

Outside Lands San Francisco
Western Neighborhoods Project
Nicole Meldahl and a rotating cast of hosts from the Western Neighborhoods Project (outsidelands.org / OpenSFHistory.org) share San Francisco west side neighborhood history with humor, a real fact or two, and much-better-informed occasional guests.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 17, 2022 • 1h 1min
474: Reino Niemela Jr.
We welcome special guest Reino Niemela, Jr. His father was the artist and designer responsible for all the hand-painted signage at Playland at the Beach from the 1930s until it closed in 1972.

Sep 10, 2022 • 1h 12min
473: Playland Memories Part 2
Part 2 of Nicole & Arnold's conversation with people who visited Playland before it was town down in 1972.

Sep 3, 2022 • 1h 4min
472: Playland Memories Part 1
Playland closed 50 years ago this weekend, so Nicole & Arnold talk with people who visited there in their youth. Part 1 of a two-part Podcast.

Aug 27, 2022 • 50min
471: The Heavyweight Champ at Ocean Beach
The first African-American heavyweight boxing champion made Ocean Beach his headquarters for a few years, including while training for the "Fight of the Century."

Aug 20, 2022 • 42min
470: The Great Highway - Part 2
We resume our Great Highway story, covering the 1890s into the first two decades of the 20th century. You could say this period was when the Great Highway really came into its own. It was during this time, that several iconic landmarks made their first appearances, including the rise of Carville.

Aug 12, 2022 • 58min
469: Robert Thomson of the Presidio Trust
Special guest, Robert Thomson joins Nicole in conversation about his responsibilities as Federal Preservation Officer and that of his organization, the Presidio Trust.

Aug 6, 2022 • 46min
468: The Great Highway - The Beginning
Eight (eight!) years ago, in episode #77, we did our first podcast on the Great Highway. Now we're back and chock-full of even more history. This week, Nicole and Arnold take a deeper look at the Great Highway and its early beginnings.

Jul 30, 2022 • 58min
467: Chet Helms & the Family Dog
In 1969, Chet Helms opened a new music venue called the Family Dog. Located in the building formerly known as the Ocean Beach Pavilion and later, Topsy's Roost, the Family Dog featured performances by bands that epitomized the late 60s/early 70s like the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Santana, and more.

Jul 23, 2022 • 56min
466: A conversation with Woody LaBounty
This week, Woody LaBounty makes a glorious return to the pod to talk about his origin story and time since handing over the reins nearly two years ago, to current WNP Executive Director and your podcast host, Nicole Meldahl.

Jul 16, 2022 • 47min
465: Pacific Coast Swimming Championships
In 1913, the Pacific Coast Swimming Championships were held on the West Side. Can you guess who was the superstar athlete and toast of the 1912 Olympics who dominated the meet? This week, Nicole and Arnold describe the exciting competition at, surprise, the Sutro Baths.


