By Clarisse Kim

Western Neighborhoods Project Executive Director Nicole Meldahl looks over the glittering scene. Sequined dresses and metallic shirts glimmer like tiny stars under the dim theater lights. Seltzer cans glint as they click open; cake is passed around on paper plates along with a sprinkle of laughter. Smiles sparkle through the room as guests reminisce about the old Playland days.

Meldahl knows there are brighter stars waiting above in the projection room – a drag legend in her shimmering makeup and an award-winning journalist. Everyone has gathered to celebrate.

The Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP) is a gem of the Richmond and Sunset neighborhoods, and that night, the 4 Star Theater shone to match.

On May 15, the history organization and its supporters “partied like it was 1999” during its 25th birthday bash. Held at the Central Richmond movie house, the old-time, prom-themed celebration consisted of a deep-dive into WNP’s history, a live recording of the nonprofit’s “Outside Lands San Francisco” podcast and some light-hearted fundraising.

Drag sensation Peaches Christ and senior SFGATE reporter Amanda Barlett held the focus of the show as podcast guests and as judges of the unofficial WNP Prom Queen competition.

The event kicked off with appearances from District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan and District 3 Supervisor and Board President Aaron Peskin who presented WNP with a certificate of honor. Shortly afterward, Meldahl gave a retelling of WNP’s history, from its founding in 1999 to major projects and its impact today.

“We like to dig deeper than capital H history, the formal academic narrative,” Meldahl said. “At WNP, we research things like old-timey theaters and bygone fast-food chains and share their stories with everyone.”

During the event, Meldahl discussed WNP’s major accomplishments, such as the Cliff House Project, which shared photos and preserved more than 100 artifacts after the landmark shut down. Other notable mentions included the Outside Lands podcast and the Open SF History photo archive, which when combined, compiled more than 500 episodes and in excess of 50,000 photographs of San Franciscan history.

Beneath the sheer amount of historical content lies a more multifaceted story. Co-founders Woody LaBounty and David Gallagher were inspired to start the organization in order to share the untold history of the western neighborhoods.

“Belvedere in Marin County had its own historical society, but the Richmond District didn’t,” LaBounty writes in his article, Origins of the WNP. “Geary Boulevard was pronounced ‘Gary’ and Arguello was ‘Ar-Gwell-O,’ and gosh darn it, shouldn’t this all be documented somewhere?”

Under LaBounty’s watch, WNP flourished, holding countless oral history projects, including youth history engagement and narrated history walks. A few years later, Meldahl joined WNP first as a volunteer archivist in 2012. Throughout the 2010s, Meldahl worked her way up the ranks, taking on more public roles, becoming a guest host on WNP’s crown-jewel podcast around 2017.

In 2019, when LaBounty received a job offer from SF Heritage, Meldahl took over as the executive director of WNP, keeping the organization alive during the pandemic.

“Both of them literally looked at me and were like, ‘Welp! You’re up, slugger! Do you want to run Western Neighborhoods Project?’” Meldahl joked, “And I was like, ‘no!’”

Chelsea Sellin, Meldahl’s “partner in crime,” knew Meldahl well before her WNP days. Sellin joined WNP around 2015 as a volunteer before working her way up to becoming the president of the board. After taking the helm of WNP, Meldahl recruited Sellin as the organization’s second full-time employee, the director of programs.

Throughout their careers, Meldahl and Sellin have overseen 250-300 episodes of the Outside Lands podcast. The segment filmed during the celebration was the 535th episode. Meldahl and guest host Bartlett interviewed Peaches Christ about her long background with SF’s historical theaters and the story of her legendary movie series, Midnight Mass.

Peaches described her time performing in old SF theaters, such as the Bridge Theater on Geary Boulevard, regaling the audience with tales of fake blood and mud wrestling and setting the stage on fire. Other moments carried a nostalgic tone, as Peaches told the story of her roots and inspiration, and the unique love of SF’s west side.

“We’re all part of this incredible drag legacy that is unique to this city,” Peaches said. “Other places around the world have their drag scenes and their drag history, but they don’t have what SF has.”

Overall, the event was considered a great success. More than 70 people arrived to party, and WNP raised more than $12,000 in funds through ticket sales and donations.

“That’s a couple thousand dollars over our goal!” Meldahl said.

The event also marked a personal accomplishment for Sellin, as 2024 is her 10th year with the organization.

“When I think about what this organization was in 2014, I’m in awe,” Sellin said. “Look at all that we’ve done!”

Sellin and Meldahl aren’t stopping with this latest milestone. According to Sellin, WNP has exciting ideas for future events and projects. During the event, WNP announced its recent rebranding strategy, including a new website and a plan to consolidate all its major projects under one cohesive brand.

“I just hope we can keep doing exactly what we’re doing,” Meldahl said. “We like working with each other, we like learning about the neighborhood that we live in, and we love sharing it with the community, who then become our friends.”

“Everyday we get to work together is a real privilege,” Sellin agrees.

Armed with a continuous love for westside history, the two friends plan on growing the nonprofit while staying true to their roots: collecting, preserving, and sharing the diverse history and culture of San Francisco’s west side.

“The west side has really been an authentic community,” Meldahl said. “It is such a joy to do what we do, and as long as we can keep that at the core of who we are, I think that we’ll hit the next 25 years, no problem.”

Learn more about WNP and its impact at outsidelands.org. Listen to podcast episodes at outsidelands.org/podcast/.

Fat Boy vs. The Street Lamp: The Western Neighborhoods Project’s Rebranding

According to Nicole Meldahl, executive director of the Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP), Fat Boy is the “official politically incorrect mascot” of the nonprofit organization.

“He’s looking at you weird, his pants are a little uncomfortable … but he does oversee our work at the office,” Meldahl said. “We’ve been figuring out how to use him in some kind of programming, but it hasn’t been great.”

Before overseeing the inner workings of WNP, this rotund fellow was the figurehead of the bygone Fat Boy Barbecue Cabin chain. Modeled after the “spitting image” of founder Thomas Wood, Fat Boy was plastered over these local BBQ joints – one was where the renowned Doggie Diner used to stand on Sloat, right across from the SF (then called Fleishhacker) Zoo.

Now, WNP waves farewell to Fat Boy as they turn to a new branding style. The WNP logo is now an old-time street lamp, with an old-time avenue sign underneath.

“We’re illuminating local history in the neighborhoods, allowing you to navigate the streets of San Francisco in a whole new light,” Meldahl said. “See what we did there?”

Created by a volunteer at the 4-Star Theater, the new icons include a series of matching logos for WNP’s major projects, such as their photo archive and podcast. According to Chelsea Sellin, director of programs, the logos pay homage to the SF landscape, utilizing the color of the Golden Gate Bridge – international orange – and a unique shade of teal, a blend of Pacific Ocean blue and Golden Gate Park green.

People can expect to see these logo changes rolled out in the new official website; this rebranding signifies a new chapter in WNP history with best friends Meldahl and Sellin at the helm.

– Clarisse Kim