Tours of the Tales

The Searchlight is mentioned at least three times in Significant Others.  After marrying Mary Ann and moving to the Summit (below in this tour), Brian purchased Diet Pepsi, a box of Milky Way candy bars, and the new Colgate Pump toothpaste at the Searchlight.  It was from the Searchlight that Thack called Michael to see about getting together – just as Michael is packing to spend the weekend at the Russian River with Brian.  Later, after Thack left for the airport to return to Charleston, Michael felt a little down so he came to the Searchlight for milk and Oreos.

Searchlight Market

Searchlight Market, 1964 Hyde (southeast corner of Hyde and Union) 

The Searchlight Market was first mentioned early in Tales of the City and it reappears in several of the sequels. The folks at 28 Barbary Lane frequently  shopped at the Searchlight Market because of its convenient proximity to Barbary Lane.  

Early in Tales of the City, Mary Ann called Connie from here to tell her she secured an apartment at 28 Barbary Lane.

When Mary Ann returned to San Francisco in November 2008 (Mary Ann in Autumn), she walked around her old neighborhood on Russian Hill.  She noticed that the Searchlight Market was still open.  After walking around the neighborhood and reminiscing, she eventually returned to the Market and purchased a turkey sandwich.  She ate her sandwich at the Alice Marble Tennis Courts at the crest of Russian Hill – which you just visited.

A note for those of you who are sticklers for detail:  in the 1990 edition of 28 Barbary Lane, there are two typos:  First, the Searchlight Market is at one point erroneously called the Searchlight Café; second, Union Street is spelled as Unicorn the first time the Searchlight is mentioned in the book. 

Armistead Maupin lived only a half-block up the hill (1138½ Union Street – see below in this tour) from The Searchlight – so shopping here was convenient for him as well.

Mona and Mother Mucca went there to buy munchies for the gathering at Mrs. Madrigal’s when Mrs. Madrigal revealed her “story” to Mary Anne, Michael, and Burke (More Tale of the City).  After landing a job as the hostess for the Bargain Matinee, Mary Ann became a minor television celebrity and found herself autographing her neighbors’ grocery bags at the Searchlight Market (Further Tales of the City).