Today was simply AMAZING weather! At 6:30 pm I was still walking on the streets ( now shaded due to the sun angle) and it was warm with no wind. Probably in the low 80’s in the city. As I walked along beneath the high rises, I felt like a combination of MarLo and Mary. Both shows had a profound impact on me as a girl growing up. Both were living alone in major cities, unlike anyone I personally knew at the time. We watched them experience excitement and troubles. Now I get to be them. i will need to bring my beret down so I have something to toss in the air.
I have had a chance to learn and reflect on two local pieces of info. The first was a serendipitous discovery about the history of where I am living now. I previously told you the history of North Beach/Telegraph Hill. I have been able to see a walking pier from my balcony I had never walked on before, so yesterday I went down to the water to do expressly that. returning, rather than just walk along the Embarcadero as I had done so much, i found a ” public causeway ” that went in and out of buildings and covered areas. There I discovered a pictoral history of the area where my condo building now stands.
Since Gold rush days the area had been known as the Produce District. Here again it was the Italians who realized that gold was not going to sustain all newcomers, but they were going to need something to eat! So they began farming to the east and trucking the product into the city. Over ti e they were joined by others, and the area flourished as the main location for produce for the city.
This continued until the 1950’s, when it became apparent there was a need to provide housing within the city to meet the needs of those in the ever i creasing business world. it was nice to learn that an amicable agreement was reached with those still in produce: in exchange for their area being razed so high rise homes could be established, they were given another area in the city that was deemed desirable. And so my building came into being inthe 1960’s. constant refurbishing is evident even now: they started at the top and are redoing the walls and floors of every hallway. They appear to now be down around floor 7. The lobby is stylish, the 3 elevators are fast and these buildings along with close by office buildings were some of the first built with earthquake resistant technologies.
( i will share in the next few days my thoughts about recently killed diplomat J. Christopher Stevens from this area.)
kquinster 
Mary Tyler Moore was a huge influence on me during my “formative” years. The joy of discovering life in a new setting. Curious, excited. A healthy uncertainty of sorts.
Cary, I knew I had this discussion with someone before leaving: it was probably you!! I am so glad to have watched ground breaking shows that showed girls it was possible to do things on their own and have success living alone and plowing through a job. We need reruns of those shows on!!
Who can turn the world on with her smile? It’s Karen Tyler Thomas!
Ha ha! I just found out the lyrics are not what I thought all these years – I always thought that the next line was, ” Who can turn a nothing date, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?” That is the mark of a modern gal!
Thanks, Dar, for the compliment and the funny misquote! The only thing I am missing is having Rhoda and ( can’t remember Cloris Leachman’s character) as neighbors.