Some of these images remind me of the Old Mission District. I make it a point to look for people that have been living and raising their own in the Mission. I have seen a lot of RAZA slowly disappear due to violence and increased rent. Though I don’t live in the Mission any more, I still take a stroll in the hood when I’m out in San Fran.
— Damien Loyola
Grew up on the other side of Mission and the hood has changed. Makes me sad what once was a diverse hood with everyone White, Hippie, Asian and Hispanic all living as one community. Now it is the playground of outsiders who made what was once diverse into sameness. Everyone looks the same. I still live in San Francisco but it is impossible for me to ever go back to the Mission. Mission is not the Mission anymore; my new hood is much more diverse. I dont want to live among sameness.
I call 1178 Alabama 24st home Im out in the East Bay now and have been for a long time, but its not home to me.My family and I left San Francisco due to the cost of living.
To Carlos I was that kid on 24st and when I moved I was taking BART to the turf. I grew up with a dozen others under one roof, a child of a 16 year old mother uneducated immagrant father making chump change for us to survive and he never sold dope. I personally have no problem with the hipsters things change like fashion.I have family that still resides in the Mission so im always here and I see the changes. This slideshow is just a little sample of my work.
Thank You
You guys should really do a piece where you interview a lot of the Latino kids, or long time residents of the neighborhood, even if there white. Just people that been here since before it was considered so cool and trendy, before the gentrification. i think people would be interested in something about how the people that were here before the dumbass hipsters feel about the neighborhood and how its changing. Personally, I hate it now because this used to be my neighborhood, but these people come from some boring upscale town adn suddenly feel gritty living here. they always complain about the crime, and the dirtiness of it, but refuse to leave. This was OUR neighbrohood first, a home to poor people, artists, musicians. A home to the outcasts of society. And it was beautiful like that. But that’s just how I feel, anyways. But the point is, I think people would be interested in that kind of story.
Found myself wondering what neighborhood Damien calls home now and why he left….guessing the rents.