Discovering The Place Where You Live with Gary Kamiya

MP3 Download Kamiya drove a cab for 7 years in San Francisco. But he says to truly know your town you must do some “systematic flitting.” He describes this as walking around and “letting the city come to you as you maintain a sense of discovery and wonderment…Then you are motivated to start doing some research.” You might start with the building you live in or some building that attracts your eye. He says, “The more you delve in, the more fascinating things you find.” Kamiya regales us with fascinating stories that inspired his urban exploration of San Francisco, such as the origins of William Richardson’s original general store on Grant Avenue in the heart of Chinatown, the most densely packed part of San Francisco. Or how one of the greatest U.S. migrations of all times brought men in their 20s to San Francisco in search of adventure to what is euphemistically called, “touching the elephant.” All towns, villages, and cities have a story of how they began in a particular place. Often