Bøger af J. K. Dineen

Community, heritage, architecture—oh yes, and stiff pours: these are the hallmarks of San Francisco's Legacy Bars. High Spirits leads readers on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood pub crawl in search of the city's most remarkable nightspots. Atmospheric photographs accompany descriptions of each bar's colorful history, unique architectural features, idiosyncratic owners, and quirky clientele. As we dip into one barroom after another, we see that these establishments function as unofficial cultural centers, offering kinship and continuity amid an ever-changing city; indeed, all of the bars shown are at least forty years old and sites of significant historic or cultural value as deemed by San Francisco Heritage. Whether we are following in the footsteps of Beat writers in North Beach's Vesuvio Café, tossing peanut shells on the floor of The Homestead in the Mission, or selecting jukebox songs (three for a quarter) at the Silver Crest Donut Shop in Bayview, High Spirits welcomes us as regulars at every spot, showing off the conviviality that makes San Francisco one of the great saloon towns.

Old buildings in our midst call to the imagination, evoking a time just out of reach. Each structure in Here Tomorrow holds a story of California's rich past in its wainscoting, adobe brick, or Art Deco chandelier. The Temple of Kwan Tai on the fog-wreathed Mendocino coast contains the history of a once-vibrant seaside Chinatown. A garden of honeysuckle, roses, and tulips once tended by prisoners flourishes on the dry and windy island of Alcatraz. Colorful mosaics, glasswork zodiacs, and historic murals grace the walls of the Los Angeles Public Library, a structure conceived as a great melding of cultures and lore that reflect the diverse spirit of California. Such structures represent a significant cultural legacy, and as they deteriorate with age and the world around them changes, they also represent a significant economic and cultural challenge. For thirty years, the California Preservation Foundation has bestowed design awards on those who have excelled in restoration and creative reuse. From these awards, the Heyday editorial team selected fifty sites we feel best represent the multifaceted and complex art of restoration. They represent California in all its variety, its culture and commerce, geography, history, and creative style.