It is! Thanks!

Both the tour and the neighborhood have more character than most! Thanks for commenting!

Wow, John, thanks for sharing your story! It’s amazing how just one neighborhood can mean so much to so many people, and how that spirit still exists.

Thanks, Doreen! I’m not much for tours in general, except walking tours. I don’t usually like group activities, but somehow walking tours manage to feel more personal, even when I don’t already have a connection to the place!

The b-roll and narration kept me from moving on to the next channel. The familiarity of the sights and sounds of the street life peeked my interest even more. Then, much to my surprise, there was Virginia, a dear family friend and neighbor, being interviewed (“60 Minutes” style). She was sharing her personal insight of what it was like to live in the Haight during those times! A perspective that is rarely shared from a true native. It was blast from the past!

Years later, my life partner and I were giving a friend (who had moved from Michigan to SF) a walking tour of the Haight. I stopped to point out a detail of Haight Street and reflect on its evolution from my perspective as I child in the 60’s. It was then, a stranger overheard my conversation and (much to my surprise) proceeded to contribute to the discussion. I was intrigued by this man’s knowledge, but assumed he was a transplant. I politely challenged his expertise by commenting that my family had a restaurant on Haight St. since 1916 (for 60 years) and my brother managed a popular flower shop across from the original site of Haight Theater. Surprisingly, he knew of my brother and was aware that his health had taken a turn for the worst in the late 80’s. A victim of the early days of the AIDS epidemic in SF.

The man introduced himself as Stannous Fluoride. What a small world. He would eventually asked me for my email address. A request I would generally be reluctant to give to any stranger. Well, I obliged and I’m so glad I met him that one and only day. Since then, I look forward to his historically rich, informative emails of my hometown. Although I don’t live there anymore, I do try to pay it forward. I’ve been giving tours of SF since the late 80’s, but very much like that of Stannous Fluoride…..with a personal touch! And of course, my old neighborhood, is one of the highlights, but I show them that there is more to the “Haight”, than just the five block stretch of Haight St. There’s a neighborhood rich with history that goes beyond the 60’s.

The old adage: “You can take the boy out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the boy!” rings true.