MAGIC CITY
2022
The story of Magic City begins on a Saturday. I set out on my bicycle that morning with my camera and a desire for adventure in tow. I pedaled leisurely along the waterfront until I found myself at the Ferry Building. . . the next ferry to Treasure Island was leaving in 10 minutes . . . I had never set foot on the island before and I wondered what types of treasures I'd find. I imagined encounters with hook-handed pirates or an island full of lost boys. Fully intrigued, I purchased a ticket and hopped on board.
It was a quick ride on a tiny ferry boat named Sammy-J. After disembarking I circumvented the island on my bicycle. Much to my disappointment I did not encounter pirates or treasure. In fact, I think most would say the island doesn't quite live up to its fantastical name. Nevertheless, that day still left me feeling enchanted.
I have since learned that Treasure Island is a man-made island originally constructed for the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939, a celebration for the completion of the Golden Gate and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridges. The fair spared no extravagance. Art Deco and Eastern inspired architecture sprawled across the grounds. At night, the island transformed into a spectacle of color so dazzling that it quickly earned the nickname 'Magic City.'
After the fair, the island's history takes a less glamorous turn. The Navy moved onto the Island and it became a major training and education center up until the 1990's. Today warehouses and 1940's military housing stand in stark contrast to the former glamour of its world fair days.
I wish I could have seen the Magic City in all of its glory. Yet, as I think back to that day standing on the shoreline awaiting my return ferry, I remember gazing across the water at a skyline that sparkled just as brilliantly as I imagined Magic City once had. Perhaps the true essence of the 'Magic City' isn't confined to a moment in the island's distant past; it lives on right where my journey began.
While every news source is quick to tell you about San Francisco's doom-loop, I still see this city as a fairytale. One where fog turns skylines into mirages, where the streets form a labyrinth full of mischievous incantations and the delightfully unthinkable. Even in fairytales you'll encounter adversity and the strife, but there is always plenty of magic to be found.
