October weather

October is definitely here; the Fleet’s in, vampires are prowling around Nob Hill, the World Series and Halloween are just around the corner, and as of this second week of October, the weather in San Francisco is just perfect for picture taking.

Witches at the Embarcadero Center in 1989: (SF Chronicle)

The 1936 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie ‘Follow the Fleet’ (one of their best) shows a scene with what was probably a stock photo of the navy fleet sailing into San Francisco Bay under an unfinished Golden Gate Bridge. On October 5^th, I got a chance to watch the fleet sail in again under the bridge for the beginning of Fleet Week, albeit, not as many ships. It sure is good to see those sailors standing at attention for the city of San Francisco!

October is a great month to walk around exploring San Francisco. Here’s a neat 1970 picture taken on the southwest corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue looking toward the Chinatown Gate. (Rob Ketcherside)

In 1966, just four years earlier than the previous photo and across Grant Avenue on the southeastern corner of Grant and Bush, this great photo from the Shorpy Archives was taken before the Chinatown Gate was built.

A couple of lols (No, not laugh out louds) on the corner of Geary Blvd and Powell Street, across from Union Square, in 1975:

Mayhem at the Mint! The old San Francisco Mint Building on the northwest corner of Mission and 5^th Streets is seen in the vintage picture taken just after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Built in 1874, it’s been closed for years, but not this month.  Opening today in the Mint and running through Halloween is a frightening sounding attraction called ‘Terror Vault’. These things are usually pretty scary, but I may take a Xanax and check it out.

A witch above the San Francisco Academy of Art University on Sutter Street: I couldn’t get a date on the vintage picture, but it’s definitely not recent. (SF Chronicle)