Market Street Barbie

When I was little, I had Barbie dolls - lots of them. There were the standard Barbie dolls like Malibu Barbie, and then there were the ones my dad would get on his business travels like Indian Barbie and Chinese Barbie (who was then called the cringe-worthy “Oriental Barbie”). I loved dressing up my dolls, doing their hair, and inventing make-believe lives for them. While arguably not the best role model for little girls, Barbie had one clear benefit - she gave me the ability to exercise my imagination and creativity.Now as a 34 year old woman, the dolls (and my childhood) are both long gone. But somewhere up in Upper Market, the spirit of Barbie is still alive. Yes people, I have found Market Street Barbie.

I run urban hiking tours with my company Urban Hiker SF. On my Urban Jungles (Castro/Upper Market/Twin Peaks) hiking route, I pass by the intersection of Market and Glendale Streets numerous times a week. It is here where I have found Market Street Barbie. Up on a balcony with a great view of downtown, she presides over the neighborhood. Her clothing is sometimes glamorous, sometimes lewd (think yellow bikini stuffed with a large special something from Good Vibrations), but always amusing.

Here are some photos I’ve collected over the months. I’d love to see more if anyone else has some. Check out the last photo in this set - Barbie’s wearing some special threads for Pride Week!