Monday, June 30, 2008

More Named Apartments

Check out these additional named apartments from reader tips.

First, the Anita apartments at 6th & Lincoln. Thanks, Cormac.

Next, go to "trogdor"'s Flickr page and see the Sunset Apartments, including the rock garden in the entry. Nice details.

And finally, from the Richmond District, The other Parkview Apartments.

Hard to tell from the awful photo I took through the dirty windshield of a moving vehicle, but you've probably seen them. Right on the corner of 25th and Lincoln Fulton.

Friday, June 27, 2008

You Are My Sunshine...


...when skies are grey


This two unit building, built in 1978, caught my eye one sunny day.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Lawton School

This is Lawton Alternative Elementary School, located on 31st Ave at (surprise!) Lawton.


There are photos in the SFPL Historic Photo collection. I couldn't find exactly when the school was built, but it was in or just before 1937, judging by the captions on the photos.

The most interesting part is the entrance. There is tile on the walls and ceiling.


Interesting windows.
Years and years of patina on the doors.


This is looking to the right of the entrance.


There is an abundance of glass block.


According to the photos, there was an addition built in 1950.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Apartment Names

I love it when apartment buildings have names. Is it me or are there fewer and fewer these days?

Here is a batch of named buildings I have photographed to date.


The Park West runs along Lincoln, behind Andronico's:

Saint Anne's is nearby:


The Parkview Apartments even have a shield above the entrance:



Bonus 1970's tile, doors, and yellow glass at the Parkway Apartments on 10th & Lincoln:


And the best for last. The Sunset Apartments at 8th & Irving.



Friday, June 20, 2008

Aloha

... from the uncharacteristically warm Sunset.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Epiphany at 9th and Moraga


I grew up in Golden Gate Heights. I went back yesterday to take some pictures of the closed "corner store". I was taking pictures of this one, the one we mainly went to...

then I looked over at the other former "corner store".

And I realized that these two differently-styled buildings, which I walked or drove by thousands of times, embody what I love about Sunset architecture.

I would pass this intersection every day after school, often stopping for a Coke. I'm not sure why, but I usually went to the 1930's looking one. My best friend lived on the other side of the street, so if I was with her we went to the Mediterranean looking one.


They had the newspaper on display, and I remember watching the death toll from the Jonestown massacre rise day by day. Made quite the impression on a little girl.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Hot?


Looks like it may be warm in the Sunset today.
If you're missing the fog, here's something to cool you off:


This apartment building circa 1964 doesn't give off many warm fuzzies.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Welcome

Welcome to new readers who may have stumbled by here after reading the article about Sunset District blogs in the San Francisco Chronicle. If you didn't see it, make sure to check the other local blogs mentioned:

The N Judah Chronicles
The Avenues Blog
Step Down

I started this blog because I had a quite a few photos of the neighborhood I had taken while I was out walking around. I just love our at times quirky architecture. The blend of Victorian, Mediterranean, and 1930's & '40's modern.

I thought other people might be interested in the same things I am. The little details; the history of our neighborhood; funny things like mis-spelled street names.

Is it Pink?

It is no secret to people who know me that I love the color pink. Is this building pink?

I'm not sure, but it really brightens up a foggy day in the Sunset.


I love the paint job and the little details that have been kept. Like these garage door opening guards.
















Here's the front entrance:

Look up and there is a wealth of little details.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Minor Mysteries Solved

While I was looking for a map to see when street sweeping occurs on the far away block I parked my vehicle, I discovered what this building is. Just a substation. A pink substation.

This vault cover at 37th and Judah made me wonder.

Why would City College be linked all the way out here? Probably obvious to most, but CCSF, which I always associate with the school, really stands for City and County of San Francisco and DTIS is the Department of Technology and Information Services. Perhaps it's a link to the N Shelter which announces when the trains are allegedly coming?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Thirty Something

What's wrong with this?


Well, I was standing at this corner:


It's not actually a typo. Just looks like the "thirty" got filled in when the ramp was built.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Matchy Matchy

I like it when people keep their old garage doors, which quite often match the side door into the garage.

This house matches even more, it even has matching shutters.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Decades Apart...

...yet right next door.

These caught my eye because, well, you know how I feel about 1970's architecture. Then I realized that there are few 1970's single family homes, they are mostly apartments.

These four houses encompass a wide range of decades. From the right: 1906, 1978, 1978, 1919.

On just the next block is another range of building dates. The house on the left was built in 1908. The one on the right in 1919, and remodeled in the 1970's, I'm guessing by the shingled mansard. And to the right of that, just an edge shown, 1924.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Tile on Lawton

The tile on this storefront at 25th and Lawton is amazing.

And notice that the walls aren't smooth, they undulate which adds even more movement to the tile design.


It was built in 1936.


I've heard there was a Sun Valley Market at 25th and Lawton. Does anyone know if it was here?