Abandoned San Francisco Bay Area


Book Description

Series statement from publisher's website.




Abandoned East Bay San Francisco


Book Description

The San Francisco East Bay is home to a large and expanding variety of graffiti artists. In this collection of cities, you can find their expressions and experimentations in secret places that hold surprising bursts of color, pattern, and texture. This area is centered in two bustling cities: Oakland and Berkeley. These two adjacent cities hold a diverse population of over 500,000 people. But to locals, it also includes tiny Emeryville, which is pocketed in between these two cities; the quaint island city of Alameda, which is a short bridge away from Oakland; San Leandro on the outskirts of Oakland to the South; and the gritty city of Richmond to the north of Berkeley. This geographic area is lovingly called "the East Bay." Xan Blood Walker resonates strongly with the aesthetic these artists bring to the area. Coming from a background of being a homeless, drug addicted punk rocker in the 80s, she transformed herself into a recovering psychotherapist, art therapist, and photographer. In these hidden spaces, she finds the magic and tragic beauty that was once her world.




Bay Area Graffiti


Book Description

Fabled as a region that embraces freedom of expression in all of its guises, the San Francisco Bay Area has long been a world-renowned cultural hotbed. Bay Area Graffiti is the first comprehensive retrospective of the area's vibrant contemporary street-art scene. Documented by the distinctive photographic eye of Steve Rotman, the book's images showcase innovative art made all over the Bay Area, as well as how it blends into the region's stunning landscapes. Having befriended so many of the Bay Area's major writers and street artists, Rotman provides intimate profiles of dozens of artists from the Bay Area alongside photos of their work. Bay Area Graffiti is for fans of street art and photography the world over!




Bay Curious


Book Description

Curious about the San Francisco Bay Area? With explorations into unique local legends, interesting landmarks, and uncovered histories, Bay Curious is a fun, quirky guide to the secret stories of the Bay Area for visitors, newcomers, and California natives alike. Who was America's first and only Emperor? Why are there ships buried under the streets of San Francisco? Was the word "hella" really created in the East Bay? Bay Curious brings you the answers to these questions and much more through fun and fascinating illustrated deep-dives into hidden gems of Bay Area trivia, history, and culture. Based on the award-winning KQED podcast of the same name, Bay Curious brings a fresh eye to some of its most popular pieces and expands to cover stories unique to this book. With subjects ranging from Marin's redwood forests to the Winchester Mystery House, from the Black Panther Party's school program to the invention of the Mai Tai, Bay Curious gives you the entertaining and informative, weird and wonderful true stories of the San Francisco Bay Area. NOT YOUR AVERAGE GUIDEBOOK: Bay Curious takes a unique approach to exploring the Bay Area through its lesser known but just as fascinating stories, taking readers on a reportorial rather than literal tour. BEYOND THE PODCAST: With 49 entries—inspired by the famous 49-Mile Drive—Bay Curious includes a combination of updated popular episodes from the podcast and brand-new, never-before-heard stories researched for the book, plus fun illustrations and irresistible trivia sidebars. GIFT OR SELF-PURCHASE FOR SF ENTHUSIASTS: For anyone living in San Francisco or visiting with a goal of getting beyond the beaten tourist path, this volume holds a treasure trove of inspiration for an armchair adventure or self-guided tour. Perfect for: Bay Area locals and new arrivals A fun and unique San Francisco reference book for tourists and visitors Fans of the KQED podcast History buffs Anyone who enjoys unexpected, quirky true stories




The San Francisco Bay Area


Book Description







Lost Department Stores of San Francisco


Book Description

In the late nineteenth century, San Francisco's merchant princes built grand stores for a booming city, each with its own niche. For the eager clientele, a trip downtown meant dressing up--hats, gloves and stockings required--and going to Blum's for Coffee Crunch cake or Townsend's for creamed spinach. The I. Magnin empire catered to a selective upper-class clientele, while middle-class shoppers loved the Emporium department store with its Bargain Basement and Santa for the kids. Gump's defined good taste, the City of Paris satisfied desires for anything French and edgy, youth-oriented Joseph Magnin ensnared the younger shoppers with the latest trends. Join author Anne Evers Hitz as she looks back at the colorful personalities that created six major stores and defined shopping in San Francisco.




Secret Stairs: East Bay


Book Description

Revised and Updated in September 2020! The hills of the East Bay contain one of the finest and densest urban hiking environments in the state of California—more than 400 paved pathways and public staircases lattice up and down the slopes of Berkeley and Oakland alone. Rising high above the city centers, with towering views of the San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge, and San Francisco itself, these elegant civic walking trails—many of them shaded in oaks and redwoods, and many unknown even to local residents—present a unique landscape for both the casual walker and dedicated hiker. Charles Fleming, the Southern California author whose bestselling 2010 walking guide Secret Stairs turned the hidden public staircases of Los Angeles into popular hiking trails, now turns his eyes northward. For Secret Stairs: East Bay, Fleming has designed more than 30 individual hiking loops. Linking multiple staircases into one-to two-hour self-guided strolls, these urban treks will delight the tourist, newly arrived Berkeley undergraduate, and veteran Bay Area resident alike. The circular walks, each calibrated by length, difficulty, and duration—and each accompanied by a detailed, easy-to-follow map—are sprinkled with fascinating facts about the historic staircases, the historic homes around them, and the famous Bay Area characters who gave them their names. Walk the walks of Bret Harte, Mark Twain, and John Muir! Climb Berkeley’s massive Fred Herbert and Tamalpais Paths, hike Easter Way, and summit Sunset Trail! Mount Oakland’s Oakmore stairs, then tackle the hills of Upper Rockridge and Crocker Highlands via the public staircases. And do it all within easy walking distance from BART or bus stops, free parking, and excellent Bay Area cafés.