Now: Valencia Street runs parallel to Mission Street, one block over, and they could be versions of each other in alternate universes. 24th Street from the Mission Street and BART station intersection, eastward, has long been the richest sector of businesses by and for Latino families. Gentrification has seeped through in the form of gourmet donut and coffee shops. There are more murals and wall paintings concentrated in this area than in any other part of the city, thanks largely to the Precita Eyes organization. The epicenter for these paintings is Balmy Alley.

Then: The Valencia corridor has undergone dramatic revival since the decline of the neighborhood in the 1960s. Many of the oldest businesses along 24th street have been here since the 1940s and 50s, when workers came from Mexico to work in the shipyards and factories, and settled. The St. Francis Fountain and Diner has been here since 1918.