Best of San Francisco Story 2023
Happy almost New Year. All Grab Bags are open to everyone for a couple of weeks if you not-yet-Friends of Woody want to see what you missed.
I can’t say I am sorry to see this year pass, but, like every year, some of it was fun. For Woody LaBounty, most of that fun usually connected to San Francisco Story. This project provided me breaks from some tough times through research, writing, and a community of good people. Here’s to a 2024 where I don’t have to write mini-obituaries for friends and relatives at the end of these otherwise fun history posts.
[Insert your favorite foreign toasting word here.]
Before we make sure 2023 remembers its coat on the way out the door, let’s do the official San Francisco Story tally for the year. We don’t go for those advanced statistics overrunning sports. There are no metrics like Wins-Above-Replacement (WAR) or Keyboard-Smacking-to-History-Research-Scrolling (KSHRS) here, just addition, division, and Woody feelings.
Top three San Francisco Stories from 2023 as determined by the outside world (web traffic):
This doesn’t accurately measure the “tail” of later-in-the-year posts. Secret Ice Rink is a comer. And you know how the internet works: likely people were searching for something else and landed on these pages. Maybe there is an awesome B&B somewhere named Accordion House, and if so, here’s my credit card.
(Top SFS posts according to the outside world over all time—well, back to June 2022 at least—are Cobweb Palace, Dennis O’Rorke’s Playland photos, and the Telegraph Hill Castle.)
Most Opened San Francisco Story Email of 2023 (as determined by my robots)
Sweeny’s Observatory. With a cover photo like this, I’d click on the email too:
Number of Subscribers to San Francisco Story: 940.
The monthly fee for the system I use (Ghost, which is great) goes up big time when I hit 1,000 subscribers, so I have been slow-rolling any promotions so as not to get more of you. Yes, I have an anti-growth mentality. But let’s have a party when we hit four digits, eh?
Number of Friends of Woody: 219
You guys are the best. Let’s give a hand to: Adam B., Al B. & Randall H., Alan L., Albert B., Alex M., Andre B., Angel C., Angus M., Anita B., Anita D., Ann G., Anne M., Art S., Barbara P., Barbara C., Barry F., Ben Z., Berit P., Bill B., Bob E., Bob S., Boyd S., Brendan P., Brian S., Bruce D., Bruce M., Canice F., Carol G., Cassidy L., Chris C., Christine G., Christine S., Christopher L., Corinne B., Courtney M., Dan and Joan M., Darlene P., David C., David F., David G., David N., David P., Denis F., Denise C., Denise L., Denise S., Dennis M., Dennis O., Diane M., Don M., Duncan M., Dustin M., Ed F., Edward A., Elizabeth J., Ellen B., Emiliano Echeverria, Emmanuel M., Frederick B., Gabe E., Gabriel G., Geoff P., Gretchen B., Harold B., Harry H., Hilary P., Hugh B., Hugh G., Isabel H., Jaci P., Jackie P., James D., James L., James Y., Jan and Harold B., Janet M., Jean K., Jeff B., Jeffrey M., Jim and Julie O., Jim H., Jim W., Joan C., Joel B., John A., John L., Jonathan C., Joyce K., Judi L., Judith L., Judy H., Judy R., Julie Ann Y., Julie N., Julie Z., Junior H., Karen H., Karen K., Karen P., Karen U., Kate F., Katherine P., Kathleen F., Keith D., Ken S., Kevin F., Kevin B., Larry L., Laura I., Lauren P., Len H., Lenore A., Leslie L., Linda G., Linda H., Linda R., Lisa A., LisaRuth E., Lorraine L., Lorri U., Louise B., Luba M., Lynn W., Marc L., Marc N., Marc W., Margaret O., Margaret W., Margie W., Marilyn C., Martha B., Martine D., Mary K., Mary M., Matt L., Megan S., Melissa G., Michael M., Michael M., Michele D., Michele R., Mike C., Mike D., Mike M., Mike P., Miranda L., Moira D., Monty W., Morgan K., Nancy F., Nancy M., Nate T., Nick O., Nick W., Nik D., Olga M., Paige O., Pam H., Pam W., Pamela D., Pamela M., Pat H., Pat K., Patrick M., Patrick S., Paul H., Paul J., Paul S., Peggy L., Pete M., Peter F., Peter Q., Phil M., Phil V., Richard L., Richard R., Robert L., Rochelle J., Sandy B., Sarah R., Scott F., Serge E., Sharon V., Shelley H., Shirley S., Stacy M., Stephanie M., Stephanie S., Steve C., Steve Y., Sue B., Tammy A., Tania A., Taryn E., Ted B., Theo D., Thomas B., Thorsten S., Tia L., Tilly C., Timothy M., Tina P., Todd C., Todd S., Tom G., Tyler S., Veronica M., Vincent C., and Vivian I!
Woody’s 10 Favorite San Francisco Story Posts from 2023
You think it’s a bit egotistical for me to pick my own favorites? Be careful, you might get one of these stickers my nephew Duncan made me for Christmas:
First, the Weird Things Category:
Second, the Too Long Looking at an Old Photo Category:
Third, the Continuing and Unsolved Mystery Category:
Last, the Grabby Grab Bags Category:
Thank you for coming. Do not forget your swag bag on exiting the ballroom. Let me know if your opinions on the best of 2023 differ. As long as we can agree something I did was OK this year...
And thank you all again for allowing me into your device of choice each Wednesday morning. It’s been wonderful for me. Let’s make 2024 awesome, or at least nice, or pleasant, or not a bad place with a lick of paint, really...
Woody Beer and Coffee Fund
Beverages Bought this Year: Hundreds! More than $2,000 was spent making me more sociable, thanks to donors to the Woody Beer and Coffee Fund. Look at some of the fine folks I was able to visit with in 2023.
Feel free to chip in for 2024 drinking. I still have never had a kombucha...