potrero view

September 2008

Potrero Hill Publicist Calls Hill Home

By Nitai Vinitzky

Long-time Potrero Hill resident Karen Larsen has seen her neighborhood grow from an insular – and sometimes dangerous – village to an upscale, but still close-knit, community.  Larsen, a film publicist, recently recounted her almost four-decade history of living on the Hill in her small South-of-Market office, located on Ritch Street, a block from AT&T Park.

When Larsen moved to 23rd and Carolina streets in 1972 most of her neighbors were first or second generation Russian immigrants. “You would see ladies with black hats and black lace shirts walking down the street,” she said.  According to Larsen “The area was much smaller and quieter with fewer cars.  It was before all the condos were built,” a period in which the Hill’s only coffee house was the Daily Scoop, now Chez Papa.  “It’s much more affluent today,” Larsen said. “There weren’t any yuppies living here back then.”

Larsen said that even though the Hill has changed, it remains small and friendly.  “It’s a great little community,” said Larsen with a big smile. “It feels so small; I used to know pretty much everyone on the Hill, mainly because I worked at home.” Larsen knows fewer of her neighbors today because she spends her days at her SOMA office.

Larsen was drawn to the Hill from Noe Valley because of the neighborhood’s low cost rents.  “I paid $125 a month back then,” she reminisced with a laugh.  But even 30 years ago real estate prices were steadily rising, prompting Larsen to buy her home as soon as she scraped together enough cash.   “Creditors wouldn’t lend you money if you told them you were planning on living on Potrero Hill,” Larsen said. “Everyone thought that Potrero was a ghetto back then.”

Larsen found her way into the community through Enola Maxwell, now deceased, who was the director of the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, known as the Nabe, for a quarter of a century, and whose daughter, Sophie Maxwell, serves as District 10’s supervisor.  According to Larsen, Enola Maxwell was a maternal figure in her life, offering her friendship, aid and support.  “One day I was at the Neighborhood House and Enola asked me if I wanted to be on the communities housing board,” said Larsen.  Although she didn’t know much about serving on boards or housing issues she eventually agreed.  Several years later she became the president of the Nabe’s board of directors.

Larsen started out as an elementary school teacher, but changed careers after four years, jumping on an opportunity to work as a production assistant at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s local affiliate, KQED.  Larsen quickly developed contacts with celebrities – including Bob Hope – while working on a variety of public radio programs such as Newsroom, which according to Larsen was a precursor to All Things Considered; and Over-Easy, a daily national series about aging in America.   “I got to work with a lot of famous people,” she said.  

Larsen eventually developed enough contacts that she was able to start her own public relations agency, Larsen Associates, which mostly publicizes for film directors and stars.  “My job is to get people into Leah Garchik’s column [in the San Francisco Chronicle] called the “in-crowd,” said Larsen with a determined look on her face.  She added that to succeed, “You have to stay in good know with the editors and make them respect and like you.”

Larsen also helps organize a number of the City’s film festivals, including the Asian Film Fest, Berlin and Beyond, and the LGBTQ, Jewish, and Indie film festivals.  According to Larsen there’s a festival in San Francisco virtually every month of the year.

Born in Oakland, and raised in Berkeley, from a young age Larsen was interested in organizing community events and producing plays. “Organizing shows was what I liked to do best.” Larsen’s parents regularly took her and her younger sister Susan to the Park Theatre in Lafayette, “My mother knew all of the supporting actors in all of the movies we went to see when I was a child.”

Two of Larsen’s three daughters, Lael and Inga, still live in the neighborhood, while their sister, Berit, resides in Half Moon Bay.  Their close proximity enables Larsen to spend much of her free time with her nine grandchildren.  When asked what the future holds, Larsen said that she’d like to hand over her business soon and go traveling. “I went to Italy last year,” Larsen said with a wide grin. “I would love to go back soon.”

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