Noe Valley SF

This Week in Noe Valley: A Very Barbie Pool Party, Neighbors Sound Off About Crime and Palm Scanners

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:59:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

There was quite the Barbie pool party on Sanchez this weekend [scottymchotty3]
Noe Valley residents in the area interviewed about crime in the city [Fox News]
Postal worker getting mugged for his keys in the neighborhood caught on video [SF Standard]
Palm scanners are coming to Whole Foods (including ours) and people are creeped out [SF Standard]

[Photo: Barbie party on Sanchez via NVSF]

This Week in Noe Valley: NV Bakery Spills Its Secrets, Mitchell's Turns 70, and Violent Robberies Shake the Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 00:12:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

An interview with the Noe Valley bakery owners + the blueberry pecan scone recipe [SF Bay Times]
Noe’s Nest is one of the “coolest” stays in SF [Secret SF]
Teens blamed for violent robberies around the city, including in Noe Valley [SF Chronicle]
Women attacked and robbed during day in Noe Valley on Church and Sanchez spreak out [NBC Bay Area]
Mitchell’s celebrates 70 years [SFGate]
Cool new micro mural in Noe Valley [the.bivouacs]

[Photo: Long shadows via cabogracie]

This Week in Noe Valley: Solstice Crack Is Back, Bethany’s Drag Show and Summer Pride Is Here

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 22:38:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

The Slow Sanchez survey results are heartening [Slow Sanchez]
How gross is your neighborhood? (Spoiler: If you live in Noe Valley, not very) [SF Standard]
Then and now 1647 Sanchez St [ryanrichard_sf]
Bethany Church is putting on a drag show [foliosf]
What 1252 Church will soon look like [SFYIMBY]
The Sanchez street Solstice Crack is back [SF Gate]
Starbucks is closed for a remodel and the old Shoe Biz is becoming a daycare [NVV p. 21]
The pink triangle on Twin Peaks is bigger and prouder than ever [AP]

[Photo: Afternoon tacos at Noe Cafe via via alfredosgourmettacos]

This Week in Noe Valley: New Turkish Restaurant Coming June 15, 19-Year Old Shot, Real Estate Still Red Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 28 May 2023 15:48:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

“Yacht chef” opening modern Turkish restaurant in Noe on June 15 [SF Standard]
London Breed takes a stroll in Noe Valley and talks about increasing budget for public safety [ABC7]
19-year old shot at 3:24AM in Noe Valley, declines to cooperate with police [CBS]
Wild Pepper on the edge of Noe quietly closes [SF Standard]
Noe Valley real estate – still red hot [Marina Times]
This is still one of the most sought-after areas to buy a home [Travel + Leisure]

[Photo: Evening glow via doloresdeluxesf]

This Week in Noe Valley: So Long Village Rotisserie, Ghost Cars Abound and the Last Video Store in SF

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 15:48:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

RIP Village Rotisserie – we hardly knew ye [@catherine@sfba.social]
It's not your imagination: The driverless car takeover of SF is well underway [Washington Post]
The last video store in SF is in Noe Valley – and it outlasted Netflix discs [SFExaminer]
The Noe Valley Garden Tour is on for May 6 [FONV]
New restaurant Memento SF opening soon in the old BistroSF space on Castro [memento.sf]

[Photo: Upwards and onwards via dottiethedal]

This Week in Noe Valley: La Ciccia Is Still Great, Noe Valley Loves EVs and Other Local Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 16:49:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

La Ciccia has a new local owner – and the food is still delightful [SF Chronicle]
This 1907 Victorian has started leaning, but it’s still gorgeous [@BobHorowitz@sfba.social]
A new Burmese restaurant is coming to Church St. and the old Ambiance space is slated to be a chiropractor [March NVV, p. 21]
A photo postcard of high tea at Lovejoy's [Only in Your State]
Noe Valley and the Castro have the second highest number of EVs in SF [SF Standard]
Lucky us: Holey Bagel is one of the 10 best bagel shops in SF [Eater]

[Photo: Mamahuhu channeling Edward Hopper vibes via localpics_sf]

This Week in Noe Valley: Love Letter to Noe Valley, Pink Blooms and the Romance of the New Spice Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 00:18:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Sweet: 3 guys who meet every day at Martha & Brothers [marthasonchurch]
Lehr’s does it up for Valentine’s Day [lehrssf]
Love letter to our hood: Why you should spend the day in Noe Valley [SFGate]
New spice shop shakes up couple’s wedding plans [EBAR)
Scammer posts fake wine dinner at Uma Casa on Eventbrite [SFist]
Loving tribute and memorial service for Peter Gabel [YouTube]
Urban Remedy has closed, vacating it's $7K per month rent [Feb NVV, page 21]

[Photo: Pink blooms via travistraversing]

This Week in Noe Valley: Town Square's Cheaper Toilet, Noe Valley Tavern Parklet Lives and Slow Sanchez Mayor

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:19:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Noe Valley will finally get a Town Square toilet for less than $1.7 million [SF Chronicle]
Profile of the owner of La Lucha coffee shop on Sanchez (and other SF venues) [Mission Local]
Noe Valley Tavern is keeping its parklet [valletavernsf]
The mayor of Slow Sanchez Street [SF Chronicle]
Birch & Rye is up for a possible James Beard Award [SF Standard]

[Photo: Dorian D. Clair clock shop via rwlaplaca]

This Year in Noe Valley: The Biggest Stories of 2022

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 17:02:00 +0000

2022 had all the hallmarks of what looked to be a bad year: A brutal war, an ongoing tripledemic, burn-it-all-down billionaires behaving badly and a contentious and high-stakes election. And yet, for all the gnarly badness, it was a shockingly hopeful year.

Democracy works. It’s raining in California this winter. And beautiful Noe Valley is still a bright spot in a wild and crazy world.

Here were the biggest stories in our little corner of universe in 2022:

Toiletgate Drove the World Wild

It’s mind boggling that anyone figured it was reasonable to sign off on a $1.7 million toilet for anything but because this one was for the Noe Valley Town Square the response was … predictable. Loo-dicrous: San Franciscans flushed with anger over $1.7m public toilet wrote The Guardian and S.F. is spending $1.7 million on one public toilet: ‘What are they making it out of — gold?’ was the headline from The Chronicle. Fox News hailed it as part of the Left tearing down America. Oy. Calm down everyone. The toilet plans are on hold and the ridiculous price tag is being investigated. Life goes on.

The Market Has Cooled But It’s Still Unreal Estate

Feeding the outrage machine was a $1.9 million teardown on Day Street that also broke the Internet. 'No wonder everyone is homeless!' Derelict San Francisco home with boarded-up windows and ZERO BEDROOMS but located on city's 'best block' sells for $1.97 MILLION screamed The Daily Mail (which was also parroted by hundreds of other pseudo news sites). Yes, that’s expensive—but when you consider the average cost of a San Francisco home is $1.4 million and Mark Zuckerberg sold his Noe Valley compound for $31 million … is all this really worth the freakout? It’s expensive to live here. If you are fortunate enough to own a house here consider yourself very, very lucky.

Slow Streets Are Here to Stay (And Awesome)

One of the best things to come out of the pandemic, Slow Sanchez is now the heart of Noe Valley and this year we learned the transformation will be permanent. The new people-first space is regularly filled with walkers, bikers, dogs, and kids and adults playing. And Noe Café, which now spills out onto Sanchez in a good way, is always a hive of activity. Now just imagine if more of San Francisco became more people-friendly too…

We Said Some Sad Goodbyes…

Peter Gabel, a longtime Noe Valley resident, activist and co-founder of Noe Valley Farmers Market passed away this fall at 75. The many heartfelt tributes were a testament to his incredible contributions to the neighborhood. RIP, Peter and thank you for everything.

Other departures from Noe Valley this year were the loss of 24th Street Cheese Co. and the original Lehr’s German Specialties. Massimo and Lorella left La Ciccia (although the restaurant is still open under new management) and Ardiana closed down. We’ll miss them all. There were also other closures including Patxi’s, Inle Burmese and Ambiance as well.

This was also the year we said goodbye to Twitter and migrated our real-time updates to Mastodon.

... And We Welcomed Some New Neighbors

Change is hard but with departures come some new friends. Lehr’s re-opened this November with the same name and a new owner bringing German specialties back into the hood. Birch & Rye opened on Castro Street and quickly landed on best new restaurant lists. Our main drag also gained a new veterinarian, a new bone broth dispensary, a spice shop and more. The old Ardiana spot became Damansara, an acclaimed Malaysian restaurant. And of course, on the topic of new neighbors, there were several coyote sightings as well.

And there’s more good stuff on the way. Michelin-starred chef Brandon Jew is opening a new “affordable” Chinese restaurant called Mamahuhu in the old Toast space on 24th Street.

And that's a wrap! 2023 beckons.

Happy New Year, Noe Valley. Be well and we’ll see you out there.

p.s.
This blog is now 14 years old (!), and although we don’t always have time to post weekly, it’s still a labor of love and we always appreciate your tips. Thanks for reading both here and on and on Mastodon.

p.p.s.
Feeling nostalgic? Here were the top stories of 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

[Photos: Sunrise via sanfranciscoist, Town Square via SF Chronicle, 350 Day via Reddit, Slow Sanchez via Slow Sanchez Street SF, Peter Gabel via SF Chronicle, Noe Valley Run Club via Noe Valley Run Club, Noe Valley sunrise via Bob Horowitz]

This Week In Noe Valley: Lehr’s Reopens, a New Mural, Inle Burmese Moves to Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 00:44:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Lehr’s doors are open again [SF Standard]
A tour of the Lehr’s redesign [lehrssf]
A love letter to the most interesting butcher in the Bay Area at Baron’s Quality Meats [SFGate]
The case for more and stronger Slow Streets, plus how Sanchez strengthened Noe Valley [SF Examiner]
The $1.7 million toiletgate investigation continues [SF Chronicle]
Inle Burmese leaves Church Street for the Inner Sunset [SF Standard]
A new mural unfolds outside Omnivore Books [nomafaingold]

[Photo: The fornmer and the new owner of Lehr's German Specialties via lehrssf]

This Week in Noe Valley: Remembering Peter Gabel, Toiletgate Continues, Halloween Happened

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 22:44:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Peter Gabel, Noe Valley activist and co-founder of the NV Farmer’s Market dies at 75 [SF Chronicle]
Meet the Noe Valley neighbor helping Elon ~~eviscerate~~ remake Twitter [POSToast]
$2.4 million homes around California, including one in Noe Valley [NYTimes]
Experts offer alternatives to the $1.7 million Town Square toilet [SF Chronicle]
And a public restroom company head chimes in [NY Post]
Newsom halts state money for the $1.7 million toilet until costs come down [SF Chronicle]
The lock shop on Church is becoming a flower shop and the old Ambiance spot is becoming a chiropractor [Noe Valley Voice, page 25]
Bored Halloween [hornpouter]
Kinetic Halloween fun [noevalleyrunclub]

[Photo: Stylish Halloween via sunnyssfpix]

This Week in Noe Valley: More Hellish Whole Foods Lines, Sunday Sanchez St Block Party and Halloween Vibes

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 14:16:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Review of Damsara, the new Malaysian restaurant on Church [SFGate]
Damsara officially opens Oct 19 [SF Chronicle]
Sanchez Block Party – Sunday Oct 16 from 12-3 [@slowsanchezsf]
Sister Act – filmed in Noe Valley – is getting another sequel [E Online]
RIP John Stidham, who made Noe Valley more beautiful [SF Chronicle]
An interview with the new owner of Lehr’s German Specialities [NBC Bay Area]
The former Gallery of Jewels spot is now a sweater shop [@KristinHenry]
Hint of a ceremony at St Paul’s [bissignette]
Save the Valley Tavern parklet campaign [Change.org]
The hellish lines at Whole Foods continue [NVSF]
"Spooky" doorway [koepp200]

[Photo: And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting... via lukasjanata]

This Week in Noe Valley: Runaway Fire Truck, Hellish Whole Foods Lines, and Town Square Art Show

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 01:49:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Hellish lines at Whole Foods [autooracle and @TUTAZCA]
Noe Valley's Sally Brunn Library now open 7 days a week again [SFPL]
Runaway fire truck smashes six cars on Hoffman St [SF Chronicle]
Noe Valley Art Festival from 10-4 this Sunday Oct 2 in the Town Square [@KristinHenry]
Noe Valley meth trafficker (?!) sentenced to 13 years in prison [CBS News]
Details about what’s next for Lehr’s and some history, too [SF Gate]

[Photo: Fall colors via cabogracie]

This Week in Noe Valley: Lehr’s Will Reopen Under New Management and a New Restaurant Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 22:01:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Some exciting developments at Lehr’s German Specialities [@amybcleary]
More details: Lehr’s will reopen with a new logo and under new management [Lehrssf]
Castro and Jersey, 1904 and today [@DavidGallagher]
Noe Valley animal crochet tree makes the news [CBS]
The tech bros didn’t ruin the city after all this poll finds, NIMBYs have [SF Chronicle]
The new Malyasian restaurant on outer Church, Damsara, opens this month [SF Chronicle]
Art show coming to Town Square Oct 2 and Haystack Pizza is for sale [Noe Valley Voice]

[Photo: Half and half via juliegeb]

This Week in Noe Valley: Lehr’s Closes, Zuckberg’s Compound Sells for $31 Million, Tech Buses Are Back

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 20:38:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Noe Valley compound changes hands for $31 millon [SF Standard]
The Southern Pacific Railroad used to run through our neighborhood [@DavidGallagher]
SF’s German store Lehr’s German Specialties (or Speciailties as the sign says) is going away after 48 years [SFGate]
Anyone want to work at Billingsgate? [SF Standard]
Yes, the tech buses are back and theoretically they are “required to stick to larger arterial roads” [SF Examiner]

[Photo: Noe Valley color houses via alohapakalolo]

This Week in Noe Valley: Patxi’s Closes, Ukraine Bake Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 14:30:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Sunday 10-2 – bake sale at Noe Valley Pet Co. to benefit animals in Ukraine [@F6x]
Ruth Asawa’s masks from her Noe Valley garden have landed at Stanford Art Center [@rachelmyrow]
Forthcoming spice shop launches Indiegogo campaign to open [@Seasonsoned_SF]
Patxi’s Pizza closing – eviction notice posted [SFGate]
Waymo Cars, Honey Bears and the Future of San Francisco [New Yorker]

[Photo: Noe Valley Run Club at Noe Café via noevalleyrunclub]

This Week in Noe Valley: Gnarly Parking Fines, Ambiance Closing

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 15:42:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Noe Valley couple gets $1,500 fine for parking in their own driveway as they have for 40 years [ABC7]
Cool art deco detail on James Lick High [reaganmarshall]
Ambiance lost its lease – huge sale on July 15 [@ambianceSF]
Spotted in Noe Valley: A Mister Softee truck [@SFjkdineen]
The Mona Caron mural in the Town Square is refreshed [Noe Valley Voice]

[Photo: Foggy wonderland via tayei.jpg]

This Week in Noe Valley: Pride Week Shines, Solstice Sun Crack Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 02:25:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Sweet history of a gay family in Noe Valley [SF Chronicle]
Virtual tour of the historic Lyon Martin house at 651 Duncan St [Bay Area Reporter]
Oh, San Francisco! And thank goodness for California [@chrismichel]
Incredible 4-mile light show from the Pink Triangle to the Ferry Building for Pride [@mattb]
Our gorgeous city from Bill Goat Hill [noevalleydogdad]
More details on the new Brandon Jew Mamahuhu restaurant coming to 24th St later this year [SFGate]
The Solstice Sun Crack returned this year (more history here) [@DavidGallagher and NVSF]

[Photo: Pink Triangle via bissingnette]

This Week in Noe Valley: 24th St. Cheese Co. Is Closing and More Restaurants Coming and Going

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 08 May 2022 15:05:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

The Harry Aleo parking lot on 24th gets a controversial makeover [@sam_d_1995]
24th Street Cheese Co. is closing; owner Charles Kung is looking for a buyer [NVSF]
Will this Sanchez house be the most expensive sale ever in Noe Valley? [The Real Deal]
Pomelo on Church has been closed since 2016 and now the Judah location is going out of business too [SFGate]
Dash Tapas & Sushi on Diamond (in the former Bacco space) is open every day except Sunday [SF Dash]
The old Toast on 24th space will become a new fast-casual Chinese restaurant called Mamahuhu this Fall – the chef will be Brandon Jew of the Michelin starred Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown [May NVV]

[Photo: Noe Valley houses via juliegeb]

24th St. Cheese Co. Is Closing

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 01 May 2022 00:16:00 +0000

File this under "all good things must come to an end": After 36 years, the beloved 24th St. Cheese Co. is closing. Owner Charles Kung is looking to sell the business and in the meantime everything in the store is 30% off. Judging from the small crowd that was there today, plenty of folks are looking to stock up on their favorites including wine, chocolate, pasta and other things that pair well with cheese.

Here's hoping someone does buy the business - Noe Valley needs a good cheese shop. The store will be open until the cheese runs out, or someone buys the business.

Not to be cheesy but thanks for 36 great years, Charles - and see you around the neighborhood!

This Week in Noe Valley: La Ciccia Sold, Ardiana Closing, Ukraine Hits Home

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 15:19:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

La Ciccia owners are selling their beloved restaurant [@tablehopper]
Sadness: Ardiana on Church is closing [ArdianaSF.com]
Historic NV house gets a pricey but loving makeover [Wall Street Journal]
Nextdoor Noe Valley has a meltdown about this house [@MClendaniel]
Ukraine hits home [@GalinCali]
Flowers of the Valley and #StandwithUkraine [@shaketini]
Covid cases are low in Noe Valley [Mission Local]
Cool history thread: 29th and Sanchez then and now [@DavidGallagher]

[Photo: Sunrise via sanfranciscoist ]

This Week in Noe Valley: Beautiful Street Scenes, Bone Broth and a Vet Coming to 24th St.

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 13 Feb 2022 16:29:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

A Noe Valley resident has mapped every crosswalk in the city [SF Chronicle]
NVV Rumors section: A bone broth store and a vet are coming to 24th St [NVV]
Lovely sidewalk scene [uma_casa]
Gorgeous sunrise [sanfranciscoist]
Pink [juliegeb]
Plum blooms are everywhere [suzlipman]

[Photo: Valentine Victorian via comotevas ]

This Week in Noe Valley: Coyotes on the Streets, Birch & Rye Opens Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 16:36:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

They live among us: Video of a coyote trotting down a Noe Valley street [@insidesfre_eb]
Photos of the soon-to-be-opening Russian restaurant Birch & Rye [Eater]
An interview with the Birch & Rye chef [SF Chronicle]
Incredible sunsets [kyleve]
Cotton candy skies [giilarden]

[Photo: Gorgeous light via hpsnow ]

This Week in Noe Valley: Monster Home Madness and $1.9 Million Fixer Freaks Out the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 18:14:00 +0000

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs.

Restored former Mayor’s mansion at the top of Sanchez sold for a loss [SocketSite]
A monster home cautionary tale [SocketSite]
Dilapidated house on a big lot at 320 Day St sells for $1.9 million, entire world loses its mind [Daily Mail UK]
Never mind that $1.9 million is par for the course [@zillowgonewild]
40 unit Diamond Heights project on the edge of Noe Valley advances [@ProgressNoe]
26th and Castro in 1915 [sfmta_muni]

[Photo: Noe Valley sidewalk via bernalheights_pizzeria]

This Year in Noe Valley: The Biggest Stories of 2021

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 22:30:00 +0000

When the word of the year is vaccine, you know it was a doozy. We started with an insurrection and are ending with the pandemic grinding into year three. Gah.

For a minute there we were all hopeful when vaccines arrived. And then the Delta variant surged and now Omicron is spoiling the party. As one TV writer on Twitter put it: "If I’d known the roaring 20s would be three weeks in June, I would have done more."

But here we are. There were other stories this year, including schools reconvening, Afghanistan, meme stonks, crypto, the Facebook Files and the metaverse, billionaires in space, the infrastructure deal… and SO much more. But the backbeat to all of it was the pandemic.

Thankfully Noe Valleyeons take their pandemics seriously and the infection rates in the hood have been low. Here’s to keeping it that way.

Yet even in the madness, Noe Valley is still a small slice of quirky sanity for those of us lucky enough to live here.

Here’s a look back at the biggest stories of 2021 in Noe Valley:

Streets Are for People
Yep, Sanchez is staying slow and this year hosted tons of fun. Plus, it’s now home to an awesome blocklong street mural by artist Amos Goldbaum. We’ve also seen streateries/eatlets become more permanent like the ones in front of Noe Café, Saru, Uma Casa, NoVY, and Chloe’s. This is easily one of the best things to come out of the pandemic.

Noe Valley Is a Magnet for Cool Eateries
This year we gained a new Australian rotisserie, Mr, Digby’s, and La Lucha, a cool new café on Sanchez. Noe Café also expanded its offerings and now has taco pop-ups. In a year when most restaurants were closing, we’re lucky to have some new gems in addition to the regulars like Firefly, Eric's, Hamano and more.

Crime Is Here and It Sucks
Stray shootings, smash and grabs, hate crimes, retail theft — we had it all and it’s a bummer. After 3 break-ins this year, Gallery of Jewels (which has been here for 30 years) shuttered it’s Noe location for good. Be careful out there, be kind to each other — and consider doing what you can to help others who are less fortunate.

Everyone Wants to Live Here

Forget the headlines: People did not flee Noe Valley or the Bay Area en masse in the pandemic. If anything, the real estate market got even hotter.

Here's to a Hopeful 2022
For those of us who remember when the biggest story was Real Foods closing (it’s now a Skin Spa) or Whole Foods opening (it’s now an Amazon warehouse) things change fast (and a lot). We’re going to miss some much-loved institutions like the Rabats and Cotton Basics, and the former owners of Just for Fun.

But Noe Valley is still home to so many great things and we have so much to look forward to. The new Birch & Rye restaurant coming to the old Mahila/Contigo space looks great, as does the new sushi restaurant going into the former Bacco space. Slow Sanchez is an incredible gift to the neighborhood — as is the ongoing Saturday Farmer’s Market and the Noe Valley Town Square. We have world class restaurants like Saru, Al’s Place and La Ciccia and even under-the-radar great Brazilian food at Noeteca. (Be sure to support them all as we have to go back to takeout only for a bit...) We’ve had lots and lots of RAIN this December. And what other neighborhood has a library that is a work of art and a Solstice Crack?! Life is pretty great when you think about it.

Phew. We made it — 2022 is upon us.

Happy New Year, Noe Valley. Wear your mask, stay safe and we’ll see you out there.

p.s.
This blog is now a teenager at 13 years old (!), and although we don’t always have time to post weekly, it’s still a labor of love and we always appreciate your tips. Thanks for reading both here and on Twitter @NoeValleySF.

p.p.s.
Feeling nostalgic? Here were the top stories of 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

[Photos: Moody Noe skies via ithenightowl, Slow Sanchez via danluscher, Gallery of Jewels via Gallery of Jewels, Mr. Digby's via mrdigbys, Dolores sunrise via carosain, Noe steps via sf_stairs_stares ]