1946 Van Ness (as seen from Van Ness)

A little slice of Oakland in San Francisco! Built in 1920 by MacDonald and Kahn architects as a showroom for the now defunct California-Oakland Motor Company; this building also showcased Kissel, Dueasenberg, Auburn, and Delage automobiles before being decommissioned as a showroom in 1930.

From 1938 to 1990 the building was the site of Ahren’s Brothers Pie (later renamed Ahren’s Bakery and Coffee shop and finally Ahren’s Bakery and Restaurant). The building has been empty since Ahren’s closure. Continue reading →