The Bay
Table of Contents
About this Collection
This collection represents pieces of The Bay that not only define my perception of it but also delve deeper into my relationship with it. The Bay is a large area, and I hope to capture some history as well as my experience and emotions surrounding its uniqueness and diversity in landscapes. -P.S.
Indian Rock
Indian Rock is a staple view in Berkeley; it's where people go to smoke, drink, and hang out. This is one of the most beautiful views of the bay accessible without a car, somewhere I frequent for its beauty.
Berkeley CA, May, 2023
The Base
In 1927, wetlands at the west end of Alameda Island on the east shore of San Francisco Bay were filled to form an airport (Alameda Airport) with an east–west runway, three hangars, an administration building, and a yacht harbor. -Wikpedia
The Base, as it's known colloquially, is just as rundown as it looks. Buildings are dilapidated, roofs are caving in, windows are boarded, and glass lies under them. The base is one of my favorite places to visit; it feels like a relic of the past, used now by people coming to do donuts in the dead of night or to do some urban exploring. Easily one of the most unique vibes in the bay, only rivaled by the Marin abandoned bases.
This picture was taken during the pandemic, adding to the emptiness and feeling of abandonment of the space.
Yerba Buena Island, Ca, 2019
Yerba Buena Island
Doggie Diner was a small fast food restaurant chain serving hot dogs and hamburgers in San Francisco and Oakland, California, that operated from 1948 to 1986.
The most notable feature of the Doggie Diner chain was the sign: a 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) rotating fiberglass head of a wide-eyed, grinning dachshund wearing a bow tie and chef's hat. - Wikipedia
I had no idea where or what these heads came from at the time, but I'd seen them several times while biking to Yerba Buena Island. The island is a former navy base; after the war, the buildings began to age, and the island is full of abandoned, rotting buildings. The dogs only adding to this aesthetic of a period left in the past and once forgotten.
Market Street
From either end of the city, it feels like it's sliced right through the middle. The perspective always reminds me of the end or beginning of a scene, in this case stylized as an ending
SanFran
San Francisco holds a dear place in my heart. The grandeur and color of the bridge, the ebb and flow of the city, and the lushness of the surrounding hills. This is by far one of my favorite rides; it puts in perspective how small we are in comparison to what society has built. It always overwhelms me with a sense of awe and wonder as I ride up the hill just to be confronted by a bright red bridge and a stunning hilly Fran.
San Francisco, CA, December 2021
Seaview
Seaview, one of the many hiking trails in the Berkeley Hills. Not only does it give a sense of grandeur towards The Bay, but it also shows how lush and beautiful California can be when the San Pablo Reservoir is full. Seaview makes up a great part of who I am, reminding me of how stunning nature can be in my backyard and allowing me to traverse its wonderful trails on my bike.
Seaview, Berkeley CA, April 18 2019
