San Francisco. Sentimental expatriates say, “You can leave it—but it never leaves you.” It has three approaches by land, only one of which is free. It is full of fleas that bite only tourists and…
Posts published by “Herb Caen”
Historic parks being sold down the drain for a mess of parkage, bearded beatniks seeking peace of mind by chewing Zen-Zen, grown men fighting like kids over a multimillion-dollar stadium dedicated to a child’s game.…
World War II hit Baghdad by the Bay like a ton of block busters. Overnight the self-contained, self-satisfied city whose population had stood absolutely still for a decade was transformed into a major Port of…
Being a fun-loving San Franciscan (redundant) I play a lot of games in this hallowed space—self cancelling phrases (working press). Namepheraks (Fran and Bill Flesher own a nudist resort near San Berdoo) commute firm names…
Mr. and Mrs. San Francisco are drawn irresistibly to the sea on a sunny Sunday. They drive in droves through Golden Gate Park, straining for that first glimpse of the water. They spread out along…
The biggest Chinatown outside of Asia. Where 30,000 people are crowded into a few blocks, so they can attract tourists and disease. Chinatown. Beloved indulgently and condescendingly by the rest of San Francisco—as long as…
The warden of one of the world’s largest and most overcrowded penitentiaries might reasonably be expected to be a burly, hard-spoken disciplinarian, packing a gun as he shoulders his way through the-prison yard and living…