Set in 1970s San Francisco, it follows the residents of a small apartment complex at 28 Barbary Lane, including the eccentric landlady, Anna Madrigal. And that, in and of itself, isthe political stance. Tales of the City (1978) is the first book in the Tales of the City series by American novelist Armistead Maupin, originally serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle. Tales of the City is – first and foremost – about family. However, though existing as an ever-relevant window into an under-represented population, the show is not merely a political stance. This limited series bleeds San Francisco – its history, its iconicity, and its revolutionary impact on LGBTQ+ acceptance and representation. Our very own 28 Barbary Lane located in the spacious, open-aspected, radical mind of Maupin. And, that magic is forged and reinforced via the soft-spoken and mysterious Anna Madrigal. After all, Tales of the City remains the first proper home of generations of LGBT+ people. You will return to San Francisco years late to discover that, though your home may have changed, the magic it retains remains the same.

Whether you remember Laura Linney’s first turn as Mary Ann is inconsequential, for you will return alongside her. NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 03: (L-R) Laura Linney, Luke Kirby, Ellen Page, Jen Richards, Ashley Park, Lauren Morelli, Charlie Barnett, Murray Bartlett, Garcia, Alan Poul, Michael Park, Olympia Dukakis, May Hong, Dickie Hearts, Barbara Garrick, and Samantha Soule attend the “Tales of the City” New York premiere at The Metrograph on Jin New York City. When you ascend Anna Madrigal’s cobblestoned steps, entering a home along Barbary Lane, you do not become a voyeur looking in rather, the tales are weaved in such a way that you mesh into the existing fabric. Netflix’s Tales of the City is a nostalgia ride for those familiar, and unfamiliar, with the original.

Tales of the city barbary lane