compliment Anderson could give.
Photo Gallery: Out and About, Take II
Danny Bobbi plays his trumpet for tips at the corner of Columbus and Green in San Francisco's North Beach.
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- Renato and his son walk up Green street to their home on Castle St.
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- A man walks across Green street before dusk.
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- Elvis Christ, a local street artist, works on a new sidewalk installation. Visible is “I always hated the yankees.”
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- Danny Bobbi plays his trumpet for tips at the corner of Columbus and Green in San Francisco’s North Beach.
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- A woman stops to look inside Z Cioccolato in San Francisco’s North Beach.
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- A waiter takes the order of patrons at Calzones in North Beach.
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- Danny Bobbi plays his trumpet for tips at the corner of Columbus and Green in San Francisco’s North Beach.
A visit to North Beach’s famous Green Street Mortuary
Green Street Mortuary appears, from the outside, like you would imagine a mortuary to look. It’s painted a light shade of beige, a peaceful color, with a friendly green font for the name, which is written on either side of black awning that extends from above the wide doors, across the sidewalk to the street, and there’s a picture of some trees inside an oval logo for Dignity Memorial.
The mortuary has been around since 1917- and is one of the most famous mortuaries in the Bay Area, (if such a thing is possible among the living). Although now owned by Dignity Memorial, a nationwide mortuary corporation, it still retains some unique touches that belie the monolithic corporate power behind it.
Inside, the building is rife with style, and architectural details that you just don’t find anymore. Maxine, the friendly Chinese woman who staffs the front desk most days, (unless she’s on lunch and JoJo is answering phones), says that the hand-painted details on the ceilings and moulding would cost so much these days that only the super-rich could afford to have such work done. Back at the turn of the century labor was much cheaper. Maxine sounds nostalgic, but, of course, it would be decades after the building was built before she would be born. I know better than to ask her age.
The ceilings in Green Street are high, about ten feet if I had to guess, and hallways in the building have a series of domes, like I imagine buildings in Italy have, or the Vatican, but on a significantly smaller scale.
The chapels, (the mortuary has four) are fairly standard. Wide, long pews, a front, center podium, and light, calming colors. One of them even has stained glass- a fact that Maxine proudly points out to me.
The mortuary is also famous for their band- the aptly named Green Street Mortuary Band, which, according to Javier Lopez, one of the morticians there, is possibly the only remaning mortuary band in the country. What I find odd is when Javier mentions that although it is almost exclusively Chinese families who hire the band, the band only plays Christian hymns. Javier says that the families don’t really care WHAT is being played, just that it sounds nice, and makes noise- to scare the evil spirits away. He tells me that Chinese families are very superstitious, and ceremony and ritual and tradition play a large part in their funeral services.
It feels odd suggesting that you visit a mortuary, but that’s just what I’m going to do. The next time you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and take a look around. And remember to say hi to Maxine for me at the front desk.
Until next time friends, leave the flying to me!
The multiple-gold-medal-winning, world-champion dough-acrobats you’ve never heard of, who work right down the street
Eric Corbin is a world champion, but not only have you never heard of him, you’ve probably never even heard of the sport he’s a champion in. Pizza dough acrobatics is an internationally-recognized sport (the US even has its own team).
Since 1991 Italy has hosted the World Pizza Championship, in which 20 different countries compete in various categories associated with making pizza, like speed, taste, acrobatics and others. Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, is a 9 time World Pizza Champion, and 2 time Guinness World Record holder. Besides being a full-time cook, Tony owns and runs a pizza-making school.
Tony also manages an international team of dough acrobats, of which Eric is a member.
Here’s Tony giving a primer on how to toss pizza dough:
And here’s Eric performing at the World Pizza Games last year in Las Vegas:
Until next time, leave the flying to me!
The owner of North Beach’s famous sweets store Z Cioccolato talks photojournalism
Last week I interviewed Mark Warmus. While locals and curious tourists might know him as the owner of the famous candy and homemade-fudge store Z Cioccolato, Mark has a history in an industry near and dear to my heart- photojournalism. In the short interview below, (and please pardon my rudimentary editing skills), he talks about how he began, what the industry looks like now, and what his new passion in life is. Give it a listen, then go buy a few of his 65 flavors of sweet, sweet fudge.
Z Cioccolato can be found here.
Photo Gallery: Street Life Edition
A customer buys a 'HOWL' bumper-sticker in City Lights Books in San Francisco's North Beach. As a symbol of the Beat Generation, the bookstore is a city landmark that attracts visitors from all over the globe.
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- A customer buys a ‘HOWL’ bumper-sticker in City Lights Books in San Francisco’s North Beach. As a symbol of the Beat Generation, the bookstore is a city landmark that attracts visitors from all over the globe.
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- A man walks by City Lights Books in San Francisco’s North Beach. As a symbol of the Beat Generation, the bookstore is a city landmark that attracts visitors from all over the globe.
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- Paul Jakes, left, and Murray Hayden, right, watch the activity at the intersection of Columbus and Broadway streets in San Francisco’s North Beach.
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- Murray Hayden, a one-month recent transplant from Wisconsin, watches the excitement at the corner of Broadway and Columbus streets in San Francisco early Sunday morning.
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- A Rolling Stones lunch pail and Valentine’s Day decorations are displayed in the window of Z. Cioccolato in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.
Happy V-Day from Leonard Cohen
Wherever you are, and whomever you’re with, these are still words of wisdom on this day that now seems dedicated to chocolate, stuffed bears and the trite commercialization of the deep, ancient, indescribable, unquantifiable emotional bond between two people, (or directed at someone).
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.
– Leonard Cohen, ‘Anthem‘
Until next time, leave the flying to me!
Where to eat in North Beach…and read some interesting poetry, for free.
I’ve now spent more time in North Beach than any other neighborhood this year except Lake Merritt in Oakland, (which will always win- it’s where I live), and I’m really loving what I’ve been discovering.
The most pleasant surprise I encountered was Don Pisto’s, an upscale Mexican restaurant practically concealed in an otherwise plain looking building on Union Street above Columbus. There is no name on the front of the restaurant, just a small menu with short plat descriptions, prices, and the address and phone number. Here, Pete, the owner, welcomes you to come in, sit down, and make yourself at home. Pete dresses casually, belying the classiness of the restaurant and complexity of the dishes. Food at Don Pisto’s is what you’d expect from a Mexican restaurant, but in name only. They have tacos, tostadas, tortilla soup and other such staples, but all their dishes contain subtle riffs on the average Mexican food tune. Their burger, marinated overnight in bacon and sauteed onions, was recently ranked #10 on 7×7 Magazine’s “Top 100 things to to try before you die 2011” list. Adam and Niño staff the busy kitchen, while Nick directs patrons to tables, makes cocktails, rings up bills and pops beer caps. Nick is also a vintner, and recently made his first cabernet, which he sells to restaurants throughout the city.
You can most easily find the restaurant by walking up Union from Columbus and looking to your left for the small Kingdom Cake window, then continuing up Union another 75 feet or so. But don’t pass Kingdom Cake too quickly. Their locally-baked cupcakes draw rave reviews from customers, and Myles, the resident cupcake slinger will happily talk to you at length about San Francisco and the Giants, (although probably not in that order).
Elvis Christ, a local personality/poet/artist has also put his stamp on the ‘hood with his clever sayings that put strange twists on well-known sayings. Here are some photos of his work, which I found at the corner of Grant and Vallejo.
Until next time friends, leave the flying to me!
Photo Gallery: The Kitchen Edition
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- Elvis Christ, a local poet and artist, is responsible for dozens of these clever, poetic, or just plain odd sayings all over the North Beach neighorhood. Some, like these, are written on masking tape and taped to the sidewalk, while others are written on ads or signposts.
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- Thiago Vasconcilos adds some final ingredients to a pizza before it’s delivered to customers at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francicso’s North Beach.
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- Thiago Vasconcilos slides a finished pizza on to a serving tray to be delivered to customers at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francicso’s North Beach.
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- Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francicso’s North Beach, slides a finished pizza on to a serving tray to be delivered to customers while Thiago Vasconcilos assists with food preparation behind him.
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- Jose “Nino” Grande hands off some tacos to a waiter at at Don Pisto’s, an upscale mexican restaurant in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Grande is head chef of the restaurant, which is only a few months away from celebrating its 2-year anniversary.
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- Adam Siegrist heats up corn tortillas while pineapple cooks with pork for the famous Al Pastor tacos at Don Pisto’s in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.
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- Sarah Carter speaks with customers at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco’s North Beach. Tony, the owner, also runs a pizza-making school and has a team of dough acrobats.
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- Sarah Carter displays a bottle of wine to customers at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco’s North Beach. Tony, the owner, also runs a pizza-making school and has a team of dough acrobats.
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- Sarah Carter carries some food to a customer’s table at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco’s North Beach. Tony, the owner, also runs a pizza-making school and has a team of dough acrobats.
Photo Gallery: Out & About
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- Some women walk past the Garden of Eden, a strip club in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.
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- A woman walks past a convenience store near the corner of Columbus and Broadway in San Francisco’s North Beach
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- A taxi driver pauses in front of the Condor Club in San Francisco’s North Beach to let out some passengers.
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- A man is seen in his car while he waits in traffic outside the Hungry I Club in North Beach
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- An unidentified woman dances to blues belted out by Jamie and the Jukes at The Saloon in North Beach.
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- A drunk man stumbles home up Fresno street while another sleeps on the sidewalk in San Francisco’s North Beach.
First Impressions of North Beach
An unidentified woman dances to blues belted out by Jamie and the Jukes at The Saloon in North Beach.
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My first impressions of North Beach were not entirely positive. I drove down Montgomery, before turning left onto Columbus, driving up the hill and past the famous City Lights bookstore, and the strip clubs on Broadway. The City Lights bookstore helped to define not only North Beach at a specific era in time, but also San Francisco as a city, and destination for writers and poets and creative types. Many of the store’s patrons were likely instrumental in paving the way for the social and political changes of the ’60’s.
The City Lights bookstore did not give me a negative impression about the neighborhood. But all the other businesses arrayed up Columbus did. Italian restaurants, delis, cafes, bakeries and gelato hole-in-the-walls lined both sides of the street for blocks. Places with names like Colisseo, Steps of Rome, Calzone’s Pizza Cucina and Trattoria Pinocchio.
It seemed like the business owners just chose easy names that pandered to Americans’ stereotypical preconceptions of Italy and Italians. I may not be Italian, but I couldn’t help but be a little offended.
I parked in front of Caffe Trieste, a block off of Columbus, where a group of men sat outside engaged in lively conversation. Inside, people were using laptops, sipping coffee, and speaking quietly in small groups. In short, it felt like any other coffee shop in the city. Which was refreshing, normal, expected. Non-offensive.
I sat and had a sandwich at Molinari Delicatessen, where two young hispanic men and an elderly Italian man served up a line of eager, hungry sandwich-seekers, all holding bread in their hands, patiently waiting for their number to be called.
A wide selection of cheeses filled the display cases, salames and meats hung from the ceiling, and canned, pickled, and commercial Italian foods were stacked so high against the walls that a stepladder was necessary to reach the highest items.
While I sat and ate outside, I watched the people passing. It was Monday afternoon, and foot traffic was substantially less than I had experienced on another visit the previous thursday night. Some locals passed by, obvious in their localness through their engaged conversation, quick, purposeful stride, and less-casual dress. A man walked up to Molinaris in a beat-up old grey suit, talking very loudly to himself. Almost nobody paid him any attention.
A prosciutto di parma sandwich later, I was wandering back up Columbus, keeping my eyes peeled for the interesting, unusual, or just plain weird.
I found interesting in short order. Z. Cioccolato, a candy store, attracted me through it’s bright, bold colors and assorted candies. Smelling a photo opportunity I entered to look around.
Individually-wrapped candies overflowed from big, metal-banded barrels. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I spoke to the owner, Mark, who shared that he used to be a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News before moving to San Francisco, where he “married into” the candy-store business. He took me to the back room and showed me the fudge-making facilities, where two young men, (one an SFSU broadcasting and engineering major) worked staggered 8-hour shifts making their famous fudges (65 different kinds), and chocolate candies.
Mark hasn’t stopped taking photos though- he still takes all the product photos for the catalog and website, and has some photos of a toy robot on the walls of the shop.
At night, North Beach comes alive. Young locals flock to bars off Columbus like Grant and Green, The Saloon, and even the King of Thai noodle house and bar- a local secret where you can get $5 Thai food and $2 pints.
A more upscale, non-local crowd seeks out the restaurants on Columbus mentioned earlier in this post, while locals and tourists of all ages (well, not quite ALL ages) visit the strip clubs on Broadway.
North Beach is a diverse neighborhood that changes drastically in price, crowd, atmosphere, and clientele from block to block.
I look forward to discovering more of the neighborhood’s secrets as the semester progresses.
Pizza, Pasta, Kerouac and Strippers 
