On June 29, the Barbary Coast Neighborhood Association hosted a walking tour led by member Ron Kaufman. Ron is intimately familiar with the history and redevelopment of San Francisco’s Northeast waterfront, having played a significant role.
In the 1950s and ’60s, the prevailing view was that San Francisco’s older neighborhoods should be completely leveled and rebuilt from scratch. One by one, the neighborhood’s old warehouses were being torn down. Ron, then a young real estate broker, had a vision for the city’s waterfront. If only someone cared enough (and could find the funds) to rescue the magnificent old brick buildings. In 1959, Ron was working with National Ice and Cold Storage on Union Street. The owners asked him to “do something” with their historic building. Ron teamed with Leonard Cahn, a real estate investor, and the old Ice and Cold Storage building ushered in the restoration of the Northeast waterfront. It was the first of many and became Ron’s life work. In all he rehabilitated more than 25 buildings.
Read about the fascinating history of San Francisco’s waterfront and the stories behind some of our neighborhood’s most familiar and beloved buildings, as well as Ron’s work to save them, in The Old North Waterfront: A History and Rebirth of a San Francisco Neighborhood. Buy now using the Amazon link below, and BCNA will receive a small donation from your purchase.