Book excerpt: San Francisco has always been a city of transformation. From the nostalgic days of downtown shopping and grand movie palaces to newer buildings on the skyline and stunning neighborhood transformations, change has been a constant factor since the early days of European settlement in the late 1700s. Evidence of early San Francisco is still visible in the revitalized Ferry Building, repurposed as an artisan marketplace; in the celebrated neighborhood street fairs; and even in the enduring edifices of commerce and industry. The city of the future has its roots firmly planted in a much-loved past. City native and local history author Frank Dunnigan showcases the old city as well as the new one gradually emerging.