When we geek-out on then-and-now photos here in Bernalwood, we usually end up marveling at how dramatically the neighborhood has changed in such a relatively short span of time. But here’s one view that’s hardly changed at all: Peralta just off Powahattan, looking south across Cortland.
The image at the top is from 1982, and it was shared via the Bernalwood Flickr group courtesy of photographer Dave Glass and his deeeeeep archives. I went out to recreate the shot last weekend, and amazingly, it almost looks the same. Someone has updated the collection of 30 year-old cars parked there, and the billboard facing 101 now promotes Apple’s iPad, but this part of the ‘Wood (so far) seems impervious to the passage of time:
PHOTOS: Top, Dave Glass. Bottom, Telstar Logistics
Bernalwood 
yes looked like a slum then and even worse now.
agreed. this street is pretty shitty. I used to live at the bottom of this street back in the mid 90’s and there was a fleet of junker cars at the bottom of the hill even back then! Must be the same loser parking his cars there.
Ah, Peralta, the street that’s divided into at least eight different sections, connected by stairs, at best. The gap above is a true dead end, but it picks up again on the other side of Cortland. Guaranteed to get delivery drivers lost, but I do love my view of the east bay at night, especially the moonrises. (I’ve caught the occasional sunrise, usually in the winter when it rises at a reasonable hour.)
They did remove the telephone poles and overhead wires a few years back. At least on the 600 block. They never got around to the 500 block for some reason.
I’m in this very block and believe me I wish we could do something about the fleet of junker cars which reside there! aside from this eyesore site the houses are far from slums…We have a dynamic urban view at night of the freeway which is interesting and slightly hypnotic…when I go to friends houses and realize a lot of people have nothing much to look at out of their front window’s at all I realize I should appreciate what I have plus we have great views of illegal fireworks across the 280 in the bayview and the kaboom at the stick….
So glad to hear you say that! It takes a certain kind of person — and I happen to be one of them — but I love freeway views.
I’m fond of my freeway view, too. The Bayview amateur fireworks were awesome when the Giants won the World Series. But being able to see glimpses of the official fireworks at AT&T Park is an advantage for my nearby femto-hood NoMay (North of Mayflower, dontcha know).
oh and the birds eye traffic report of the 101 is pretty handy too!