A few weekends ago, my friend Mark visited the City by the Bay for the first time and he had his heart set on visiting the famous Alcatraz Penitentiary. At first, I was a bit apprehensive — I mean — why would I want to see a building where hard-core crooks and criminals lived? But boy, oh boy, was I in for an adventure.
We boarded an 8:30 a.m. ferry on a saturday morning (that alone, should be a crime) and truly embarked on a trip that showed us how life behind bars was in the times of Al Capone, The Birdman of Alcatraz Robert Franklin Stroud and other high-profile names who called this prison home.
It’s absolutely eerie indeed, but full of history. Revolts, attempted escapes, creepy inmates and lots of endless stories make ‘The Rock’ one of the most visited attractions in California. You see the actual cells and believe me, they are cold and tiny. The breakfast menu is still on the dining hall wall and I even learned that the food served was the best in the U.S. prison system at the time! Wowza.
Some of the offices even have authentic decor from the 1960s (the prison closed its doors in 1963), so most of the appliances are legit (like a black rotary phone I really wanted to snag and of course, a fantastic thermos) and parts of it do have that movie set surrealistic feel. But with all that said and done, this is a must-do tour if you are in San Francisco and trust me on this one, as I resisted for six years!
Check out some of my highlights (and of course sartorialisms)! For once, I opted to not wear the apropos stripes and kept it plain in some Converse, colored jeans and plaid!
Tower Time: A guard was on the island tower 24-hours a day and very few things went past his eyes — though the big escape from Alcatraz in 1962 caught the man ‘off guard.’ This was later made into a very popular 1979 flick starring non other than Clint Eastwood.
Matchy-matchy in Plaid: J.Crew shirt (old, but similar style here) | J.Brand pants | Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars | Foley & Corinna Mid City Tote bag | Derek Lam Trevor aviators
Fashion Mugshot: Giles & Brother gold skinny railroad cuff, Stella and Dot Renegade, Shop Jami Blue Estelle & vintage stacks
The Digs: 5 feet by 9 feet of simplicity and absolute necessities. By all means, not the Four Seasons.
Props? Not so quick: These are the actual appliances used in the 1960s when the prison finally shut its doors.
View to Freedom: A small window near the cells that captures a little bit of light. For some inmates, this was the only escape they had.
Ryzenberg On, is Signing Off
Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which consists of a variety of natural, historical and cultural sites. Be sure to check them out when visiting the Bay Area, as they are our treasures and definite local (and national) gems!