San Francisco Bar, WanChai, 1972

Mon, 09/22/2014 - 22:58

Here's the last of the '70s Wanchai bar photos I have-the "San Francisco" (Topless!) I have one Polaroid photo of me with one of the girls in this place that I just wince at when I look at it (someone would walk around and take your photo with whatever girl you were with-for a price,of course). I look about 12, long hair and all. I will not be posting that pic here.

   Anyway, what was the address of this place? I see a very recent Flickr photo of it on the web, with the same sign,and there's also an LA Times article on the place from 1988, but I can't remember where exactly this place was.Yes, the photo is blurry-that's how I usually saw things down there.

Date picture taken
10 Jul 1972

Comments

this was a hangout for hk international school reprobates - i think it was no longer topless by the time i went.  all i remember is that it was near southourn playground used for swigging beer bought from the late opening grocer's (bless them) when money started running out.  later in the 80s a gay bar opened up in town with the same name that could be the reference in the article you read?

Thanks for your reply. No, the article I found,from 1988, was clearly referencing this place-the owners wife was lamenting how in 1973, they had 40 girls working there,and only had 10 left at the time of writing.

 

Edit: I found it! I 'took a walk' farther down Lockhart, courtesy of Streetview, and there was that sign at about 124 Lockhart, next to "Cockeyes". I think I had read this used to be "Popeyes". When I was there, they had a photo out front of a guy who looked exactly like Popeye-I still laugh to think about that photo.

Currently re-reading Martin Booth's excellent "The Dragon Syndicates" and it mentions a Florida-based mafiosa who moved to Hong Kong in 1967 (from Vietnam where he was involved in a variety of illicit activities) and set up the San Francisco Steakhouse from where he was involved in the burgeoning international heroin trade. Could this be the same place, or was it another venue?

Edit: Answer - No, Moddsey has answered my question here https://gwulo.com/media/43456