Haight Ashbury in the 60s

The Haigh Ashbury in the 60s

The Haight today is often a tourist attraction for many, but in its day it was a hub of a movement. Today there are stores filled with tie-dye t shirt sold by the handful, peace signs in windows, ice cream sold at one of San Francisco’s most famous intersections.

The Haight Ashbury area arguably culminated in 1967 during its infamous Summer of Love when thousands of people converged in the Haight by the thousands. Some historians deem this neighborhood to be the birthplace of the hippie movement. It was filled with peaceful protests and psychedelic experimentation. Many famous people of this era such as Jerry Garcia, Allen Ginsberg, and Jimi Hendrix all live nearby. The Haight attracted a younger generation of musicians, philosophers, artists, poets, and even future CEOs.

During Summer of Love in 1967, one hundred thousands youths came to the Haight. The phenomenon washed over america like a tidal wave. It ushered in a sense of liberation that irreversibly changed the lives of those who participated. There was a promise of the chance to cast off conservative social values and experiment with many different things, especially drugs and sex. The experience of enlightenment in the Summer of Love left a lasting impression on everyone who participated. The name “Summer of Love” was created by the local council to put a more positive sound on the gatherings that were portrayed negatively by the media.

The Summer of Love introduced a new form of music called acid rock, traded clothes for costumes, and made psychedelic drugs sacred. “It was this magical moment… this liberation movement, a time of sharing that was very special,” said Carolyn Garcia who later married Jerry Garcia.

However, as the movement began to die down, the area began to decay. Blogger Jon Newman wrote in his essay Death of the Hippie Subculture, “By the fall of 1967 Haight-Ashbury was nearly abandoned, trashed, and laden with drugs and homeless people. With the Haight in ruins and most of its residents gone, it was simply unable to operate as a hub for music, poetry and art”. The movement had become a commercialized media spectacle and there were many dark sides of it. The realities of dropping out of school hit hard; the hippie idea of “free love” became an excuse to rape, thousands suffered from serious drug addiction, mental health problems or became homeless. San Francisco was overrun with teenage runaways and the Haigh-Ashbury turned into a center of homelessness and crime.  The Haight was once an epicenter of peace and love and youth in revolt.