Thought Paper #6

     Upon first exiting the bus, I was immediately aware of the atmosphere surrounding us. We were in the Fringe of the Tenderloin. This is an area where many underprivileged, troubled people live. We automatically make stereotypes about these people upon their appearances. Although many people living out of shopping carts and in boxes are addicted to drugs and alcohol and are therefore somewhat incoherent and “removed”, there are also many who have simply been laid off or have unfortunate events take over the course of their lives. As we walked down the street, I automatically found myself feeling nervous and unsure around some of these people. I tell myself not to worry, but it’s a natural inclination to feel uncomfortable around people who aren’t as fortunate as us. It’s hard for us to look at them and not feel either guilty or disgraced by the way that they are living their lives.

     Clearly the signage surrounding this area on the Fringe of the Tenderloin is directed towards people of all socioeconomic classes. It is certainly not directed towards the high status members of society due to the culture of the area. Not to make stereotypes of any kind, but there are certainly people living in and around the Tenderloin who don’t have the same educational opportunities as us. Thus, some of these people never learned how to read efficiently. The signage in the area was clearly created for the purpose of being effective upon a purely visual encounter.

     As we continued to walk down Market Street, the atmosphere changed rather drastically. Less people occupied the streets, and more high-end shops and restaurants came into the picture. The signage and art culture became more “in depth” in a sense. I found this very fascinating considering the small amount of space between say the Fringe of the Tenderloin and Union Square. Union Square has commercial signage visible from all vantage points that is undoubtedly directed towards people with money. This area of downtown is not the place to shop if you only want to drop a couple bucks. If you plan on spending four hundred dollars on a scarf, than be my guest, go right into Prada or Gucci.

     As we walked toward Mission Street, it was unbelievable how many different billboards and signs we saw for the new Target store. I can’t say that the signage wasn’t effective though. When we saw the first sign advertising the store, we immediately changed course and set out to find it. We fell into the trap that signage artists set up for society in an oh so subtle matter. Sooner rather than later, we were inside the realms of the store. Once we were in, let’s just say that it was not easy to leave as quickly.

     As we headed back toward the Civic Center and Public Library, the atmosphere changed again ever so slightly. We went from feeling like we didn’t quite fit in the “high class” vibes to feeling quite well put together. We came to the conclusion that the area around the Civic Center and library were attempting to raise the bar, and that they would be quite classy minus the groups of homeless and weed-smoking people. It wasn’t an observation that we were proud of, but it is certainly intriguing to think about how much a place can change based on the people and vibes that are expressed there.

     I felt as though this field trip was a successful one by the end of the day. It was a good way to open our eyes to the city that surrounds us. I’m sure most of us have been downtown several times, but it wasn’t until this little trip that I came to realize and really take time to study my surroundings to a full extent. Downtown was one culture and one atmosphere in my mind before. I now see the differences in the people, signage, art, culture, and atmospheres that lie between a matter of city blocks.

     

Thought Paper #5

     Ocean Beach is filled with a lot of history. During the early years in San Francisco’s history, the area was largely undeveloped. Development didn’t start to come until the late 19^th century when a steam railroad was put in. The railroad attracted people to come to the first amusement ride at the city’s ocean side and to the Ocean Beach Pavilion for concerts, dancing, and other public affairs. This was the beginning of a new era for Ocean Beach. By the time 1890 rolled around, there were multiple trolley lines that led down to the beach. This only caused the area to grow in popularity over the years. For a brief period of time after the 1906 earthquake, Ocean Beach served as a refugee camp. It became almost like a small resort. With the 1920s and 1930s came a major construction period. The Great Highway along with housing in the Sunset and Richmond Districts were built. In the 1990s, the area was no longer seen as a resort spot, and apartment blocks and a supermarket came in to replace the amusement park that once stood.

     Before any development took place at Ocean Beach, there was not much attraction to the area. Signage was a major step in the development that took place. The signage at Ocean Beach transformed the landscape from “space” to a “place.” Previously, the beach had simply been a so-called “abandoned space.” After development took place, the space became a friendlier environment for people of all ages to interact in. This is when it really became a “place” in the eyes of many locals. Some of the signage that contributed to this area was simple, such as warning signs and informational signs about the beach. Much of the signage in and around the Beach Chalet is a little bit more detailed and complex. I find it so interesting that signage could make such a difference in the rate of attraction to a given area of land.

     The WPA did a lot of work to make Ocean Beach a more desirable destination spot for locals and tourists. The WPA was more or less an organization that created useful jobs for people in a time of need. Many of the projects that the WPA worked on consisted of improving public space. In general, the WPA has done much in terms of contributing to the culture of San Francisco. Without much of the signage and developmental work that the WPA has put in, San Francisco would not give off the same cultural vibe as it does today. San Francisco is known for its vibrant, accepting, diverse community. Much of this is expressed through forms of art and signage all around the city.