In the conclusion to this two-part episode, crime reporter and author Vivian Ho reads the complete first chapter of Those Who Wander: America’s Lost Street Kids and talks about why she expanded her coverage of two murders that grabbed San Francisco's attention in October 2015 into a book. "It just felt like a tragedy on all fronts, it was absolutely heartbreaking from the victims' perspectives — here was a young girl who was cut down as she was trying to figure out her life, as she was just starting off, and here was a man who was here to support his wife through chemo, they loved each other so much."  "You look at these three suspects and you just wonder what the hell happened, how did we get here, how did we get here as a society, where did we go wrong," she said.

San Francisco’s street kids are highly visible and poorly understood. No one has a firm grasp on how many of them live on our streets, as a good number are transient and belong to the community of “Travelers” who congregate in Haight-Ashbury. Few residents view them as violent or a threat, however, which is why a 2015 crime spree committed by three young vagabonds in Golden Gate Park captured San Francisco’s attention. In this episode, crime reporter Vivian Ho discusses the case, which forms the basis for her book, Those Who Wander: America’s Lost Street Kids.

In September 2019, a group of residents on a quiet street placed enormous boulders on their sidewalk to discourage homeless encampments and drug sales. But when city officials and politicians sided with the people who installed the hostile architecture, it sparked a debate about how San Francisco treats its homeless residents, who number in the thousands. Guest Joe Eskenazi, Managing Editor of Mission Local, covered the story extensively. "There's a middle ground, and we have to find it," he said. "And our leaders have to take us there."

Thanks to a listener in Los Angeles,  Eric Raymond dropped by to talk about his career as a writer and novelist in San Francisco. His first novel, "Confessions From A Dark Wood," is a satire based on his experiences working in global brand management. In this episode, Eric discusses his work and reads an excerpt from his upcoming novel, "Golden Gate," set to be released in March 2020 by Tyrant Books.

In May 2015, I interviewed Chris Dumas as he was preparing to return to his birthplace of Little Rock, Arkansas after living in San Francisco for 12 years. In September 2019, we spoke again about his experiences readjusting to life in his hometown, moving from a cramped apartment to owning a house, and how he looks back on his time in SF.

Mount Sutro's urban forest is the locus for several gripping tales, including a kidnapping, a forest fire, a rich man's greed, and a flock of hard-working professional goats. In this episode, journalist Eve Batey and artist Tim Ehhalt buckle in for multiple history lessons about one of the city's famed Seven Hills and bring listeners inside their Outer Sunset store, Avenues Dry Goods.

After I shared a photo on Twitter of a mysterious note I found taped to a utility pole in the Central Sunset, resident Pete Mummert let me know that he's been collecting these messages for years -- and had a personal encounter with the elusive artist. 

Join host Walter Thompson for The Golden City, a podcast that presents stories from San Francisco’s past, present and future. Each episode explores unique aspects of the city’s news, history and culture that often go overlooked. Whether you’re a native or a tourist, listen to the The Golden City, and you’ll learn something new about one of the most familiar cities on Earth.