Old & new: Beloved San Francisco spots and what has replaced them

If you walk by Columbus and Bay streets in San Francisco these days, you might stare at the Walgreens on the corner for a while and then ask yourself, "Wait, didn't that used to be Tower Records?"

Or, you may have been driving down Geary Boulevard for the first time in years and getting confused because you can't find that movie theater where you saw "Star Wars" as a kid. No, you're not losing your mind; the Coronet is gone, and now that piece of land is an institute on aging.

And that's life in the city. With everything changing so quickly, businesses you loved, that defined San Francisco, will vanish and transform into condos, cafes, exercise studios, or yet another drug store.

ALSO: This is what San Francisco looked like 100 years ago

With this in mind, we decided to look back at some once-classic S.F. businesses, and a few other spots, to see what they've become. Some are huge structures, others are small businesses or restaurants (remember the Hippo?). But all were beloved, or at least incredibly busy, at the height of their popularity.

Take a look at the above gallery to see some of these spots as our city by the bay continues its ever-changing ways.