Curbed SF

Transit Under Attack From Highway Sympathizers, as Usual

2009-07-06T19:17:29Z

["Universal Responsibility in a Matrixed Economic World," courtesy Curbed SF Flickr photog Wonderlane]

California recently tried to take away $1 billion (billion!) in gas-tax funds from transit -- but no, the 3rd district court of appeal just ruled, the state can't do that. Voters approved the gas tax specifically to fund buses and trains, but so far Arnold's stolen $152 million from Muni, and $30 million from BART last year alone. The governor plans to appeal the ruling; so when fares to go up and buses break down, you know who to blame.

Sadly, though, life is still difficult for our local transit agencies. California got $2.6 billion to spend on transportation in the stimulus package, and a new study shows that so far the money's going towards sprawl and freeways, rather than to mass transit. Goodbye neighborhoods, hello strip malls! One state official compared this to "adding a new wing to a house when the roof is falling in," which is very encouraging. Thanks to public pressure, they re-directed more funds to bike paths and transit, but still: 96 percent is going towards roads, and of that, 42 percent is new construction. Ugh.

· State cannot divert gas tax revenue from transit, court rules [Merc]
· Transportation funds misdirected, analysis says [SF Gate]
· The States And the Stimulus: How California and Other States Spent Surface Transportation Funds in the First 120 Days [CalPIRG]
· CA Transit Operators Win in Court but Face Challenge by Governor [Streetsblog]

$150 Million Allocated to New SF Houses

2009-07-06T16:00:47Z

Remember Prop 1C back in 2006? Who could forget! It created a $2.8 billion bond to fill in low-density gaps in California cities; and now the final installment has been issued. Mazel tov to the lucky recipients: John Stewart Co., the Emerald Fund, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp., and Joe Montana. Yes, the Joe Montana.

The Emerald Fund (the company responsible for the dreadful Potrero Center) will put its $11 million toward building 308 rental units at 333 Harrison on Rincon Hill, and also towards the rehabilitation of the giant hot air balloon that brought its manager to San Francisco from Omaha. The John Stewart Co, on the other hand, will dedicate its $30 million to the building of Hunters View, a 750-unit mixed-income housing development.

It's unclear how much money Joe Montana got, but let's just assume he'll use it to build a giant inhabitable football.

· Urban housing firms grab $150M in grants [SF Business Times]
· California Proposition 1C (2006) [Ballotpedia>
· A Tall Future for the Potrero Center? [Curbed SF]

Thursday PM Linkage

2009-07-03T00:01:59Z

["Graffiti about King Tut Exhibit at De Young Museum" courtesy Flickr user AgentAkit]

· Outlook Not Good For CitiApartments Tenants Complaining Of Illegally Withheld Deposits [SF Appeal]
· San Francisco: the eldorado of American design [Hoosta]
· National Urban Alliance with San Francisco Unified · School District in Systemic Professional Development Partnership [SFUSD]
Volunteer: Habitat Restoration at Mt. Sutro (Inner Sunset) [Fun Cheap SF]
· Examiner Editorial: Revive construction by changing building fees [An Examiner]

SF Parks Portal Baffling, and is Data Open?

2009-07-02T19:11:01Z

San Francisco is soon to unveil a new website that tracks goings-on in public parks. If you're holding a public-park event, you can enter it into the website, and then (the thinking goes) users will browse around, find your details, and show up for your BBQ or whatever. Sounds like a nice enough idea, provided that they can get people to actually use it.

Frankly, we couldn't figure it out: there are eighteen different categories on the homepage (with weird titles like "social development" and "special events") and you have to fill out a form (featuring "subcategories" and multiple types of "locations") just to browse events. Most aggravating of all, there's no map! Anywhere! According to SF Weekly, no public money was spent on this visitor from 1997, so that's a relief.

And another thing! Will this be an open database or a closed database? San Francisco's databases have been plagued by secrecy issues, with supposedly-public data locked in government filing cabinets. Will this park database be accessible to sites like EveryBlock and SeeClickFix and, you know, the public? That sure would be nice, but we're not holding our breath.

· San Francisco to Unveil Parks Portal [SF Weekly]
· Cities Roll Out Easy-to-Use [sic] Online ‘Parks Portal’ [Public CEO]

Presidio's Scenic Asphalt Lot is Safe -- BUT FOR HOW LONG???

2009-07-02T17:16:21Z

Donald Fisher's reign of terror is over! The villain who had sought to convert a parking lot and bowling alley into an art museum has given up his nefarious designs on the Presidio in humiliation. Did he actually think that San Francisco would allow the oldest of its pieces to ever be modified? Especially if it meant giving up parking spaces? HA. Now the Presidio can return to what it once was and always shall be: a gigantic, partially-beautiful piece of land that nobody remembers exists.

The reasons for Don's throwing-up of hands in frustration aren't totally clear, but the term "public clusterfuck" might begin to cover it. What straw finally broke the camel's back? Was it the parking complaints, the architecture complaints, the personal complaints, simmering resentment about the lamentable Cupid's Arrow? Who knows. The point is, the only way to get something done in San Francisco is to do it somewhere else.

· Fisher Pulls Museum out of the Presidio [SFist]
· CAMP Hearing Back on [Curbed SF]
· MNJL18HMBA.DTL [SF Gate]

Video Tribute to Castro Lovliness

2009-07-02T17:12:13Z

Streetsblog posted a lovely video tribute to the lovely new plaza at Castro and 17th. Lovely! Highlights of the video include Bevan Dufty's lament about the intersection being way too complicated before the installation of a calming plaza; and various planners describing hollow tubes, benches, and rights-of-way. And in case your interest was waning, two scantily-clad hunks pop up in there somewhere.

You know, people keep talking about this thing and saying "if this works..." and "if people like this," but WTF? What about this could not work? What about this could people not like? For crying out loud, this Sunday they're holding a free concert there -- this plaza is SO NICE. We can't wait for the next ones.

(Sidenote: just look at that grinning jackanape Gavin Newsom, flashing us his triumphant leer as if he personally erected the bollards! Oh brother.)

· San Francisco Carves a Park from the Midst of its Pavement [Streetsblog]
· Reclaiming Public Space [Whole Community Design]
· Castro concert series starts July 4 [BAR]
· Castro plaza opens, three more on tap [SF Gate]

CitiApartments is on Death Watch

2009-07-02T14:00:09Z

More problems over at CitiApartments... a reader sent us an email detailing his attempts at receiving his deposit back from CitiApartments. It's quite the horror story. After 21 days the unlucky fellow still hadn't seen a dime or heard a peep from them, even when he contacted the person in charge of handling tenants' security deposits. Shoot forward 20 days past the deadline required by law to return deposits, and he was signing a settlement agreement and they were writing him a check... for the wrong amount. At this point our reader was fed up and wanted some justice, so he refused to sign the agreement until he could speak to their general counsel.

When he finally got a meeting with their general counsel, they told him multiple times that CitiApartments was "broke" and that they can't pay everyone their deposits because they're under foreclosure action. They wouldn't budge on the settlement, so our reader's options were take the offer (a new check for the right amount) and sign a settlement or sue.

]]> In the end he took the money and signed, mostly because it's time consuming and also because he was concerned that they'd file for bankruptcy before he could get his cash back.

Terrible, isn't it? So, dear readers, should we officially put CitiApartments and the Lembi Group on death watch, especially because of recent events and our own reader stories?
· Tales of Squalor at CitiApartments Building [Curbed SF]

DailyKos Peril: Earthquakes, SF Plutocrazy: Seismic retrofits do not fascinate the...

2009-07-01T22:40:02Z

Seismic retrofits do not fascinate the plutocracy! So says Patrice Ayme, bemoaning San Francisco's "pathetically weak garages" which will kill us all in the next major earthquake. Patrice wants to see the city put builders to work, shoring up our wobbly homes; but, she explains, the oligarchy sees no benefit to this endeavor. "Spending money on housing for normal people would be as much money not going to banks, their bankers, and their shadows," she writes,"What could be worse?" WHAT INDEED. [Daily Kos]

Old Place Features Exhibit on Other Old Place: An exhibit on Treasure Island history...

2009-07-01T19:26:46Z

An exhibit on Treasure Island history opens later this month in the Presidio. (Why the Presidio? Why not.) When we describe Treasure Island to our friends in other cities, we always have to add, "yes, that really is its name." To which they respond, "arrr." Ha ha. Anyway, check it out starting July 22 at the Presidio Officers' Club -- they have lots of dramatic photographs of "art, architecture, dramatic nighttime lighting and grand landscapes of the exposition and the public," all which would be perfectly suitable for display online, but then you wouldn't have to schlep out to the middle of nowhere.

Every Day I'm (Not) Hustling: SF Weekly just ran an interesting...

2009-07-01T16:30:31Z

SF Weekly just ran an interesting story detailing a man by the name of "Dr." John Getzow. Getzow is a compulsive non-rent payer. In fact, he has been sued seven times by previous landlords. Last month the paper noticed that Landlord No. 8 had filed a suit against him. Getzow just decides to stop paying rent, and camped out in his room so that no one could serve him papers after he's been evicted. It got so bad that they actually had to have a stakeout to serve him. Understanding that Getzow had done this before and was a certified pro, the Landlord didn't even attempt to collect on the $4,500 he owed, and instead just focused on getting him off his property. "Oh, I doubt we'll see ever the money," said Susan Parkinson, who represented building owner James Lee. "I mean, he even came up to the building manager and said, 'When I get a job, I'll pay you back.'" [SF Weekly]

Tales of Squalor at CitiApartments Building

2009-07-01T16:00:03Z

Like every roommate you've ever had, CitiApartments may have lost interest in performing housekeeping duties. We received an email from an unhappy resident of a CitiApartments building who says that after her building was put on the market, trash started piling up and maintenance stopped. Repairs used to get fixed within a day or two -- now, residents are instructed to call a voicemail number, leave a message, and of course they never get a response. Vacuuming of the hallways stopped, too.

The worst incident this person describes is when they had to shut off the hot water for repairs: two weeks later, and it hasn't been turned back on in some parts of the building. This sounds more likely than unlikely to us: search Twitter for CitiApartments and you won't find a single happy customer. At the time of writing, related Tweets included such phrases as "heart of the beast," "small claims time," "laziness, ineptitude, hostility," and "bankrupt." Lovely.

]]> Oh, wait, forget the thing about the hot water -- this is the worst part: they removed most of the garbage areas. A sign directs people to drop their trash in a nonexistent basket -- so now residents have just started tossing trash on the floor. Honestly, that sounds like more of a tenant failure than a management failure.

No, wait, THIS is the worst part: bug patrols have ceased, and cockroaches have started taking over the lower floors. Eeeeeuurgghhh.

A tenant quoted rent at $1,495 for a 350-square-foot studio. Now that's probably the worst part of all.

Tuesday PM Linkage

2009-06-30T23:36:26Z

["20th st bw," courtesy Flickr user potential past]

· Pez Sues Burlingame Museum [SF Business Times]
· Critical Mass Bikers Get Naked and Set Fires [Everything is Everything]
· Photos of a Lovely SF Park [SFist]
· The Tenderloin Says Goodbye to its YMCA [SF Examiner]
· Prop 8: be Informed [SF Appeal]

Vacant Units in Abandoned Warehouse District: You can still pick up a...

2009-06-30T20:23:10Z

You can still pick up a 3-bedroom at 601 Alabama for just $629,000 -- cheap! We worked in an office right across the street from this property back when it was being built, and we can certainly vouch for the charm of the neighborhood: never have we seen such a diverse array of used condoms. And don't get us started on the magical aroma of urine wafting majestically from the nearby veterinary office 24 hours a day! Ah, memories. [SF New Developments]

On the Market: Airy SoMa Loft Living

2009-06-30T18:45:50Z

We feel like flashing back to 1999 today so we're going to show you around a "stylish" and "sophisticated" SoMa loft that's on the market with a brand new asking price of $529,000, which is $20,000 cheaper than its first listed price a month ago. This contemporary 1-bed, 1-bath live/work loft is located at 161 Gilbert Street, and is jam-packed with all sorts of extremely trendy upgrades and finishes that you will want to (but shouldn't...) rip out immediately. Maple hardwood flooring? Fine. But a stainless steel square tiled backsplash in the kitchen? We think not. Fun on a Friday night, sure, but come Monday morning we aren't really trying to make coffee with a disco ball as a background. We are definitely feeling the wood-burning fireplace that we would never use, and also the custom spiral steel staircase. A little rant here: have you ever tried to get a king mattress up a spiral staircase? What about a solid wood desk? Trust us, dear readers, it isn't pretty or easy. In fact, it's downright awful. The remodeled bathroom has got a nice black and white theme going on, but the real deal maker is the CaesarStone countertop. CaesarStone is a sustainable quartz manufacturer, so you can fluff your green feathers and act like you made an environmentally responsible decision by purchasing this loft. In addition to the designer frills you also get a washer and dryer and your very own deck, which will provide you with an excellent view of Caltrain.
· 161 Gilbert [Redfin]

That's Rather Sad: Hoarding Problems

2009-06-30T17:24:48Z

Contrary to some reader comments, Curbed SF is not entirely run by snarky and soulless robots. That's why this short film by Martin Hampton makes us sad. It's called Possessed and it's about hoarding.

The film questions whether hoarding is a symptom of mental illness or a revolt against the material recklessness of consumerism. When does collecting become hoarding and why do possessions exert such an influence on our lives?

The video is about 21 minutes long and can be seen in its entirety below:

· Documentary Looks At Compulsive Hoarders [Consumerist]

Last Chance to Win a Muni Shirt!: The good folks over at...

2009-06-30T16:57:13Z

The good folks over at Mission Mission have a nifty little contest going on about those controversial (that typeface, the horror! - pretend reader comment) Muni shirts. All you have to do is share an wicked awesome Muni story as a comment on the post (on MissionMission) and the best one will be selected. Winner gets a free tee from Muni Shirts. Have no shame, people. It's the internet. Bare all. [Mission Mission]

San Francisco Real Estate Blogs Are Not Necessarily About San Francisco Real Estate

2009-06-30T16:00:53Z

Relocation.com just named its favorite San Francisco real estate blogs. They're a good sampling, even though most of them are not actually about San Francisco. Among them are blogs about Marin, Foster City, San Mateo, Marin again, San Carlos, and Foster City again. The Front Steps seems to be the only pick that's set right here in The Big City.

To be fair, Relocation.com's press release switches back and forth between "SF" and "SF Bay Area," two terms that mean wildly different things. So much depends upon the words "Bay Area," glazed with rainwater beside the white chickens.

]]> - The Front Steps from Alex Clark
- Marin Real Estate Guide from Ginger Wilcox
- Absolutely Foster City from Jim Minkey
- San Mateo Real Estate from Vicki Moore
- Living Well in San Mateo from Raymond Stoklosa, Rebecca Williamson, and Chris Williamson
- The White Oaks from Chuck Gillooley
- Marin County Real Estate from Mark Lomas

· Relocation.com Names San Francisco Bay Area's Best Real Estate Agent Blogs [Press Release]

Monday PM Linkage

2009-06-30T00:03:58Z

["Alberto's Printing," courtesy Flickr user Plug 1]

· Rich People! They Still Exist [SF Gate]
· Oakland is Complicated [A Better Oakland]
· Silicon Valley is Taking Time Off [Louis Gray]
· Earthquakes and Architects [Architects Newspaper Blog]
· Support the Bees Tonight [Mission Mission]

Pricechopper: Live the High Life in Russian Hill

2009-06-29T22:03:37Z

Originally: $2,300,000
Then: $2,100,000
Now: $1,998,000
You Save: $302,000
Speaking of fanciful tall (but not new) residential towers: a 2-bedroom, 2-bath 1,205 square foot condo at 999 Green has just been price chopped, again. It was first plopped on the market in May with an asking price of $2,300,000. Shoot forward to present day and it's now $1,998,000. It's a corner unit with terrace access from all major rooms. In addition to the swanky floorplan you'll also get a walk-in closet in the master bedroom and a chic and scary kitchen with black countertops and stainless steel appliances. Speaking of all the major rooms, thanks to more faux finishes than we've ever seen in our entire life, this condo looks like it's entirely covered (even the ceilings, people) in suede. Clearly this place isn't for the PETA set. The sale of the unit also includes a Bang & Olofsen flat screen boob tube, built-in Bose audio system, and designer shelving in the living room. A copy of American Psycho is not included in the sale.
· 999 Green [Redfin]

Tiny Church to Temporarily Take Place of Giant Church

2009-06-29T20:44:25Z

Better get your pilgriming done soon: That big double-steepled church in North Beach is about to close for a while. They're installing some new seismic upgrades starting on July 1, and it'll be closed indefinitely. Good thinking -- you can never be too careful about earthquakes. Our God is an awesome God.

Though the Shrine of St. Francis will be closed, other nearby amenities will stay open. That includes the gift shop, which incidentally is called (we kid you not) Francesco Rocks. This either sounds like the name of an animatronic band at Chuck E. Cheese, or a wholesale gemstone warehouse.

Also, the Porziuncola Nuovo will remain open. That's a recently-built replica of St. Francis' church in Assisi, Italy; and it was constructed to 3/4 scale, just like Bag End. The unusual scale and striped floors make every photo we've seen of this religious symbol appear to be an optical illusion. But aren't they always?

· Seismic retrofitting planned for Shrine of St. Francis [Catholic SF]
· Up With God: $2.9 million Chapel for North Beach [Curbed SF]

Normal Renters are Now a Hot Commodity: Out with the fancy, in with...

2009-06-29T18:23:38Z

Out with the fancy, in with the practical. You know how all those very tall residential towers with lap pools and lacquer cabinets and bat caves are not selling? And developers are losing way too much money on them? A new crop of developer has sprouted up. The new way to build is to focus on these key items: rental housing, less expensive midrise construction, and new ways to finance. The reality:

"For now, the highrise condo tower is a broken business model in the city. Even with the price of land down more than 50 percent, it still costs at least $750 a square foot to build a steel-frame tower. A tower with 1,000-square-foot two bedrooms would have to average $750,000 a unit to break even. To achieve the 20 percent return most investors seek would require average prices to hit $900,000 — a difficult sell in this market. And that’s assuming developers could get financing, which they can’t." Does this surprise anyone? [SF Business Times]

Render Reveal: 870 Harrison is Brown

2009-06-29T16:15:14Z

Back in April Curbed readers debated over what color the facade of 870 Harrison would be. Now you know: brown. Not quite reddish brown, but a warm brown. The architecture firm behind the project says it's "glass and metal in harmonious colors," but really it's just a lot of brown. More details on the property: six-story building with 26 1-bed and 2-bed units, 4 of which will be affordable housing. On the street level you'll see there's a commercial space, but it's restricted for production, distribution, and repair (PDR) business use.
· Six-Story SoMa Building Should Have Sweet Freeway Views [Curbed SF]
· 870 Harrison
· 870 Harrison [ZŪM blog]

Ditch Your Car; Save $12,131

2009-06-29T16:00:59Z

The average American saves $9,000 a year by getting rid of their car, according to a report by the American Public Transportation Association. Well, they would say that, wouldn't they? And the savings for San Franciscans are even higher: you pay $12,131 a year for the privilege of sitting in traffic. After all, we have California's most expensive gas, and good luck finding a cheap parking spot or an honest mechanic here in town.

The report was coincides with "Dump the Pump" day, a national ad campaign that promotes public transit. Alas, San Francisco will not be participating, at least not in an official capacity: this year, both Muni and BART decided to forgo the "canned national campaign" in favor of something cheaper or more locally appropriate. Oh, good.

· More Than $9,000 Saved Annually by Individuals Who ‘Dump the Pump’ and Help Save the Environment by Riding Public Transportation [APTA]
· Gasoline Rocket Begins to Sputter [Central Valley Business Times]
· Muni and BART Dump Dump the Pump Day This Year [Streetsblog]

Friday PM Linkage

2009-06-27T01:02:23Z

["40 Automobiles On Parking Level 6," courtesy Flickr user Plug 1]

· We were hired by Audi to transform the streets of San Francisco into an urban ski slope for a commercial. [Streetski]
· Does A Private Company Own Your Muni Arrival Times? [SF Appeal]
· Japantown’s Better Neighborhood Plan Update: Draft Acknowledged [Socketsite]
· San Francisco Fed Explains Why The CRA Became Much More Dangerous [Business Insider]

Curbed Network Advertisers: Here they are, this week's Curbed...

2009-06-26T23:00:45Z

Here they are, this week's Curbed Network advertisers: · 2 Gold Street · ACES · American Apparel · The Apthorp · Beacon Towers · Blackstone Properties · Columbus Square · Concerto · Crunch · CUESA · Devlin McNiff · Edge · Food Trip with Todd English · Forté · The Great American Food & Music Fest · Innis & Gunn · MAGIC · The New York Times · NYC Wine & Food Festival · Patina Restaurant Group · Peter Cooper Village / Stuy Town · Stoli · Terranea Resort · Time Warner Cable · Toren · VeeV · The View at East Coast. Join in on the fun. Details in our online media kit. Or drop us a line.

New Phoenix Light Rail Makes Muni Look Kind of Bad: Phoenix just opened its new light...

2009-06-26T17:31:51Z

Phoenix just opened its new light rail line back in December, and ridership's been nearly twice what they were expecting. Looks like they really did it right: Streetsblog's video shows nicer shelters than anything we have, ground-floor boarding, a working smartcard system (in contrast to Muni's ongoing floundering with Translink), easy payment (in contrast to Muni's tourist-flummoxing signs and machines), and bike racks on the trains! Yes! BIKE RACKS INSIDE TRAINS. We now wish our daily commute to work could detour through Arizona. [Streetblog]

Weird Thing Needs Caption: San Jose Internation Airport is getting...

2009-06-26T16:34:17Z

San Jose Internation Airport is getting a seven-story mural of grasping hands, and the local paper wants you to write a hilarious caption. The art masks a hideous parking garage, so that's nice; but there's a sort of Hieronymus Bosch-y quality to the writhing appendages. So, send your brilliant caption suggestions to sherhold at mercurynews dot com before Saturday; and the winner will receive, oh who knows, their very own private jet or something. [Mercury News]

Thursday PM Linkage

2009-06-25T23:45:30Z

["Southern Exposure," courtesy Flickr user Plug 1]

· San Franciscians: We're so Polite [Flickr]
· Celebrate Pride with Style [Timbuk2 blog]
· Tour of David Byrne's Office [Workalicious]
· More Cool Muni Shirts [SexPigeon]
· 7x7's Guide to Pride [7x7]

Remember Rail?: Check out this a fascinating series...

2009-06-25T22:29:05Z

Check out this a fascinating series on the history of SF transit -- the latest installment is about the installation of rail around Potrero Hill, as well as the now-dormant rail tunnel that connects Fisherman's Wharf to the Marina. There's talk about one day rehabbing the Fort Mason Tunnel, and running an E-Embarcadero streetcar line all the way up to Crissy Field. UNRELATED: Muni fare hikes and service cuts coming in the next few weeks. [SF Transit Oriented Design and Thin Green Line]

On the Market: Colonial Fortress in Russian Hill

2009-06-25T18:46:58Z

Would you like your very own front lawn? How about a killer view of Alcatraz? 1112 Lombard is on the market with an asking price of $4,998,000. The Colonial style house was built in 1940 and has 5-bedrooms and 5-bathrooms that are scattered about a very spacious 3,676 square feet of living space. The house is situated on a very large lot (think 9,000+ square feet), so you are getting a pretty decently sized piece of property here. Your pad will probably be party central because it has a ton of "private gardens" on the property, great for frolicking! It sold in December of 2008 for $3,060,000, so we're really doubting that it'll sell for $1,938,000 more dollars half a year later, remodel or not. Also, it'd be rude to not let interested buyers know that you're half a block away from the World's Most Crooked Street, so beware: you'll have bewildered tourists asking you to take their family portrait on the regular (also: noisy).
· 1112 Lombard [Redfin]

Local Palm Enthusiasts are Enthusiastic About Palms

2009-06-25T16:28:16Z

On Monday, we pined for a walking tour of prominent local palm trees. And you delivered! Or more specifically, Jason Dewees, palm broker to the stars, delivered. He emailed to let us know about this fancy Google map that details the locations of over sixty amazing trees. We know what we are doing this weekend! Mr. Dewees, you have us eating out of the palm of your hand.

Controversy erupted in our previous comment thread, with Doc turning up his nose at the Syagrus romanzoffiana species. Don't look now, Doc, but a romanzoffiana has popped up on Laidley Street! Here is a photograph! What a state of affairs! We think it looks nice.

Some may accuse us of being a bit over-excited about palm trees. To those people we say: you caught us red-handed -- or should we say, RED-PALMED!!!!!!!

And now, we must bid you a frond farewell.

· Flora Grubb Gardens
· THE PALM SOCIETY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER
· Join us in Welcoming Two New Palms to Dolores [Curbed SF]

New Gardens Springing up in Abandoned Warehouse District

2009-06-25T16:06:42Z

Shotwell! It sounds like a pun, as in "that is what you will be if you stand here for too long," but it is simply the name of the street. Nothing more! On the scariness scale, it's not quite as bad as the thick of the Tenderloin, but it is also not quite Chestnut Street. And have you seen all those new gardens on the sidewalks lately? Dwell Magazine recently took a break from its round-the-clock coverage of wooden slats to address the proliferation of casual gardens on the sidewalks of SF.

Architect Jane Martin deserves the thanks for much of the work: not only did she get the DPW to reduce the necessary permitting from $938 to as low as $160, but she founded Plant SF, a site that documents sprouting sidewalk gardens and encourages folks to plant their own. But sadly, her site employs popups, which has caused all of our goodwill to evaporate. Boo.

· Where the Sidewalk Ends [Dwell]
· Sidewalk Landscaping Permit [SFDPW]

The drama!: We're fans of Broke-Ass Stuart, and...

2009-06-25T16:05:33Z

We're fans of Broke-Ass Stuart, and he's definitely on our not too long list of "interesting folk in San Francisco," but the real question is whether or not he's got a right to be upset at SF Weekly. SF Weekly's SFoodie used the term "broke-ass" in a title for their cheap eats feature and Broke-Ass Stuart threw a fit on Twitter. He asked his followers why the paper was "biting my steez," and then urged his followers to leave a comment on the article telling them "they're janky." SFoodie is not necessarily apologetic, but they are open to the discussion. What do you think? Is Stuart acting like a brat? Or did SFoodie cross a line? Have you ever even heard of him? Share your thoughts! [SF Weekly]

Wednesday PM Linkage: Food Edition

2009-06-24T23:52:51Z

["Conduit," courtesy Flickr user etslee]

· Coping With Sobriety in Jobs Steeped in Alcohol [NY Times]
· Goodbye, Jade. Hello, Tiki [Eater SF]
· Michelin Guides: Bad for Business? [Slate]
· Get Your Outdoor Beer Drinking On [7x7]
· The Top Five Gayest Nibbles and Sips in S.F. [SF Weekly]

Ugly Candlestick Land May Be Made Differently Ugly

2009-06-24T22:45:10Z

Last month, we wondered what would happen to Candlestick Park if The Sports moved to Santa Clara. One commenter predicted that because the baseball park is historic (as in, more than a few years old) it would never be bulldozed. Other commenters predicted super-expensive LEED housing that would remain perpetually at 20% occupancy. Still others hoped that the city would simply start digging a big hole in the ground, to see how deep a hole they could dig. Anything is possible!

And the speculation doesn't end there: According to a local newsletter for hobos and convicts, Lennar may buy a bunch of the nearby public lots; in exchange, the city would get some strips of polluted Hunter's Point. What a deal!

]]> Mark Leno, who is involved for some dumb reason, defended the plan; he says that much of the land that Lennar would get is just a dirt parking lot. Satellite view seems to bear this out: this "state recreation area" looks pretty desolate. Even the state's own photos of the area are of an empty, half-dead field.

So, right now our options are an ugly park that nobody uses, or ugly condos that everyone will hate, or an open pit of festering chicken carcasses and battery acid. We know which one we're hoping for!
· Candlestick Point [CA State Parks]
· Selling the park [SFBG]

That's Rather Hideous: Wall Treatments Gone Wrong in the Mission

2009-06-24T21:52:23Z

We've never understood the logic behind home owners lack of an effort when it comes to selling their homes. Granted, we don't always know why they're selling the place, but you'd think they'd understand that you'll get more interested buyers (and sell faster) if you spruce the pace up a little. A real estate agent doesn't just show up without notice to snap some pics of your home, how about taking a day or two to de-clutter the joint? Or at least clean off the coffee table. Perhaps get rid of the carpet on the toilet seat. Or maybe even strip the walls of the faux wood wall paneling and throw up some nice and simple beige paint. We don't know. But for $499,000 this 3-bedroom, 1-bath home at 2955 26th Street in the Mission could be yours. Clutter and questionable wall treatments possibly included.
· 2955 26th Street [Redfin]

Fun With Maps: Are you in danger? The California...

2009-06-24T21:49:14Z

Are you in danger? The California Emergency Management Agency has a nifty little mapping program that lets you input your address to see your local earthquake, flood and fire hazards. A quick search of our own address for earthquake hazards let us know that we have high ground shaking and live in a "liquefaction seismic hazard zone," which basically means that an earthquake could cause certain types of soil to "lose strength and behave like liquid." The results also provided a checklist of things we should do to our property to prevent inquiries and reduce damages to our home and property, like "secure your water heater," and "secure your unreinforced masonry chimney." The Seismic Hazard Zonation Maps are prepared by the California Geological Survey and are State-mandated regulatory maps that show "Zones of Required Investigation" for surface fault rupture, liquefaction and landslide hazards. They are also a ton of fun. [My Hazards]

Treasure Island Plans to be Next Big Thing: Will Treasure Island be the next...

2009-06-24T19:13:23Z

Will Treasure Island be the next awesome neighborhood? City Official Michael Tymoff seems to think so. He's the guy overseeing the proposal to get a minimum of 1,320 units in four skyscrapers, 1,740 units in 14 residential towers, 500 timeshares, hotel and wellness spa rooms, 135,000 square feet of institutional space, including a school, police and fire departments, 270,000 square feet of stores, including restaurants and entertainment venues, and 325,000 square feet of commercial space, including a ferry terminal, museum and parking on the man-made island. Of course, "the construction timeline will be shaped by economic and real estate condition," said Tymoff. Which sort of translates to "this is not going to happen, but perhaps we will dig a few giant holes in the ground." [SF Examiner]

Line Pride: Introducing Muni-Love T-Shirts

2009-06-24T16:34:17Z

Share your Muni line love by wearing a shirt that lets the world know how you commute. Walter Konig has just released t-shirts for the 1-California, 14-Mission, 2-Clement, 21 Hayes, 22-Fillmore, 31-Balboa, 33-Stanyan, 7-Haight, 71-Haight Noriega, and the N-Judah. All the tees are printed on American Apparel shirts and are $20. We love these, but we still love the "The N is Near" shirt by the N-Judah Chronicles more.
· Products Page [Muni Shirts]
· The N is Near - N Judah Chronicles.com T-shirt [Zazzle]

Avalon at Mission Bay Opens, Chops Price; Still too Expensive

2009-06-24T16:05:34Z

Avalon at Mission Bay opened last week -- did you go to their open house? Apparently it was quite a celebration, with "over 100 guests." We'll interpret that to mean that there were 101.

And it seems as though prices have been cut ever so slightly since we reported on rents in March. Studios are down from $2,110 to $1,855; 1-beds down from $2,435 to $2,260; and 2-beds down from $3,230 to $2,870. It's a move in the right direction, but $1,855 for a studio in that neighborhood still doesn't produce vibrations. Especially if it's true that the ceiling leaks.
· AvalonBay Celebrates Grand Opening of Avalon at Mission Bay III [Press Release]
· Rent Check: Avalon at Mission Bay, Part Three [Curbed SF]

Tuesday PM Linkage

2009-06-24T00:30:01Z

["The Rule Of T-Thirds," courtesy Flickr user Plug 1]

· Rival Mag Pokes Fun at SF Fav Dwell [Metropolis Magazine]
· Prefab Is Over and Done [BUILDblog
· Steal Shoes, See What Happens [Mission Mission]
· Protect Your Business From Zombies [Continuity Insights]
· Caltrain Boss Steps Down [Mercury News]
· The TL Gets Some Pavement Love [Twitpic]

Streetgrid on a Bag: Timbuk2 makes a messenger bag with...

2009-06-23T23:40:32Z

Timbuk2 makes a messenger bag with a map of SF printed on it -- but wait, which part of SF is that? There's a diagonal street that must be Columbus, right? Right? Which way is north on this thing? Anyway, it's a cute little pattern; and it might be fun DIY project to embroider in some street names if you can figure out which way is up. [Timbuk2]

Japantown May Get Some Nice Things

2009-06-23T20:15:07Z

[Photos by SolGrundy and permanently scatterbrained]

Japantown's streetgrid hasn't gotten much love since the 1960s, when cars were king and the city was busy removing pedestrian areas. But the Planning Department is pushing for major upgrades: more parks, less freeway; more groundfloor retail, fewer blank walls. Japantown's pretty, but its car-friendly, human-antagonistic design has turned it into a bit of a deadzone. The Planning Dept.'s remedy calls for about $41 million in upgrades, raised from local taxes and developer fees.

The regular anxieties are popping up around the plan: some folks are afraid that fewer cars means fewer customers. Fortunately, that's simply not the case: as merchants are learning in Times Square, newly installed pedestrian amenities mean more customers hanging around, rather than motoring through. Other concerns are harder to pin down with specifics: there's the regular OH NOES THINGS MIGHT CHANGE chatter, and then there's a claim that this is a battle between those who want to "preserve the community versus those who want to have economic development." Seems like a false dichotomy to us.
· Big changes urged for Japantown [An Examiner]
· Economic Lights Burn Bright In Times Square [NY1]
· The Gentrification of San Francisco’s Japantown [Nichi Bei Times]
· What to do with Japantown [Curbed SF]
· Jtown Conundrum: Love it or Fix it [Curbed SF]

Mill Valley Middle School Goes Above and Beyond

2009-06-23T19:49:56Z

This video will warm even the coldest of hearts. Mill Valley Middle School: 6th, 7th and 8th graders gathered on the school grounds to perform a disco dance. Dance coach and choreographer Cynthia Glinka got the idea after the organization Kiddo realized they had extra funds available for dance programs. The video shows the kids and teachers enjoying themselves while dancing. It also has footage of the students and teachers talking about why it was very beneficial to everyone involved. It reminds us of the great TED talk where Sir Ken Robinson stresses the importance of incorporating dance into schools. With videos like the one above, it's clear that kids enjoy it and get the exercise they need. Now, how do we get Cynthia Glinka into San Francisco?
· Video Of The Day - Disco Dance Fever Sweeps Mill Valley Middle School [More Marin]
· Dance Program [Kiddo Organization]
· Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity [TED]

Hot or Not: Yellow Cove Lighting

2009-06-23T17:43:05Z

And how do we feel about this yellow cove lighting in the fancy smancy kitchen of 701 3rd Ave in the Inner Richmond? Although we like the idea of cove lighting in decadent commercial properties (like hotels), it's rarely pulled off well in residences. At when it is, it's usually in some type of grand room, not a kitchen. Also, yellow? We're sure it isn't bright enough to change the coloration of food, but we can't help but be skeptical. With all that said, we do like the idea of a funky and different approach to playing with light in your home. And it does look good with the surrounding furniture and finishes. So, dear readers, what do you think? Yellow cove lighting in the kitchen: hot or not?
· 701 3rd Ave [Redfin]

Fillmore Replica in Charlotte, NC

2009-06-23T16:16:22Z

So, now do we have to say "A Fillmore" instead of "The Fillmore"? The doors to The Fillmore Charlotte opened last Friday and drew a college crowd; the building is "based on" our very own venue at Geary and Fillmore. Weird! Does it look the same? Who knows. The only photo we could find of the place was this grainy chandelier, which reveals little.

And apparently, building duplicate Fillmores is a thing now. There's a Fillmore in Detroit, Philadelphia, Denver, and Miami; and there's one planned for Maryland but some residents think that they can get a better deal. Like we said: weird!

· Critics Question Fillmore Plans [Washington Post]
· Filmore's [sic] opening attracts college crowd [Charlotte Observer]
· Hendrick Construction Completes The Fillmore Charlotte [California Chronicle]

Removing Ocean Beach from Ocean Beach

2009-06-23T15:58:22Z

We wish Ocean Beach would stop acting like a child and just accept that there's a highway next to it now. Gentrification, get used to it! Just kidding. Sort of. Today city employees will begin their annual task of removing sand from Ocean Beach, and the adjacent walkway and highway between Noriega and Santiago streets in the Outer Sunset. They'll "relocate it a bit south to shore up an eroding seawall." The work will take about a week. The Great Highway will be shut down to traffic in the southbound direction between Lincoln and Sloat boulevards pretty much all day, so choose your route wisely. It's costing us $55,000 and it'll take about a week. The relocating takes place during the same time as the breeding of the western snowy plover, which goes on a vacation to places like Half Moon Bay to breed and raise their chicks.
· the sand removal must go on [SF Gate]

Monday PM Linkage

2009-06-22T23:30:38Z

["so high," courtesy Flickr user mikedthorn]

· Delusions of Grandeur for Swoops [Burrito Justice]
· Fun With Maps: Fire Station Edition [SF Appeal]
· Safe a Class, Promote Vanity [SF Gate]
· Get Your Nerd (and Complaining) On [SF Streets Blog]
· Michelle Obama! She's Better Than Us [SFist]

Get Your Oakland Heritage On: Oakland! It's full of magic and...

2009-06-22T21:40:15Z

Oakland! It's full of magic and wonder. The Oakland Heritage Alliance is kicking off its 29th annual walking tours this July. Art Deco in the morning with some Fox Theatre action. Fancy smancy estate tours. Mountain View Cemetery explanations. This is a great way to get in touch with Oakland's past and also be updated on what's up with the future of some of your favorite landmarks or areas. Some reservations required. [Oakland Heritage Tumblr]

This Week in Water: It's a busy week for SF...

2009-06-22T21:32:42Z

It's a busy week for SF plumbing! The city's closing down the intersection of Vallejo and Franklin for exciting hole-digging and pipe-laying all week long. Send photos if you happen to be in the neighborhood! We love peeking behind the scenes of city infrastructure. And there's more! Trenches at Scott and Jackson will keep the intersection busy all week; and they'll be putting a new water main through its paces at Pacific and Fillmore on Monday and Tuesday. All in all, it's a very exciting time to be a water molecule in San Francisco. [SFPUC Blog]