I haven’t visited Fisherman’s Wharf for awhile, so I stopped by over the Memorial Day Weekend. It’s definitely not what it was before 2020, but it’s still a tourist trap, still fun to visit, and Jefferson at Taylor is still the heart of the Wharf. (Thumbnail images)
Taylor and Jefferson in 1954: “It’s all about the cars”. (opensfhistory.org)
Looking east during the 1950s: I remember the Sea Captain’s Chest as a kid, but it didn’t survive the 70s. That’s the SkyStar Wheel in the background of the modern photo. (fishermanswharf.org)
Looking north during the 1950s, when they still had the gas station there that was designed to look like a ship. That’s a mean looking lady in the crosswalk of the old picture! (Vintage Roadside)
Looking south toward Russian Hill: I got a reasonable line up on this one, but picked the wrong time of day. (opensfhistory.org)
The southwest corner of Taylor and Jefferson Streets: I always thought that the Tokyo Sukiyaki Restaurant must have felt out of place near Alioto’s, Tarantino’s, Castagnola’s, and Sabella & LaTorre’s, but they probably served good food, if that was your taste. (San Francisco Main Library Archives)
Looking toward the northwest corner of Taylor and Jefferson in 1937: You can see Pier 45, where the Musee Mecanique is today, on the right of both pictures. (opensfhistory.org)
San Francisco Film Locations Then & Now 
Oh my! To the far left of the mean lady in the crosswalk is an white Roadmaster! It is like mine but a few decades older. It’s all about the cars! I am not so keen on those Canary Island date palms in that particular situation.
I kind of like them, although they are somewhat incongruous to an area that was created as a fisherman’s lagoon.
It is gratifying to know that an expert of San Francisco culture is fond of them. You know better than I what sort of change is appropriate there.