Potrero Hill Neighborhood Stores

Neighborhoods have followed in the wake metamorphoses in The City over the past few decades.

Elements that anchor the neighborhoods and lends them character that endure generations can be something like a series of houses (see the painted ladies on Alamo Square) that become an icon for the neighborhood.

In my old neighborhood, Potrero Hill, there has been a varied trend in the style of architecture. All of the vacant lots have evaporated and in many places the old Edwardians have been replaced by industrial and modern style buildings.

A couple of features that have held on tenaciously over the years are the retail strips on 18th and 20th streets and between Wisconsin and Minnesota and Chiotras Grocery on Rhode Island between 20th and Southern Heights.

Up until the 1970s, there were grocery stores almost on every corner on The Hill. Chiotras' on Rhode Island, Bill Kobsoff's on DeHaro and 23rd, DeRosa's on 2oth and Carolina, Andy's on 20th & Connecticut, Wang's on 18th and Kansas and two others at 19th & Vermont and 19th and Mississippi.

Many of these were literally “corner stores” and inevitably the locals had their favorites for certain items or sandwiches. (I still have old neighborhood friends asking where they can get a good “hard roll sandwich”. These used to be ubiquitous at almost any corner store and were made on the spot from a hard or soft roll pulled from a large bag. The hard sourdough had a split top and more times than not would cut the roof of your mouth...but they were great!)

These were some of the fixtures that defined The Hill and its culture for decades.

A little history: Chiotras's was originally opened as Dariotis & Chiotras Grocery sometime around 1912. Pete Dariotis moved back to Greece for his retirement and Christo Chiotras and his family ran the store until around 1980's and still owns the building.