ONE DAY
YIWEN JIN
ON GEARY
ONE DAY
YIWEN JIN
ON GEARY
CONTENT 6 11 16 24 30 38
INTRODUCTION
IT’S GEARY
CHAPTER ONE
FINANCIAL DISTRICT CHAPTER TWO
TENDERLOIN CHAPTER THREE
JAPANTOWN CHAPTER FOUR
RICHMOND
DEDICATION
Introduction
IT’S GEARY
6
Generally, the Geary street is thought as a normal street. And the impression of the Geary could be even worse because it locates at the one of the most dangerous area in San Francisco. But why Geary? I think the most excited thing is the diversity. It is in the middle of the city and across the city, more than that, the Geary street and Geary Blvd passes four districts and each of them has their own unique characteristics. As a foreigner, it is a good chance for me to discover the different cultures and histories.
It’s Geary
7
Bus stop || Geary
Skyscrapers in downtown || Embarcadero Center
4
3
2
RICHMOND
JAPANTOWN
TENDERLOIN
Music: Chilly-Niki
Transport: Muni 38R
Time: 09:30~11:00 Sat
METROPOLIS IN THE WEST COAST The Financial District is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, that serves as its main central business district. It is home to the city’s largest concentration of corporate headquarters, law firms, insurance companies, real estate firms, banks, savings and loans, etc. All San Francisco Fortune 500 companies —McKesson, Wells Fargo, PG&E, Gap, Charles Schwab, and Salesforce.com—are located in the district. The area is marked by the cluster of high-rise towers in the triangular area east of Kearny Street, south of Washington Street, west of the Embarcadero that rings the waterfront, and north of Market Street. The city’s tallest buildings, including 555 California street and the Transamerica Pyramid, and others are located there. Montgomery Street is the traditional heart of the district.
1 FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Chapter 1
FINANCIAL DISTRICT 12
People cross street || Geary & Market
When I first came to this area, It reminded me of New York, Shanghai, even my hometown -Hangzhou. I’m familiar with this environment because my home in China is in this CBD area. As I know, most of those skyscrapers are using for offices, we can see the street always crowed and everyone looks earnest, they do face huge pressure if they can work in here. Bankers, stockbrokers, programmers, designers, all of those what we call Elites get together, makes the Financial district becomes a flourishing but also cruel place. When people off work, what left is just silence and the lonely street lamp. If I am one of them, I would get out of that place and go back to my comfortable home immediately. The night must be the best time during the day. Human is not the machine or the robot.
Financial District
Skyscrapers in downtown || Embarcadero Center
Walking to The Embarcadero Center, It’s the heartland of the Financial District. We can see the amazing building group on the west and the famous Transamerica Pyramid on the south. I can image the busy streets and the heavy traffic at here. On the contrary, I think even in this area, people still want to find a good way to life their life. The advantage of the modernization is convenience exist on everything. Shopping mall, restaurant, fitness center, cafe, those are what we get used nowadays.
13
Chapter 1
Dining car || Winter Walk
14
The owner of flower shop || Macy’s Shopping Mall
It’s the beginning of one day’s work when I arrived and I saw it. “Ok, let me grab my damx coffee and start to do the ‘ best’ work in the world!” I had an internship in a financial company, I know and understand many people need to fight against the demon in their hearts. As a spectator, I hope them can realize the God is always fair. When you solve a problem, that always means you are in progress. The dark side of success is keeping forward. That’s so hard even for me. Personally, if we do not want to lose ourselves in this big city, the only way is to recognize who you are and find the good aspects in your life. “I used to swim, but I’m ready to sink.” That’s a lyric I heard recently. It is quite simple to being a nobody, but I want to be somebody. That’s the purpose of life.
Financial District
“PEOPLE ALL WORK HARD HERE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE DREAMS.”
15
A lady looks at the NIKE’S billboard || Union Square
The union square is a one of the most famous spot in San Francisco. It connects history and the modern civilization. The giant Christmas tree and the winter walk appear at the December. It is the little joy and the break in our life. Flower store is much busier, that’s a good sign, which means more people spread their happiness to their friends, families, lovers, and to the world as well.
4
3
2
RICHMOND
JAPANTOWN
TENDERLOIN
Music: How It Is-Sen Morimoto
Transport: Muni 38R
Time: 16:45~19:30 Sat
URBAN MEMORY SUCCESSOR The Tenderloin is a neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, California, in the flatlands on the southern slope of Nob Hill, situated between the Union Square shopping district to the northeast and the Civic Center office district to the southwest. It encompasses about 50 square blocks, is a large wedge/triangle in shape (point faces East). It is historically bounded on the north by Geary Street, on the east by Mason Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west by Van Ness Avenue. The northern boundary with Lower Nob Hill historically has been set at Geary Street. The Tenderloin took its name from an older neighborhood in New York with similar characteristics. There were many legends at here.
1 FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Chapter 2
TENDERLOIN Cable car || Powell & Market
18
Tenderloin
Downtown apartment || Geary
19
Ding, Ding, Ding... There’s a pretty old and historic transportation in San Francisco, the SF Cable Cars. Since 1873, the first cable car opened, it carries the memories of the city and still across the city every day. When people talk about “Vintage Street“, many of them would think about Haight street. I was been there and I did think there is a good choice. But the Tenderloin, in my perspective, can also present vintage (Although there is chaotic and kind dangerous). I always imagine living in a old downtown apartment. It is because I watched many movies that describe “western life“. I know some imagination is romantic, however, the reality is not what we expect. But I like vintage, it does not represent just old, mussy or outdated but classic, memorable. Especially we can find something is creative.
Chapter 2
“EVEN IN THE WORST WORLD, BEAUTY AND CREATIVITY STILL EXIST. ”
20
Golden hill market by Karran West || Look Gallery
I think it is a coincidence to me. After hanging out randomly on the Geary, I was told there is a gallery and the owners knew many things about this area. What happened next was so luck for me. I interviewed the Look Gallery’s owners–Phil and his wife. Phil is a photographer and without any training. He showed me a lot of his works about Geary and told me some the stories happened here. The most important thing I learned was showing confidence as an artist and talking with people. I really appreciate them. Everyone is a individual. I noticed it strongly when I was on Geary. I saw different people and some of them are happy, some of them are at the bottom of society. I should not judge someone’s life because I know they have their own stories.
Tenderloin
Bella Lucca Pizza || Geary
21
How to describe my experience in Tenderloin? I still think it is dangerous, mussy, but now, I feel it is also beautiful. It is complex because the good parts and the bad parts mix together all the time. Thank to my camera, I can capture the good side.
Restaurant Staff || Tommy’s Joynt
Japan center || Geary To Post
4
3
2
RICHMOND
JAPANTOWN
TENDERLOIN
Music: Will He-Joji
Transport: Muni 38R
Time: 15:30~16:30 Sat
THE EASTERN ISLAND
1 FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Built and settled as part of the Western Addition neighborhood in the 19th and early 20th century, Japanese immigrants began moving into the area following the 1906 earthquake. By World War II, the neighborhood was one of the largest such enclaves of Japanese outside Japan, as it took an appearance similar to the Ginza district in Tokyo. Following the war, some Japanese Americans returned, followed by new Japanese immigrants as well as investment from the Japanese Government and Japanese companies. In 1957, San Francisco entered in a sister city relationship with the city of Osaka, hence the nickname “Little Osaka”. Osaka is San Francisco’s oldest sister city. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this relationship, one block of Buchanan Street, in Japantown, was renamed Osaka Way on September 8, 2007.
Chapter 3
JAPANTOWN
26
Overpass || Geary Blvd
Japantown
Japanese lantern || Soko Hardware
27
Paper crane || Japan Center
It’s the end of Geary Street but the start of Geary Blvd. When I walk into japantown, the whole vision becomes different. The whiter building extend to the west. The stores’ names are writen in Japanese and Korean. Even the street sign in the next street has a Japanese edition. Not only the language but also the design and decoration. Japan has its strong style in custom, architecture. The wooden structure building, painting... All of them have unique characteristics. I asked permission form the Soko’s owner and took some pictures of the Japanese Lanterns. Different from Chinese Lantern, it has beautiful painting and the shape is more like a sphere. In China, we also recognize lantern as a sign of family reunion, happiness, but the Japanese seems give the lantern a new identity which help it closer to people’s life.
Chapter 3
Street sign || Webster & Post
28
“KEEPING THE GREAT TRADITION AND ACCEPT THE NEWER THINGS.”
Japantown
Restaurant row || Japan Center
29
Bridge model || Japan Center
In Chinese, we have a word to describe the Japanese style–”HE FENG”, the “HE“ style. I think the closest pronunciation is “her“ style. It becomes a little bit wired because it looks should be like a “man’s” style not a “woman’s” style in English. The next stop is must be the Japan center at the Geary street. This is a shopping mall, and the best part is the restaurant row in here. Although I’m not a huge fan of Japanese food but some of them are really worth to try. Japantown keeps great Japanese tradition, every spring, the Japanese residents will hold The Cherry Blossom Festival. They will put on their traditional clothes–Kimono and celebrate together. In addition, there’s another section is movie festival, people can go to watch some famous Japanese movies and animations.
4
3
2
RICHMOND
JAPANTOWN
TENDERLOIN
Music: Stephen Curry-Higher Borthers
Transport: Muni 38R
Time: 12:30~14:30 Sat
FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF PACIFICA The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California, developed initially in the late 19th century. In the 1950s, and especially after the lifting of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1965, Chinese immigrants began to replace the ethnic Jewish and Irish-Americans who had dominated the district before World War II. Chinese of birth or descent now make up nearly the half of residents in the Richmond. The Richmond has many influences from the Chinese-American culture. One of its three commercial strips, Clement Street in the inner Richmond segment is sometimes called the second Chinatown due to its highly-rated Chinese restaurants.
1 FINANCIAL DISTRICT
Chapter 4
RICHMOND
32
Motorcycle || Geary
All the way to the West, the end of my trip is the Richmond. Richmond is out of town and it basically has four parts: Lake street, Inner Richmond, Central Richmond and Outer Richmond. It is so different at looking. “ Is sky wide like that?” Comparing to the other three districts, here is a real open area. The amount of tall buildings can be counted on one’s fingers. Instead of flourishing, the key word is probably the “peaceful and relaxing”. The western of San Francisco has many Chinese and Korean communities. The atmosphere has its own identity.
Richmond
Chinese advertisement || The Claypot House
33
A lady buys fruits || Chinese Supermarket
As a Chinese, I went there a lot. Just for the good Chinese food and the Chinese supermarkets. Not like the famous Chinatown, I think Richmond has a slower pace of life. In my opinion, Chinatown has a kind of fame, which push people to show the better side of the city invisibly. But here, it just how regular people lives.
Chapter 4
34
Five happiness restaurant || Geary
Queue waits to buy Siu Mei || Richmond
Richmond
“HERE IS OUR NEW HOME, BUT WE WON’T FORGET OUR HOMELAND” 35
So, like me, going to the Chinese supermarket becomes an entertainment. Everything become familiar. The products, brands, staffs. I think if you live in another country, when you see some products from your homeland, you must be excited. I will say it is the method that I keep my tradition and remember where I come from. I won’t tell my parents that how I missed them, but tell them I cook a Chinese food tonight. Sometimes, I’m so confused because I don’t know using implicit words is good or bad. I know it depends. What I’m glad is in San Francisco, those old immigrants protect the tradition and it becomes a unique characteristic of the city.
The working staff || Chinese Supermarket
38
ONE DAY ON GEARY
DESIGN Yiwen Jin
PHOTOGRAPHY Yiwen Jin Nanxing Zhao
SUPPORT Look Gallery Nanxing Zhao Yuqi Qiu Mr. Will K Soko Hardwear NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2018
Streetscape || Geary & Mason
EAST
TO
WEST
As one of the oldest immigrant city, San Francisco has a great diversity in races, cultures, histories. Since the Gold Rush time, there are a lot of people became a part of this legendary city. There’s a street calls Geary, is a witness of the city’s development. It across the whole city from the east to west, and also raises different cultures. This book is about the one day experience in the Geary Street and Geary Blvd and tells stories happened in this street and this city.
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
TENDERLOIN
JAPANTOWN
RICHMOND
