Corner of Haight and Ashbury

Haight-Ashbury is a district of San Francisco, California, USA named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It is commonly called The Haight. The Haight-Ashbury generally encompasses the neighborhood surrounding Haight Street, bounded by Stanyan Street and Golden Gate Park on the West, Oak Street and the Golden Gate Park Panhandle on the North, Baker Street and Buena Vista Park to the East, and Frederick Street and Ashbury Heights and Cole Valley neighborhoods to the South. Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco California, is a large Urban park consisting of 1017 acres (4 Buena Vista Park is a Park in the Haight-Ashbury and Buena Vista Heights neighborhoods of San Francisco, California, United States Cole Valley is a small neighborhood in San Francisco. Its boundaries are usually considered to be Stanyan Street and the Sutro Forest to the west Tank Hill to the south Clayton

The area is futher broken into The Upper Haight and the Haight-Fillmore or Lower Haight district; the latter being lower in elevation and part of what was previously the principal African American and Japanese neighborhoods in San Francisco's early years. The Lower Haight is a neighborhood sometimes referred to as Haight-Fillmore in San Francisco, California. The names of the streets themselves are taken from pioneer and exchange banker Henry Haight^[1], or, (though it is arguable) the tenth governor of California, Henrey Huntley Haight, the former's nephew, and one of the city's first politicians, Sup. Henry Haight (1820-1869 was an American exchange banker and pioneer Ashbury (of which information is sparse). Both Haight and his nephew as well as Ashbury had a hand in the planning of the neighborhood, and, more importantly, nearby Golden Gate Park at its inception. Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco California, is a large Urban park consisting of 1017 acres (4

The district is famous for its role as a center of the 1960s hippie movement, a post-runner and closely associated offshoot of the Beat generation or beat movement, members of which swarmed San Francisco's "in" North Beach neighborhood two to eight years before the "Summer of Love" in 1967. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The Hippie Subculture was originally a Youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. This article refers to the summer of 1967 For the film of a similar name please go to My Summer of Love. Many who could not find space to live in San Francisco's northside found it in the quaint, relatively cheap and underpopulated Haight Ashbury. The '60s era and modern American counterculture has been synonymous with San Francisco and the upper Haight neighborhood ever since. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Counterculture (also " counter-culture " is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a Cultural group, or

History

The district

Before the completion of the Haight Street Cable Railroad in 1883, what is now the Haight-Ashbury was a collection of isolated farms and acres of sand dunes. The Haight cable car line, completed in 1883, connected the west end of Golden Gate Park with the geographically central Market Street line and the rest of downtown San Francisco. The cable car, land grading and building techniques of the 1890s and early 20th century reinvented the Haight-Ashbury as a residential upper middle-class home owners' district. It was one of the few neighborhoods spared from the fires that followed the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

The Haight was hit hard by the Depression, as was much of the city. Residents with enough money to spare left the declining and crowded neighborhood for greener pastures within the growing city limits, or newer, smaller suburban homes in the bay area. During the housing shortage of World War II, large single-family Victorians were divided into apartments to house war workers coming back from the piers; others were converted into boarding homes for profit. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including By the 1950s, the Haight was a neighborhood in decline. Many buildings were left vacant after the war. Deferred maintenance also took its toll, and the exodus of middle-class residents to newer suburbs continued to leave many units for rent.

The Haight Ashbury's elaborately detailed 19th-century multi-story wooden houses became a haven for hippies during the 1960s, due to the availability of cheap rooms and vacant properties for rent or sale in the district. The bohemian subculture that subsequently flourished there took root, and to a great extent, has remained to this day. The term bohemian, of French origin was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished Artists

San Francisco and the Haight gained a reputation as the center of illegal drug culture and rock and roll lifestyles by the mid 60's, especially with the use of marijuana and LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs. Drug subcultures are examples of Countercultures primarily defined by Recreational drug use. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a By 1967, the neighborhood's fame chiefly rested on the fact that it became the haven for a number of important psychedelic rock performers and groups of the time. Psychedelic rock is a style of Rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. Acts like Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin all lived a short distance from the famous intersection. Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco, a pioneer of the Psychedelic rock movement The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Janis Lyn Joplin ( January 19, 1943  – October 4, 1970) was an American singer songwriter and music arranger from They not only immortalized the scene in song, but also knew many within the community as friends and family. Another well-known neighborhood presence was The Diggers, a local "community anarchist" group famous for its street theatre who also provided free food to residents every day. The Diggers were a radical community-action group of Improv actors operating from 1966-68 based in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.

Haight St near the district

By the "summer of love" Psychedelic rock music was entering the mainstream, and received more and more commercial radio airplay. Psychedelic rock is a style of Rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. The song "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" became a hit single. "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair" is a Song, written by John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, and sung by Scott In Popular music, a chart-topper is an extremely popular recording, identified by its inclusion in a ranked list&mdasha Chart &mdashof top The Monterey Pop Festival in June further cemented the status of psychedelic music as a part of mainstream culture and elevated local Haight bands such as Big Brother and the Holding Company and Jefferson Airplane to national stardom. The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the psychedelic music scene Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco, a pioneer of the Psychedelic rock movement A July 7, 1967, Time magazine cover story on "The Hippies: Philosophy of a Subculture," an August CBS News television report on "The Hippie Temptation"[1] and other major media interest in the hippie subculture exposed the Haight-Ashbury district to enormous national attention and popularized the counter-culture movement across the country and around the world. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and CBS News is the news division of American Television and Radio network CBS. Thousands of youth migrated to the Haight-Ashbury district, including many runaway teenagers, irrevocably altering the social structure of the neighborhood and the world's' views of San Francisco as a city. A runaway is a minor who has left the home of his or her Parent or Legal guardian without permission or has been thrown out by his or her parent

In response to this new population migrating to the Haight-Ashbury and a growing medical crisis caused by increased drug use and lack of health insurance, Dr. David E Smith opened the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic on June 7, 1967, the first free clinic in the U. David E Smith is recognized as a national leader in Addiction medicine, the psychopharmacology of drugs new research strategies in the management of drug abuse problems The Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc are a free health care service provider serving more than 34000 people in Northern California. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins S. without a religious affiliation. His goal was to provide free medical care for everyone under the motto "Health care is a right, not a privilege. " The clinic operated in the Haight-Ashbury District through 2007, then moved most of its operations to the Mission District of San Francisco and continues to provide medical care to those who would otherwise lack access to it. The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission " is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, named after the ^[2]

Culture

The area still maintains its bohemian ambiance, though the effects of gentrification are also apparent. The term bohemian, of French origin was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished Artists Gentrification, or urban gentrification, is the change in an Urban area associated with the movement of more affluent individuals into a lower-class Though Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream is now located at the famous Haight-Ashbury intersection, the neighborhood remains a thriving center of independent local businesses. B&J redirects here For the beverage company see Bartles and Jaymes. It is home to a number of independent restaurants and bars, as well as clothing boutiques, booksellers (including The Booksmith), head shops and record stores including the well-known Amoeba Music. Founded in 1976 The Booksmith is an Independent bookstore located in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. head shop is a retail outlet specializing in paraphernalia related to consumption of cannabis, other recreational drugs and New Age herbs as well Amoeba Music is an Independent music chain with stores in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, California. The cohabitation between throw-backs to the fifties lounge scene, organic and spiritual new age via the sixties, punk rock of the seventies and beyond is one of the neighborhood's most interesting and endearing aspects. A good way to see it all is at the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair, held on the second Sunday of each June.

The main commercial area's blend of diverse street life engulfs all types in the carnivalesque and liberal surroundings, just as it had in the sixties. Recent police and community efforts help maintain park curfews and "no camping policies" and steps are being taken to curb the constant influx of youth living on the streets. Both commercial and residential property in the area are in high demand today, a testament to the long history and many attractions of the Haight Ashbury neighborhood and the city of San Francisco. ^[3]

Hippie Hill

An area just inside Golden Gate Park directly west of Haight Street known as Hippie Hill is often considered part of the Haight-Ashbury. The hill is a grassy, southern-facing slope near the Haight entrance to the park, through a small tunnel beneath the Alvord Lake Bridge, and up the walking paths leading north. In dry weather, Hippie Hill is a popular destination for locals that offers a glimpse back at the Haight's hippie culture, frequently featuring a large drum circle, amateur performers of many types from jugglers to musicians, Frisbee enthusiasts, picnickers, with occasional pot smokers and acid droppers.

Politics

Ross Mirkarimi, a member of the Green Party, is the current supervisor representing the district encompassing Haight-Ashbury in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Ross Mirkarimi (born August 4 1961 is a member of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, California. A Green party' or ecologist party is a formally organized Political party based on the principles of Green politics. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislature of the City and County of San Francisco, California. In Congress, the greater San Francisco Area including Haight-Ashbury is represented by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat. Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26 1940 is the current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

See also

• Counterculture of the 1960s
• Booksmith bookstore
• Amoeba Music
• The Diggers
• Haight Ashbury Beat
• I-Beam (nightclub)
• Lower Haight
• Magnolia Thunderpussy
• The Red Victorian
• David E Smith; founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic (1967)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a computer game which features a district called Hashbury in the fictional city of San Fierro
• That's So Raven, a Disney Channel original series in which the main character, Raven Baxter, lives in a house at the corner of Haight-Ashbury

References

• Perry, Charles. The Haight-Ashbury: A History. Wenner Books, 2005. Original publication: 1984.

External links

• Haight-Ashbury
• Haight Ashbury 40 years after the Summer of Love
• The Haight-Ashbury 30 Years Ago: A Timeline

• Haight-Ashbury is at coordinates 37°46′12″N 122°26′49″W / 37.770015, -122.446937 (Haight-Ashbury)Coordinates: 37°46′12″N 122°26′49″W / 37.770015, -122.446937 (Haight-Ashbury)