San Francisco, California story
The Barbary Coast
A look at the historic Barbary Coast, San Francisco's notorious red-light district of the 19th century.
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Imagine this area around Pacific and Kearny streets as a rip-roaring, lawless land. In the mid-to-late 19th century, it was the Barbary Coast, a red-light district that lived up to its name, which was inspired by the infamous Barbary Coast of North Africa. It was a place where sailors and fortune hunters crowded into gambling dens, opium parlors, and brothels.
As the years passed, the district evolved, becoming known for its wild dance halls and other illicit nightlife entertainment. For decades, it was the city's center of vice, until the great 1906 earthquake and fire swept through, effectively ending the original neighborhood as it had existed. Today, the streets are clean and quiet, but if you keep walking, you can almost hear the echoes of the old dance halls.
Updated June 2026