View from the Golden Fire Hydrant

The end of 2024 is almost here. As I stand in my little Victorian cottage on 20th Street in San Francisco’s Liberty Hill Historic District, I can’t help but think how much has changed this year—and how little has changed, too.

I’m just a short stroll away from the famous Golden Fire Hydrant, the one that heroically saved a big swath of the Mission District and Noe Valley after the 1906 earthquake. I pass it almost daily, and it seems to shine a little brighter as the year winds down. Maybe it’s because the skim of rain on the sidewalk is reflecting its gold paint, or maybe it’s just the fact that this city is always magical and shining and in the process of becoming something new.

My house, built in 1907, is one of those “earthquake shacks” that was erected after every structure on its side of the block was blown up with dynamite to create a fire break during the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. Across from me, the Victorians that didn’t go up in flames are still standing tall—gracious, dignified, and somewhat amused by the daily parade of tourists gawking at them as if they’re the last dinosaurs on Earth.

Those grand homes and my little shack have been here for well over a hundred years. Sometimes I get this uncanny feeling that they’re watching me. They're like old, stoic relatives, silently judging my choice of attire, the activities I've planned for the day, or the way I parked my car. They’ve been here long enough to witness everything from street repavings to sinkholes to global conflicts to the rise of AI. If they could think, what must they think?

In 2024, there’s certainly been no shortage of change. San Francisco, the U.S., the world have seen it all this year. The Victorians have endured all of it—street repairs, new sewers, utility poles, gentrification, you name it. They’ve seen wars, protests, and countless fashion trends come and go. The women who once lived in my house wore corsets, bustles, miniskirts, and now… whatever it is we’re all wearing these days. The one thing that hasn’t changed substantially? The houses on my street. They just keep standing there with impeccable posture -- indifferent to the chaos around them, accepting of whatever new paint color or exterior flourish their current owner chooses.

Every now and then, I’ll stand outside at twilight, look at those gorgeous Victorians, and imagine the place as it was back in the late 1800s—no cars, no tech bros, no crazy people half naked and shouting like King Lear, no skateboards zooming down the hill. I picture the neighborhood filled with horse-drawn carriages and people wearing hats and somber long coats. The Great Earthquake is still a decade away, and the Gold Rush is still fresh in everyone’s mind. The 20th Century is future, not past.

Was everything simpler then? Nah. I’m sure they had their own version of chaos, just done up in sepia tones.

What will this street look like at the end of 2025? At the end of 2055? The Victorians will probably still stand their ground. Meanwhile, we’ll all be passing (or have just passed) through. So, what's new today in San Francisco? What's old? How can I be a tourist in my own town?

I know! Let's meet at the Golden Fire Hydrant to admire the changing skyline. That -- and whatever is going on in Dolores Park -- is never boring.

Merry everything and Happy New Year dear golden San Francisco. Here’s to the adventures, the surprises, and the inevitable changes of 2025. Let’s roll with it.