Rincon Hill, below Market Street, was originally the “Nabob” Hill of San Francisco in the mid 1800s. (Nabob, a reference to rich snobs, would be where Nob Hill got its name) Three developments would change the area of rich mansions into an industrial area, often neglected until the SoMa boom. The first was the “Second Street Cut” of 1869 that sliced Rincon Hill in two, and extended Second Street to where today’s Oracle Park and McCovey Cove are. The second was the 1906 Earthquake and Fire that basically wiped out the area, and the third was the approach to the Bay Bridge and what is now Highway 80. Little was left of Rincon Hill when much of it was leveled to support the western end foundation of the Bay Bridge. The hill is now a “high-density residential” area, (Wikipedia) with buildings that block most of the hill’s views, and not a lot of tourists put Rincon Hill on their visiting itinerary. However, it’s still an interesting, albeit invigorating, area for a walking tour. I dug out my trusty 2011 ‘City in your Pocket’ map to chart my tour, and noted with red numbers where my comparison pictures were taken. (Thumbnail images)
#1 We’ll start at Second and Federal Streets in 1915. The Dynamo PR Building, and another building in the left background are still around. (UC Berkeley Archives)
#2 Second Street, north of Bryant, in the 1930s: The approach to the Bay Bridge was under construction then. On the right in both photos, is the Clock Tower Building where Intershop Communications is now. Far in the background of the vintage picture you can see the Hobart Building on the left, and the Russ Building on the right. (UC Berkeley Archives)
#3 Stillman Street, referred to as a Viaduct in the 1935 picture, looking east toward the Clock Tower Building. With the freeway on my left, this is as close to a comparison as I could get. (UC Berkeley Archives)
#4 Here’s great 1918 picture from opensfhistory.org at Harrison and Second Streets. Now I’m guessing, and it’s not a bad guess, that the two buildings in the background are the same buildings. (opensfhistory.org)
#5 I’m not showing off my bravado, but this is not a safe place to take pictures; cars turn on to the Bay Bridge approach fast, and they don’t always pay attention to the edge of the road line. The 1973 view from First and Harrison Streets, looking north, is completely gone now, but I remember it, and I remember that “last stand” gas station that survived for years after this photo. (opensfhistory.org)
#6 Lansing Street, off of First: Now, there’s a street that you don’t think much about, although it was featured in the 1964 film ‘Good Neighbor Sam”. The vintage picture is from 1919. (opensfhistory.org)
#7 Harrison Street, looking east from Fremont Street in 1945: The fact that you can still see the Bay Bridge from here is nothing short of a miracle, but the view probably won’t last for long. (opensfhistory.org)
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