The famous corner

At the height of the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967, the Haight district was the magnet that drew thousands of young people from all over the country, seeking a new life of freedom.  These kids poured into the area, overwhelming the existing services.  Local groups were organized to deal with the onslaught.  The hippies were poor, out-of-work, and lacking the most basic necessities like food, shelter and clothes.

Groups like the Diggers distributed free food and clothes and other groups assisted with free medical care and shelter.

Drugs were everywhere, including the ubiquitous marijuana, and what was then a new drug, LSD turned on San Francisco and eventually the entire world to Acid Tripping.  Rock groups like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Janis Joplin’s Big Brother and the Holding Company put on concerts at the nearby Fillmore or in the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park.

The Haight scene today

Today the scene has definitely changed.  There are no longer hordes of homeless kids on the street, although you will notice a lot of young wannabe hippie kids strolling around.  There are still groovy cafes, boutiques and night clubs to explore.

There’s always a gathering at nearby Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, with the ever present drum circle.