Some of the fine Dave Glass pictures from the 1970s in this set give these San Francisco locations a hard-edge or seedy look, but also something of a quaint charm in a few of them that’s still there 40 to 45 years later.
18th and Mission Streets in 1979: E NIE RAABE FOR SHE IFF HE CARES HE KNO S. Well, if he was elected, I hope the first thing he straightened out was that sign.
The J Line drop from Liberty Street to Delores Park in 1974: Some of those old streetcars are the type they run along the vintage F Car Line along Market Street and the Embarcadero today. This area has the feel of old Brooklyn from movies like ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ when the streetcars rattle past.
Mission Street north of 18th Street in 1974: Lakeside Liquors is gone now. It may not have belonged here anyway; this is in the heart of the Mission District, and the nearest lake from here is probably across town in Golden Gate Park.
Ellis Street at Divisadero looking west in 1977: Road hog! Actually, this was a good thing. In the 1970s when they were demolishing many old Victorians in the Western Addition, some enterprising people bought a few of these old houses for “pennies on the dollar” and moved them to different locations. They are worth a LOT more today!
The J Line at 21st and Chattanooga Streets, heading south toward Noe Valley in 1974:
The northwest corner of Page and Octavia Streets in 1979: Wow, they had everything you need there; beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, Pepsi, 7up, sandwiches. How did fruit get in there?
San Francisco Film Locations Then & Now 
I don’t get the hard-edged or seedy look. I think that the older pictures look more familiar.
Yeah, that might be a little bit of an overstatement, although a few of the older pictures may appear a little uninviting. Actually they’re in well traveled and reasonably safe areas.
I find that old pictures of San Jose look worse, just because of the context. We expect San Francisco to look like a big city. San Jose should look like a big suburb. When I think of how unrefined it was just a few decades ago, it is sort of weird. I was just talking to someone at work about tumbleweeds. Not many remember those.
I get to San Jose a lot, Tony! Some of my family lives there. We always check out the Christmas decorations at St. James Park where the famous last lynching in California took place. I found some great vintage pictures of Downtown San Jose recently that I think you’d enjoy. I don’t know when I can do some then and nows on them, but if you like, I can send you the pictures. You’d be more familiar with the spots than I would.
Oh, I know the pictures. We all know them here. The men who hung were apprehended in Los Gatos. If you ever happen to see the old picture of the 1952 flood in Alviso, with a few people leaving the Bay View Foundry by boat, my great grandparents are there.
No, these are different pictures of First Street in San Jose during the 1940s. They’re really interesting pictures.
Oh, I was thinking of the pictures of the lynching in Saint James Park. I believe that was also on the side of the Park that is on First Street. There is no need to forward them, although I might be able to help identify them if necessary. Sadly, I do not have pictures to forward to you. My Pa has all of them up in Washington. There used to be great History of Los Gatos book that was updated every few years, but was sadly replaced by a newer but ridiculously inaccurate book written by a couple from England who believe that they are experts on our history. So many of the illustrations are not even in the Santa Clara Valley. I really do not know where they are! So much of our history got erased.
Tough but pretty. I’ll take it. Thank you my dear friend.
-J
Aw, you’re sweet! I enjoy doing these things, and I also enjoy it when I get a nice comment.