In 1972, Jim Siegel ran away to the Haight-Ashbury at 16 years old. He’s the owner of Distractions on Haight (over 40 years!) and also owns one SF’s coolest buildings: the Westerfeld House Fulton @ Scott.
Jimmy gave me a mindblowing tour of said mansion, spinning a fantastic yarn the whole way through (Ken Kesey, Anton LaVey, Bobby Beausoleil all lived behind those walls. WTF?) Ironically this was the same day of the deadly shootings on Haight and Masonic in early November. Jim remarked that the recent violence and robberies are reminiscent of 1972 Haight (more on that in the video tour). From way back when to right now, Jim’s lived and see a helluva lotta good, bad, and weird.
I’ve always been an oddball. I’m an oddball. Let me tell you about the magic of Haight Street. When I got there, it wasn’t the Summer of Love. It was boarded up, but there was this hardcore community of 500 people and they welcomed me into the circle and included me. There’s a magic of the original people that started the Haight-Ashbury and it’s about community, acceptance, love, and being open to everybody.
I’m every-day Joe Jimmie who started with nothing on Haight Street. I was living on welfare and then I got SSI — well it was called ATD back then; we called it “Aid to the Totally Divine.” At the time I was a socialist, I was socialist since I was a kid. I still believe the government has a duty to the people to provide housing, food, healthcare, education — then they can worry about all their defense and military budgets.
Having come from a place where I was literally beaten all the time for being gay to everybody loving me and accepting me for who I am, they let me blossom into the person I am.
I want everybody to feel that welcome! Everybody is welcome in the Haight-Ashbury in my heart. I love you! You’re all part of the Haight Street community. You’re family, you know?
The hippies taught me at a very early age: Stay psychedelic!
