San Francisco neighborhoods are diverse and ever-changing—some of our old boroughs have even gone without a trace. Remember Carville-by-the-Sea? Of course you don't.

Once upon a time, in fin de siecle SF, there stood a bohemian community on the edge of town made entirely of abandoned rail cars. In what is present day Ocean Beach/Outer Sunset, Carville gave concrete meaning to the word outlandish, and felt as San Francisco as tiny house or #vanlife moment does today. As home to some of the city's earliest adventurists, artists, anarchists and entrepreneurs, Carville is an old school reminder of why we love this town.

How Carville's Came to Be

via SFPL History Annex

When the Market Street Car company switched from horse-drawn to electric railcars in the 1850's and 60's, they sold their old cars for $10 a piece—which translates to about $300 now—and shipped them out to Ocean Beach for private use. Remnants of Carville can still be seen near Great Highway.