Public spaces change fast here in San Francisco, and for better or worse, it can be pretty crazy when you see what the City used to look like. Every week, we'll bring you Then & Now, a comparison of historic photos of the Bay Area with current views from the same perspective. Have a suggestion for a photo comparison that looks totally different (or shockingly the same)? Drop us a tip in the Curbed Inbox or leave a comment after the jump.
Quick note: See that vertical green bar in the middle of the then and now photos? You can move it horizontally to see the photos side by side.
[1954 Then photo: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY/ Now photo: Google Maps] Back during the Gold Rush, South San Francisco didn't refer to the area near the airport in San Mateo County, but instead was an area in today's Bayview between the Bay, Islais Creek and Visitacion Valley. John J. Ford & Emil Holje opened a saloon catering to the workers who lived in the area - immigrants working at shipyards, tanneries, bakeries, butchers, and more. The old stagecoach line designated as Railroad Avenue in 1878 and renamed Third Street in 1921. Ford & Holje located their saloon at what was then Railroad and 9th Aves in South San Francisco, today Third Street and Innes Ave in the Bayview. The lot went on to be split, and is now home to a combination KFC/Taco Bell.
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