Chris Carlsson Book Launch at The Green Arcade

Hidden San Francisco is a guidebook like no other. Chris Carlsson (of Shaping San Francisco and Foundsf fame) peels back the layers of San Francisco’s history to reveal a storied past: behind old walls and gleaming glass facades lurk former industries, secret music and poetry venues, forgotten terrorist bombings, and much more. Carlsson delves into the Bay Area’s long prehistory, examining the region’s geography and the lives of its inhabitants before the 1849 Gold Rush changed everything, setting in motion the clash between capital and labor that shaped the modern city. Including maps, walking guides and bike routes, this vibrant guide brings to life the streets and hills of today’s San Francisco, from the perspective of the students and secretaries, longshoremen and waitresses who shaped its radical past.

The history of San Francisco I’ve been waiting for. It not only reorients our conceptions of the past, it gives us walking tour itineraries so we can viscerally experience how we are participants in the region’s remaking.’ Sean Burns, author of Archie Green: The Making of a Working Class Hero.