Local thirtysomething David Enos recalls a bygone era:
It’s been jarring to notice that nearly all of the local landmarks of my 20’s have disappeared. They weren’t meant to last into this new era; even back then their appeal was in how surprising it was to find them. Action Camera, CALA foods, The Video Cafe, the upstairs room at the Edinburgh Castle, Musee Mecanique at the Cliff House, Johnny Appleseed’s, Nap’s, Petra Cafe, Irving 5 & 10, the 100 Van Ness building, Koko’s Cocktails, Video Zone, Into Video, Salvation Army on Sutter, Indian copy and printing place on 16th and Guerrero, mysterious corner store run by lone elderly woman on Guerrero and 17th, Adobe Books, Stacy’s Books, Kayo Books, Borders, Tower Records, the Gold Dust, Ace Cafe, the Red Vic, Lumiere, Alexandria, Coronet and Bridge theaters. [link]
Yeah dude I’ll always miss those amazing bloody marys at Nap’s, and I was way bummed when they shuttered that Borders to make room for Zeitgeist.
But at least we’ve got that great short film about the Ace Cafe, and the 100 Van Ness TV series (and zine).
But Kayo isn’t closed…
http://www.kayobooks.com/
Might as well be, considering the hours they keep.
Is 100 Van Ness going anywhere? I thought they were just replacing the facade!
Oh! I thought they were tearing it down, are they merely replacing the skin?
Yeah, they’re reskinning it and turning it into 399 apartments.
http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2012/04/100_van_ness_repurposed_redesigned_and_rendered.html
Blondie’s Pizza (not that shit excuse for it today), Leather Tongue, Rough Trade Records, Mission Records, 10 dolla hoes & decent crack for all.
seconded on Rough Trade. Also the Tower books/zines outlet on third st.
I remember that copy place – the one that let Swan come in to use the type-writer and fax his missives to the Herald Tribune?
I used to go there for internet and printing.
Remember Medjool?!
Pretty sure that mysterious corner store on 17th and Guerrero is still there. Either that or it was replaced by a new mysterious corner store.
There’s definitely still a mysterious store operated by a mysterious old lady there. Eery and delightful.
Everything goes away. You know why? Because otherwise, some poor schmuck would be stuck doing the same old shit, minding the same old store, year after year after year. Now imagine yourself in the same position.
not exactly the point of the post but I will give you points anyway because you said something anyway and I think thats what we’re supposed to do for each other; give each other gold stars for just talking right?
* 1/2
foxy fckn lady omfg
The Foxy Lady was my go to for so many things. I’m seriously bummed by it being closed.
add the Nite Cap and The Lusty Lady to that list…
best sound in that edinburgh castle upstairs room :’(
I never once walked in there without thinking, “I hope there isn’t a fire.”
I miss the Tip-Top on the corner of Mission and 26th. And Abandoned Planet books (and their cat!) on Valencia at 16th… as well as Zante’s Indian Pizza’s 16th St. location.
Omg Cafe Video….
Wait, was that the 24-hour Diner/video store on Geary? Because that place fucking ruled.
Yes! It was awesome.
I loved going there at like 4 in the morning, and there was invariably some sort of Jackie Chan or John Woo movie playing on all the TVs.
These are your memories? Very recent for the most part. You don’t want me to trot mine out. Real talk.
Especially since your old memories are of smelling my seed in your mom’s birth canal.