Outside Lands San Francisco

Instagram has turned this Moraga street stairway into a must see location on the West Side. In this classic podcast, we review the origins of the tiled steps and hopefully inspire you to go out and experience them (again) for yourself.

Open or keep closed? As life slowly returns to normal, what should be done with the currently closed-to-traffic section of the Great Highway? In this classic 2014 podcast, David & Woody provide some food for thought on the Great Highway's past and more recent history.

What is Western Neighborhoods Project all about? During our June podcast hiatus, we repodcast one of our favorite episodes about the organization itself. We'll be back in July with fresh history, until then enjoy these classics.

Mount Olympus in the Asbury Heights neighborhood is home to the Triumph of Light Statue. This week, Nicole and Arnold chat about the ideas behind the statue, its evolving designs, and the ceremonies of the unveiling.

Lake Merced has been an important area of San Francisco before there even was a San Francisco. This week, we chronicle the pre-European history, Spanish settlement, and the emergence of Lake Merced as an important San Francisco resource.

The Jesse B. Cook collection at the Bancroft Library is an amazing assortment of photos and ephemera spanning early 20th century San Francisco. Jesse Cook himself also has a fascinating, but complicated history. Learn how he compiled this cherished collection as one of San Francisco's earliest and prolific scrapbookers.

There is another large outdoor cross in San Francisco, and this one is in Golden Gate Park. As a bonus, this one comes with its own water feature. Today's Pod covers the origins and construction of Prayerbook Cross and Rainbow Falls.

The western themed, Fun-Tier Town was added to Playland at the Beach in 1960. It featured rides that were designed to be enjoyed by younger children. And for special occasions, there was a large room in a western motif, where parents could purchase a party package (food and favors) that could host 20 or more sugar-fueled screaming kids.

McCoppin Square Park is likely the oldest public park in the Outside Lands. But who was McCoppin? Why is a park in the Sunset named after him? Nicole and Michael explore the history of this groundbreaking parcel of land.

Golden Gate Park was home to several refugee camps in the aftermath of the '06 Quake & Fire. Richmond District historian John Freeman joins the Pod to share his extensive research on the Park sites that sheltered thousands of San Franciscans.

Over 1000 images of the SF music scene from the 70s and 80s have been added to OpenSFHistory.org. The photographer who captured images of the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Rolling Stones, and many more, Greg Gaar joins the pod to share stories of his life and work.

San Francisco in the 60s gave rise to the counter-culture movement and Gary Warne was front and center. The Pod this week welcomes author John Law, who knew Gary and recalls the underground places and events that shape San Francisco to this day.

When the Cliff House suddenly closed in December 2020, its collection of treasures from Sutro Baths, Playland, and the Cliff House itself were put up for auction. Learn how a scrappy group of like-minded preservationists banded together to save some of the most significant pieces of the collection and what's next for the collection.

We take another virtual stroll down a Richmond District business corridor, Balboa Street. Where else but on this Pod can you visit both beloved, but lost businesses and learn about those that endure to this day? Become a WNP member and join us on the live podcast each week, plus other great benefits of membership. http://outsidelands.org

Roy Graves started with his interest in SF history and developed it into a vast collection of images, memorobelia, and historical knowledge. Learn how Roy's passion became an inspiration for local historians like Western Neighborhoods Project.

Today, most of the area's developments have been subsumed by the Forest Hill neighborhood. But in the early 1900s, different developers constructed their own residential neighborhoods. WNP Board Member and residential parks historian, Richard Brandi joins the Pod to tell the stories of these microhoods.

We know about the life of Zero Thomas, thanks to an amazing discovery at a landfill. Thomas was an African American soldier stationed at the Presidio around 1870. And through his trove of papers, we can tell his story living as a black family in the early days of San Francsisco.

Clement Street in the Richmond retains the charm of a San Francisco neighborhood where local businesses are an integral part of the community. This week, Nicole, David, and Michael take a virtual stroll down the eastern end of Clement to highlight some of the many long-standing businesses located there.

Adolph Sutro's vast wealth enabled his passion for collecting. Dr. Lissette Jimenez, Egyptologist at SF State University joins the Nicole, David, and John to describe the breadth and depth of Sutro's acquisitions. From mummies to books to amusement rides, there were virtually no limits to Sutro's eclectic collection.

The neighborhoods of the West Side would not be the same without their local movie theatre and we have the Levin Family to thank for them, from the Alexandria to the Coliseum to the beloved Balboa and many more... Nicole, Arnold & David tell the story of this arts-devoted family. Plus an all-star live audience Listener Mail.

That the west side of San Francisco was covered in sand dunes will come as no surprise to regular listeners. Michael Lange joins Nicole and David to tell us how the City transformed the expanse of sandy, wind swept land into the Richmond and Sunset we know today.

Ocean Beach in the 60s & 70s was a time like no other. Special guest, and native West-sider, Paul Judge joins co-host John Martini to regale us with their first-hand recollections of the places, people, and events of the beach, Playland, and environs.

Civil rights activist and lawyer, Terry Francois had a prominent role in challenging racial covenants throughout the West Side. New co-host, Arnold Woods tells us how Francois worked to help desegregate housing in San Francisco.

As if Playland, the Cliff House, and Sutro Baths was not enough of an entertainment selection, nearby Merrie Way provided even more thrills. New recurring co-host, John Martini helps us understand how the area around Point Lobos Road evolved.

As 2020 comes to a close, we bid a fond farewell to podcast co-host, Woody LaBounty. After 8 years and over 400 episodes, Woody regales us with a few more stories of growing up on the West Side of San Francisco.