NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2014 – WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO (#3 in a series) – part 5 of 5

Window Decorations, Hotel Potter, 1288 Mission Street

Hotel Potter Lobby

Hotel Potter Inrterior

Hotel Potter Christmas Tree

Lobby, St. Clare's Hotel, 1334 Bush Street

Christmas lights, homeless lean-to, Fern Alley

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/31/14

NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2014 – WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO (#3 in a series) - part 4 of 5

The Magazine, 920 Larkin Street

Songbird Studios, 1463 Pine Street

Sunset Pearls Design Studio, 1623 California Street

Interior, California Tobacco Center, 1501 Polk Street

Tia Piacera, 1507 Polk Street

Soda Popinski's, 1548 California

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/30/14

NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2014 – WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO (#3 in a series) - part 3 of 5

More photos of neighborhood holiday decorations. 

Smokin' Aces,  1108 Polk Street

Donuts & Things, 1549 Polk Street

City Beauty Salon,  1610 Polk Street

Moka and Dunya Cafes, 1605-09 Polk Street

Liquid Gold, 1040 Hyde Street

Salon Flux, 1042 Hyde Street

I meant to put these up sooner, but life had other plans. I still have a few more, but not for today.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/29/14

NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2014 – WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO (#3 in a series) - part 2 of 5

More holiday decorations from Polk Street.

Lights, Hemlock Alley

Rosalie's, 1215 Polk Street

Mayes and McTeague's, 1233 and 1237 Polk Street, respectively

Jacob's Juice Bar, 1428 Polk

Interior, Jacob's Juice Bar

Fresco Pizza-Shawerma, 1338 Polk 

Terrasol by day, 1742 Polk

Terrasol by night, 1742 Polk Street

Happy holidays, 

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/24/14

NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 2014 – WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO (#3 in a series) - part 1 of 5

When it comes to how I feel about Christmas, it depends on the year. The last several years have been good, and this year, fortunately, continues the trend.

One of the reasons I like living where I do are the number of christmas lights and decorations so many put up along Polk Street. It makes walking along it at night a visual treat at this time of year.

The rest of the blog this week is going to be daily updates of photos of the many holiday lights and decorations many along Polkstrasse (as it used to be known) and nearby streets.

Happy holidays,

Lights across Cedar Street between Post and Geary

SFFD Station 3, 1067 Post

Jackalope, 1092 Post Street

New India Bazaar, 1107 Polk Street

Interior, New India Bazaar

Felicity's Fetiche, 1214 Sutter

Wash N Go Laundromat, 1305 Polk

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/23/14

HOMELESS CHRISTMAS TREE

Outside the BART Station, Market & 8^th

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/22/14

NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSINGS (#5 in a series)

As many already know, Lombardi Sporting Goods will be closing after 66 years of business in San Francisco.

I don't know what the new building going up there will look like, but I doubt the outside will be as colorful as Lombardi's.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/19/14

CHILDHOOD’S END

The graffiti below was drawn on the back wall of Redding Elementary School. It was quickly painted over.

When I saw it, I thought: ‘Right. That’s what childhood is for a lot of kids – a time of crushed spirits and strangled lives' – and for some, a childhood that never begins at all.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/18/14

NEIGHBORHOOD SANTA CON 2014

The following pictures were taken Saturday afternoon at various locations along lower Polk Street during this year's Santa Con. The white dots in some of the photos are artificial snowflakes courtesy of Playland Bar.

Santas outside Royal Liquors, Pine and Polk

Santas as far as the eye can see

Outside Playland Bar, Pine and Polk

Motorized Cable Car Santa Elves

Santas massing at Hemlock Alley

Samtas got back

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/16/14

NEIGHBORHOOD BLACKOUT

The big storm last of Thursday wiped out electricity for more about 6 hours in my neighborhood, from a little after 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. Unfortunately, I had to be out that morning, and managed to take these photos.

Trader Joe’s and CVS were dark at 10 a.m.

No lights anywhere on California, whether looking west toward Polk

or east toward the bay.

Even St. Francis Hospital was dark, operating on only one generator.

But the best photo was this one,

of a lone, beleaguered city employee working to unclog a massively backed-up sewer at Bush and Hyde Streets.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/13/14

SAN FRANCISCO OLD AND NEW (#3 in a series)

Brownie’s Hardware, at the southwest corner of Sacramento and Polk,

Brownies, 1563 Polk Street

currently has a photo taken before 1906 displaying the original Brownie’s Hardware & Toys when it was located on the opposite corner.

What I like about this photograph is this detail:

Over 100 years later, the Shirley Hotel (without the backwards ‘S’) is still located at 1544 Polk Street,

now offering affordable, low-cost housing in a two-tiered city.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 12/10/14