Mission Mission

I moved to 18th and Dolores in 1993. Among all the changes that the neighborhood has gone through since then, somehow, just outside the hustle and bustle, this intersection remains the same. The four corners here haven’t changed in decades.

A block away at 18th and Guerrero Carl’s became Tartine. Quality Junk and Bruce’s little shop where I’d get my hair cut got gobbled by Tartine and Delfina. Bi Rite changed from the dusty place where I got my catfood, to . . . you know, what it is now. Anna’s, where you could get cookies for diabetics, is Farina’s.

Stand in the middle of this intersection (watch out for cars) and look around you, for now, you’ll still see the old neighborhood. The one I moved to, the one that was there before me. Robert’s little world beat music store is gone. Al’s Comics has moved. But these four corners persist.

And now we’re on the sidewalk at 16th and Mission.”

Does anyone else notice that there are a lot of cops around tonight?

Low-Prof Plainclothes stopping dealers; Blue-Suited Busters pulling over people who don’t have a license and barely seem able to drive (seen here); and Red Zone Rollers lurking in their cars, watching the 16th and Mission Thursday Slam Jam.

Really curious about the idea behind this one.

Someone put some nice new things here a little while ago, a bench and potted trees, seemingly trying to make it feel a little more . . . Noe Valley? But the transition seems to be a little bumpy.

Coke down. Bummer, dude. He was really calm about it, just getting them back up. He didn’t want any help. In his defense, I’ve seen this happen before to other people at this exact corner.

Saved! This wall is diligently buffed, but this time somebody decided to save it. Not sure who made the call, but it’s pretty neat.

Original post.

A time gone by. Lost and maybe forgotten. A day of old. Before they invented smiling.

16th near Shotwell. The wall that’s always tagged and buffed. Hopefully we’ll be able to see this one for a little while.

Go Yanks. That’s right. I’m a Yankees fan, so what. So is this guy.

If you happen to be missing a mattress, I may have found a clue. On Capp Street, of course.