Jack London Square, the Oakland terminus of the Alameda/Oakland ferry line, doesn’t exactly overflow with charm.
Published: August, 2000
Jack London Square, the Oakland terminus of the Alameda/Oakland ferry line, doesn’t exactly overflow with charm.
It looks and feels like the planned urban redevelopment project that it is. Which isn’t to knock the great things you
can do there; the Jack London Cinema is a great multiplex, the Barnes and Nobles is big and airy and there are some great shops and restaurants. But tucked away at the southern edge of the development, just a short and very scenic stroll from the ferry landing, is a bit of genuine Oakland history. Hemmed in by brickwork as if preserved in amber is Heinhold’s First and Last Chance Saloon.
Impressions upon entering: it’s incredibly small, the floors are impossibly slanted and the place is chock-a-block full of kitsch. But the place’s pedigree is impressive: opened in 1883, it was built from the timbers of an old whaling ship. During the 1920’s it was the terminus for the Alameda/Oakland ferry and, since Alameda was dry at the time, truly a last chance for refreshment. Ditto for many servicemen departing the Port of Oakland, hence the name "Last Chance Saloon".
The author Jack London was a regular, writing parts of The Sea Wolf and Call of the Wild in the bar. Owner Johnny Heinhold even lent London money to attend UC Berkeley (London dropped out after one year). Many other literary types followed, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Earle Garnder, Ambrose Bierce and others. A drink at Heinhold’s First and Last Chance Saloon is in and of itself worth a trip to Oakland via the Alameda/Oakland ferry. Regular commuters departing from Oakland are especially urged to take note of this wonderful bit of Bay Area history and charm.
#8 Get Shat Upon on your Way to Tiburon
I couldn’t resist the rhyme. But lest you think, dear reader, that I have stooped to using dirty words in a gratuitous attempt to sensationalize, there really is an exclusive club, membership is limited to those who have been shat upon. But first some background on the Tiburon ferry. The longest running ferry on the Bay – over 30 years and counting – the Tiburon ferry started out as a kind of personal cab for the Crowley family, Tiburon residents and masters of the mighty Crowley marine empire, who used it to commute to work in San Francisco. With few changes the Tiburon ferry has run ever since, attracting a loyal following of the some of the most genteel and erudite ferry riders anywhere. They have spirit, too: when the Blue & Gold Fleet, which justly takes great pride in operating the service, introduced a new fast ferry more than a few riders objected. Turns out the shorter ride made it impossible to get two drinks in and also put an end to the traditional games of bridge.
It’s hard to argue with Tiburon riders that the view from the fantail of their boat as they head home, San Francisco slipping away with the Golden Gate to one side and Alcatraz to the other, is simply peerless. So it’s to the fantail they gladly repair, drinks in hand, to pay homage to nature – and, from time to time, the seagulls repay the compliment on behalf of nature, in their own inimitable style. So it came to pass that getting shat upon by a seagull earned one admission to what became known as the Fantail Club. This is no ad hoc affair; numbered membership cards are issued and great cachet is attached to having a low number.
#9 Labor Day in Golden Gate Park
There are at least three compelling reasons to be in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park over the 3-day Labor Day weekend – and one all-important reason, if you live in the East or North Bay, to take the ferry. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s long-running tradition of Free Shakespeare in the Park is at the top of the list. This year it’s Henry IV, Part I, the delightful yet informative tale of bawdy intrigue involving the young King Henry V and his incorrigible pal Falstaff. The shows take place just to the west of the Conservatory of Flowers; take the 5 Fulton Muni bus (catch it anywhere on Market Street), get off at Fulton and 5th Avenue and it’s a five minute walk into the Park. The shows start at 1:30 and are over well in time to make a ferry back home again. You also want to be sure and enjoy a’ la Carte, a’ la Park, the premiere tastefest of fine Bay Area restaurants held each year over Labor Day weekend in Sharon Meadow. It’s located just where the park proper begins, at the intersection of Stanyan and the Panhandle. It costs money to get in but it’s well worth the price of admission because top-name musical acts perform all day, providing entertainment as you sample the finest food and drink to be found anywhere.
Finally, another fine Bay Area tradition is the San Francisco Mime Troupe, to be found each Labor Day weekend in the sunken meadow just behind the De Young Musuem. The all-important reason to take the ferry if you hail from the East or North Bay is that no cars are allowed in Golden Gate Park Labor Day weekend and parking all around the Park is an absolute nightmare. It is far simpler – not to mention more enjoyable – to take the ferry and hop thre #5 Fulton. And be sure to dress warmly; the fog has a habit of coming in even if it’s sunny when you leave.
