Storied: San Francisco

Latest Episodes:

S3E20, Part 1: Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez on How He Got Into Journalism May 26, 2020

Show notes

Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez grew up in Cow Hollow, and he'd like you to know what that means.

In this podcast, the prolific San Francisco journalist tells the story of how his parents met (it involves his mom and uncle hitchhiking from Los Angeles to San Francisco). He talks about the neighborhood where he grew up and all the misconceptions that surround it. An influential neighbor he had back then led him to become a writer for his middle school newspaper.

Joe ends the podcast sharing stories from his time making documentary videos in high school, and how, in a roundabout way, that led him back to journalism at City College.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E19, Part 2: Hillary Ronen on Life as an Elected Official May 21, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen picks up where she left off in Part 1, talking about her work at La Raza Centro Legal in the Mission. She goes on a verbal tour of places in the Mission she hung out (hello, margaritas at Latin American Club!). She applied for and got a job as a legislative aide to then-D9 Supervisor David Campos. Fast-forward to 2016, when she was tapped to run to replace Campos. She shares stories from a bittersweet Election Night that November, working with former Mayor Ed Lee, and what she hopes to accomplish if she wins reelection this year.

We recorded this podcast in Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April and May 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E19, Part 1: Hillary Ronen on Her Formative Years May 19, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen tells the story of how her parents, one from Israel, one from Milwaukee, met in Los Angeles, where she grew up. She went to college at UC San Diego and engaged in activism on the state level, fighting props 187 and 209. After graduation, she wanted to learn Spanish, and she spent a couple of years in Barcelona. She came back to the states to go to law school at UC Berkeley, where, after a couple of summers doing various legal work, she had a realization that landed her in the Mission District in San Francisco.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April and May 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E18, Part 2: JoEllen Depakakibo on Opening Pinhole Coffee May 14, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, JoEllen goes into detail about her various roles at Blue Bottle, including a brief stint in New York City. When she returned to San Francisco in 2012, she started formulating a business plan. With the support of her bosses at Blue Bottle, that plan ended up being Pinhole Coffee, which opened in Bernal Heights in 2014.

Pinhole is open with reduced hours and a smaller menu during shelter-in-place. Check their website or follow them on social media for more info.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E18, Part 1: Joellen Depakakibo's First Coffee Jobs May 12, 2020

Show notes

Remember when cafés had couches?

In this podcast, Pinhole Coffee owner Joellen Depakakibo walks us through her life growing up just outside of Chicago. She ended up going to college at DePaul and moving to Chicago, which lead to her first jobs in coffee shops.

Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Joellen will tell us all about her gig at Blue Bottle and then her eventual departure to open Pinhole up on Cortland in Bernal Heights. Pinhole is open specific days and hours during shelter-in-place. Check their website or social media for details.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E17, Part 2: Ray Bair on Small Businesses and Owning Cheese Plus May 07, 2020

Show notes

Businesses often have contingency plans, but few if any could've prepared for COVID-19.

In this podcast, Ray Bair tells the story of how he came to own Cheese Plus, a beloved Russian Hill specialty food store that is open during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place. Leaving the job at Whole Foods that he had for nearly two decades, the store was a natural if difficult transition. In recent days, Ray, his wife, and some friends created the Six Foot Social Club as a way to raise money for small businesses. Ray ends the podcast talking about his hopes and fears for small businesses once the lockdown is lifted.

If you missed Part 1, when Ray told stories from his early days in Kansas, Dallas, and Austin, please go back and listen.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E17, Part 1: Ray Bair on His Farm Days and Time in Austin May 05, 2020

Show notes

From Kansas farms to Austin bands, Cheese Plus owner Ray Bair's life experiences span quite a broad spectrum.

In this podcast, Ray takes us back to the early '70s, when he'd spend summers on his grandparents' farm in Kansas. He'd return for the school year to his hometown of Dallas, where he spent his high-school days and stuck around a few years after graduating. A job lured him to Austin, where he later found work at the nascent Whole Foods Market. That eventually helped him land in the Bay Area several years later.

Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Ray will talk about his time with Whole Foods around here and his eventually coming to own Cheese Plus (one of our favorite stores in San Francisco!). He'll also reflect on what the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic shutdown portends for small businesses like his.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E16, Part 2: Robin Galante on Her Art and the Outer Richmond Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Living in San Francisco was never a foregone conclusion for Robin Galante. But growing up on the Peninsula, the city always held a certain allure for her.

In this podcast, Robin talks about her life in the city. These days, in addition to doing original art for Nocturne podcast, she's been making paintings of the Balboa Theatre and other Outer Richmond businesses and donating proceeds from the sale of that art to businesses in the area affected by the coronavirus shelter-in-place.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photo by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E16, Part 1: Robin Galante on Her Peninsula Childhood Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

Growing up, Robin Galante felt she didn't fit in with kids in her neighborhood, and so she turned to her imagination at an early age.

In this podcast, Robin, who grew up on the Peninsula in Los Altos, talks about her life there. Owing partly to her mom's creativity, she engaged in visual arts and never looked back. As a young girl and again as a teenager, she visited San Francisco and formed impressions of the big city up the way. She eventually moved here when she decided to attend SF State.

We recorded this episode on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E15, Part 2: Marke Bieschke on His Life in San Francisco Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Marke Bieschke arrived in San Francisco in the mid-'90s, got a place to live, and got the first of a couple of dotcom jobs. Those were the days ...

Today, Marke is the publisher and arts editor of 48 Hills (fundraiser here). He's also part of a collective that owns The Stud, San Francisco's oldest gay nightclub (fundraiser here). In this podcast, Marke shares the stories of his two-and-a-half decades in the city. He ends by reflecting on how the community has reacted in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

We recorded this podcast on Zoom during quarantine in San Francisco in April 2020.

Photo by Jeff Hunt

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