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To: Beave Meister
John D. MacDonald writing about San Francisco in his novel "The Quick Red Fox" (1964):
San Francisco is the most depressing city in America. The come-latelys might not think so. They may be enchanted by the steep streets up Nob and Russian and Telegraph, by the sea mystery of the Bridge over to redwood country on a foggy night, by the urban compartmentalization of Chinese, Spanish, Greek, Japanese, by the smartness of the women and the city's iron clutch on culture. It might look just fine to the new ones.

But there are too many of us who used to love her. She was like a wild classy kook of a gal, one of those rain-walkers, laughing gray eyes, tousle of dark hair -- sea misty, a lithe and lively lady, who could laugh at you or with you, and at herself when needs be. A sayer of strange and lovely things. A girl to be in love with, with love like a heady magic.

But she had lost it, boy. She used to give it away, and now she sells it to the tourists. She imitates herself. Her figure has thickened. The things she says now are mechanical and memorized. She overcharges for cynical services.

Maybe if you are from Dayton or Amarillo or Wheeling or Scranton or Camden she can look like magic to you because you have not had a chance to see what a city can be. This one had her chance to go straight and she lost it somehow, and it has been downhill for her ever since. That's why she is so depressing to those of us who knew her when. We all know what she could have been, and we all know the lousy choice she made. She has driven away the ones who loved her best. A few keep trying. Herb Caen. A few others. But the love words have a hollow tone these days.


24 posted on 01/12/2020 12:14:30 AM PST by TChad (The MSM, having nuked its own credibility, is now bombing the rubble.)
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To: TChad

Wow. That quote while about SF,
could very well describe New Orleans today as well. The reasons are different of course but similar in
that the sjws & libs have destroyed with their policies & laws they enact.
Sad really; seeing so many once fret
cities die under liberal rule.

Louisiana is a solid red state though
NOLA is solid blue.
That explains some things.


26 posted on 01/12/2020 1:14:00 AM PST by DeplorableGirl
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To: TChad

John D. recalls a time when San Francisco was “The City”. Then, class was exchanged for vulgarity. Service was replaced by rip-off. Civic pride by hip. Maturity by adolescence. Montgomery Street by North Beach. Army Street mixed neighborhood by Gaytown USA. A. Sabella’s for Joe DiMaggio’s. Gone: The City of Paris, the Cliff House, Coffee Dan’s. Ahg, the horror.


39 posted on 01/12/2020 5:08:47 AM PST by Bookshelf
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To: TChad

San Francisco was once a Republican bastion in California


42 posted on 01/12/2020 5:38:01 AM PST by nwrep
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To: TChad

Wow, what a description. How apt.


51 posted on 01/12/2020 6:48:21 AM PST by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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