Ghosts book San Bruno

The ghosts of san bruno

Ghosts of San Bruno: 9 Square blocks The area bordered by 16th Street, Division, Utah and Kanas, comprises a good part of the Design District of San Francisco. San Bruno Avenue runs through the center of the area. Every block has a parking lot, some have two. Most of these parking lots are empty, they belong to the state because they are underneath the elevated freeways.

There used to be a Bonhams auction house, but now is an auxiliary barn for the UPS hub at 16th and Utah. The old brick warehouse at 15th and San Bruno is now Showplace Square West. It has hosted raves, New Year’s eve street parties, and has a physical rehab facility tenant. The Oceanic Restaurant was in the building, around the corner, but has long been closed.

At the next corner, Alameda and San Bruno, was the parking lot for the Jewelry Mart. The mart closed and now the remodeled building sits empty, waiting. All other land is parking, private

or public.

Within a block of either side of San Bruno there are 2 closed furniture stores, an empty building once used for high-end detailing work, an industrial building used for furniture restoration now nearing conversion to something else, more parking for UPS, and a number of small design businesses. One of the closed furniture stores is now a pre-school.

This area in 2015 saw an uptick in homeless residents when the city, in preparation for the Super Bowl, told the unhoused to move to the area where they wouldn’t be seen by the expected tourists coming in February, 2016. There was an implicit understanding that the city wouldn’t bother the homeless who moved.

Over the ten years since the city has mounted one campaign after another to remove the homeless from the area. Sweeps, arrests, unfilled

promises of housing, offers of treatment when there is little treatment space available, or free bus tickets out of town.

Over the last six months (beginning just before last year’s election) the area has seen nearly constant “sweeps”, arrests, confiscation of property and move along orders. When people kept returning the city erected fences to the edge of the sidewalk. Still people come because the elevated freeway offers shade from the sun, shelter from the rain, and is isolated at night.

Now, though, people more often than not “camp” rough: no tents, no belongings. It’s easier to move quickly.

In a sign of the times, politicians are riffing on old ideas: abstinence first, arrest, shipping folks out of town, curtailing harm reduction programs.

And more crack downs. The jail as grown steadi-

ly since 2023 but has fewer beds due to jail closings. ◊ A number of months ago I was on San Bruno taking a few photos and talking with a person on a spot I had been many times before. As I took a portrait of the current resident, I could sense those that had come before. Ghostly figures, with and without tents who had for short periods called this sidewalk home.

Writing about this has been beyond difficult, if not impossible. So the photos follow. Almost all were taken on the one block of San Bruno between 15th and Alameda. A few were taken within a block or two.

Cover: Monday Blade Bustamonte, 45. Been on street since he was 14. San Bruno Ave between Alameda and 15th St. 18 March 2020

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Becca Hogue and Ricky Walker in their tent under the overpass on San Bruno between 15th and Alameda.

21 March 2019

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Wess McKinney, 52 in his tent, part of a small encampment on San Bruno between 15th Street and Alameda.

5 June 2019

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Gina C Quidilig, 39 and son Gerwin Embuido, 11. Homeless off and on since 2017. San Bruno Ave between Alameda and 15th St. 18 March 2020

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Kasper Greene. Homeless about 20 years, he is about 40. A small encampment on San Bruno between 15th and Alameda. 5 June 2019

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

James Daniel Laughter, 59. “Without a roof over my head more than 5 years, since I moved out of the Mission Hotel. San Bruno between Alameda and 15th St. 17 January 2022

Stephen Mann, 56. He has been homeless in SF since 1993, and had just goten out of the hospital after being treated for pnemonia. San Bruno Ave near 15th Street. 24 Oct 2016

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Sandra Mullinax, 67, three years homeless in SF, she is packing up her things so the city won’t take them.

San Bruno Ave near Alameda. 19 September 2019:

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Two friends, Jane, 30, unhoused for about 1 month, and Milo Richard, 65, unhoused for 5 years, chat on a cold morning. San Bruno and Division Street. 19 February 2023

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

A homeless couple not wishing to give their names on San Bruno between 15th and Alameda. 21 September 2016

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

A living space built around a freeway support and using the elevated roadway as additional shelter from the current rainstorms. Alameda Street, half a block from San Bruno. 2 February 2024:

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Tent on the merdian, San Bruno between 15th and Alameda. 3 March 2025

Clair Lee, 35 - 17 years on street. Her husband Alfred D. Roach, 49 unhoused since 18. Alameda and 15th St. 18 March 2020

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

John Hider, 29 homeless for about 3 years, Alameda and San Bruno. 15 January 2021

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Anthony Covarrubias, Utah and Alameda. 19 May 2022

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Andrew Robert Danio, 38 and homeless for about 8 years on San Bruno at Alameda. 24 March 2025

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California.

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

San Bruno Avenue looking towards Alameda Street, and then Division. San Francisco, California 7 April 2025

Once an area of many tents the city has erected a series of fences extending across the sidewalk to the street.

A Coffee and Donuts publication ©2025 Photographs and design: Robert Gumpert ragumpert@gmail.com - https://robertgumpert.com