33 Things You Know if You Grew Up in SF During the '90s

The 1990s were all about grunge, Bill and Monica, one-shoulder overalls, pacifiers as necklaces, Tamagotchis, Titanic, and, if you grew up in San Francisco, all of these things -- some of which will hopefully make you nostalgic for a decade when Tupac and Jerry were still around to make music. For some of it, anyway.

Flickr/green kozi

That Justin Herman was a skate spot

And not an ice skating spot. R.I.P. EMB.
 

The feeling of winning a Fifth Super Bowl Championship

Thanks for nothing, Jed York.
 

That no one hung out in SOMA

Much less paid astronomical sums to live there.
 

That Faith No More played at the Cow Palace

But Mr. Bungle played at The Stone.
 

That the best raves required a drive

And often an empty airplane hanger.
 

Japantown Bowl was the only place to bowl

Two stories of lanes and So. Many. Birthday. Parties.

Flickr/dsleeter_2000

The Lyon Street Steps weren't for running

But for hanging out and being seen. Also, they were just called “The Steps.”
 

You drank 40 ounces in the park...

... of malt liquor only. Although now also seems like an appropriate moment to give a shout out to Pete's Wicked Ale.
 

Blear, CFB, and Chester Ded, and Link 80

"Teenage... Why do I feel this way?" #angst
 

That getting coffee at The Blue Danube...

... always included The Counting Crows playing in the background.
 

Lombardi's was the only place to get sporting goods

And you remember when they moved from Clement to Jackson.

Flickr/carnagenyc

Twist was a badass

And everyone had a friend of a friend who knew him.
 

Every girl had to have her belly button pierced

And she had to get it done at Body Manipulations on Haight St.
 

Commonwealth was where it all went down on Halloween

Epic shaving cream fights.
 

Everyone called The Palladium "The Get-Laidium"

Wishful thinking...
 

The Palace of Fine Arts was awesome for the Exploratorium

(But also for late-night keg parties.)
 

Pants had really, really, really, REALLY wide legs

Also: carpenter pants. For all of that hammering we were doing? And let's not forget about sagging. As if we could.
 

Baby tees

Under a flannel with one of the above.
 

What it's actually like to be in an earthquake

Yeah, Loma Prieta happened in 1989, but everyone was still thinking about it well into the '90s.

FTC

Ben Davis, FreshJive, Behind the Post Office, FTC

And Pumas in every color of the rainbow.
 

You didn't make out

You macked on someone.
 

And if you got denied

You were so moded.
 

Driving lessons with Mr. Lee

Seriously, did anyone else in SF even teach kids how to drive?
 

Meeting up at the McDonald's on Haight St

Before heading over to Children’s Playground.
 

Buying crystals and band T-shirts at The Rock Shop

And tapes and CDs at The Warehouse.
 

The Pink Pages were the only way to find out which concerts were coming to town

And were the hands-down best part of the Sunday paper. After the comics.

Flickr/Markus Spiering

Sneaking into the arboretum one night

And the bus graveyard the next.

Dancing school

And those awful white gloves.

The First Tibetan Freedom Concert was in Golden Gate Park

Smashing Pumpkins, Tribe, Beastie Boys, Rage, Sonic Youth, Beck, No Doubt...

You didn't have to like The Grateful Dead

But you had to respect them. And the day Jerry died was one of the saddest in the city.

$5 fast passes

And not hating the bus.

"Don't give me no bammer weed"

Dank weed only, please.

Your pager was your lifeline

Which meant you always had a quarter for the pay phone.

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Daisy Barringer is Thrillist's SF Editor and she is beyond thankful Twitter did not exist when she was a kid. Still, you can follow her on it now @daisy.