Saturday, May 6, 2017

Tour 2017: Haight-Ashbury

The NorCal Tour obviously requires swing through the Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco. First stop was 636 Cole St. where Manson lived with Mary Brunner, Lynette Fromme and other early members of the group.  During this period they moved around between here, Mendocino and other places. They were couch surfers, so you won't find Manson's name on any lease agreements.

The homes and neighborhoods have been gentrified in recent decades so nomadic young people could never afford to rent the house these days (there was an S-Class Mercedes in the garage that you see on the bottom right of the building).




To give perspective, below is the view down to the corner of Haight St. from the front of the house. It's right in the heart of everything.



Just a few blocks away is the apartment building at 955 Clayton St where Sandra Good live circa 1966 with several people including Joel Pugh before she met Manson.



One door off the corner of Haight & Ashbury is the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. Abigail Folger volunteered her time here. It was founded by Dr. David E. Smith who along with researcher Alan Rose had extended contact with The Family. You can read more about that HERE.



The Haight evidently has not forgotten its Manson Family footprint. Very close to the famous corner is a bookstore called Booksmith. Just inside the front window on the left sidewall was this tack board:



The "Russian Embassy" house at Alamo Square where Bobby Beausoleil lived for a time with Kenneth Anger. I was pretty impressed. It's a really pretty building. It still seems to be inhabited by phreaks!



The "420 Clock" at the corner of Haight & Ashbury directly across from the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic:



The "Jimi Hendrix House" - 1524 Ashbury St.:



The "Grateful Dead House" - 710 Ashbury St.:



Haight inhabitant: