South San Francisco, CA December 14, 2023
South San Francisco residents and friends offered over 500 responses to this question when we first asked in 2021. Due to the great responses, it seemed fitting that we see what people would say today – the answers are great!
To read the original article with responses please CLICK HERE.
Responses from December 2023:
Melissa Rodriguez
Families on Track Program at Parkway Heights Middle School
Laurie Biagi
I totally agree with Linda Pro!!!
Linda Pro
Laurie Biagi 😃
Barbara-Jean Dentice
South City Car Wash – Arbys – New Southern Buffet
Mary Ward
Leaning Tower, Capri, Buri Buri Liquor &Deli
John Guinn
Mary Ward I loved Buri Buri Deli!
John Guinn
I miss all the open spaces that you could go and be a kid.
Shannon Alhona Smith
1 thing. Only one thing. My grandma.
Jeannette Yesitsnineletters
Spruce Drive In
Brian Huliganga
The Arby’s on El Camino
Stacey Turpin
Brian Huliganga love Arby’s Sauce!!
Stacey Turpin
Country Cottage Cafe! Yummy breakfast!
Justin Guzman
Day in the park! I really looked forward to that festival every year.
Nisha Trivedi
Armstrong Brewing
Tracie Pyers
The Santa Claus at dinapilis. IYKYK
Alma Ochoa
Drive ins !!!
Dan Ordonez
Roy’s Deli
Mike Pizzo
The way it was about 20 years ago 😊
Elisa Pena
South City Car Wash ♥️
Rhonda Parry Rosaia
So City car wash
Larry Gotelli
Gotelli’s Deli
Robert Turnberg
Larry Gotelli Definitely Gotelli’s Deli
Michael Heaney
Larry Gotelli yes!
Angelina Robinson
Ben Franks and Ben Franklins on Grand. The twos Bens lol
Andy Fresquez
My moms 🥰
Santana Herda-Camacho
Day in the Park
Gabriela De La Mora
Day in the Park!
Mallory Ingram
South City Car Wash!
Antonio Xavier Gomez
Ben Franklin on Grand Ave
Becky Gomez
The tranquility, friendliness
Jeannette Araquistain
South City Car Wash
JP’s Page
Day in the Park 👍🏻
Ayde Cervantes
Day in the Park
Renee Gomes
The car wash in SOUTH CITY
Karen Davenport
Grand Arena roller rink.
Terry Williams
El Rancho Drive In
Amanda Blanco
Day in the park
DeeDee Martin
Agree
Carlos Martin
QFI and Videottes
Abel Villa
ROY’S DELI !!!!
Maria Pineda
Ben Franklin
Gisela Jimenez
Ed’s Diner on grand
Lupita Zaragoza Cruz
Day in the park !!!!!
Jocelynne Frazier
South City Car Wash.
Inez Cunningham
South City Car Wash
Diane Smyth-Garner
South City Car Wash …
Sarita Dogra
Gallis
Steven Cobb
Steve Cobb is in New Mexico now but he wants to go back to South city where he belongs
Mark Thaler
Leaning Tower
Anna Maria
My Mommy
Atilana Guzman
Day in the park
Gris LovesTo Write
Day in the Park
Carla Barbetti
My Dad!
Jeff Desira
Brentwood Bowl.
Jim Antonis
Bronstein’s Music
Don Edwards
Jim Antonis thank you Jim
Jim Antonis
Don Edwards you bet!!
Miss both you and Rich
Phil Fioresi Sr.
How about a10 to 15 minute drive to get across town
Jake Ter
SSF’s Main Library On West Orange Avenue South City Wash Original Westborough Square Century Plaza 10 State Theater and Old Tanforan Mall.
Dinora De La Rosa
South City Car Wash❤️
Christian Hoffert
El Rancho Drive-in and Spruce Drive-In.
Dale Ramirez
Sanitary Bakery, La Perla, Brentwood Lodge, Bertolucci’s, the New Southern Restaurant and the small town atmosphere.
Cesar Lira
The original Darby Dan’s owners. That place was so good back then
Helen Fong
Galli’s bakery
Ruth Solis
Helen Fong the Jamoca shake.😋😋😋😋😋
Carmen Callirgos Bolivar
South City Car Wash 🚘🧼
Maria Elena Solis
Bonanza
Nina Jacinto Barroso
Orchard Supply, Bambu and Toppings Restaurant on Gellert Blvd.
Sandy Paine Fisher
Galli’s
Michelle Mirabel-Mendoza
Swensen’s Ice Cream and Straw Hat pizza (Westborough Square)
Laurie Fornesi Masetti
Lyle’s Restaurant on El Camino. Great prime rib. And for the older generation, who could forget the beautiful, kind and charming Hostess, Tillie Johnson! Loved her! ♥️ It was our favorite place for dinner! ♥️
Linda Hunter
So many wonderful memories, family, Orange Avenue Park, Santo Cristo Hall, Grand Avenue, Ben Franklin, JCPenney’s, Sanitary Bakery, Scriandri’s Hardware, Mobile Gas Station, The Corner Store (Magnolia & Baden, Magnolia Elementary, Spruce, Parkway, SSF and Lilac Lane; Sunshine Gardens, I could keep going on . . . 🤗🤗
Linda Hunter
OMG, I forgot El Camino High School Class of ‘68
Alana Meline
Linda Hunter Class of 70…
Jeffrey Soria
Jumping Bean
Patrick Coonrod
Fantasy comics
Joyce Selvitella Helgeson
Is Bertolucci’s gone? I love that place.
Peepers Bonite
Sanitary bakery!!
Julie Bettencourt Cliff
Winston Manor Hardware.
Eileen Compagno Sosaia
Halls,Lilac lane,jumping bean,Mel’s diner,pee wee golf
Linda Pro
Also…….
Sun Valley Dairy
Jumping Bean
El Charro
Brentwood Lodge
Debbie Hoska
Spruce Drive in
Glen W Tashunka
We still have Little Lucca Deli
Pamela Meek Villanueva
Glen W Tashunka Yes, but if you want the original owners of Little Lucca’s, go down the street a few doors to Teani’s. They’re better.
GC&OG Detailing
South city car wash
Eric Doherty
Me 😂
Brandie Nunziati
Spruce Drive-in
Lisa Mares McCarley
Galli’s Bakery!!!
Owen Molloy
Toppers
Steve Dworetzky
Owen Molloy Boy howdy! Nice one.
Mauritania Goodman
The roller skating rink that was on grand avenue in the 80’s
Rayna Barlow
Mauritania Goodman I didn’t know there was a rink in SSF.
Alina Ku’uipo Mabutas
Roy’s deli
Debbie Hoska
Lydia’s Deli
Margie Ramos De Renzi
The forest park like land that was taken away for highway 280. Played everyday in that forest setting with the Westborough neighborhood kids.
Alex Cano
Sad to say that these are all just pipe dreams that South San Francisco City government will never do, or bring back. South San Francisco use to be a very beautiful small city might as well kiss it all goodbye. Just my two cents worth.
Jose Valencia
Alex Cano AGREED 100%
Loretta Fornaciari
The New Southern Restaurant
Patrick Coonrod
Loretta Fornaciari 👍👍
Chris Willis
Radio Shack
Glen W Tashunka
Too late.
Everything South City
Glen W Tashunka awww, never too late to share the memories – but does make me wonder what we have today that we’d miss tomorrow….
Debbie Edwards
Papa Joe’s!
Pamela Meek Villanueva
Debbie Edwards The original with Papa Joe himself and his wife Rose.
Debbie Edwards
Pamela Meek Villanueva Yep. I worked for them when I was in high school. Quite the characters. There were a few times when I thought they might kill each other. 🤣
Pamela Meek Villanueva
We heard a few small “disagreements”. We did especially like his red coffee, if you remember that.
Anne Marie Albizo
Rolling Pin Donuts! The way it used to be.
But also love all the comments for the car wash, Galli’s bakery and Bronstein Music.
Wendy Sinclair-Smith
Paint the letters on Sign Hill Remember red for ECH and blue for SCH
Jose Loops Ruiz
Big Bite
Linda Pro
Bonanza!
Hall’s Ice Cream Shoppe
Brentwood Markets
Lilac Lane Xmas Decor 🎄
Papa Joe’s
Lucinda Denning
Linda Pro why does bonanza sound familiar
Linda Pro
Lucinda Denning
It was a delish steak house on Spruce – near where Jack In The Box is at.
Lucinda Denning
Linda Pro when did it close
Linda Pro
Lucinda Denning that I don’t recall.
Lupe Puentes
Sanitary Bakery on Grand Ave!
Terri Luciano
Lupe Puentes that was my dads favorite 😊
Lucinda Denning
The arts and wine festival down grand ave
Gisela Jimenez
Lucinda Denning yes
Normee Jim
Big Bite on Linden
Mirella Mora
Richard’s gift shop,
Linda Patrick
Gallis
Gris LovesTo Write
Spruce and El Camino Safeway!!! Lol Sarcastically, because how many decades have to go by before we see more than a dirt pile! It’s been 13+ years!
Angie Fregoso Peña
Big Bite
Lucinda Denning
Angie Fregoso Peña yes with their fries
Jeffrey Soria
Angie Fregoso Peña #bigbitetacos
Carmen Antonian
SSF Car Wash and Bertolucci
Shelly Pederson
Capris
Lynn Wright
Shelly Pederson I loved their garlic French bread and their mostaccioli carbonara
Danielle Howard
Arby’s
Carwash
Bertoluccis
The xmas lights at Parkway Estates or Lilac Lane
April Suarez
BIG BITE 🍔 hands down
Renee Castro Moore
Drive in la Perla Dairy Queen original LITTLE LUCCA CHICKEN DELIGHT SANITARY BAKERY
Boyd Ferry
Spruce drive in
Derik Seymour
Video pizza depot
Lynn Carlson Bick
Bertolucci’s
Anthony Tofiga
Brentwood Bowl 🎳
Theresa Arcano Gayanilo
Galli’s Sanitary Bakery and The New Southern!
Russ Toy
bring back arby’s roast beef – we miss the meats!
Becky Hernandez Johnson
Big bite
George Vlahakos
Dinapolis pizza
Grazie DeOliveira
George Vlahakos yes!! I miss it so much!!!
Grazie DeOliveira
Di Napoli’s Pizza!! 🍕
Jose Valencia
Affordable housing…
Alex Aguilar
Blockbuster and toys r us
Derrick Wong
The 50’s hamburger place near Brentwood Bowl
Evangelina Portillo
State theater
May be a black-and-white image of text
Debra Davallou
White Front and the slot car place
Where grocery outlet is
Linda Pro
Debra Davallou
lol I was thinking that slot car place too
Bert Cameron
Erase the last the last 45 years
Darlene Hampton
Bertolucci’s, they were SSF. Their sign was seen from the freeway and was huge in bringing business to grand avenue.
Sarah Merino
Roy’s deli on old mission rd.
Lynn Carlson Bick
I worked there
Sarah Merino
Lynn Carlson Bick that’s where I learned to order a sandwich.🤣 My grandpa taught me well. It was either there or pickolo Pete’s before Giants games at the stick.
Lynn Carlson Bick
I worked in the morning, making sandwiches for the airport
Amparo Gomez
Hungry Hunter
Hugo Gomez
Big Bite
Shannon Alhona Smith
Hugo Gomez omg. Big Bite French fries.
Ann Marie Gazzano
State Theatre. 🎭
Joe Sheridan
Bertolucci’s
Kurt Rampley
Spruce Drive – in.
Abraham Alvarez
Players outlet on grand 😂
Jose Gomez
Abraham Alvarez Big Bite on Linden
Damien Reimer
SSF car wash
Jessica Mattos
The drive ins
Fiona Day
Obviously Bertolucci’s
Joey Bernal
Open land so kids can ride go karts and Dirt bikes
Dana Compani
Joey Bernal Joey, exactly how I feel. The City Council wants to ruin SSF, then when we complain, we aren’t “Progressive enough.”
Miguel A. Vazquez
Indersoccer
Yolanda Buckley
May be a black-and-white image of 1 person, newsstand and text
Yolanda Buckley
Maria’s Mexican Restaurant 205 Grand Ave
Sheny Mendez
Capri Restaurant in Buri Buri
Mike Kirk
Arbys
Carman Thibodeaux
The big bite
Mari Fuentes
The original Panadería Hernández.
George Vlahakos
Roy’s deli
Boyd Ferry
Hungry hunter
Pete Jensen
….Gotelli Speed Shop…put SSF on the map..along with Champion Speed Shop…known thurout the world…
Richard Girard
South City car wash, they did the nicest job on your car,oh no though our city thinks we need more low cost housing, that’s a joke people
Rose Rudometkin
Richard Girard
Outside of family, You know they’ll never bring back any of the iconic establishments. We grew up in one of the best times of SSF.
Richard Girard
Rose Rudometkin
So true Rose pretty soon it will look like New York LOL
Rose Rudometkin
Richard Girard concrete jungle!!!
Patrick Coonrod
Arby’s
Leila Endo
Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery
Ann Marie Gazzano
Bertolucci’s, Sanitary Bakery, the Car Wash,
Country Garden Center Nursery
Sean Byrd
Affordable housing.
Frank Pereda
Old cooks at Los Metates Taqueria. Al pastor tacos are no longer the same. 😞
Lucinda Denning
Frank Pereda oh wow haven’t been there in a long time or la perla. Have you tried los metates in Daly city
Albert Rios
Lucinda Denning the one in Daly City isn’t good anymore.
Lucinda Denning
Albert Rios hummm good ti know
Frank Pereda
Lucinda Denning
I have not, is it good?
Becky Hernandez Johnson
5-20-15
Pauline Garcia
Big bite!!!!!
Sue Gutierrez Gomez
The 60’s- 70’s
Leila Endo
Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH)
Valerie Brunicardi
Bertolucci’s!!
Shelly Wynne
The views before all the apartments went up
Amber Moala
Bertolucci’s
Sandy Venturini Schaffer
Gallis Sanitary Bakery, Brentwood Lodge
Jessica Harris
DiNapoli
Roy Lamela
Paradise Chinese Restaurant and Denny’s in the old Westborough Square… Matter of fact, bring back the old parking lot back! Parking there sucks!!!
Maria Reyes
Ssf drive in
Kate Parshall Valley
South City Car Wash, Arby’s, Sanitary Bakery
Sandi DaSilveira
sanitary Bakery
Steve Rozzi
Galli’s Sanitary Bakery
Anna Pánuco
Galli’s Sanitary Bakery
Ruth Solis
Anna Pánuco yes !, big time. Especially EVERYTHING!!!
Michelle Alvarez
Galli’s Sanitary Bakery and Bertolucci’s…SSF Car Wash.
Linda Bergantino
Bertolucci’s
Rami Balat
Lower housing prices
Marco Nunziati
The elimination of the eco monsters 👿
Dawn Yarrington
Longs Drugstore
Marianne Allen
Gemco, White Front
Raul Antonio Gomez
Sanitary Bakery
Spruce Drive in
801 Grand Avenue.
I miss the Police Department in the MLB and want to get rid of that shouting POLICE sign on the new building!
(It was so much easier to stop by the MLB to drop off my discarded meds. I have no idea where to go in that new POLICE building, or where to park.)
Dolores Piper,
I knew a lady who took her white vintage cadillac with red interior to the Carwash –she lived in Westborough. They left if spotless shiny &clean. Everytime I look at 988 ECR i look for the car wash with memories of that red interior caddy.
Bertolucci’s, Gallis Bakery, Ben Franks & Roy’s Deli
Can I add one more? Lilac Lane lights up Christmas when the fire truck drives up with Santa passes out plush toys from Dakin inc. was the second Sunday night in December. The entire street was a block party so festive.
I miss Westborough Square before it was a nightmare of fancy design restricting most of the parking and adding too many businesses. miss Bertolucci’s in the former days not the way it ended up; miss QFI market; Brentwood Lodge, Leaning Tower; miss Orchard Supply;will miss the ballroom in Arroyo Bldg; miss Joann’s restaurant when there were awesome dinners at night; miss Lucky Mkt on Callan. Don’t miss the former police chiefs and the cops who were/are thugs.
Dolores Piper
Agree!
Culture at PD is still very much a threat. Question: Who are the real gangs in town ?
Unless, people experience the intimidation, discrimination and humiliation themselves, no one will ever understand or make calls for change. Unfortunately, PD know exactly whom to treat without dignity and respect, or have ounce of empathy towards people who are already stressed to begin when placing that call for aid.
They certainly don’t or wouldn’t dare show their true colors when offering aid to Mayor or higher class. Why are race or socioeconomic levels a factor ? Or area we live? Or how we dress? Or language or how we speak?
Entire culture at PD needs to change.
Starting with humbling themselves.
May I add…..horrible what happened to Officer Chon on Grand Ave.few years back, being reminded by ESC recently. Prayers for speedy recovery were sent to Officer Chon during that time.
What people don’t know is that this individual’s family had pleaded for mental health help for years, to no avail. They scrambled everywhere, many times shedding tears, feeling hopeless and desperately seeking help.
It’s very easy passing judgment, without attempting to understand there must be a back story or reason why people commit acts of violence. I’m no expert, just a thought.
I miss the way we were, simple.
Blame the ones who gave us up to a new manager who wowed the simpletons on the council.
Now he’s gone and left. Heard the population in SSF dropped significantly, mostly only natives remain.
Maybe we’re too simple.
City Manager works for City Council.
Council run the city!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mark Addiego, Karyl Matsumoto, Liza Normandy, Rich Garbarino are to blame for allowing El Camino to become a ghost town, without any sign of grocery store in future.
They are also to blame for SF style high risers, and worse, without requiring affordable units from developer who profited from it all.
What did they do that benefited locals or SSF?
Can’t think of anything.
Miss South City car wash, Safeway, CVS, Arby’s, bank, and even the laboratory place and kitchen cabinet business.
Now, we have to drive out of SSF, adding more pollution.
El Camino and Grand Avenue downtown need serious attention. Nothing to look forward to going in either direction.
What happened?
You are correct to blame the “old guard” but one remains among the new group of mercenaries poised to exploit the city we call home.
Should you not be aware, Councilman Coleman has publicly expressed admiration for the housing models exhibited in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vienna. Make no mistake, these are just high density, high rise, government owned housing projects.
The key is government owned.
You see Mr. Coleman claimed these projects would be revenue neutral but after they commissioned a study (BAE) at a cost of over $11,000 of taxpayer money, they discovered that even after government subsidies, the unfunded obligations were between $47,000,000 and $85,000,000 for just 150 units and they have plans for much more as stated by the departed City Manager.
When they passed Measure AA, your city officials chose not to include that little detail in the ballot language.
The residents fell for it. They will make excuses but it was deception plain and simple.
Another little drawback, after taking any funding outside of SSF, the housing is open to anyone who applies for it. SSF residents get to line up too.
These units produce zero property tax revenue for maintenance and infrastructure and as they are rentals, there is no chance to accumulate the “generational wealth” the younger generations demand.
Seems the only thing this housing will accomplish is to help ambitious politicians to make a name for themselves. And, guess who pays for it? We do. Doesn’t matter as politicians far and wide outside of SSF are ready to dump any housing need here because no one wants it in their city. Why SSF? They know city officials who are an easy “mark” when they see them.
If you doubt what I have stated here, know that Mr. Coleman went on a fact finding mission to Singapore not so long ago.
When I asked who sponsored and paid for the trip, both asking him personally and in a Public Records Request, there was no answer.
Suspicious? You be the judge.
Oh my goodness!! 😡
Why don’t we know all of this?!!
I think it’s a good idea to form a Citizen Group.
All this needs to be out for people to see!!
There’s lots of citizen groups in other cities that are definitely fighting back.
And City Councils and SMC Board are out of control with their power hunger, instead of serving public and leading by example.
High school students (children) are watching.
And, there’s even school mock experiences.
1. recall efforts
Too bad Daly City residents didn’t start recall efforts against Juslyn Manalo – just as San Mateo did for Amourance Lee – narcissism and manipulation at its best; and worse, in public display and both with theatricals.
Check out latest reorganization and history.
Magbual was intimidating while DiGiovanni was speaking.
All respects to DiGiovanni and Sylvester.
Double Shame on Manalo and Daus-Magbual, triple shame on Rob Bonta.
sickening!
2. Millbrae group brought lawsuit because of hotel purchase
3. Millbrae council facing recall efforts because of this .
Eddie Flores was no where in sight to prevent or at least hold County accountable for who they allow at new Airport homeless hotel. Not even a word, much less a fight.
Where the heck is the protection to his District or community? Website during his campaign quotes him promising to take care of Airport.
4. Supervisor David Canepa – another narcissist and disgustingly disrespectful to Ray Mueller, just because he feels like it and Mueller has different views.
Conduct is embarrassing and so sickening to watch all of this toxicity and drama.
Measure AA social housing guaranteed to be another Mark Addiego’s Willow Garden dump he cares little about.
While all of this narcissistic and embarrassing behavior is going on, the power hungry are focusing on themselves, destroying the cities we live in, at our cost.
Besides the management staff not living locally and not caring a dang, but their check and retirement.
The population dropped 5,000 residents in a few years. What does that say? It says that our city, city council and staff put the residents last, and pander to the biotech. The biotech were never ever allowed to move into neighborhoods on the west side of the city, they were confined to Oyster Point. We have an opportunity to save the most precious building in our city, the Municipal Services Building, that is structurally sound (lies by the staff saying it wasn’t, but what building is after it’s built with new building codes implemented? Maybe we should condemn City Hall?). What happened to public service meaning doing your best for the public good, the residents? I don’t see it, do you?
Honest city officials invested in our city, not their political futures or stock portfolios.
Where is the conflict of interest factor in
self interests & stock wealth, over sworn oaths in protecting and responsibility of duty through policies and decisions made for greater good of communities and SSF?
Shameful and careless, at cost to future generations.
Great leaders think of the people they promised to serve and protect, have compassion and empathy.
So sad to see a replica of Miller Ave high rise at former Baden Ave parking lot. More families opening their windows to a cement wall.
Who cannot help but have any feelings for these families or emotions seeing this ?
If it offers any comfort, there are ongoing investigations. Now, just cross your fingers that the involved government agencies find what we already know is documented in both print and video. “Perp walks” for everybody is my holiday wish, but unfortunately these things take time.