I Am SF
Through beautiful photos and powerful voices, individuals have made San Francisco their home. Let them tell, in their own words, why they love – and are – San Francisco.
It’s hard to imagine what San Francisco may have been like were it not for the Gold Rush when, as historian J.S. Holliday noted, “the world rushed in.” Overnight, they came from Asia and Europe, around the horn and across the continent. Along the way, the city’s open-minded attitude was formed. Today, it manifests itself through differences that don’t divide.
San Francisco locals defy definition. They are one thing and many things at the same time.
San Franciscans are cable car drivers, chefs in the Richmond neighborhood, Summer of Love historians, transgender performers at AsiaSF, Fortune 500 business executives, tech workers by day and surfers by weekend, artists in the Bayview, activists and jiu-jitsu fighters. The city is truly a melting pot.
I Am San Francisco: Dennis McNally
As a historian, Dennis McNally has written not only the second biography of Jack Kerouac but also the official biography of the Grateful Dead.
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I Am San Francisco: Mel Lopez & Joyce Conway
Mel Lopez and Joyce Conway founded B.L.U.D. (Bitches Liven Up Dinner). Their monthly pop-up dinners are Instagram favorites and have a following.
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I Am San Francisco: Ellis "Coach" Cato
Ellis is a gripman for San Francisco’s iconic cable cars. He is also a football coach. From Nob Hill to the 50-yard line, Ellis offers a unique perspective on SF.
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I Am San Francisco: Melinda Yee Franklin
Melinda Yee Franklin traces her lineage to her great-grandfather, who migrated from China. After successful political roles in Washington, D.C., there is no place other than SF that she’d rather call home.
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I Am San Francisco: Romulo Melo
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Romulo Melo began training in Jiu-Jitsu at 11. He swept through his new home, SF, soaking up each new experience as precisely as he executed his Jiu-Jitsu technique.
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I Am San Francisco: Nya Cruz
Nya Cruz, one of the Ladies performing at AsiaSF, is a prominent member of San Francisco’s transgender community and celebrates the melting pot that keeps life interesting in SF.
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I Am San Francisco: Nick Whittlesey
As an employee of one of the largest management consulting firms on the planet, Nick Whittlesey counters a daunting workload with surf sessions at San Francisco’s famous Ocean Beach.
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I Am San Francisco: Ayman Nadeem
Born in Islamabad, Pakistan, Ayman Nadeem came to San Francisco via Canada. Growing up Muslim in a post-9/11 United States, she works to build bridges with her voice and her pen.
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I Am San Francisco: Ron Moultrie Saunders
A photographer who works without a camera, Ron Moultrie Saunders is a founder of the 3.9 Art Collective.
Learn MoreThe Team Behind I Am San Francisco
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