meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Bay Curious

Why Are San Francisco Houses So Close Together?

Bay Curious

KQED

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.9999 Ratings

🗓️ 22 November 2018

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Early on, housing lots in San Francisco were subdivided into plots as little as 25 feet wide -- just enough room for a parlor and a staircase. Reported by Sarah Craig. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Ryan Levi and Suzie Racho. Additional support from Julie Caine, Ethan Lindsey, Katie McMurran and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

From K-QED. In San Francisco, the houses are cozy. We can hear our neighbors wailing babies.

0:10.0

Their ban practice. They're ban practice.

0:15.0

They're showers.

0:18.0

Many of the old homes are smashed right up next to each other,

0:22.0

some merely inches apart.

0:24.1

This is pretty common in cities across the country,

0:26.8

but this week's question-asker,

0:28.3

Frido Protorias can't help but notice it here.

0:31.5

I like walking around San Francisco a lot before I live and just observing all the different

0:35.8

houses and I noticed that a lot of the buildings in San Francisco are built really close together,

0:40.9

like less than a foot.

0:41.6

Friddle wants to know why are they like that and together like

0:43.7

that, less than a foot.

0:44.7

And how are they like that?

0:46.7

You know, there's always rot in maintenance that old houses need,

0:50.9

and I just wonder how are they built and how are they maintained.

0:54.0

I'm Olivia Allen Price.

0:59.0

This week on Bay Curious, we're going back in time to when these buildings first started rubbing shoulders.

1:05.0

Plus, we'll learn how the heck people take care of them.

1:09.0

Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, still family owned, operated, and argued over.

1:17.0

Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.

1:24.0

Visit Sierra Nevada.com to find your new favorite beer today.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KQED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of KQED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.