The Sightline into San Francisco

 “Just Thinking”

I was reflecting on how much the sightline into San Francisco changed over the years, thinking back on the view from the back seat of the family station wagon, so many things have changed and although many of my memories are fuzzy, some are quite clear, I did have to cheat a bit and search some stuff to see what I could find to bolster my recollection in some cases.

One of my vivid memories is of the giant Mr. Peanut sign on top of the Planters Peanuts building; it also had little Mr. Peanuts on the parapet surrounding the building. When we saw Mr. Peanut, we knew that we were almost home, the factory was located at the intersection of Bayshore Boulevard and Paul Avenue which was one exit away from our house. The company closed the factory in 1976, and the following year, U-Haul took over the property, making it a moving and storage facility, which is still there today.

Then were then there were some other signs near Potrero Hill that stick in my mind. The Hamm's Brewery had a large neon sign that was 20 ft. by 80 ft. it was topped with a three-dimensional, 13-foot-tall beer glass that appeared to fill and empty with illuminated beer complete with a foamy head. 

Then there was the large Coca-Cola sign that was an iconic landmark for over eight decades. I found out that it was installed in 1937 on top of the roof of the building at the corner of Fifth and Bryant Streets, it was an illuminated billboard that stood 112 feet above street level and welcomed drivers going to or from the Bay Bridge. Over the years, the sign underwent several updates to maintain its prominence. Despite its historical significance, Coca-Cola decided not to renew the lease for the billboard in 2020, it is said to have cost over $100,000 to take the sign down.

The Hills Brothers Coffee sign was prominently displayed atop the historic Hills Brothers Coffee building located at 2 Harrison Street, near the Embarcadero. The sign featured the company's name in large, illuminated letters, with the company’s symbol known as “The Taster”. While not situated directly on the highway the sign was visible from the101.

Some of the other signage visible from the freeway included Anchor Steam Beer, Folgers Coffee, Lucky Lager and Falstaff Beer. Remembering these sights also made me think of the old Embarcadero Freeway. 

The Embarcadero Freeway was double-decked and ran along San Francisco's northeastern waterfront. It was a great route that ran across Mission Bay where Chase and Oracle now are, in front of the Ferry Building with several downtown exits including Bay Street and Broadway Street. The Embarcadero Freeway was severally damaged in the 1989 earthquake and was torn down in 1991.

Coming into San Francisco from the south has had one of the most noticeable changes to the sight line, South San Francisco is still the Industrial City as it boasts in its large letters on San Bruno Mountain but missing from the mountain are the multitude of radio towers that became useless once Sutro Tower came online. To the right as you cross the causeway there is a hole where Candlestick Park used to stand, with a sigh I think about all of the shared memories of Niners and Giants games of days gone by.

Let me know what you think.

@ChuckBarberini - #ChuckBarberiniRealEstate - @ChuckBarberiniRealEstate

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