7 Latino historic landmarks to explore in SF
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Photo: Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
As we near the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, there's no better time to go on your own walking tour to see some of San Francisco's beloved Latino landmarks.
Why it matters: Though it's easy to forget the significance of buildings we pass by daily, they remain a symbol of resilience and rich cultural history, whether it's mural painting, lowriders, culinary arts or political resistance.
🏬 Take in the historical significance of New Era Hall, which served as a gathering place for organizations displaced by the 1906 earthquake and fire and later housed the pioneering Mexican American business Visalia Stock Saddle Company.
- 2117-2123 Market St.
⛪️ ️ Learn about the congregation formed by Spanish-speaking immigrants in 1875 that paved the way for Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, which was rebuilt in 1912 after the 1906 earthquake. Though the Catholic church closed in 1992, it remains a landmark in the Russian Hill neighborhood.
- 906 Broadway between Mason and Taylor
🎨 Scour all the intricate details in the 1983 Carnaval Mural, which uses the trompe l'oeil technique to honor San Francisco's annual Carnaval festival and the Mission's iconic pan-Latino legacy.
- Located on the north-side wall of a building on the corner of 24th Street and South Van Ness Avenue
🌽 Swing by the former site of Casa Sanchez's restaurant. This multigenerational family company started as a popular Mexicatessen and later became the first mechanized tortilla factory in San Francisco. Its namesake restaurant closed in 2011, but Casa Sanchez's products, including its salsa, can still be found in grocery stores.
- 2778 24th St.
🎭 Check out a myriad of immersive visual, performance and circus artworks at the Gregangelo Museum. Herrera, a queer artist of Lebanese and Mexican descent, transformed his home into a studio open to the public.
- 225 San Leandro Way
🖌️ Explore one of the Mission's crown jewels: Balmy Alley, which contains the largest concentration of murals in San Francisco. It first became the site of an arts installation in 1972, when a Chicana artist collective spearheaded murals depicting women's experiences.
- In 1985, a large-scale project added 27 murals highlighting political and social issues in Central America, such as protest against U.S. intervention.
- Located between 24th and 25th streets
☕️ Grab a cup of coffee at Café La Boheme, known as the "Central American consulate." Established by a Palestinian family in 1973, it quickly became a favorite among Central American and Latino activists, writers and artists.
- 3318 24th St.