Synopsis of these photos: run AS FAST AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN from buildings made of brick or with any sort of facade in the event of an earthquake:

Yes, definitely avoid footbridges:

More pictures here.

We’re all familiar with the photos of bent rails from 1906 — case in point, 20th and Valencia — I think the photo below remind us why BART likes to slow down after earthquakes.

(Sources embedded in all images.)

Northbound BART train in Marin County leaving Sausalito (February, 1961)

BART passengers on platform (September 1960) (aka “Mad Men on a train”)

BART passengers on train (September 1960) (Hey, triplets on a train!)

And can ever forget the view from BART over the GGB?

Just call YUkon 2-9838 to express your support for BART to Marin County:

(Dear BBC — subjunctive tense, please.  “If Burning Man WERE staged at…”)

Now before you conservatives get too excited, we’ve got a ways to go before you can make your ancient Rome/SF parallels:

27 BC – 14 AD: Augustus
14 AD – 37 AD: Tiberius
37 AD – 41 AD: Caligula
41 AD – 54 AD: Claudius
54 AD – 68 AD: Nero

And we’ve already had our fires (other than 1906 and 1989):

1849: Dec 24
1850: May 4
1850: Jun 14
1850: Sep 17
1851: May 3
1851: Jun 22

(Note to SF, watch out for May and June.)

Telstar Logisitics has more on how these events relate to our city seal:

(At least there’s no fiddle.)

See also: Burning Man Subverts The Mission

Another tremendously historic and cultural reference they include is Burning Man. Each year, the Mission depopulates and seeks the sun on the playa. Here is the camp’s relative size superimposed over the 94110:

Here’s a 2006 satellite photo of the camp itself that I cropped and masked:

(underlying satellite photo via culturalvision.net via spaceimaging.com)

Of course, with everyone out of town, the Mission kind of feels like this:

(via Ulrich Munstermann /Flickr )

or this:

(Bonus points if you figure out the underwater canyon.)

The population shift means lines for these are very short:

(mimosas via Flickr/Joe Shlabotnik)

However, given the recent fire at Boogaloos, I strongly suspect sabotage by those currently at Burning Man in an effort to maintain long brunch lines in the Mission in their absence. (We will retaliate by dramatically lowering water pressure upon your return.)

Anyone more creative than me who wants to superimpose your own dramatic image over the Mission (hmm, subimpose, I suppose?) feel free to use this tranparent PNG in your image editor of choice. If it’s particularly clever we can upload it here.

See also: Insert Nero Joke Here.

(hint)

A flight taking off from Bernal Airport (moonlit 60 second exposure at 11 pm)

Totally blind shot holding my iPhone in front of a telescope.

If I didn’t know any better, I think I caught someone and their dog – two extremely zoomed and grainy shots. See the arms?

(Or maybe it’s a centaur. Or a 25 to 30 foot snake. I can’t quite tell.)

Anyway, other gratuitous Bernal shots from my backyard:

Moon rising through Bernal trees:

Previous Bernal-Moon shots here.

And the obligatory 180 panorama (click to zoom):

Hmm, these houses look familiar. Like they are historical or something.

Wait a minute:

Oh, that’s right, it was next to the old Recreation Park baseball grounds from 1880. Looking west from what’s now Treat, between 25th and 26th. I am officially naming these houses “The Folsom Ladies”.

You were eating on the GHOSTS OF BASEBALL PAST! (But that’s cool, given they were eating and drinking on that spot before your great-great grandparents were born.)

If this intrigues you, please do click on this post.

A photography project focusing on
San Francisco neighborhoods
200 yards at a time.

The first installment of 200 Yards — Valencia & 24th — last Wednesday at Heart, was packed.

Behold our 218 vara circle of interest:

The exhibit is up at Heart until September 20th, so go buy some scallops and a jar of red and stare at the wall for a while (or better yet buy something).

In the meantime, look upon my panoramas, ye mighty, and despair!

Click to zoom – Armand‘s are the 4 black & white shots in the center. As for the others, I lost my photo list so I sadly have no idea who took which photos.

I liked the set of street signs, though the standard curved panorama didn’t do them justice:

So I deployed my advanced and ever subtle shift-sideways panorama technique (note my multiple shadows). Once again, click to zoom for 2800 pixel wide madness.

And for some historical perspective:

The US Coast Survey Map near what will be 24th and Valencia in 1859. Racetracks, a small settlement along the road to San Jose just north of Precita Creek and Serpentine Ave (anyone know the story on that one?) The Bernal Racho is just visible at the bottom).

…and 1869, roads in place, previous settlement gone. San Francisco and San Jose RR cuts through the hood.

1889 Sanborn map of the 200 Yard area (quick and dirty paste, not my best work, lots of alignment issues, sorry).

Here’s the block that Heart is on. Heart was an empty field, the gas station was a drug store and two saloons (surprise), there was a candy factory in the middle of the block.  There was a chinese laundry, a butcher and another saloon (surprise) on the corner of 23rd and Valencia.

(Google Earth’s image overlay is really starting to piss me off — how about some upgrades? Drag and drop of images? Better resolution?  Tiling tools?  Grrrr.) Anyway, the unlayered map.

Much more to discuss in the area, but that will have to wait for another time. And thus concludes your history lesson, enjoy the weekend.

Sutro, Silo. Silo, Sutro.

And the view of the silos from the Mad Max Compound Building Resources.

No fog to be found in India Basin or Islais Landing, just whisking over Twin Peaks.

Amazing this area isn’t developed. But given this summer’s fog, and the certain increased fogginess associated with global warming, I am sure folks will flee here, leaving the Richmond and Sunset to revert to dunes.

Islais panorama (3000 pixels) – click to enlarge.

Please reference this picture in 30 years for its comically empty appearance.

La Lengua’s is too obvious to show.

But I admit I’m having trouble with my pinky on the one for the Mission – I guess that’s because I wasn’t born here. But I shall persevere (especially since there’s not one for Bernal).