Western Neighborhoods Project

Western Neighborhoods Project WNP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1999, that preserves, interprets, and shares the history and culture of San Francisco's west side.

We also manage the OpenSFHistory archive. General Rules of Conduct for Community Members

Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) strives to create an inspiring, informative, and engaging online community filled with a range of voices. We welcome engagement and constructive dialogue, and every WNP community member has the right to participate in respectful discussions. These guidelines will help foste

r a courteous and dynamic environment for all community members. WNP adheres to the user policy described below on all our platforms. Please understand that our social media moderators check each platform at different intervals throughout and we are not always able to address issues or questions immediately. We reserve the right to hide, delete, or report any content posted that does not adhere to our policy, and block or report users who share such content. The following WILL NOT be tolerated:

- Deliberately misleading or false information
- Complaints about current affairs, contemporary San Francisco, politics etc.
- Hate language or demeaning remarks based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, age, education, ability or physicality
- Disrespectful, bullying or slanderous remarks
- Excessively foul language (determined at the discretion of the moderator)
- The suggestion or encouragement of illegal activities or anything that compromises the safety of individuals
- Pornographic images or statements
- Spam or fraudulent links
- Repetitive posts copied and pasted or duplicated by single or multiple users
- Advertisements, solicitations, and commercial postings

We expect the following standards to be upheld:

- Make all comments and posts related to the topics at hand.
- Engage in historical debate respectfully. You can question facts and ideas without questioning the person who posted them
- Listen and read with an open mind.
- Be dedicated to factual accuracy and evidence-based posts, understanding that many topics are open to an ongoing historical debate. We encourage the following:

- Share your own research, memories, and family stories, not as an ultimate authority but as fellow history enthusiast
- Ask questions of one another and ourselves
- Learn from ongoing dialog. Don’t be afraid to ask for more information, say you’re wrong, or apologize. Please note that WNP is not responsible for conversations about our posts that take place on another account’s page. In addition, each social media platform has its own terms and conditions; we are not responsible for the actions of said platforms. Thank you for being part of the WNP family and engaging in thoughtful, respectful dialogue on this platform.

Two unidentified women enjoying Ocean Beach (seemingly dressed for anyplace but the beach) as a man pauses at the seawal...
08/21/2026

Two unidentified women enjoying Ocean Beach (seemingly dressed for anyplace but the beach) as a man pauses at the seawall behind them circa 1925.

[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp27.0613]

You're looking at theatre owner, producer, and philanthropist Walter Morosco's carriaged pulled by a whopping 8-horse te...
08/20/2026

You're looking at theatre owner, producer, and philanthropist Walter Morosco's carriaged pulled by a whopping 8-horse team on a drive through Golden Gate Park circa 1900.

At the turn of the 20th-century it was very fashionable to drive through the park for San Francisco's rich and famous. Note the woman on the left wearing a fur coat, as well.

Rich men loved riding their horses through park so much they banded together to fund Speed Road so they could push their steeds beyond the 10 mph speed limit enforced throughout the park. To make a long story short, the road had maintenance issues and became Speedway Meadow (now known as Hellman Hollow) after the 1906 earthquake and fire.

Learn more about this history in an article written by Angus Macfarlane: https://www.outsidelands.org/speed-road.php

[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp27.2556]

You're looking at a very quiet Portola Drive from about Dorchester in April 1968.[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector ...
08/19/2026

You're looking at a very quiet Portola Drive from about Dorchester in April 1968.

[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp25.1384]

Did you know the OpenSFHistory archive, a program of WNP, encompasses all of San Francisco (not just the west side)? Inc...
08/18/2026

Did you know the OpenSFHistory archive, a program of WNP, encompasses all of San Francisco (not just the west side)? Including this view of two girls walking towards McLaren Park on Delta near Teddy in 1953.

[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp28.1115]

WNP FILM CLUB returns to the 4 Star Theatre on Sunday, August 23rd with a screening of "Heart and Souls" (1993)!Shot on ...
08/17/2026

WNP FILM CLUB returns to the 4 Star Theatre on Sunday, August 23rd with a screening of "Heart and Souls" (1993)!

Shot on location around San Francisco, this under-appreciated, heartwarming comedy is a peak 1990s does 1950s experience showcasing legendary character actors at their best in pre-DotCom San Francisco.

WNP Film Club is a series brought to you by WNP in partnership with Bay Area Movies (BAM) and CinemaSF. We celebrate deeper cut San Francisco films with west side connections at the 4 Star. Each screening includes an introduction by Jason Moore of BAM and a WNP history nerd who share fun facts about the film's background and locations, including "now and then" comparisons using the OpenSFHistory archive with support from Tim Welsh of SF in Film.

We hope you can join us for this Sunday night convening!

WHEN: Sun, Aug 23rd at 7Pm
WHERE: 4 Star Theater, 2200 Clement St.
TICKETS: $20 GA, $17.50 for Seniors & Kids
RESERVE YOUR SEAT NOW: https://www.4-star-movies.com/calendar-of-events/wnp-film-club-heart-and-souls

WNP Members get an extra discount by using the secret code when purchasing tickets in-advance online. Are you a member and didn't receive that code, or are you interested in joining now to receive discounts on this and future programs? Email [email protected]

A man walks towards the University of San Francisco campus across Fulton near Cole circa 1965. Did he just make a call f...
08/14/2026

A man walks towards the University of San Francisco campus across Fulton near Cole circa 1965.

Did he just make a call from the phone booth to the right? Who might the half mast flag be memorializing? Found photographs often leave us with more questions than answers.

[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp27.50138]

Pedestrians pause in front of an entrance to Westwood Park on Ocean and Miramar circa 1922. [Photo by Robert H. Kennedy ...
08/13/2026

Pedestrians pause in front of an entrance to Westwood Park on Ocean and Miramar circa 1922.

[Photo by Robert H. Kennedy courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp14.13053]

You're looking at 246 Pacheco under construction in Forest Hill circa 1912.[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP ...
08/12/2026

You're looking at 246 Pacheco under construction in Forest Hill circa 1912.

[Photo courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp15.1700]

You're looking at Max Malliet on the hood of a car in the Richmond District circa 1950. But we're not exaclty sure where...
08/11/2026

You're looking at Max Malliet on the hood of a car in the Richmond District circa 1950.

But we're not exaclty sure where this is in the Richmond. Can you help us pinpoint the location? Or identify the make and model of the car?

[Photo from the Max Malliet Collection courtesy of a Private Collector & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp33.01220]

A passenger has just stepped off a Market Street Railway 2-line streetcar in front of Gilmore Gas Station on Clement at ...
08/10/2026

A passenger has just stepped off a Market Street Railway 2-line streetcar in front of Gilmore Gas Station on Clement at 32nd Ave in 1942.

[Photo courtesy of Jack Tillmany & WNP / OpenSFHistory, wnp5.50690]

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1617 Balboa Street
San Francisco, CA
94121

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