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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'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!