How quickly can one blog? or Journal? A draft rushed in 3 minutes or so. Entire entry with links and photos about 30 minutes while still working, juggling. Final draft another 20 minutes at stolen moments and additional research material for Automobile Historical Row on Van Ness Ave. (see below) An early start to the day means there is time go get java at Starbucks on Bush at Van Ness. In this part of town where I am currently employed on Van Ness between O’Farrell and Ellis, there are no Starbucks in a radius of two blocks. Just Pete’s and Philz Coffee. Pete’s is no good for me. Philz with an emphasis on personal touch takes too long. For those desiring Philz, it is best to download their app on your cell phone if you must have Philz. Thus, the construction worker team safety guys in line at Starbucks made our sexy SFBoy-Files for today. Also posted SFGirl-Files and NYCBoy Filesl This part of the town used to be known as Automobile Row. The buildings here look like great palaces or cathedrals with impressive Showrooms to showcase automobiles like Cadillac (1000 Van Ness) now AMC Theatre. Old Package Building now showcases British Motor Cars at 901 Van Ness (Land Rover and Jaguar) and 999 Van Ness (Bently, Lamborghini). Closer to Starbucks at Bush on Van Ness is Infiniti and Nissan. Further down Van Ness an Academy of Art houses an automobile museum with an emphasis on British cars.. AUTOMOBILE ROW |
Historical Auto Row SFVan Ness Avenue, from its beginning at Market Street to just north of Pacific Avenue, was the premier auto showroom district in San Francisco from shortly after the earthquake and fire of 1906 until the 1980s. Although only a few active auto dealerships remain on the avenue, many buildings that were built as auto showrooms and that have |
Historical Auto Row
continued
Garages used for automobile storage and auto repair shops possess wide portals for auto entrance and egress, and often the width of these entrance bays is repeated across the entire façade. Showrooms and garages are usually built of reinforced concrete, a material that facilitated large window areas and the storage of autos on upper stories. The distinctive appearance of these 11 Van Ness Auto Row Support Structures: A Survey of Automobile-Related Buildings buildings is clearly derived from their original uses, and thus one can find a close tie between the history and the architecture of these buildings. These buildings proved useful as auto showrooms, garages, and repair shops for many decades. Although over 90% were built during the period 1909-1929 (and nearly 100% by 1937), dozens of these buildings continued to serve these uses into the 1980s.
After 1909, it was almost never economical to tear down an existing automotive building in order to replace it with a newer one for autos, regardless of changing technologies, new styles, and a growing population. The fact that most were built of reinforced concrete, could support great weight, and were rated as “fireproof” gave these buildings a timeless quality as far as their usefulness for the auto industry was concerned. A few of these buildings maintain their original use almost 100 years after they were constructed. At least 250, and probably closer to 300, auto-related buildings were built within the study area between 1906 and 1938. A large number of these have been demolished since the 1960s, mostly for residential and office buildings, and others have been heavily altered, but over 100 still stand and retain most of their architectural integrity.
Leave a Reply.
Author
CHARLES PEARSON
Archives
April 2022
March 2022
January 2022
June 2021
May 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
January 2020
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
September 2015