The People River

Since the psychedelic explosion that put this neighborhood on the global map in the late sixties, a long lineage of people have endlessly migrated here searching for something other than from where they originated. {Ultimately Themselves}Many of them penniless upon arrival. They arrive and recede in waves.

Most now unaware of this having been happening since before they were born.

Each one has a different story.

These days...

Some have found a lucrative enough amount spare changing to suffice a meager life drinking forties and sleeping in the park or in door wells. {Not Recommended,usually the flashpoint for most of the problems in these parts} Some sleep in cars or vans and some have friends that let them shower and sleep in their apartments. Some get government checks every month and will save some money for a room on stormy nights. Some are alcoholics some are not. Some do heroin , some don't. Some sell pot,some eat mushrooms, some eat LSD. Some have amazing artistic ability that is wasted on the lack of not seeing opportunity. Some have chosen any of this to escape unimaginable circumstances of abuse. Some are just bored of where they came from. Some are waiting for one thing or another and are just killing time. Most are respectful if you can respect them, when or if one were to communicate with them.

Unless they are already very drunk.

Some interesting social interactions have been experienced between residential residents, commercial residents, police officers, and those described previously.

San Francisco seems to have lenient laws about loitering, being intoxicated in public, and being a public nuisance.

In the defense of the police, keep in mind that one could only have so much tolerance to arrest the same guys over and over and see them use it as an indoor stay over night with shower, often for them a better choice on a cold and rainy night.

Also, some have lice and open wounds with infections. Some have a history of resisting arrest violently while smashing drunk. How many dangerously drunk people with bugs and infections could any police officer want to risk themselves with or have in their cars that they spend their days in? Is what I have wondered anyway.

Also I believe that there is an unwritten curve set as to what is tolerated and where. I have witnessed interesting relationships between some of those who have been around longer and the local officers.

I would like to make it clear at this time that Rick and I both have great respect and appreciation for the officers in our neighborhood. We know many of them by name and can count on them for a quick response to dire situations day and night. We have seen them be tolerant and fair in the often barbaric situations that they have had to respond to.

As a store owner on this corner for 18 years I will share stories of my interactions that I have experienced as I remember them, as well as share the new ones as they occur. I hope you will find them constructive and entertaining.

I would at this time like to acknowledge Thankfulness and Appreciation to those who have co- operated in helping keep the corner clean and clear of the usual gatherings due to a recent surge of unfortunate events that have increased community tensions that directly impact the possibility of this store, Positively Haight Street, to continue to survive.

One Corner, Two Sides

So for those who do not know the geography of the neighborhood, Haight Street is a 6 block long retail shopping street extending from the east entrance of Golden Gate Park eastward to Central Avenue. Haight Street continues east and ends at Market Street. There is another retail area known as the Lower Haight centered around the Fillmore intersection.

Masonic Avenue intersects Haight Street five blocks east of Golden Gate Park and is the main auto entrance way to the neighborhood.

This allows Masonic a doublewide sidewalk. Twice as wide as the Haight Street sidewalk. This is the stage on which much unfolds. It is a stage where people have Lived, in every sense of the word, and many have Died on.

When I refer to "the corner" I will be referring to the Masonic side of my store and will refer to the Haight side as "the front" or "out front" as I do when I am here.

Where to Begin...

What I call the" Latest Era" might be a good place to begin. It was late summer of 2009.

I had not been working at the store for awhile and had an employee crew of five. I knew there was an economic crisis starting but I was in denial as to the severity. By August it was apparent that things had changed. Within 2 months only Rick and I were working the store. A previously unimaginable scenario.

At that time, the corner had been quiet compared to the years of inhabitants and their realities which had overwhelmed it since the days when our present location was Uganda Liquors for 23 years.

Then I started to notice as I would arrive in the morning, a man in a wheelchair spare changing folks in front of my store. A week or two later there were two and sometimes three guys and dogs joining him. They started to hang out for longer periods of the day and others began to visit them and eventually stayed as well.

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A RIGHT NOW UNFOLDING MOMENT UPDATE;

Two women have spontaneously occurred in front of my store and are performing in costume, wielding instruments of music. Photos available shortly.

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Welcome

Welcome to the James Preston SF blog.

A quick who am I and why I am blogging,

My name is James Preston. I own and operate Positively Haight Street, a retail store on the northwest corner of Haight and Masonic in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. I started and have owned it for over 18 years, opening in August 1992.

This corner is very rich in history as is the neighborhood.

A wealth of cultural activity endlessly plays itself out on this corner and seems to be of great human interest to anyone witnessing the unfolding or hearing the stories.

I am present at the store 35 hours a week and interact by default with much of the activity here. When I am not here my business partner Rick is present and keeps me well informed.

I have been encouraged to do this blog by those close enough to me to have heard plenty...