There's a long ramp with a switchback in the rear of our building at 766 Valencia. It was used to move bodies when the building was a morgue.
There is a wealth of similar history hidden in plain sight among the streets, structures, and alleyways of the Mission. We live here, work here, and ride here. Join our Mission Secrets guided tour and let us show you around. Here's a taste:
At the corner of 22nd and Harrison sits a diminutive building that looks plucked straight from a children's book. Just behind the building, cutting diagonally southwest across the Mission for over a mile, are the remnants of a rail line that once carried new Model T's, and at another time thousands of corpses for re-internment.
The oldest structure in San Francisco, dedicated in 1791, is made of adobe brick, and adjoins the only burial ground left on city property. Hanging over the door are bells, and overlooked by nearly all, are the ropes used to ring them. We'll do just that.
The seeds of a small equatorial tree are dried and fermented before being ground and sculpted into bars, candy and drinks. People have been making chocolate for over 1,500 years, and our neighbors are doing it as well as anyone ever has. We'll go behind the scenes to glimpse production and taste the final product.
Once we've worked up an appetite for lunch, we'll visit a ninety-eight-year-old diner that doesn't look much different than it did a few decades ago as a soda fountain and ice cream parlor. Want a suggestion? Try the sourdough French toast, or upgrade to a Griddle Combo to add eggs and a side. Go crazy, lunch is on us.
After the 1964 demolition, all that remains of this once majestic 3,000-seat theatre are the foyer and facade. We'll ride beneath both to revisit what was called the "greatest cinema row" in San Francisco.
These are only half of the stops on the tour, and of course the bike route from one to the next has been designed to help tell the story of the Mission. Join us for an insiders afternoon.
Through the end of March use coupon code TOURSF for 50% off.
Mission Secrets Tour Saturday, 3/19
Mission Secrets Tour Wednesday, 3/30
Mission Secrets Tour Saturday, 4/9
See all upcoming dates ➝
P.S. In case you need a ride, all tour registrations include a 24-hour bike rental.