Noe Valley SF

Tidbits: 24th St Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:11:00 +0000

SEAN opened two days ago at 4080 24th St (quite a makeover of the old Accent on Flowers space). What is SEAN? "SEAN is the only US retailer providing men of all ages timeless contemporary fashion choices designed exclusively by French menswear designer Emile Lafaurie."

The Planning Commission will consider issuance of a Conditional Use Permit on March 8th for a cafe called "Sweep Spot" at 4028 24th St (formerly Cosmic Wizard). Grub Street believes it's actually a "Pinkberry-esque frozen-yogurt shop moving in called Sweet Spot." More details when we get them.

Posters have popped up in windows around 24th and Church announcing the efforts of The Noe Valley Traffic Safety Project "to work with the community and city government to implement short and long-term solutions aimed at making the intersection safer." Check it out.

4027 24th St (formerly Hot Headz) is under wraps, the For Rent sign is down and painters are inside. Anyone know what's going in there?

Haven't been able to find a new iPhone case since Radio Shack shut due to fire/water damage? Problem solved: iPhone accessories are now available at Pete's Cleaners & Laundry (3859 24th St).

Finally, Cookie Time Truck found out last week that they aren't allowed to block a federally-mandated handicapped parking space and is now located at the back of the parking lot. Considering the lawsuits filed against other Noe Valley merchants for ADA violations we'd say Cookie Time got off easy.

Home Buyers Heart Noe Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:05:00 +0000

Feeding the Facebook millionaire frenzy, SFGate follows this story in the NY Times about the California real estate market bracing for higher home prices with a story titled "Yes, Yes, Noe Valley." And yes, yes, it's a love letter to Noe. The article is full of observations like: "In a still-moribund real estate market, Noe Valley stands out as a neighborhood buoyed by positive fiscal forces," citing "its fortuitous location for Peninsula, South Bay and downtown commutes" as well as the fact that the "private bus routes sponsored by tech firms are a draw." Lots of local name-dropping, and stories of multi-million-dollar homes going for over asking with a zillion all-cash offers. Some of the photo examples (like 725 Elizabeth, above) are from properties that sold (or didn't) in 2010 and earlier - but whatever. You get the idea. Noe Valley real estate is red hot.

Snark aside, the money quote came from Carol Yenne, 36-year Noe resident and owner of the children's store Small Frys: "When we bought our (Noe Valley) house in 1975, it cost nothing compared to nowadays. But my mother back in Montana cried because we could have bought 10 acres and a ranch house there for the same price, and here we got a 25-foot-by-100-foot lot with an old, crummy house."

[SF Gate: Yes, yes, Noe Valley, say eager S.F. home buyers]
[NY Times: California Housing Market Braces for Facebook Millionaires]

Rebirth Of Cool

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:17:00 +0000

In 2009, Gerry and Lisa lost their newly-constructed house to fire while on vacation. No one was hurt. "The first thing Lisa and I realized is that within the grand scheme of things, we have lost little.... Our children are here and well today. The rest is stuff, and most of it can be replaced, and of what cannot, we have memories."

And boy did they replace. All the details that bothered them from the first go-round were fixed: plaster instead of drywall, marble and granite instead of quarzite, a fire-vulnerable master suite moved to a lower level.

Today the New York Times profiles the rebirth of the 27th St house:

Gerry Agosta, who has spent 30 years in the Bay Area as a general contractor and developer, said there’s a hard truth in his line of work: “You never get a chance for a do-over. Every site commands a different design, so you’re always doing things for the first time.”

[NYT: From Ashes, Upgrades]
[NVV: Love Eases Heartbreak After Fire on 27th Street]

Closing: Ladybug Ladybug

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:53:00 +0000

Via Twitter we learned today that Ladybug Ladybug at 3870 24th St is moving to Sacramento: "Super sad that this cute gift store is leaving Noe Valley." FWIW, the Sacramento store has been open since November of 2010 and the owner lives there. At the time it was reported that she "wants to focus on the Sacramento store and eventually make it the base store."

Noe Valley Good Samaritan Honored As District 8 Woman of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:49:00 +0000

Catherine Bergstrom

No good deed goes unpunished – and we mean that in the nicest way. Noe neighbor Randy sent us this note:

I would like to bring to your attention that Supervisor Wiener is honoring Catherine Bergstrom as one of the District 8 Women of the Year for her role in coordinating the Noe Valley fire fundraiser. The Women of the Year commendations will be held during the Board of Supervisors meeting in room 250 of City Hall on March 6th, at 3:30pm.

Scott Weiner confirms:

Correct. I will be honoring Catherine Bergstrom and also two women (Kate Ryken and Beth Spotswood) who, similarly, stepped up and raised funds for the tenants who were burned out of their apartments by the series of arsons in the Castro last year. These three women, on their own initiative, went above and beyond and asked for nothing in return. They showed what neighborhoods and communities are all about - pulling together and being there for each other.

Congratulations, Catherine. Thank you.

[Image: Twitter]

Moving: Loft 1513 Boutique

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:16:00 +0000

Loft 1513 on Church Street

A prime empty retail space on 24th St has filled quickly: A sign in the former Urban Nest storefront announces Loft 1513's move from 1513 Church St. to to 3927 24th Street. The sign reads:

LOFT 1513 is a new kind of Boutique and art gallery. It houses one-of-a-kind local and international designers… bringing you unique, innovative and eco-friendly designs.

LOFT hosts monthly parties and events, both open to the public and private. We feature artist and designers with fashion shows, DJs, art installations, and live demos. We also offer one-on-one fashion consultations, workshops and custom designs.

We are thrilled to be able to showcase our designs in a more accessible neighborhood for our customers and for the opportunity to gain new fans. We are currently located a few blocks away at 1513 Church.

We will re-open our doors on this new location March 1st. Stay tuned for our upcoming events.

All my best,
Larissa Verdussen and LOFT Crew
www.loft1513.com

Heliotrope, the natural skin care products store which is currently next door to LOFT 1513 on Church St, will also have a presence in the new space with a shop-within-a-shop.

[Top image: LOFT 1513 Blog]

NVV Feb 2012: We Read It So You Don't Have to

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:02:00 +0000

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until mid-month.

February 2012

Front Page: Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi visited Noe Valley on January 11 for 90 minutes to shop, talk to merchants about the economy and stump for Obama's American Jobs Act. Among the places she visited were Peekaboutique, Just for Fun, Noe Valley Deli, Gallery of Jewels, Chocolate Covered, When Modern Was, and Subs, Inc. Also on the cover: a recap of the community response to the Fair Oaks rape case; Urban Nest closed on 24th St. - and so did a number of other businesses in 2011, while others are hanging on (Small Frys, SwatDee Thai, and Joe's 24th St Cafe) or thriving (Two Birds, Cliché Noe, Phoenix Books).

Letters: Beware of plant thieves driving gold BMWs; a baby welcome basket from a Mom was stolen off a stoop on 29th St.; Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts is opening a production of The Producers on Feb 23; if you posed with Dancer and Prancer on Dec 15 at Just for Fun this year, don't forget to claim your reindeer photos.

Features: Noe Valley documentary filmmaker Debra Chasnoff is a member The Academy - and watching a lot of films at the moment.

Cost of Living in Noe: 20 single family homes sold in November and December - matching 2010 - and all sold for over $1 million. The biggest sale was $12.1 million for a 40 unit building on Cesar Chavez, bought by an investment company.

Store Trek: K9 Scrub Club, Kama Sushi

Rumors: Nancy Pelosi's visit; results of a Friends of Noe Valley and Noe Valley Association survey are in and the 65 people who answered said their most desired new restaurant types would be Indian, seafood, and Italian, most desired new businesses were a wine bar, a micro-brewery, and a penny candy/ice cream/soda fountain; they love the Farmer's Market, want a Noe Valley Art Fair, and like the idea of a February Love Fest. A full 69% also said parking was very important or somewhat important - and 60% of respondents listed their household income as "greater than $200K." Lost of traffic on 24th St. this holiday thanks to Whole Foods; celebrity sightings of Jake Gyllenhaal and Tracy Chapman at WF; and the most popular items at WF during the holidays were walnuts, avocados and coconut water; a haberdashery called Sean will open his third SF store in the former Accent on Flowers space on 24th St in Feb or March; Noe Valley Wine Merchants is also opening this month and will have wine tastings several times per week; and the corner grocer at 1001 Castro at Alvarado has changed hands and added more wine, fresh produce and self-service laundry; Video Wave and other merchants continue to fight the ADA complaints.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Open: Saru Sushi Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:04:00 +0000

Saru is now open at 3856 24th St for lunch and dinner every day except Monday. They aren't online ("yet") but they're happy to fax a menu if you call. The beer/wine license is active. Outdoor seating will be available next week.

Saru Sushi Bar
3856 24th Street
San Francisco CA 94114
(415)400-4510

Open Tuesday-Sunday
Lunch: 12-2pm
Dinner: 5:30-9:30pm

[NVSF: Closed: Tamasei Sushi]

Update: 24th St Assault Survivors Receive Donations

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:07:00 +0000

This from the Fair Oaks Street Group:

On Friday, each of the survivors of last year's 24th Street corridor assaults received greeting cards with notes and messages of support, along with a $4,000 check from a fund established for their benefit by the Fair Oaks Community Coalition. Cards and checks were delivered by the District Attorney's office of Victim Assistance. One of the women, who has been aided since the attack by close friends in Noe Valley, asked those friends to share this message with the community:

Dear Fair Oaks Street Group and Other Generous Donors:

I was so moved by your most heartfelt card, good wishes and generous donations. Indeed, I am feeling better every day. I was both surprised and very happy to receive your many wishes for my recovery and huge amount of financial help. This has been especially important since I have been unable to return to work so far. I hope it will not be long before I am able to go back to work.

I am also very grateful to the paramedics, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Recovery Center, Kaiser Permanente and to the San Francisco Police detectives who all have helped me to recover and feel safer and less anxious about going out when it gets dark. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me.

Best regards,
Your friend and neighbor from Noe Valley
The Fair Oaks Community Coalition is heartened by the public's generous gifts and good wishes for the survivors. Donations are still being accepted, and will be disbursed to all 3 survivors. Contributions (cash or check) can be made here:

24th Street Survivors Fund
c/o Sterling Bank and Trust
3800 - 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Crime Beat: Mission Station’s Newsletter Goes Real-Time(ish)

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:46:00 +0000

SFPD announced this month that Captain Greg Corrales is retiring and Captain Bob Moser would take over at Mission Station. In addition to congratulations, we suggested that they update the format of the newsletter to include more useful information about crime in the neighborhood. We obviously can’t take all the credit, but we’re pleased to see that the Mission station now has a daily crime blog. Check it out:

Mission Station is moving in a new direction regarding the format of how we deliver the Captain's Newsletter. You can find this week's newsletter by clicking on the link below. The blog format will allow the reader to follow along notable incidents that occur in the district on a daily basis. Please check back as often as you like. This notification will arrive in your in box every two weeks. We thank you in advance for your patience as we transition into this new format and as always your input and feedback is valued and appreciated.

[SFPD: Captain's News]
[Twitter: SFPD_Mission]

Discuss: Electric Car Charging Station Causes Traffic Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:24:00 +0000

Parking is once again a top issue in Noe Valley, at least for one reader. The City installed an electric car charging station in Walgreens’ parking lot and not everyone is convinced it’s a good idea.

Curious about your thoughts about the electric vehicle charging station at Walgreens. I exchanged some email with the store manager, but am not sure where things stand. Here are my thoughts:

Kudos to Walgreens for supporting the environment!

According to store management, the space is open to all vehicles, electric or not. However, they ask that non-electric vehicles limit their time to 20 minutes (vs. the 60 minutes for other spots).

There are two problems, however: (1) There is no signage indicating that; and (2) the parking attendants do not seem to direct vehicles to use the spot even when there is a line into the street.

I suspect some believe it's illegal to park in the space if they don't drive an electric vehicle.

I asked Walgreens management to add signage to clarify appropriate usage for the space and to instruct the attendants to proactively guide cars to the spot when not otherwise in use. Given the limited parking in Noe Valley an under-utilized space is a bad thing, especially with the traffic and safety issues created by the periodic line onto Castro St.

Thoughts?

The City is installing more than 80 such stations around the City, free for use if you need a top-off. The goal? “Reducing greenhouse emissions.” If the above letter is any indication, that may be tough.

Good luck with taking away car access of any kind in Noe Valley. Close a street to traffic? We know what happened there. Parklets? Negotiated with a net gain in parking spots. Whole Foods? Always a line of stopped traffic on 24th.

Ultimately, the trouble seems to be the number or cars coming into our little village, not the number of spaces available to them.

By the way, Noe Valley’s Walk Score? 86 out of 100 “Very Walkable.”

Photos: Inside The Luxe

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:10:00 +0000

Eileen Bermingham toured the new condos at 28th and Church this morning and posted preview photos on her blog. She states a professional photographer was setting up when she left, and that theluxesf.com should have photos soon.

What's not explained is why the developer changed the building's marquis by adding an "e" since the name was chosen for historical significance:

The name "The Lux" for those of you who do not know, was one of the several names of the building when it operated as a movie theater back in the early 1900's.

Whatever. Still classier than "blue church."

[ISSFRE: First Look: The Luxe Condos in Noe Valley]
[NVSF: The Lux Condos Come To Life]
[NVSF: Announced: The Lux Condos On Outer Church]

Closing: Urban Nest

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:47:00 +0000

The French country inspired boutique at 3927 24th Street is closing up shop and moving. (Even if you don't shop there, you'll remember it as the store with the twittering birds sounds as you walk by.) A woman behind the register confirmed the store is "probably" moving to Palo Alto - and the retailer needs to be out of the building by the end of the month. Much of the inventory is already gone, and what's left (lots of Christmas stuff) is selling at a 20-40% discount. Unclear what precipitated the move but it feels sudden - and the store's Web site theurbannestsf.com is currently offline.

[Image: Urban Nest on Yelp]

24th St Rape Suspect In Custody

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:27:00 +0000

Update (1/9): SFPD has released the booking photo and corrected spelling of the suspect's name: Frederick Dozier.

Update (1/7): Police have identified the alleged rapist as 32 year old San Francisco resident Frederick Dosier. No mugshot yet.

Original Post:
A news conference this evening by the SFPD confirmed earlier news from Scott Wiener that a suspect in the 24th St / Fair Oaks rape case has been arrested. The suspect is a 32 year-old San Francisco man. Mission Local reports that the police "arrested the suspect at 4:30 pm Friday at the Bernal Dwellings after receiving a tip from a resident. It’s unclear at this time whether the suspect lived there... Police worked with the FBI and Daly City police and followed dozens of leads before making an arrest. They were able to identify the suspect as a person of interest because of DNA evidence." The SFPD is not releasing the suspect's name "due to pending ID issues," but rumors are already circulating on Twitter.

Thanks, everyone, for sending updates.

SFPD Press Release:

San Francisco Police Make Arrest in Sexual Assault Investigations in the Mission District

Posted Date: 1/6/2012

On January 6, 2012, San Francisco Police arrested a 32 year-old male San Francisco resident in connection with two sexual assaults which occurred in San Francisco’s Mission District.

During the first incident, which occurred on June 17, 2011, the female victim had been walking on South Van Ness between 24th and 25th Street when she was approached from behind by the suspect and bear hugged prior to being thrown to the ground. The victim was then dragged approximately 60 feet to an area between a vehicle and a residence where she was sexually assaulted and robbed of her property.

In the second incident which occurred on November 18, 2011, the female victim was also violently attacked from behind along the Mission District 24th Street corridor where she was sexually assaulted and robbed.

With the assistance of a tip from a citizen on the anonymous tip line, investigators from the Special Victims Unit were able to identify a person of interest. This person of interest was later connected to physical evidence located at the scene of these two incidents.

The suspect was charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of robbery related to the two incidents.

The suspect’s name will be released at a later time due to pending ID issues

Noe Valley 2011: Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:01:00 +0000

It was a big year, even in Noe Valley. While nobody occupied the Real Foods space, the Great Blizzard passed us by, and the economy in Noe defied gravity, plenty happened in our little village. Here's a look back at some of the top stories and themes from 2011:

The Town Square Lives
The year kicked off with proposed design concepts for a Town Square in the parking lot that is currently home to the Farmer's Market – and owned by the Noe Valley Ministry. The proposal is still alive but seems to have stalled until funding can be sorted out. Doesn't someone working at Twitter, Facebook or Zynga want a park with their name on it?

Parklets Are Here To Stay
While the town square is in limbo, parklets boomed in 2011. The one in front of Just for Fun was home to concerts, playdates and lots and lots of lights. It's been over a year since the parklets were installed and all signs point to them sticking around. 44 parklets are currently in the application process following the success of extant trials, and the City is moving ahead with other street greening projects such as the nearby Cesar Chavez project.

Noe Is A Foodie Haven
It was a banner year for Noe in food news. Our little hamlet is home to the best fried chicken, the best glazed donut, an amazing (and romantic) foodie bookstore and the best regional Italian food. We also had not one but two wine walks this year. There were a lot of restaurant changes afoot – Joe's is for sale, Fattoush was listed for sale (but the owner decided to stay), Amberjack Sushi turned into Kama Sushi, and the oldest sushi bar in San Francisco closed and is slated to open as Akai Saru soon. There's also a mystery restaurant for sale. For a brief moment this summer we even had an artisan beer mirage and a gluten-free bakery (oops!). Noe is desirable enough that a cookie truck is willing to battle for space in the Farmer's Market.

Fires Bring People Together
In September there was the devastating fire on 24^th Street. Fortunately no one was hurt, but plenty of people were displaced and the community rallied to help. This touching and heartfelt letter from a survivor reminds us all how lucky we are to live here.

Crime Hits Noe Too
From plant thefts and curb painting scams, to the attempted carjacking, armed robberies, and horrifying rape – sadly we had them all. Keep your eyes open folks and watch out for your neighbors – we're all in this together.

Change Happens ...
There were plenty of retail changes all around Noe this year. Among the closures: Vivon, Joseph Andrade Floral, San Francisco Mystery Book Store, Cosmic Wizard, Cover to Cover, Bespoke (moved to Pac Heights) and Hot Headz. Openings included Two Birds, K9 Scrub Club, Cliché Noe, First American Title and Walkershaw among others. Coming soon in 2012 are Philz Coffee, Noe Valley Wine Merchants and a new sushi restaurant called Akai Saru. The Lux Condos on outer Church also came to life with the retail spots on the ground floor available soon. On balance it feels like as many places opened as closed in 2011.

... And So Do Lively Debates
The other things that got Noe talking in 2011 were the sidewalk parking crackdowns, the controversial (and not very attractive) AT&T UVerse boxes, shifting school lines, yummy mummies and the signs of the times.

Here's to a safe and prosperous 2012. Happy New Year, Noe Valley!

Closed: Hot Headz - And Other 24th St. Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:02:00 +0000

The discount hair salon Hot Headz at 4027 24th Street (between Noe and Castro) has clipped it's inventory and closed up shop. The hair products are off the shelves, the hair stations are empty, and the trash bins out front are stuffed with seat cushions. No sign on the door announcing a change, but a call to the phone line reached only a generic answering machine message, not one for Hot Headz.

Other updates on 24^th Street:

Mortgage company Opes Advisors is moving into the spot vacated by Joseph Andrade Floral and the sign is up. Next door, 3961A 24th St will soon become the Children's Playhouse at Noe Valley for little ones from birth to age 4. A schedule and fees are posted online, but most of the site is under construction. There's also been activity at Noe Valley Wine Merchants (formerly Urban Cellars) including a coming soon sign in the window, the beginnings what appears to be the tasting bar, and plenty of wine racks inside.

Finally, Akai Saru the sushi restaurant under construction at 3856 24th Street that's replacing Tamasei Sushi is advertising for sushi chef and server so an opening is likely soon there as well.

Happy Holidays 2011 in Noe Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:18:00 +0000

'Tis the season the for Christmas songs and Santa. Via @gurpreetz on Twitter comes this video of a brass quintet playing last weekend in the parklet in front of Just for Fun. If you walk by tonight, you'll see a giant colorful menorah on display too. Happy Holidays Noe Valley!

Sketch And Video Of 24th St Rape Suspect

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:54:00 +0000

Person of interest in sexual assaults in the Mission District from San Francisco Police on Vimeo.

The SFPD released a sketch of the man suspected of raping at least two women along the 24th St corridor. The suspect is a black male in his mid 30’s, between 5’9” – 6’00” tall with a medium build last seen wearing a black hoodie and dark pants. According to at least one tweet there's a $25,000 reward for info leading to his arrest.

To contact the SFPD: "Witnesses or persons with information are asked to call the anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or “Text-a-Tip” at TIP411 from their cell phones. Please include “SFPD’ in the beginning of the text message."

[SFPD: SFPD Seeks Publics Help in Identifying Sexual Assault Person Of Interest]
[BayCitizen: http://www.baycitizen.org/blogs/pulse-of-the-bay/police-release-rape-suspect-sketch
[SFGate: Hundreds gather to discuss Mission sexual assaults]
[NVSF: Community Meeting Regarding Recent Sexual Assaults]

Community Meeting Regarding Recent Sexual Assaults

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:18:00 +0000

The Fair Oaks Neighborhood Coalition has organized a community meeting. A reader alerted us to this Mission Local article:

Residents near 24th Street and Fair Oaks, where a violent sexual assault took place last week, have asked city and law enforcement officials to meet with the community on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at St. James Church to discuss the investigation.

...the goal of Wednesday’s meeting is threefold: to get an update on how the victims are doing, to set up a fund to help them financially, and to find out how the investigation is going.

We called the Mission Station, but no one was able to confirm SFPD will attend.

Our reader added a few more details:

The first victim, who is a personal friend of ours, is a Noe Valley resident who was walking to the SamTrans bus stop in order to get to work early at the airport to cover a co-worker's shift.

...In addition to these two assaults, the Dec/Jan edition of the Noe Valley Voice listed three other sexual assaults, which according to a police officer that I spoke with may or may not be related to the other two. They were listed as occurring on Jersey, Church and Sanchez during the month of October. The police are considering whether or not all 5 might be related, but the most recent two certainly seem to be. In addition to the surveillance photo that is posted on your site, the first victim did a face/head sketch which has not been widely distributed.

Also, the Fair Oaks residents are apparently trying to set up some sort of fund to help the victims, at least the one attacked near Fair Oaks. If there were any interest in helping out the Noe Valley victim, I would be happy to discuss that further with her and anyone interested in making such a contribution. She will remain off work into January as she is still recovering from her injuries. She lives paycheck to paycheck, and we are providing direct financial support to her so that she doesn't need to worried about rent, etc. on top of everything else.

Stay tuned for more info on how to help the victim. Meanwhile, consider attending the meeting tomorrow night and be safe.

What: Community Meeting Regarding Recent Sexual Assaults
When: Wednesday, December 14, 7:00PM
Where: St James Church, 1086 Guerrero St at Alvarado

Update: More from the Fair Oaks Community Coalition

Dear Neighbors,
In response to the terrible assault that occurred on Fair Oaks at 24th Street on December 8, a public meeting will be held this Wednesday, December 14, at 7:00 PM at St. James Church, Guerrero at 23rd Streets. All neighbors, local schools staff and students, church and community organizations are invited to attend.

To assist the survivors of this and another similar attack in November (also on the 24th Street corridor in the Mission), several options will be discussed;

City officials and the San Francisco Police Department will provide updates on the investigation;

Flyers to warn the public will be available for posting in streets, shops, restaurants, BART and bus stops (or print your own from the attached flyer);

An online list-serve is being developed for the neighborhood – get details and sign up! Recommendations on self-defense will be provided;

Advice on safeguarding your home will be discussed;

Our neighborhoods can combine strengths to stop these attacks if we heed the guidelines at this SFPD web site.

Please share this invitation with others, and bring your ideas to the meeting on Wednesday. Meanwhile, stay alert and stay safe!

And another update:

Andrew Segal of the Fair Oaks Neighborhood Coalition...confirmed that...Supervisors Weiner and Campos will attend, as well as representatives from SFPD and the DA's office. There are three goals: solving the crimes, identifying some way of supporting the victims, and identifying an avenue for community healing.

[NVSF: Crime Beat: Rape]
[SFPD: Wanted: Sexual Assault Person Of Interest]

NVV Dec - Jan 2012: We Read It So You Don't Have to

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:16:00 +0000

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until mid-month.

December / January 2011

Front Page: Noe Courts at Douglas and Elizabeth is set for a much needed upgrade thanks to a $210,000 grant - the new design and upgrades should be realized over 2012; live reindeer and other festivities are planned for 24 HoliDAYs on 24th St - including six visits by Santa; Circle Bank has benefited from local discomfort with big banks ("dozens if not hundreds of neighborhood residents took part in the nationwide protest and switched their money from big banks to smaller instituions."); and up to 11,000 groups and people in Noe Valley may have unclaimed assets (money,stocks, etc.) sitting in a database.

Letters: None. Weird.

Features: Noe Valley lamp designer Jennifer Slepin plies her craft on Etsy; get your geek on and raise money for local schools at the 3rd annual Tech Search Party on Feb 4; Bevan Dufty clocked in an abysmal 7th place in the mayor's race.

Obits: Former PlumpJack Wines manager Drew Spaulding dies by his own hand after wrestling with depression [Here's a picture of the staff mentioned in the obit; from the left are Josh, Elio, John and Drew.]; Nicky Salan, founder of Cover to Cover dies at 77 after a long illness.

Cost of Living in Noe: 14 single family homes sold in October - all for more than $1 million. Home values were up 12% year over year in the hood.

Rumors: Cookie wars erupt in the Ministry Parking lot [update: whether Cookie Time will be able to be a regular at the Farmer's Market is up in the air - until decided/accepted they will not be part of the market]; Only 51% of the 20,031 registered voters in Noe cast their vote this past Nov. - among those that did cast their vote Avalos was the top vote-getter for Mayor; Pixie Hall Studios is becoming a preschool and will be sponsoring a Date Night (hello, kid sitting) with Firefly; Fattoush has decided not to sell after all; The Vietnamese/Thai fusion restaurant on Church is going slow and may - or may not - open in 2012. A parking stall in the Walgreen's parking lot is now a charging station for electric cars [Ed note - Since a reader sent us this photo before Thanksgiving we've been trying to figure out how it works - apparently nobody knows, including the management at Walgreens which is waiting for instructions so they can "tell the customers how to use the dang thing." It also edges out a handicap spot.]

Also of note: A longtime Noe resident takes out a quarter-page ad looking for a "Woof Friendly Noe Valley Rental." Is it that bad for rentals in Noe?

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Crime Beat: Rape

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 03:21:00 +0000

Via the Fair Oaks Community Coalition:

Dear neighbors:

Today at 6:30 AM, a woman was attacked on 24th Street and raped around the corner on Fair Oaks Street. The woman has been hospitalized and is under care in San Francisco. The SFPD cordoned off the northwest corner during their investigation, and the fire department was later called to wash blood from the sidewalk. [A neighbor] who lives across the street found a bloody undergarment in shrubs near her home and gave it to the police, who have classified this as a “very violent crime,” and are giving it their utmost attention.

There were apparently no witnesses, and are no suspects at present – however, in the event that you may have heard or seen something in this area at that time, PLEASE NOTIFY THE POLICE DIRECTLY. Believe it or not, the preferred contact method is not by phone (which ties up the station’s switchboard), but by email or Twitter:

Email: SFPDMissionStation@sfgov.org

Twitter: SFPD_Mission

But if your only contact method is telephone, please call the TIP LINE: (415) 392-2623.

Three Fair Oaks neighbors went to Mission Station late this morning to ask how our community might best offer support and assistance to the woman. Officer Salvador suggested that cards and notes could be forwarded to her from Mission Station. Needless to say, her identity will not (and should not) be made public, but assuming that she’s unable to work for a while, some financial assistance might be welcome, particularly at this time of year. As soon as a fund can be established, contribution information will be provided to this email list.

While the case is under investigation, the police strongly advise all of us neighbors not to discuss any “facts” that we may have heard or believe to be true. The reason is simple: Misinformation made public can prejudice a case, and could provide the perpetrator’s defense attorney grounds for dismissal when it comes to trial.

In the meantime, Officer Salvador recommends that extra attention be paid to the personal safety of our families and our homes in the following ways:

Never, ever walk down a public street while talking or texting on your phone! C.W. Nevius’ recent column in the Chronicle explains why. Doubters should note that at Mission Station this morning, two young women walked in to report exactly this sort of attack. One of them had just been mugged from behind while talking on her phone on busy Mission Street at 10:30 AM!

Lock the doors and windows of your home! Burglars are looking for holiday gifts, and will be delighted to take yours.

Lock your car, and leave nothing of value on view inside. Even a trash bag full of used tissues may prompt a smash-and-grab – especially if it’s a recycled bag with an interesting label. The thief will get nothing for his efforts, but you’ll still have a broken window to replace.

When you’re away from home, leave the lights on, inside and out. And always keep your porch lights on when it’s dark outside (morning & evening commute hours). Set them on timers, if possible, and add a radio for sound effects. Like germs, burglars thrive in the dark.

If you’re going out of town, cancel mail, package and newspaper deliveries, or ask a neighbor to pick them up from your front steps. Why advertise that no one’s at home?

When you see something suspicious – even a little bit suspicious – call 911 immediately! The police will never, ever scold you for giving them the opportunity to stop a crime while it’s happening. And if it’s a false alarm, they’ll still thank you for staying alert.

These are commonsense precautions that should be heeded by all. For more ideas, please check http://www.sfsafe.org.

In the interval since the above email went out a suspect has been identifed: "a black male, mid 30’s, 5’9” – 6’00”, medium build last seen wearing a black hoodie, and dark pants." More info on the SFPD website .

Update (12/13): Get involved. Go to the community meeting on December 14.

Two Noe Valley ZIP Codes Among America's Most Expensive

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:42:00 +0000

File this one under bragging rights (or dubious achievements): Noe Valley is home to two of the 500 most expensive ZIP codes in the U.S. At #242 is 94114 with a median home price of $940,368 and at #460 is 94131 with a median home value of $704,864. The other Noe ZIP, 94110 (aka Baja Noe), didn’t make the list.

[Forbes: America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes]

Deck The Parklet

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:39:00 +0000

Just For Fun has upped its game. In addition to perennial giant nutcrackers, a giant menorah and mechanized window displays of winter wonderlands, they have added the parklet to the mix. Other parklets around the city are sedate in comparison, as a walk this evening on Valencia and also 22nd St proved (unless you like viewing a football games on tiny bean bags). Murphstahoe agrees.

Open: Cookie Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:15:00 +0000

Love them or hate them, food trucks in SF are here to stay. And the latest addition to the Noe food scene is a food truck that features... cookies:

Cookie Time is a cookie truck operating out of San Francisco's Noe Valley. We use organic, mostly local ingredients to deliver the most deliciously nutritious goodies! CookieTime also firmly believes in zero waste, which is why all of our serving dishes & utensils are compostable.

Permitted and ready to...er...roll, Cookie Time opened Friday in the Noe Valley Ministry Farmer's Market. One positive review on Yelp, and one negative response from Martha & Bros. The Farmer's Market is already tight on space and turning away vendors; no idea if this fits in with their plans.

Whether you're a cookie fan or not, how do you feel about food trucks setting up near "brick-and-mortar" restaurants now that the long-running battle has made it to Noe Valley?

Cookie Time!
3865 24th St, San Francisco, CA
415 735 5055
Facebook, Twitter

[SFGate: Restaurants want to put brakes on food trucks]
[SFoodie: The Chronicle and the GGRA Go After Food Trucks]
[Photo: Cookie Time!, via Facebook]

This Week At The Planning Commission

noreply@blogger.com (Noe Valley, SF) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:37:00 +0000

A weekly look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

4366 26TH STREET - north side between Diamond and Douglass Streets; Lot 016B in Assessor’s Block 6556 - Request for Discretionary Review of Building Permit Application No. 2011.02.23.0805, proposing to construct a horizontal rear extension at the first floor level and add a new basement level at the rear (below the proposed first floor extension) to an existing two-story, single family building within the RH-1 (Residential, House, One-Family) Zoning District and 40-X Height and Bulk District.
Staff Analysis: Abbreviated Discretionary Review

Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve

In brief:

The DR requestor has owned the home next door for 50 years and is concerned about light and privacy. It also appears that the DR requestor has existing non-conforming stairs, bedroom and some sort of shed that occupy the same rough footprint of the requested addition.
The applicants moved into their home in 2010 with one child and are expecting twins. They appear to have made considerable effort to minimize expansion and disruption in order to "get to know San Francisco and Noe Valley" in the years ahead.

The full staff analysis contains the requestor's application, the applicant's response, plans, renderings and more.

[SF Planning: 4366 26th St]
[Photo: SF Planning (hat tip to SocketSite for selection]