Open space is a tender subject on the Peninsula. For many avid environmentalists, the issue is the next best thing to a secular religion.
Most of San Mateo County is, indeed, free of development and relatively pristine. That vast acreage, generally, is located between Interstate 280 and the Pacific Ocean. But there’s more. And it’s right under our collective noses.
Think about it. Cemeteries, for the most part, are undeveloped property. Sure, there is a significant population underground. But, up top, graveyards tend to be quiet places well-suited for reflection and contemplation most of the time.
Colma is a prime case in point. That North County village, which has about 1,800 living residents, is home to an estimated 1.8 million deceased individuals. Colma’s 17 cemeteries comprise just under two-square-miles of valuable land.
Other than headquarters buildings, a few significant mausoleums and some support structures, these facilities for the dead are, well, a kind of suburban open space. The headstones, however, do tend to alter the pastoral atmosphere. It’s simply not possible to forget where you are.
But, if you sit silently in a Colma graveyard up on the slope near Hillside Boulevard and gaze toward the west and the little valley spread out in front of you, it can be quite relaxing, the occasional 747 powering overhead toward the northwest not far away notwithstanding.
Think “Harold and Maude,” the 1971 cult classic in which the odd, age-challenged couple has a filmed picnic in one of the leafy Colma cemeteries, with the two main characters as the only participants in the dining experience.
The moviemakers utilized three of those final resting places for various scenes: Woodlawn, Holy Cross and Cypress Lawn, all long-standing Colma repositories for the dead. The Hollywood folks were clearly onto something, even if it seems just a bit off-putting.
Incidentally, that film had scenes shot in locations throughout the Peninsula, including Redwood City, Hillsborough, Brisbane, the Dumbarton Bridge and the Coastside, among other places. Even more than 40 years later, the quirky movie still holds up.
Housing prices
Property values in San Mateo County are continuing to rebound dramatically since the depths of the recession of the previous decade.
The office of the County Assessor announced this week that the value of local residences had increased by nearly $9 billion in the last year, to a grand total of almost $165 billion. It’s not a surprise.
Not long ago, it was revealed that Atherton had the most expensive housing in the U.S. The latest high-tech boom was the stated cause.
Back in 1964, according to news accounts at the time, homes were more affordable in these parts. Take Millbrae as an example.
A half-century ago, a three-bedroom, two-bath house in that North County community could be purchased for $34,000. Today, according to Zillow.com, the median home price in Millbrae is over $1.2 million.
Of course, everything was cheaper here back then. To wit, a new Mercury sedan sold for $1,800; a dozen eggs cost you 35 cents; and a pound of butter was 69 cents. And, as a bonus, we also had Blue Chip Stamps.
Screaming Streisands
You have to tip your cap to the inventive promotions people who tout the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.
They help the Coastside establishment, located at Pillar Point Harbor, to go to serious creative lengths to draw a crowd, any crowd.
Witness the eatery’s July 12 special event marking what is called “Half Moon Bay Pride:” A fabulous drag queen extravaganza; the show is set for 4 p.m.
It will feature such luminaries as Ginger Snap, Tweaka Turner and the wryly-named Connie Servitive. Apparently, Carlotta Rover is not available. Perhaps “her” gowns are in storage. No matter.
Appropriate music will be provided by — wait for it — The Screaming Streisands. Babs would be so pleased. Half Moon Bay might never be the same.
John Horgan’s column appears on Thursday. You can contact him by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com or by regular mail at P.O. Box 117083, Burlingame, CA 94011.
