The End of the Golden Gate: Writers on Loving and (Sometimes) Leaving San Francisco

Nothing better exemplifies the mournfulness of those decrying the takeover of the City by the Bay better than the essay by Peter Coyote. For better or worse, San Francisco is now the million dollar plus habitat of wealthy entrepreneurs. Gone are the days when a flat in a run-down Victorian would be affordable to those on minimum wage. The city that was once known for its acceptance of wildly different free spirits now belongs solidly to the tech bro.

A much more personal story––and to me the highlight of the book––is the essay by comedienne Margaret Cho about her friend’s untimely death. This story goes to the heart of loss in the city. Many of the stories are written from the point of view of where the writer came from or where they have ended up, always with a wistfulness for their time in one of the greatest cities in the world.

Delightfully, excerpts are taken from the stories and given prominence in a facing full page. There are fourteen contributors to this homage to the city. For those of us who love San Francisco and have built memories there, it is a delightful read.