september 2003

Above San Francisco, that venerable coffee table book of aerial photographs of San Francisco, has long been ubiquitous in the better living rooms and reception areas of the Bay Area. It’s about to have a sibling: acclaimed Bay nature photographer Dennis Anderson is weeks away from releasing Hidden Treasures of San Francisco Bay (Heyday Books).

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Trying Times on the F-Word Line

Resident curmudgeon and longtime Embarcadero denizen Guy Span takes "muniserable" Muni to task for its management of the colorful historic trolley cars that grace the San Francisco waterfront. In Span’s opinion, charm doesn’t trump inconvenience. Go to Article

The Mighty Quinn’s Picnic

We all have our soft spots, and for us it’s Bodo Eichler’s inimitable lighthouse-cum-fine bistro-cum-rollicking-good-time-bar Quinn’s Lighthouse. Eichler installed his East Bay institution along the Oakland Estuary long before the area became the new hot development spot. Quinn’s large and loyal following knows to expect warm hospitality, special touches (be sure to visit the bathroom, even if you don’t need to) and above all, surprisingly good food. This month, Bodo whips up a salad. Go to Article

Shopping the Shoreline

The charmed Water Transit Authority (WTA) – still on track for its funding to begin rolling out comprehensive regional ferry service despite all – also figures to improve the way we get around when we just wanna have fun. Recreational tourism means big bucks for Bay businesses, and visitors are increasingly coming from the Bay Area rather than far away. Be a tourist for a day in your own backyard. Go to Article

Notice to Our Readers

Bay Crossings Opens Ferry Building Store

Ferry Tickets, Fine Ferry Building Memorabilia, Maps, and More

Covergirl Elizabeth Bernard, who can be found weekdays hostessing at the hot new waterfront bistro Butterfly (Pier 33 in San Francisco), really winds our clock. And it really is our clock. It’ll be the design centerpiece of our new Ferry Building store, set to open September 15.

Ferry tickets for all lines, excepting the Golden Gate Ferry, will be available, along with Bay cruises, trips to Angel Island, whale-watching expeditions, private excursions, and much more. In addition, Ferry Building memorabilia will be on sale, including gift and post cards featuring top photographers and excerpts from the finest historical collections.

Also, regional maps of interest and practical use for tourists and residents alike will be available, featuring Rand McNally products but supplemented by a wide array of other offerings. We’ll even be offering our own specially-branded spring water, dubbed "Ferry Water," replete with a pink ferryboat.

Our clock, without Elizabeth, in its original setting in the historic Oakland Mole.

Our clock has a significant historical provenance; it hung in the main waiting room of the Oakland Mole, the East Bay’s Ferry Building. Now demolished, the Oakland Mole was the terminus for trains arriving from the East; passengers would disembark and connect with ferries to complete their trip to San Francisco.

The clock was preserved by right-minded folks and has found refuge for over 50 years with a semi-secret band of waterfront mandarins. And no easy task, that: it weighs over 300 pounds and is 8 feet in diameter. It will keep accurate time, thanks to a new workings obtained from Balzer Family Clockworks in Maine.

Bay Crossings renders heartfelt thanks to the many individuals and organizations who have pitched in the make this public service possible. Topping the list is Ferry Building developer Wilson-Meany (especially the all-patient Michelle Meany and Steve Carlin, essentially the Artistic Director of the wildly successful Marketplace). Nipping at their heels in the parade of thanks are the Blue and Gold Fleet (Ron Duckhorn), the Vallejo Transportation District (Pam Belchamber), the Port of San Francisco and Rand McNally.

An example of the fine post and greeting cards we’ll be offering: here, Miss Mary Driver, "Smiles Queen of California 1931," honors the Ferry Building at the California State Fair.

Hats off also to our very own Guy Span, who has made available priceless specimens from his peerless collection of ferry and rail memorabilia to decorate the store. Also, to the donated labor of Painter’s Local #83 and #4 (Les Prodeau), the Carpenter’s Union (Bill Wong), and above all, the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific (Marina V.-–and don’t you forget it-– Secchitano). The design firm of COA Architects (Garth Collier, principal, and his able assistant Daniel Ibrahim) and Steve Bernardini of Bernardini Construction also donated their valuable skill and time.

Thanks, too, to Wells Fargo Bank, for extending our credit card limit. We couldn’t have done it without them.