The Former Garibaldi Hall – Broadway Street between Kearney and Montgomery, San Francisco, California

On the south side of Broadway, is a garish pink building, built in 1919 as the Dimas-Alang Temple. It was the project of the Caballeros de Dimas Alang a fraternal organization brought to the United States by Filipino immigrants. The organization is named in honour of Philippine national hero Jose M. Rizal, who wrote under the pseudonym Dimas-Alang – a Tagalong phrase meaning "cannot be touched." The order still exists. It is based on Masonic ritual and on the secret, revolutionary Masonic organization that overthrew Spanish rule in 1898. The lodge also functioned as mutual aid organizations for the ethnic community.

The next owners of the building were an Italian men’s club which renamed it Garibaldi Hall after the liberator of Italy. The building underwent a transformation in the 1940’s when it became known as the Italian Supper Club.

During the Beat Generation many poetry readings were given in the big first-floor hall. Allen Ginsberg read what many believe is his greatest poem, "Kaddish," at a 1959 benefit for John Wieners magazine Measure. Ginsberg was joined on stage by Jack Spicer, Robert Duncan, and James Broughton. Later the same year, on August 29, came the "Mad Monster Mammoth Poets’ Reading," a benefit for Auerhahn Press organized by Philip Lamantia. That reading featured twelve poets, including Ray Bremser, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bob Kaufman, Michael McClure, David Meltzer, and Philip Whalen. Before the reading, two young San Francisco painters, Bruce Conner and Robert LaVigne, staged a "Way Out Walk of Poets" down Grant Avenue to Broadway. Like Pied Pipers in fantastic cos-tumes, they led an immense crowd into the auditorium. Kenneth Rexroth seemed to be the only person not charmed by the event. It was reported that he was in a cur-mudgeonly mood and spent the whole night muttering to himself, "Awful, awful." Nonetheless, enough money was raised for Auerhahn Press to publish new books by Whalen and Lamantia.

In the late 1970s the second floor at 443 became Mabuhay Gardens, the Punk Rock capital of San Francisco. Ginsberg, always on the lookout for hot new trends, wrote "Punk Rock Your My Big Crybaby" here in May 1977: "Spank me! Kiss me in the eye! Suck me all over / from Mabuhay Gardens to CBGB’s coast to coast." Not surpris-ingly, Robin Williams called this place "comedy hell" when he was the opening act for the Ramones in 1978.

In 2005, this historical building underwent a structural earthquake retrofit and a complete remodeling. It is now a venue for private and corporate parties.