“Carville” author at Green Apple, Nov. 11

This Wednesday night at 7pm, Green Apple presents Woody LaBounty, the author of Carville-by-the-Sea: San Francisco’s Streetcar Suburb.

In the mid-1890s, San Francisco transit companies started selling surplus horse cars and cable cars to the public; $20 with seats intact, $10 without.

What once served as transportation for San Franciscans was turned into bars and restaurants, shoe repair shops, playhouses, laundries, artists’ studios, and even houseboats.

And out by the beach along the Great Highway, a bohemian settlement emerged as writers, judges, and lady bicyclists arranged, combined, and even stacked old transit cars to create “Carville-by-the-Sea.”

LaBounty’s book is full of rare images of San Francisco’s Carville from libraries, archives and private collections, and includes extensive footnotes about this piece of local history that has mostly been forgotten.

Meet Woody at the Green Apple event and hear more history about this interesting period in San Francisco’s history. Admission is free.

If you can’t make Wednesday night’s event, you can also catch Woody’s talk at the Columbarium on Friday, November 13 at 3pm. Or visit his events page for information on other Carville events.

Sarah B.