“Pick a street, any street. Okay, Polk Street.” (For Charlotte and Amelia)

Polk Street, one block east of Van Ness, is another street I never pay much attention to. I don’t know why; parts of it are historical and entertaining. Besides, any street that connects to a cable car line deserves exploring. It runs from Market Street at the Tenderloin past the government buildings where the city’s civic leaders make all of their wise decisions, (pause for yays and boos) and ends up in touristville. (Thumbnail images)

  

We’ll start at the Polk Street entrance to City Hall. I don’t know what this patriotic event from long ago was, but I don’t think they do things like this around here anymore. (San Francisco Public Library Archives)

  

You can’t drive a car up City Hall Steps anymore, either. That, PROBABLY, wouldn’t go over too good nowadays. (Shorpy Archives)

  

An opensfhistorg.org picture, looking north from Golden Gate Avenue in 1920: The large building in the center background is the California Hall, a “splendid survivor” since 1912: I had to look up who George B. Seitz was from the billboard on the right. He was a screenwriter and director of films from 1914 until his death in 1944. His serial film ‘Pirate Gold’ is now considered a lost film. (Source, Wikipedia)

  

Polk Street looking north from California Street in 1974: Mug Root Beer ads were on MUNI buses all over town back then, including one in a scene from the 1971 film ‘The Organization’ starring Sidney Poitier. (SFGate)

  

A Polk Street princess walking her pet raccoon on the southeast corner of California and Polk Streets during the 1970s: In any other city that might seem weird, but in San Francisco…… that seems weird! (Street Scenes of San Francisco)

 Well, the Littleman Grocery Store building, at 2139 Polk Street, is still around. “Little man, you’re in the dizzy Bay.” (San Francisco Public Library Archives)

   

Polk Street, looking north from Vallejo Street on a rainy 1940s day: (San Francisco Public Library)

  

You can’t see it in the previous comparison picture, but the building where Sherry’s Liquors was is still around.

  

Polk Street stops northward at the Maritime Museum on Beach Street. The Ghirardelli Square Building is in the right background of both pictures. (SFMTA / San Francisco Pictures Blog)