I have fond memories of the King Norman toy store that used to be on Clement Street near 8th Avenue. As a kid, I used to ride my bike a couple of miles to the store to spend my latest earnings or allowance (usually for Legos).

King Norman’s was a mecca for kids; the shelves were jammed with toys all the way to the ceiling.

The store on Clement was just a small part of the King’s empire which included 21 toy stores across Northern California. He also hosted his own children’s television program from 1954 to 1961.

So I was happy to see a story in a Roseville, CA online newspaper about King Norman’s current whereabouts. Known by his legal name of Norman Rosenberg, the King is currently residing in a retirement community there called Eskaton Village.

The article has some interesting background on King Norman, including his stint in the Navy and how his business empire started as a way to sell candy that his uncle was producing. After taking over the Clement Street space to open a stationary and toy store like his father-in-law’s, they quickly discovered that “the toys sold much better than the stationary so the Rosenberg’s began focusing on building up their toy inventory.”

And the rest is history. In January of last year, Rosenberg’s wife, Doris, passed away after a battle with cancer. He recently relocated with his new bride, Gilyn, to Roseville to be close to his son who lives nearby.

Long live the King!

Sarah B.

Historic photo courtesy of cliffhouseproject.com

2009 marks the 100 year anniversary of the venerable Cliff House out on the Great Highway. Just to be clear, that’s 100 years of the third version of the Cliff House built in 1909 by Dr. Emma Merritt, daughter of Adolph Sutro.

The first two Cliff Houses, both wood structures, were destroyed by fire. So Dr. Merritt was sure to ask for a “a fire-proof structure” when he hired the noted San Francisco architectural firm of the Reid Brothers.

In honor of their centennial, the Cliff House is offering some specials in their two restaurants. Every Wednesday evening, enjoy a special $19.09 three-course, prix fixe dinner menu in their Bistro. Or if lunch is more your thing, you can get a three-course prix fixe lunch every Tuesday in Sutro’s at the Cliff House for just $20.09.

And if you think the Cliff House is just for tourists, think again. Head Chef George Morrone took over in January after noteworthy successes at downtown restaurants Aqua and Fifth Floor. The food is getting high marks lately and let’s face it, the Cliff House restaurants have some of the best views in the city.

The Cliff House will also host a Centennial Gala on November 4, 2009. Chaired by Dr. Cynthia Soyster, a direct descendant of Adolph Sutro, the evening promises hors d’oeuvres, beverages, dancing, live music, history exhibits, and a fashion show of period ball gown, with a contemporary twist.

The gowns on display will made from recycled Cliff House menus, memorabilia and photographs, and are styled to match eras of the four buildings, which over time comprise the Cliff House’s history. Visit the Cliff House website for information on the event and to purchase tickets.

Special thanks to Jim over at SF Citizen for sending this news my way.

Sarah B.

Just received a newsletter from the East Bay’s Playland-Not-At-The-Beach, a museum/park full of penny arcades of antique amusement devices, as well as historic exhibits about San Francisco’s Sutro Baths and Playland.

Playland-Not-at-the-Beach proprietor Richard Tuck announced that a documentary about Playland amusement park is being made:

Part of our dream all along as we were building Playland-Not-at-the-Beach over the last decade was to eventually create a full length documentary movie to be called “I Remember Playland.” It would tell the story of Whitney’s Playland and the memories it created in people’s minds.

Film producer Tom Wyrsch is now carrying out that dream. Every week he is filming people as they share their memories. If you would like to share your stories for the camera, now is the time to step forward. Filming is by appointment. If you are interested, contact me at (510) 932-8966.

So if you’re a longtime San Franciscan and have something to share about Playland, give Richard a call. I just missed Playland as a kid, though my Mom says she used to take my sister to it right before it closed in 1972. So I am very excited to hear about this movie being made. You can find out more about Playland at the Western Neighborboods Project website.

Playland-Not-at-the-Beach was out at Sunday Streets a few weeks ago as well. Their booth had some old pinball games that the kids loved playing (I did too!). They’ll be there for the final one on September 6 as well.

Sarah B.

Sorry for the short notice but just came across this in today’s Examiner:

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy will host a hike titled “Shipwrecks at the Golden Gate.” The tour begins at 11am on Sunday in the USS S.F. Memorial parking lot (the lot above Lands End trail; enter in at 48th Avenue and Point Lobos).

Sarah B.

On Thursday, August 20, our recently renovated library will host a lecture by lifetime Richmond District resident and historian, John Freeman.

John is well known for his knowledge of the Richmond District, leading historical walking tours a few times a year. I went on one of these walks and loved it. John’s knowledge of our neighborhood is encyclopedic and he’s a great storyteller to boot.

John has also contributed articles for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage Newsletter, the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society’s, The Argonaut, and to that organization’s on-line Encyclopedia. He has also been an active member and writer for the San Francisco Bay Area Post Card Club.

The Western Neighborhoods Project has a nice profile on John’s history with the neighborhood. WNP’s Woody La Bounty also shot the short video below while on one of John’s history walks.

At Thursday’s lecture, entitled “The Richmond District: Evolution of a Neighborhood”, John will focus on how the one-time outside lands area of San Francisco has evolved into a dynamic, culturally-rich neighborhood.

Sarah B.

The Richmond District: Evolution of a Neighborhood
August 20, 2009 | 7pm – 8:30pm
Richmond District Library, 351 9th Avenue

Calling all tree huggers!

SF Environment and Friends of the Urban Forest are hosting a free tour of the best trees in the city next Saturday. All of the trees being toured are part of SF Environment’s Landmark Tree Program. All the details of the free event are below.

Turns out one of the trees on the tour is right here in the Richmond at 370 28th Ave. It’s a California buckeye (Aesculus californica) and by the looks of it, has been growing for a very, very long time.

According to Wikipedia, the California buckeye is the only buckeye native to our state, it sprouts beautiful flower spikes, and Local native American tribes used the poisonous nuts to stupefy schools of fish in small streams to make them easier to catch.

If you can’t make the event, you can take the tour yourself. There’s a handy Google Map showing all the Landmark Tree locations.

Sarah B.

[Via Curbed SF]

EVENT INFO

Join SF Environment and Friends of the Urban Forest on a tour of San Francisco’s officially recognized Landmark Trees!

We’ll visit trees with connections to people that helped shaped San Francisco; trees that stem from the genetic roots of the City before it was developed; and trees that have spurred the growth of active San Francisco communities. From the stately to the small, our biodiesel bus will tour the trees that have had the biggest impact on making San Francisco – what it is today and what it will be tomorrow.

The tour is August 22nd from 1:30pm to 4:30pm and will feature 10 different sites across the City including Noe Valley, Mission, Bernal Heights and Bayview. Meet us at the eucalyptus tree on the corner of 1801 Bush Street.

No RSVP is required for this FREE event, but space on the tour bus is limited, so make sure you arrive early! For more information contact meiling.hui@sfgov.org.

In today’s paper, SF Chronicle “Native Son” columnist Carl Nolte has a nice story about the origins of the name of the upcoming Outside Lands music festival (August 28-30 in GGP). As you may know, Outside Lands is the vintage name for our part of San Francisco. Festival organizers adopted it for the event, now in its second year. Read all about it in Carl’s column.

The column contains several quotes from Woody LaBounty and author Lori Ungaretti, keepers of our neighborhood history via the Western Neighborhoods Project and their excellent Outsidelands.org website.

One of the treasures on their site is a story and video about a horse named Blackie, who on October 1, 1938, attempted to cross San Francisco Bay by swimming from the Marin County side to Crissy Field.

The outsidelands website has the full story on Blackie’s adventure (and also provided the video of the event below). Here’s how it all started:

“In late September 1938, Bill Kyne, of the Bay Meadows race track, was at Roberts-at-the-Beach [a popular restaurant on the Great Highway] and said to owner Shorty Roberts that horses could not swim. Shorty’s response was that his horse Blackie could swim across the Golden Gate. Kyne initially wagered $5,000 that this could not be done. The final wager was $1,000, and the plan was for 12-year-old Blackie to swim from Lime Point in Marin County to San Francisco.

So, did Blackie complete the swim and win the bet? Watch the video to find out!

Sarah B.

Video provided by The San Francisco Media Archive.

For this one, we have to leave the comfy confines of the Richmond Distict and, I know it’s hard, head across a bridge.

Let me introduce you to Playland-Not-At-The-Beach, a “Museum of Fun” located in El Cerrito, just north of Berkeley.

According to their website, the museum houses “over 25 pinball machines spanning seven decades (and all on free play!), video games, Penny Arcade machines, challenging carnival games of skill, interactive displays and exhibits, miniature circuses, sideshow exhibits, baffling magic shows — they are all here waiting to entertain and amuse you!”

Like any good museum, Playland-Not-At-The-Beach lets you relive the past, including exhibits about San Francisco’s Playland at the Beach and the Sutro Baths.

Playland was an amusement park that sat right along the ocean on the Great Highway from the 1920s through the early 1970s. The Western Neighborhoods Project website has great background, history and photos on Playland.

This weekend, Playland-Not-At-The-Beach welcomes historian and local author, James R. Smith who will be talking about the history of “Chutes at the Beach” which later became Playland.

Jim will show the progress of Playland from early removal of the sand dunes to putting in foundations, then building the earliest attractions and later transforming them into the rides and shows many San Franciscans remember from their youth.

The photos are from a private collection belonging to Laurie Hollings (artistic designer of Frontier Village and many Hollywood productions) and they have never been seen before by the public. So this is your chance to see the history of Playland up close and ask all the questions you want.

Jim will give the presentation just three times this weekend: on Saturday at 1pm and 3pm, and on Sunday at noon. The event will be held at Playland-Not-At-The-Beach, 10979 San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, CA 94530 (driving directions).

The event is free with admission to the museum ($15 for adults, $10 for kids and seniors).

So even though you have to leave the Richmond to get history on this one-time, great landmark, I think it will be well worth the trip.

Sarah B.