Listen free for 30 days

  • Portal

  • San Francisco's Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities
  • Written by: John King
  • Narrated by: Gabriel Vaughan
  • Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Portal cover art

Portal

Written by: John King
Narrated by: Gabriel Vaughan
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $22.26

Buy Now for $22.26

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

A two-time Pulitzer finalist explores the story of American urban design through San Francisco's iconic Ferry Building.

Conceived in the Gilded Age, the Ferry Building opened in 1898 as San Francisco's portal to the world—the terminus of the transcontinental railway and a showcase of civic ambition. In silent films and World's Fair postcards, nothing said "San Francisco" more than its soaring clock tower. But as acclaimed architectural critic John King recounts, the rise of the automobile and double-deck freeways severed the city from its beloved structure. King's narrative spans the rise and fall and rebirth of the Ferry Building, introducing colorful figures who fought to preserve its character (and the city's soul)—from architect Arthur Page Brown and legendary columnist Herb Caen to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Senator Dianne Feinstein. A microcosm of the changing American waterfront, the saga of the Ferry Building explores the tensions of tourism and development—and the threat that sea level rise poses to a landmark that in the twenty-first century remains as vital as ever.

©2024 John Alan King (P)2023 Tantor

What listeners say about Portal

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.