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October 17, 2010. Cable car tracks on Powell St. at Bush St., San Francisco. It's a steep hill, so I guess that's why they want everyone else to "keep out" of the way of the cable cars.

October 17, 2010. At the corner of Bush and Mason, Nob Hill, San Francisco. Nuns in raincoats walking past the liquor store towards the adult theatre.

October 17, 2010. The Nitecap bar, at the corner of O'Farrell and Hyde in The Tenderloin, San Francisco. This was another one of my favourite signs, though I didn't manage to get a photo that I really liked.

Still, I think my all-time favourite bar sign is from right near my own neighbourhood in Toronto. Check out this 1960's photo from the City of Toronto Archives, where you can clearly see the old sign at Duffy's Tavern, at the corner of Bloor and Margueretta. I wish that sign was still there.

October 17, 2010. An abandoned store at the corner of O'Farrell and Jones, in The Tenderloin, San Francisco.

October 17, 2010. A store at the corner of Powell and O'Farrell, near Union Square, San Francisco. If you ever need liquor, cigars, a magazine, the New York Times, and a baseball cap when you're in San Francisco, Marquard's is the perfect place to go.

October 17, 2010. Hotel Stratford on Powell St. near Union Square, San Francisco.

October 17, 2010. The Handlery Union Square Hotel on Geary St., San Francisco.

The port-a-potties were not actually part of the hotel, but were set up on the street for the San Francisco Women's Marathon.

October 17, 2010. David's Delicatessen on Geary St., near Union Square, San Francisco.

Love the sign, but I'm glad I didn't eat there, according to the reviews I just read online.

October 17, 2010. High Tide Cocktails, at the corner of Geary and Jones in The Tenderloin, San Francisco.

This is probably my favourite commercial sign that I saw in all of San Francisco. I walked past here several times, though I never got a chance to see it at night. I'm not even sure if it lights up anymore, but I'm picturing the lights "flowing" out of the martini glass, around the sign, and down the building. Classy.

October 17, 2010. New Century Theater on Larkin St. in The Tenderloin, San Francisco. Photo taken at 7:08am after leaving my hostel in search of breakfast.

Opened in 1916 as The Larkin Theater, was hugely popular in the 1940's to 1960's, then declined and eventually was renamed The Century and became a porn theatre. The New Century Theater continues in this role as a porn theatre / strip club.

More photos and history at Cinema Treasures.