Drifting even further afield than the above, but since it's the weekend on HN:

I remember watching a 50s era SF-based film during a Hitchcock festival (Vertigo? Read Window?)in the City, and the streets in the movie were torn up for repairs to the street car system just like outside. The place cracked up.

Everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed over the views with no hi-rises, though.

Even more unrelated to typical HN topics: How have those old tourist courts and motels on Lombard/101 on the way to the GG survived all these years? A serious question.