From Politicians to Prostitutes

From Politicians to Prostitutes
This was my first time ever walking through the Tenderloin. My adventure began as I got off at Civic Center Bart. Although this wasn't the first time I had got off at this station, I felt like I was looking at everything with new eyes. My first impressions were that there were many people sitting and laying in the park in front of City Hall. I wondered about the effectiveness of the new sit/lay law. As I sat in front of the Main Library as a man said, " You want some tree." A man that appeared homeless jumped at the offer. They casually exchanged goods with little effort to hide their illicit activities from the security guard standing 10 meters away. Then I moved to another spot to be surprised by Supervisor John Avalos walking the park. He was talking to a lesbian couple that was eating lunch.
After he left, I made casual conversation with the couple. They suggested that I check out the Glide Memorial where they gave out free food everyday. Soon after I found myself on a journey to find Glide Memorial. On the way there I noticed a marked difference between the elegant edifices of the Civic Center and the shady buildings of the Tenderloin. As I walked I noticed a young lady smile at me. As I came closer she whispered, "Do you want a date?" I quickly walked by without making eye contact. After a bit of a trek and asking for directions I finally reached the Glide Memorial where I found the food line to wrap around the block.  I got in line to get a better sense of the poeple in line. Despite their ragged clothes many were acquainted with each other. While some were quiet and looked lonely, many talked to each other like seeing family. I reflected about everything I had seen that day as I walked home. Everything I had seen, from politicians to prostitutes.

Post by Nelson Estrada

Great Resource for Events Around SF/Bay Area

Here is a fantastic site that has been invaluable to me during my work as a journalist and photographer here in SF. You can search for events and happenings occurring on specific days throughout the month, so that if you only have one free, and you're looking for an event to cover that day, you might find more than a few. Happy hunting!

http://www.indybay.org/calendar

Welcome

This blog contains the work of writers and photographers in the Spring 2011 Reporting class at San Francisco State University. Over the next 15 weeks, they'll be exploring the fascinating neighborhoods of San Francisco and bringing their observations, frustrations, goals and questions to this blog. Write on, read on!

Professor Yvonne Daley