Carl Nolte

San Francisco

Reporter at San Francisco Chronicle

reporter at San Francisco Chronicle

Articles

An old ex-con recalls his days at Alcatraz. His biggest complaint: ‘Boredom’

6 days ago | sacbee.com | Carl Nolte

May 31-There are only two people left in the world who really know what it was like to be a prisoner on Alcatraz, the legendary island in San Francisco Bay. One is Charlie Hopkins, who lives in Florida. The other is William Baker, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, and is spending the summer in San Francisco. Hopkins, a kidnapper and robber who spent three years on Alcatraz, is 93. Baker, a counterfeiter and escape artist, spent four. Baker is 92.
An old ex-con recalls his days at Alcatraz

6 days ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

Former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary inmate William Baker holds his book about his time on the Rock, “Alcatraz #1259,” in San Francisco. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleThere are only two people left in the world who really know what it was like to be a prisoner on Alcatraz, the legendary island in San Francisco Bay. One is Charlie Hopkins, who lives in Florida. The other is William Baker, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, and is spending the summer in San Francisco.
California’s version of ‘The Way We Were’ can be seen in SoCal and NorCal

1 week ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

Engine No. 9 is the last surviving artifact of the Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway, which ran from Mill Valley to a terminal just below the summit of Mount Tamalpais starting in 1896. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleHere are a couple of California stories — one about a fading landmark district, the other about a crooked railroad. One is a Southern California classic. The other is in San Francisco’s backyard.
Is San Francisco becoming boring? Seeking some noise in a city gone silent

2 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

“R-Evolution,” the giant statue of a naked woman installed recently near San Francisco’s Ferry Building, would have drawn a much larger response in previous years. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleWashington Square in North Beach is the heart of what many think of as classic San Francisco. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleNorth Beach maintains its classic character in the rain.
Where have S.F.’s historic ships gone? Not too far, actually

3 weeks ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

The Balclutha fits in naturally at its temporary home at Mare Island in Vallejo after being moved from San Francisco’s Hyde Street Pier, which is being rebuilt by the National Park Service. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleThe C.A. Thayer has a temporary home at Mare Island in Vallejo after being moved from San Francisco’s Hyde Street Pier during renovations.
You'd never guess that this affluent Bay Area town has a gritty past

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

A scale model of Tiburon’s former railroad facility is a highlight of the Tiburon Railroad and Ferry Depot Museum. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleA scale model is a highlight of the Tiburon Railroad and Ferry Depot Museum. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleCondominiums dot the site of the former railroad yard in Tiburon. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleThe winds of change have swept over the Bay Area like a hurricane in the past few years. And no place has changed as much as the small town of Tiburon in Marin County.
C'mon San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf is long overdue for a makeover

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

A ragged American flag is seen at Fisherman’s Wharf. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleRotten pilings at Fisherman’s Wharf. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleThe empty sidewalk outside the closed Alioto’s restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleA ragged American flag is seen with a closed restaurant behind it at Fisherman’s Wharf. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleFishing boats at Fisherman’s Wharf. Carl Nolte/S.F. ChronicleAn empty corridor at Fisherman’s Wharf.
The end of an era as San Francisco commemorates the 1906 quake

1 month ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

The faithful guardians of San Francisco’s yesterdays will gather before dawn Friday to celebrate a disaster that almost killed the city. The gathering at Geary, Kearny and Market streets at 5:13 a.m. every April 18 has become an annual tradition in its own right. She’s been there every year decked out as the belle of old San Francisco, wearing a fireman’s helmet and golden boots. She has channeled Lillie with enthusiasm and a dash of eccentricity.
If you really listen, you can hear San Francisco changing

2 months ago | sfchronicle.com | Carl Nolte

I woke up in the middle of the night. Couldn’t sleep. Insomnia, maybe. Or the tariffs. Or Greenland. Worrying about the world is the enemy of sleep. So I got up and looked out at the city. It’s a nice view: Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, a bit of the northern edge of San Francisco, a hint of the Marin hills. It’s an urban view. The houses are all close together, like Europe maybe.
Sacramento is joining the big leagues. And despite what you may think, it’s no cow town

2 months ago | msn.com | Carl Nolte

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