I always knew the Fillmore was small, but I never realized it was shrinking.
When I first started reporting and exploring the Fillmore I had a very narrow view of what the area had to offer. In the beginning the only words I associated with the Fillmore were jazz, crime and the 22 Muni line.
After talking and interacting with employees, residents, musicians and artists in the Fillmore I’ve come to have a greater sense and understanding of the small area.
Talking about jazz in the Fillmore would be like kicking a dying horse, but really the two go together like ham on rye. (Jazz and the Fillmore, not dead horses) It really took talking to musicians and going to events at the Jazz heritage center to understand how much pride is associated with the Fillmore jazz scene.
Fillmore residents take pride in the one thing time couldn’t touch. Experiencing the music and interacting with musicians and residents really made me realize how important jazz was and still is to the Fillmore.
When I first started exploring the Fillmore, I had no sense of the community. I knew nothing of the population, demographics or if there even was a cohesive community mentality. By working and reporting in the Fillmore, I learned that community takes on different meanings and manifestations.
Two community places that struck me as particularly important were Marcus Books and the Fillmore farmer’s market.
Marcus Books boasts that it is the oldest independent black bookstore in the country. The Fillmore had a large black population and I think Marcus Books speaks to the past and the future of the Fillmore. I feel strongly about this bookstore because it opens doors for local artists and it embraces a Fillmore community that I feel has been overlooked by time. The clerks are not shy about the building’s history. They will tell you how their store used to be a jazz club, and how it has always been a part of Fillmore history.
The farmer’s market shows an entirely different side of community. Every Saturday, a block of O’Farrell street is shut down and vendors come to sell fresh produce and baked goods. The crowd that comes out is a mix of Fillmore, Western Addition and Lower Pacific Heights residents. I feel that the farmer’s market brings people from other communities who would not necessarily visit that area of the Fillmore.
That being said, something I came to realize while I was reporting in the Fillmore was how other neighborhood, mostly the Western Addition and Lower Pacific Heights seem to be encroaching upon the Fillmore.
I’m focusing my final story on a number of businesses along Fillmore street that are shutting down and how more expensive, boutique type stores and restaurants are moving in.
After talking to a Fillmore resident she pointed out that all the recent additions to Fillmore street look and feel like Pacific Heights, how the Fillmore is slowly being taken over by Pacific Heights.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Blog 3-Marcus Books
Bookstores can say a lot about an area.
Nearly every district of San Francisco has its own unique bookstore. Haight Street has Bound Together, North Beach has City Lights, Valencia is home to Modern Times, and I am only naming a few.
The Fillmore has Marcus Books.
Let me just say, I love independent bookstores. I love the crammed shelves and slight disorder. Nothing is formulaic in independent bookstores. Most of the time the staff is knowledgeable, engaging, interesting and enthusiastic about their job and Marcus Books is no exception.
Marcus books is a store devoted to black history, culture and learning. The bookstore not only acts as a place of learning, but of understanding. It’s the oldest independent black bookstore in the country, according to Marcus Books.
Bells jingle when I push open the door, and a cute, dark brown wiener dog greets me. Conversations between two clerks behind the counter are lively, the whole atmosphere is inviting.
Marcus Books is a mix of radical and practical. Pamphlets about black movements and power are next to maps of Fillmore jazz clubs. The bookstore also showcases art by local black talent.
I walked through the store, past rows of black history, children’s books, politics, art and fiction. I walked towards the back of the store to my favorite section of any bookstore, the music section.
I browsed through the section until I found Blues People by LeRoni James. I flipped through it and decided it was worth my money and time (I was on a delta blues kick, you can’t listen to punk all the time).
I took the book to the counter and asked the tall, lanky yet elegant woman behind the counter about the history of the store.
She looked at the book and looked at me.
“It used to be a jazz club,” she said.
Back in San Francisco’s jazz renaissance musicians would play the big clubs downtown, then come back to what is now Marcus Books to play a late set and unwind.
Standards at the club that was once was were so high that bouncers were physically remove musicians who were deemed not good enough, according to the woman behind the counter.
She looked at Blue People again, then back at me.
“Do you play anything,” she asked.
I told her I play ukulele and bass, she went around the counter and came back with a large, soft-cover book.
“If you play bass, you must know James Jamerson,” she said. “He changed music.”
I told her I did not and she gave me a history lesson.
Jamerson was the unaccredited driving force behind Motown’s greatest hits and musicians. He was a bass master who lived and breathed music.
She then turned to the computer, put on Marvin Gaye and swayed with the music.
By the time she took my money and gave me a receipt, I had no idea how much time had passed. The minutes melted into music and history.
Nearly every district of San Francisco has its own unique bookstore. Haight Street has Bound Together, North Beach has City Lights, Valencia is home to Modern Times, and I am only naming a few.
The Fillmore has Marcus Books.
Let me just say, I love independent bookstores. I love the crammed shelves and slight disorder. Nothing is formulaic in independent bookstores. Most of the time the staff is knowledgeable, engaging, interesting and enthusiastic about their job and Marcus Books is no exception.
Marcus books is a store devoted to black history, culture and learning. The bookstore not only acts as a place of learning, but of understanding. It’s the oldest independent black bookstore in the country, according to Marcus Books.
Bells jingle when I push open the door, and a cute, dark brown wiener dog greets me. Conversations between two clerks behind the counter are lively, the whole atmosphere is inviting.
Marcus Books is a mix of radical and practical. Pamphlets about black movements and power are next to maps of Fillmore jazz clubs. The bookstore also showcases art by local black talent.
I walked through the store, past rows of black history, children’s books, politics, art and fiction. I walked towards the back of the store to my favorite section of any bookstore, the music section.
I browsed through the section until I found Blues People by LeRoni James. I flipped through it and decided it was worth my money and time (I was on a delta blues kick, you can’t listen to punk all the time).
I took the book to the counter and asked the tall, lanky yet elegant woman behind the counter about the history of the store.
She looked at the book and looked at me.
“It used to be a jazz club,” she said.
Back in San Francisco’s jazz renaissance musicians would play the big clubs downtown, then come back to what is now Marcus Books to play a late set and unwind.
Standards at the club that was once was were so high that bouncers were physically remove musicians who were deemed not good enough, according to the woman behind the counter.
She looked at Blue People again, then back at me.
“Do you play anything,” she asked.
I told her I play ukulele and bass, she went around the counter and came back with a large, soft-cover book.
“If you play bass, you must know James Jamerson,” she said. “He changed music.”
I told her I did not and she gave me a history lesson.
Jamerson was the unaccredited driving force behind Motown’s greatest hits and musicians. He was a bass master who lived and breathed music.
She then turned to the computer, put on Marvin Gaye and swayed with the music.
By the time she took my money and gave me a receipt, I had no idea how much time had passed. The minutes melted into music and history.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Community Events
Though I was not able to find any publications devoted specifically to the Fillmore, community was a word spoken by almost everyone I talked to.
No neighborhood meetings were spoken of, but neighborhood events were happening throughout the area.
The Fillmore Center, a massive group of buildings, visible from anywhere in the area, is home to a plaza, which hosts many neighborhood events. During the summer, the Fillmore Center featured bands and movies, opening their plaza to the community.
Photo I took of the Fillmore Center's community plaza
After talking with people from Yoshi’s and the Jazz Heritage Center, I learned the two venues team up to host benefits for both the community and for children in the Fillmore.
Photo I took of Yoshi's and the Jazz Heritage Center
The next district wide event is the Black Couture Ball. An annual pre-Halloween event when local businesses come together to host different bands and block parties, drawing people from both the Fillmore community and all over the city.
No neighborhood meetings were spoken of, but neighborhood events were happening throughout the area.
The Fillmore Center, a massive group of buildings, visible from anywhere in the area, is home to a plaza, which hosts many neighborhood events. During the summer, the Fillmore Center featured bands and movies, opening their plaza to the community.
Photo I took of the Fillmore Center's community plaza
After talking with people from Yoshi’s and the Jazz Heritage Center, I learned the two venues team up to host benefits for both the community and for children in the Fillmore.
Photo I took of Yoshi's and the Jazz Heritage Center
The next district wide event is the Black Couture Ball. An annual pre-Halloween event when local businesses come together to host different bands and block parties, drawing people from both the Fillmore community and all over the city.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
First Fillmore Impressions
The Fillmore district is a small area with a rich history.
Pressed between Lower Pacific Heights, the Western Addition and Japantown, the Fillmore has managed to fit an amazing amount of history and diversity into only a few blocks.
During my first walk down Fillmore Street, I was struck by the obvious and lasting effects of urban renewal, urban renewal was passed in 1948, and in essence forced out a majority of the black community, bulldozed the Victorian houses, built housing projects, and widened Geary Street to an expressway.
Urban renewal did not have good effects when it was first put into place, that is evident, but if you look closer, the modern urban renewal projects show a positive change. I saw a number of families playing at the newly renovated Hamilton Recreation Center, on the north side of Geary.
Once called the Harlem of the west, the Fillmore still attempts to maintain its reputation as the jazz capital of San Francisco. From the modern, sleek jazz clubs that dot the corners of Fillmore Street, to the Boom Boom Room, which is almost a jazz landmark, the lasting effects of the Fillmore jazz legacy can be seen throughout the area.
After World War II and up to the early 60’s some of the most famous names in jazz would play at the after hours clubs that had once lined the streets of the Fillmore, according to jazz photographer Mars Breslow, who works closely with the San Francisco Jazz Heritage Center and prominent club, Yoshi’s, both of which are promoting music and community for Fillmore district residents.
Photo I took at the San Francisco Jazz Heritage Center during a tribute to New Orleans on the fifth anniversary of Katrina
Almost everyone I talked to expressed how jazz was still alive, well and thriving in the Fillmore.
The Geary expressway still serves as a modern dividing line between the Fillmore district and what is considered Lower Pacific Heights and Japantown.
South of Geary, the Fillmore feels tough. But, beyond the empty storefronts, discount stores, and open areas littered with pigeons and transients are spots of strong community and hope for the future.
Just walking down Fillmore street I see businesses and restaurants of every variety. Shabu houses stand next to sleek jazz clubs, next to Eritrean owned cafés, across the street from a chicken and waffles restaurant, some businesses have been there since urban renewal took place.
Though urban renewal forced out a large part of the black community, the Fillmore has grown to be incredibly diverse, at least 2 people I talked to described the area as a melting pot.
More than anything, I am struck by the amount of diversity fit into the small district. Modern high-rises full of students, the same center that hosts community events, live down the street from a Russian elder care center. What I love most about this city is the different cultures who can exist and thrive next to each other, and the Fillmore is no exception.
Some Jazz Artists who played the Fillmore and made the Fillmore the Harlem of the West:
Sugar Pie De Santo
Johnnie Ingram
Vernon Alley
Pressed between Lower Pacific Heights, the Western Addition and Japantown, the Fillmore has managed to fit an amazing amount of history and diversity into only a few blocks.
During my first walk down Fillmore Street, I was struck by the obvious and lasting effects of urban renewal, urban renewal was passed in 1948, and in essence forced out a majority of the black community, bulldozed the Victorian houses, built housing projects, and widened Geary Street to an expressway.
Urban renewal did not have good effects when it was first put into place, that is evident, but if you look closer, the modern urban renewal projects show a positive change. I saw a number of families playing at the newly renovated Hamilton Recreation Center, on the north side of Geary.
Once called the Harlem of the west, the Fillmore still attempts to maintain its reputation as the jazz capital of San Francisco. From the modern, sleek jazz clubs that dot the corners of Fillmore Street, to the Boom Boom Room, which is almost a jazz landmark, the lasting effects of the Fillmore jazz legacy can be seen throughout the area.
After World War II and up to the early 60’s some of the most famous names in jazz would play at the after hours clubs that had once lined the streets of the Fillmore, according to jazz photographer Mars Breslow, who works closely with the San Francisco Jazz Heritage Center and prominent club, Yoshi’s, both of which are promoting music and community for Fillmore district residents.
Almost everyone I talked to expressed how jazz was still alive, well and thriving in the Fillmore.
The Geary expressway still serves as a modern dividing line between the Fillmore district and what is considered Lower Pacific Heights and Japantown.
South of Geary, the Fillmore feels tough. But, beyond the empty storefronts, discount stores, and open areas littered with pigeons and transients are spots of strong community and hope for the future.
Just walking down Fillmore street I see businesses and restaurants of every variety. Shabu houses stand next to sleek jazz clubs, next to Eritrean owned cafés, across the street from a chicken and waffles restaurant, some businesses have been there since urban renewal took place.
Though urban renewal forced out a large part of the black community, the Fillmore has grown to be incredibly diverse, at least 2 people I talked to described the area as a melting pot.
More than anything, I am struck by the amount of diversity fit into the small district. Modern high-rises full of students, the same center that hosts community events, live down the street from a Russian elder care center. What I love most about this city is the different cultures who can exist and thrive next to each other, and the Fillmore is no exception.
Some Jazz Artists who played the Fillmore and made the Fillmore the Harlem of the West:
Sugar Pie De Santo
Johnnie Ingram
Vernon Alley
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