San Francisco Blog

WHAT IM SEEING has an interesting interview with local skater, author, and Chronicle contributor Travis Jensen, formerly known as The SF Masher. The best part is Jensen's memories of trying to find an apartment in S.F. in 1997:

"The City had less than 1% vacancy at the time, so finding an affordable place to live was literally next to impossible. I stayed in a couple shady crack, heroin and flea infested hotels and couch and floor surfed for almost a year before securing a sectioned off hallway space in a rundown flat in Lower Haight. It was like living in freakin’ coffin. For real, the walls were so narrow that my hand-me-down futon mattress folded up on both sides resembling a taco shell. I couldn’t have been happier at the time. I was just stoked to have a space to finally call my own. I ended up living in that hallway for almost two years before I finally scored my own bedroom. Times were rough. I have definitely paid some dues to live here."