Bottom of the Hill. San Francisco, late 1970s.
Bottom of the Hill is closing in 2026. I didnโt expect that. A lot of bands got their start here, and a lot of people found their scene here.
Itโs sad. But in a city where places often disappear overnight or with very little notice, thereโs something deeply human about being given a year to say goodbye. One last run. One more chance to show up.
It was built in 1911 when the Potrero Hill neighborhood was occupied by Italian and working-class families who worked at the nearby shipyards and warehouses. The building was originally a saloon and eatery, called โ17th Street Restaurant.โ
In the 1930s it housed a soda fountain and possibly even a speakeasy during prohibition.
From the 1960s through 1990 it was a family-owned restaurant and bar named Bottom of the Hill Restaurant, the type of place that was always busy at 6:00AM right when it opened its doors each morning.
Since 1991 it has been a live music venue. A true San Francisco institution!
๐ธ: Jo Babcock