Nob Hill Reflections

This course has probably been the most challenging three units I have ever taken (math g.e. excluded), and it has been a grind every week to get out of my comfort zone, talk to people, and ask intelligent questions to put together stories. Part of the challenge has been with my neighborhood itself: Though I set out to cover both Russian and Nob hills, most of my stories were centered in the smaller, more affluent and distinct area of Nob Hill. This presented many issues, and getting people to agree to interviews and talked to me proved to be the biggest of all. I became accustomed to getting the runaround from business owners, cops and random people around the neighborhood. However, from this I learned that part of being a journalist is dealing with these kinds of people and working through the adversity. Instead of going with what I had planned for a particular story, I had to go with the information I could get from whatever sources that would speak with me and, often, the story would take a completely different direction and angle than what I had anticipated. This helped me in letting the story write itself, rather than trying to guide I found that city supervisors and their aides were some of the most receptive to my queries and provided lots of information on which I could formulate intelligent questions and base future interviews. Finally, I found that, despite the majority of people in Nob Hill that didn't have the time of day for a student journalist, there were many that were extremely receptive and willing to help me and provide valuable insight. These interviews effectively made up for those that I couldn't get and probably benefited from not having to twist an arm to get them.

I also have grown to appreciate the neighborhood for what it is: Nob Hill is a relic of old San Francisco, filled with people with old money and a seemingly antiquated view of high society. Despite the stuffiness that has traditionally filled the air, there is a certain beauty to the towering architecture and sweeping views from atop the luxury hotels that illustrate the grandeur of the city when one rises from the often-gritty streets. The neighborhood also offers a sharp contrast to its downtown neighbors' graphic realities. In class discussions, hearing some of the "real" issues raised in neighborhoods like the Tenderloin made Nob Hill's problems pale in comparison. But that is essentially the state of the city: The very rich share these 49 square miles with the very poor, and rarely do their problems overlap. This dichotomy is something that affects every aspect of life on the peninsula, and it is important to recognize the impact. It has been a very valuable experience reading and hearing all of these different stories and, though I am glad to be done with my time in the city's uber-affluent area, it has been a challenge and great point of reference for future journalism endeavors.