San Francisco's SoMa: A Forever Piece of Me

By: Alexis Putnam

My Story

Growing up in San Francisco has a huge impact on the person that I am today. I was born in the city and lived in SoMa until I was twelve years old. When living in SoMa, I was exposed to all different kinds of people, food, and music. It nurtured my appreciation for various cultures and different types of people. This city will always have a special place in my heart and I will forever cherish all my memories made there.

When I look back on my childhood I will always remember living in SoMa. Everyday after I woke up, I would run downstairs to find my dad. After we ate breakfast together, we would go outside of our building and ride around on bikes. At this moment, I remember thinking that there was nothing in life that could ever hurt me and make me sad. Growing up in San Francisco taught me that everyone is different and whatever you set your mind to you'll achieve. I wish I could go back to the carefree days in my childhood, but instead I will always replay my memories made there.

Me when I was younger, standing infront of my loft. (Photo credit: my mother)

Me and my sister, Zoe, in front of our old house. (Photo credit: my mother)

Front of the Oreintal Warehouse. (Photo credit: me)

SoMa Back In The Day

The South of Market area in San Francisco embodies the dynamic spirit of urban life in one of America's most iconic cities, although it wasn’t always like this. This area, commonly referred to as SoMa, is designated by the trolley that runs right along Market Street. This creates a physical and psychological boundary, also known as the Slot, which is what separates the north of Market and SoMa. SoMa was filled with the impoverished, working class whereas the north of Market contained commercial and political power centers.

During the Gold Rush is when SoMa was first settled. It was a tent city filled with thousands of gold miners and soon became known as Happy Valley for its nice weather and positive inhabitants. Back then, most of what is now present-day SoMa, was either covered by the water from the bay or swamp lands.

Many of San Francisco’s first industries were situated in SoMa. These industries include machine shops, breweries, warehouses, bullet manufacturing, and iron foundries. Furthermore, there was a large focus on shipping and shipbuilding since this area was located right on the Bay. Most of SoMa’s residents worked in this industries which lead to the population being mostly single, working men.

Front of the Oriental Warehouse now. (Photo credit: architonic.com)

Interior of the Oriental Warehouse circa 1900. (Photo credit: aetypic.com)

My Historic Home

My childhood home, The Oriental Warehouse, now houses many working individuals in renovated lofts, but not many know the history behind this old brick building. This warehouse is located along the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay, near First and Brannan Street. Although, The Oriental Warehouse wasn’t always filled with work/live lofts.

Back in the day, this huge building was used to house immigrants from Asia that came to San Francisco in search of gaining wealth through gold mining. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company kept all the immigrants that came in on their ships in the warehouse. Even though the Chinese Exclusion Act came into place in 1882, the women and men were still housed in the warehouse, but separately. Throughout the entirety of the building, there was not a single sanitary facility.

After the Immigration Act of 1891 was passed, the new Commissioner of Immigration visited the warehouse and stated that “this way of living is horrible and has appalling conditions”. This is what caused a new immigration facility to be built on Angel Island in 1910. For a short time after, the warehouse was used by the Southern Pacific Railroad to store their “unused goods”. Once the railroad company took out all of their commodities the warehouse became abandoned.

Upgrades Upon Upgrades

Taken 1870 from the hillside, now the beginning of the Bay Bridge. (Photo credit: aetypic.com)

The Oriental Warehouse was the only stand-alone building in this area of the city. SoMa was going to become the new San Francisco waterfront redevelopment area, so they had to figure out what to do with the huge brick building. When talking about the Oriental Warehouse, senior architect, David Tritt, explained that “the building sat vacant and alone for a number of years until we were commissioned by Henry Lambert to come up with a scheme to save it”. In the early 1990s, Reliance Development bought the warehouse for the redevelopment project.

San Francisco Fire Department demolishing the unstable parts of the North wall. (Photo credit: aetypic.com)

Throughout the renovation of the warehouse the architects faced many setbacks. On top of earthquakes, there was a fire in 1996 that ate up the far right bay. Additionally, major damage was done to the northern exterior brick wall, where the original logo was. Nevertheless, the renovations were finished and the building now contained 66 modern lofts. These lofts were constructed to accommodate the work/live lifestyle of many individuals in SoMa, with timeless red brick. The Oriental Warehouse will have tenants come and go, but its rich history will always stick around.

Home of the SF Giants

As stated earlier, SoMa is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, located just south of Market Street. It has a number of smaller communities, such as Rincon Hill, Yerba Buena, and South Beach. Each of these sub-neighborhoods contain different landmarks, restaurants, and much more, each with their own vibe.

The South Beach area is home to the San Francisco Giants baseball team arena, which has a decorated history. In 1992, Peter Magowan, a devoted Giants fan and local businessman, got support from local investors to buy the team. After five years, in 1997, the groundwork for the stadium started. Following almost three years of construction and a total investment of $357 million, the stadium was unveiled on April 11, 2000.

While based in SF, the Giants have competed in the World Series four times, winning in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Despite its storied history, Oracle Park has yet to witness the San Francisco Giants secure a World Series victory on home turf. The last game of all these series were held at the opposing team's stadium. Visiting the ballpark is a must do on your next trip to SoMa.

Me and my sister, Zoe, before a Sunday Giants game. (Photo credit: my mother)

Map of SoMa. (Photo credit: somcan.org)

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