Mission District’s postcard view

At the corner of shotwell street, don't miss the postcard photo of the neighborhood with the famous "Once Upon a time in Mission District"! The mural was created by artists who grew up on the street, in collaboration with Precita Eyes' Urban Youth Arts Program. The work is a response to the pain caused by gang violence in the district. Each letter is filled with symbolic images. In the word MISSION, you see references to both American and Mexican culture. The first part of the word tells the story of the district. In the M, you see the historical sign , which advertised a department store on the corner of Mission and 17th Street in the 1930s called "17 reasons why". You also see the sign for Whiz Burger, a nostalgic neighborhood institution, and the mythical "14 Mission" trolley bus, which has served the entire street since the 50s. The second part of the word tells us about Mexican culture. You'll see purifying white sage , an Aztec dancer, mortars filled with spices, tacos being sold, and elements of the Festival of the Dead. The word DISTRICT, in contrast, is harsher, in bright red, interlaced with roses. The work is intended as an offering to the neighborhood's departed loved ones, whose names you see above the radio bearing the inscription "in loving memory"...