NVDC Town Forum: SFPD, Whole Foods & More

This month's edition of the Noe Valley Democratic Club meeting was much more crowded than usual. The reason? Likely the community interest in the arrival of Whole Foods on 24th St. Over 150 people attended a meeting that usually has 12-20 participants. The panelists included representatives from the SFPD, the NVA, Whole Foods and a surprise representative of the shuttered Real Foods -- all MC'd by Bevan Dufty.

SFPD Mission District Captain Stephen Tacchini

• Victim of a theft or break-in? Report it! Resources are allocated to a police area based on the number of reports and the department maps trends. You can report online here.
• Only 1,000 reported incidents in Noe the last 6 months (vs. 200,0000 per year in the Mission)
• There has been an increase in burglaries in the last year which is finally starting to decrease – you can help by locking windows and keeping valuables out of your parked cars (laptops, cameras, cell phones are the big targets)
• There have been a few armed robberies – and they’ve recently made some arrests
• Got a rogue garage business to report? Officer Miguel in code enforcement can help

When the floor opened to questions the biggest concerns were:

• Can I park my SMART car perpendicular to the curb? (No)
• How do I get the Examiner to stop littering my doorstep - and so people don't break into an obviously empty building? (Bevan actually said to call or email him for help)
• When school is out MUNI is hell (Deputy Chief Tony Parra monitors MUNI for the SFMTA)

Whole Foods

The info was much the same as previously reported, but with the following new tidbits:

• The Campanga family (that owns the property at 3950 24th St) donated $5,000 to green the front of the lot
• Whole Foods will break ground mid-March with a projected September 1st opening
• They are committed to a one-day-a-week shuttle to the Potrero location, with more possible if demand requires and/or justifies it
• The recycling center will remain, but will be more “aesthetically pleasing” and "suit the neighborhood"
• Considering opening the lot for a farmer’s market one day (midweek) during construction
• Whole Paycheck? “38% cheaper than Bell Markets on produce; 25% cheaper store wide.” (Based on apples-to-apples comparison.) “Meats and seafood are competitive, but quality is higher.” - Joe Rogoff, VP for Whole Foods Market Northern California
• Hours: 8am-10pm; delivery receiving to maintain existing hours, but with smaller trucks/box vans, and will continue to load on 24th St (not Elizabeth St)
• Employees will not be allowed to park in the lot [Ed. -- which means more parking will be available than when Bell was operating], and will be encouraged not to drive to work
• The 24th St Cheese Co is the only merchant that has expressed concern about competition, and the NVMPA and WF are working to allay concerns
• BONUS: Joe Rogoff confirmed that Whole Foods has signed a contract to open in a new development at Market and Dolores –- which should alleviate traffic to Noe Valley (if built)

Suggestions:

• Add recycling bins to the front of the empty lot during construction
• Senior discount? No
• Hire laid off union employees from Bell (They’ll have first dibs to interview)
• Will there be food for lazy vegans? Yes

Real Foods Neutraceutical, represented by Sergio Diaz of Fresh Organics

New:

• Reached a settlement agreement with Real Foods workers yesterday and so “now we can talk about this.”
  
• Have gone through various design and planning phases over the last five years, but now don’t have enough money to do what they wanted so will start the process over with “scaled back” plans
• They do not have a Conditional Use permit [Ed -- which means a hearing in front of the Planning Commission and probably 2 years until anything happens]

Old:

• Unrepentant about the process, but “I do apologize to the neighborhood for five years of this.”

Suggestion:

• Sell, and get the _____ out while you can. (“We want to prove we can have a good store.”)
  

UPDATE: Cooks Boulevard has a more thorough account of Sergio's appearance.

Noe Valley Association, Deb Neimann, President

Very brief:

• We did: Crosswalks, planters, street furniture
• Got ideas or feedback? Call/email

[NVSF: Whole Foods Responds]
[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]
[NVSF: Blight: Real Foods]

Blight: Real Foods

A group we're going to call Evil Vitamins (since they don't self-identify, and regardless of the familiar artwork) has posted this flyer all over Noe Valley calling for action regarding the old Real Foods location at 3939 24th St:

5 Years Later - Real Foods is Still Empty!

After 5 years, it's time for the nighborhood to take back the Real Foods space!

Nutraceutical, the owner of Real Foods is not a good neighbor. Here's why:

• Lost 2 lawsuits for illegal labor practices
• Refused to meet with neighborhood groups
  
• Loss of large store hurts entire neighborhood

Here's how you can help:

1. Sign up for our mailing list (send email to evilvitamins@gmail.com)
   
2. Volunteer to help (1-2 hours max)
   
3. Boycott Nutraceutical Vitamins (Solaray, Veglife)

We agree - Nutraceutical has not been a good neighbor. That space has been empty for too long. They should give up their lease, and then Whole Foods should open a Wine, Cheese and Specialty Foods Annex to complement the store opening next fall across the street in the Bell Market space.

Have at it Noe Valley - make your voice heard. How do you think this space should be used?

[NVSF: NVV: We Read It So You Don't Have To]

Coming Soon: Plans To Develop Real Foods Building

You know how you walk past that empty storefront across from Whole Foods and wonder what the hell? Or maybe you remember that eleven years ago Real Foods was abruptly shut down and there have been years of drama since. Maybe your remembrance is that Big Corporate America is against unions. Or maybe you don't care what happened. Regardless, many of you have had opinions over the years about what should happen to this prime Noe Valley space.

Andrew Ross writes (albeit in a bit flowery way) on SFGate that plans are finally moving forward to develop the Real Foods location. He references a visit Scott Wiener and others made to Utah in October of 2013 to meet with the current owners - Nutraceutical. And he tells of a promise made ("a solid oath") to rebuild on the site. None of that is news.

What is news: Nutraceutical is ready to present plans to the public - there will be a meeting in January. This type of meeting is standard procedure for developers looking to submit high-profile plans to the Building Department so don't expect final drawings and a committed tenant. Instead expect concept drawings and be prepared to give feedback on the project. Want to make sure it doesn't house a bank, nail salon or title company? Let them know how you feel.

We asked a few local people in the know for some more information. Todd David of Friends of Noe Valley told us the architect is SF-based Jackson Liles Architecture. Brian Liles is the project lead. Principal Julie Jackson is active in the public school system and has children at James Lick.

Carol Yenne, past president of the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association, gave us a bit more information:

I went on the trip in Oct 2013 with Scott to meet with the owners of the property. The plans to develop the property had stalled during the downturn in the economy in 2008 but we discovered when we arrived that the company was already starting to work on plans again. San Francisco is trying to encourage housing and we all are on the same page about wanting to get the property developed into active retail and housing so that it does not continue to be a vacant space. The company asked for ideas for the retail space and we encouraged them to consider active retail or a restaurant which they seemed to take to heart. The space will likely be two businesses and the housing will be a minimum of four units.

Todd and Carol both let us know that neither FoNV nor the NVMPA have an official or active role in directing how this space is used.

So this is your chance to weigh in - mark your calendars for the community meeting and bring your opinions.

What: Community Meeting to present plans for Real Foods building
Where: St Philips Church, 725 Diamond St
When: January 22, 2015, 7:00PM
Bonus: Todd told us there's a rumor of childcare provided.

[Andrew Ross: Noe Valley’s Real Food to be reborn]
[NVSF: Real Foods - I Wish This Was...]

The Big Reveal: Real Foods Building Presentation

Last night there was a pre-application community meeting for the project to (finally) replace the Real Foods building on 24th Street. Turnout was solid – all the chairs were filled, mostly with longtime Noe Valley residents who touted their tenure in the neighborhood as a badge of honor when giving comments. Few look like they take a shuttle bus to work. One person described herself as an “oldster” - a term that generally described the room.

Scott Wiener was the MC of the meeting, first giving the floor to Peter Gabel. Peter spoke of the recent passing of Greg Gutknecht and noted that there will be memorial potluck Sunday at 3pm at Valley Tavern.

Then Scott took the floor. We didn’t record what he said, but here’s a close approximation:

The Real Foods space has been vacant for more than a decade. In my 4 years in office, a week doesn’t go by that I don’t get an email or tweet from someone in the neighborhood asking why it’s empty and what can we do about it.

A year ago, someone in the neighborhood who wishes to remain anonymous introduced us to the head of Neutraceutical Corporation, the owners of the building. Three of us flew to Park City, Utah for a meeting with senior management that was supposed to take just half an hour and ended up being a very friendly 3 hour meeting. By the end of the meeting, Neutraceutical had committed to moving forward to make good use of the space and build a mixed use retail and housing space. Those plans are now moving forward.

As is common in a conditional use development that needs to appear before the planning commission, we are convening a community meeting to hear feedback on the plans. There are a lot of politics associated with this space and we're all entitled to our opinion. However, tonight we are looking to the future - to something we've all wanted, which is not a vacancy in the former space. The goal here is to listen with an open mind and have a productive dialog.

Scott then turned the floor over to Sergio Diaz from Neutraceutical (who was involved in the labor settlement with the employees of Real Food). Sergio nervously thanked everyone for coming and hastily handed the meeting over to Brian Liles and Julie Jackson, principals at Jackson Liles Architecture (Julie is also a proud parent and member of the PTSA at James Lick Middle School). They proceeded to go through a series of slides about the existing site, the plans, and the things they took into consideration when thinking about the design.

First, let's make sure we know what's allowed at the existing site:

• The lot is 50' wide and 114' deep, requires a 28.5' rear yard and is zoned for 40' in height. Rear yard required: 28.5'.
• The Noe Valley Commercial District prohibits office space on the 2nd floor of new construction.
• A Conditional Use permit may (or may not) be required for whatever moves into the ground floor.

Here's what was proposed last night:

• The retail level has 14' ceilings and is 3345sf – slightly smaller than the former Real Foods space. The space could be divided into two storefronts with 1470sf and 1875sf.
• Four 2bd/2ba loft-style condos. The two facing 24th St are 1226sf; the south-facing units are 1540sf and all have decks.
• The terraced design will allow more light onto the street and keep it inline with the surrounding buildings like Fresca and The Bagel Shop.
• The façade will have wood siding on it's upper levels and stone facing the sidewalk at the retail level. Trees will green the sidewalk.
• Neutraceutical pledged once again to not open a store on site - they will lease the ground floor.

The meeting was then opened up to public comment, paraphrased here to give a sense of the tone and who goes to these meetings:

Praise:

• Neighborhood architect says: Thoughtful, addresses the streetscape, good usable units on 24th St. I have no negative comments.
• I applaud Scott Weiner for his efforts here – we have an opportunity to create a great space. Good things have come out of Real Foods closure including the Farmer’s Market and Town Square – here’s to more.

Meh:

• The façade is ugly– the masonry blocks look better suited for Van Ness than 24th St.
• The drawings are generic – there's an opportunity here to do something that defines the neighborhood instead of 2 small skinny retail spaces.
• The terraces are very hipster-like – too hip for our neighborhood. I'd like hipsters to stay away.

Anger:

• “Where are the people going to park? This is bullsh*t!”
• Angry lady living at 3933 24th St/next door over the bagel shop: The building is dilapidated because Neutraceutical ripped off the roof – they’re a bully of a company that doesn’t give a crap. Don’t know why we’re all praising them.
• The street doesn’t warrant those terraces. I don’t to know who’s living there and what they’re doing – I don’t think there should be terraces.
• I live near the senior housing down the block – relatively new project – a year later there was no parking, there are 3 residences with 6 cars and it’s a nightmare; also, the design is hideous and doesn’t fit in.
• No amount of bike lanes is going to make parking easier.
• What about trash bins and recycling? The design doesn’t show bins for those.
• What about parking and middle income housing?
• I live on Jersey with my backyard facing this building – I’m worried about privacy from the decks and the placement of mechanicals (noise).

Practical:

• I’d love to sell my single family home and live out my retirement in a one bedroom on 24th St and walk my grandchildren down a sidewalk without curb cuts.
• Why have a two story elevator to a two story loft with stairs?
• Please make the retail not be a nail salon, title company or bank.
• Design is nice contextually. Different heights and styles. Why not make more units that are smaller to attract younger buyers instead of car owners?
• No matter what is built, please continue to work with the neighborhood.
• Our community is happy to see change – it’s been blighted for 10 years. Let’s not shoot for lowest common demoninator. I’d like to see better options than a brew pub or having Whole Foods use it for their food use facility. Let’s make it like the Ferry Building with food stalls or carts – something innovative.

We asked Jackson Liles today what they thought of the process and what changes they may be considering. They said they enjoyed the process and are sorting through all the info. They will work with the design team over the coming weeks, but have not settled on a direction yet. We'll keep you posted.

[NVSF: Coming Soon: Plans To Develop Real Foods Building]
[Photo: Noe Valley community meeting #realfoods]

So What’s the Deal with Real Foods?

2009 broken window

Enough readers were wondering about the controversial blight space that once housed Real Foods, so we asked our D8 Supervisor, Scott Weiner what the plan was – and if he had any news to share. He answered quickly with this:

Real Foods is anything but "low priority." It's a thorn in the neighborhood's side, and I want to remove that thorn. I'm trying to figure out if there's a better way of communicating with Real Foods. I'm also trying to figure out if we can get them to sell the building so it can be transformed into a useful part of 24th Street.

Hmmm…  sounds like more of the same for now, and Labor Day is just around corner. Here’s hoping…

Got ideas for what Real Foods should become? Leave them in the comments (and please keep it more civil than on the last thread).

Meeting: What Should Happen To The Real Foods Building?

It’s true: There are plans underway to develop the empty storefront across from Whole Foods on 24th St – the space formerly known as Real Foods. So what will it be: A Trader Joe’s? A climbing gym? A brew pub? Condos? Nails/Waxing? Now is your chance to find out – and more importantly to weigh in.

At 7pm Thursday (that's tomorrow) at St. Philips Parish Hall the developers will be offering a preview of what’s in the works. There will be plans displayed and architects on hand to describe the drawings and answer questions. Stakes are high for such a central location in Noe Valley – this should be worth attending.

What: Real Foods Building Plans Presentation
When: Thursday, January 22nd at 7pm
Where: St. Philips Parish Hall, 725 Diamond St

[NVSF: Real Foods: I Wish This Was...]

This Year in Noe Valley: The Biggest Stories of 2018

2018 we hardly knew you. But boy did you flood the news headlines. Nationally this was the year of presidential lies (and felonies), tragic mass shootings, climate-change induced disasters, heartless immigration separations and epic Supreme Court battles. In California we saw impossibly sad firestorms. And in San Francisco, we saw history made with the first African-American woman mayor, a new transbay terminal that opened and then abruptly closed, plus outrage over a snarl of homelessness, a lack of new homes, and gentrification. In other words, this year was beyond exhausting.

Things in Noe Valley were a little less depressing but still a mirror of the world around us. Here were the biggest stories of 2018 in Noe Valley that preoccupied us, made us smile and that sometimes drove us crazy.

California Is Burning 
Climate change is real y’all. We mourned with our fellow Californians in August when the Carr fire broke out and we choked on smoke and cried more for the people of Paradise and surrounding areas in November. Here’s hoping this is not the new abnormal.

Endings, Beginnings and Coming Soon 
Lots and lots and lots of retail stores and restaurants closed this year in Noe Valley (and all of SF) and previously empty storefronts remained empty. Yes, there were new and welcome stores and restaurants in our little village this year (welcome Douglas, Seokyo, Sultan’s Kebab, Hi-Way Burger and Fry). But there were far more places that closed down or moved away (Podolls, Noe Valley Cyclery, Pete’s Cleaners, Hamlet, Mill, Contigo, Le Cupboard again… and the list goes on), and many more that vacated last year that are still empty (Pasta Gina, La Panotiq, Radio Shack, Fattoush…. and on and on). On a more upbeat note, Omnivore turned 10, Firefly turned 25 and the amazing Noe Valley Farmer’s Market turned 15. We’re also looking forward to the new Noe’s Cantina, a new Malaysian restaurant called Azalina and some new murals on 24th St. We are so lucky to have amazing local shops and restaurants – let’s keep it that way. #shoplocal

Housing Is (Still) Nuts 
It’s insanely expensive to live here, and maybe with good reason: If you own a house in SF, it’s earning an average of $60/hour – or $125K per year – with no effort on your part. These crazy prices led one landlord to ask $19,500 a month for a 4 bedroom house on 26th St. Meanwhile, historic homes are being illegally demolished around the city, and one Noe entrepreneur decided to rent out a van to people (like Google employees) who are desperate to live here. The average cost of a home in Noe Valley was $2.5 million this year. Which makes this next item even more ridiculous...

Real Foods Is Finally, Maybe, Going to Become … Something 
No, it’s not going to be housing. And it’s not going to become a Real Foods again either. 15 years on, the Real Foods building has new owners who are renovating the existing space and carving it into four small retail spaces of which we already have too many vacancies for on 24th St. #housingfail

People Behaving Badly 
Noe Valley had its share of people behaving badly in other ways too. There was a drive-by shooting that injured 2 people (no suspects found), a road-rage bat attack that sent a man to the hospital, kids who got sick on edibles at James Lick and had to go to the hospital, and a mother was attacked with her baby at 28th St and Sanchez and endured a skull fracture. Scary. We also learned that one of the priests accused of sexually abusing children worked at St. Paul Catholic Parish and School in Noe Valley from 2006 to 2011. Yikes. But then there are the self-inflicted wounds – like the way the head of the NVMPA Rachel Swann is bringing ridicule to 24th St across from Whole Foods by opening Doggy Style: “a boutique, with unique dog furnishings and accessories. Members of the private club can relax in the owner’s lounge, mingle with other doggy moms and dads, drink Bernie’s coffee, all while the dogs play outside...” Ugh.

So Much Greatness 
That said, there was still so much to be grateful for in 2018. Magnolias were gorgeous this year, we saw rainbows and double rainbows, a meteor shower, and the super blood moon. New ultra quiet MUNI trains started rolling on the J Church line and the colorful historic trains are back too. And our neighborhood is so photogenic. With all the craziness in the world, we’re so lucky to live here where we can fight for a better neighborhood with vibrant retail and restaurants, better housing options and all that good stuff.

Phew. We made it. Happy New Year, Noe Valley! Here's to a safe, fun and prosperous 2019.

p.s.
This blog turned 10 this year too (whoa - how did that happen?!). Thanks for reading both here and on Twitter @NoeValleySF.

p.p.s.
Yearning for simpler times? Here were the top stories of 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

(Photos: Noe vista via travismonsonsf and sfgate, smoke skies via bats1234, Noe Cantina via liammayclam, over-the-top Hill Street house via Ruth Krishnan, Real Foods via NVSF, crime photo via KPIX, and steps via geoff.welch)

Real Foods Blight: Blighted

Can't give an exact date, but the broken window and boards appeared at least 2 weeks ago. Any guesses how long it will be until Noe Valley's most famous blight returns to its former inglorious state?

Update (3/24): A reader let us know that "I walked by Real Foods this morning and they were fixing the windows. I guess that's a start..." Indeed.

[NVSF: Blight: Real Foods]
[NVSF: NVDC Town Forum: SFPD, Whole Foods & More]

This Year in Noe Valley: The Biggest Stories of 2019

What a decade. It's not a stretch to say Noe Valley and the world have changed more in the last 10 years than in the previous 100. Between the iPhone, Amazon, and social media to instadelivery apps and ridesharing – our 2010 selves would barely recognize Noe Valley today. Except we would – because the things we love about our little village are still here and still enchant us.

So while the national news whipsawed our attention with impeachment, apocalyptic climate disasters and tragically accelerating hate crimes and mass shootings (and that was just in December!) here at home there were smaller but no less important dramas and delights.

To wit, here were the biggest stories of 2019 in Noe Valley:

Real Foods Finally Turned Into … SkinSpirit 
Our long local nightmare has finally ended (kind of). Real Foods did not become housing, or a grocery store, or even a lively row of cool things that we once hoped it might. It's now a skin salon. Or as the SF Chronicle put it: The very sad saga of how Real Foods stood closed for 16 years – and then became a skin clinic. Read it and weep.

The Retail Apocalypse Is Real
In other corners of retail, most of the news was about closings or near-death experiences. Shoe Biz shuttered after several fits and starts (case in point: it's a temporary popup shoe store right now but it's basically gone). Rare Device closed it's Noe Valley outpost and consolidated to its Divisadero location – and was promptly replaced by a psychic (yes, really). The owner of nearby Lucca Ravioli retired and shuttered the business – and we all lost a great San Francisco institution. VideoWave is hanging on for dear life. Even a $1500 a month doggy daycare can't make it on 24th St. In happier news, YogaFlow finally filled in the old RadioShack space. Charlie's Corner got a new lease on life thanks to the kindness of benefactors and a GoFundMe. We also got some new lash and beauty spas but no new major retail openings of note. Meanwhile, the Noe Valley Whole Foods got some unwanted national attention as activists briefly shut down the store to protest animal cruelty (and hate on Jeff Bezos). Sadly, there are still way too many empty storefronts on 24th Street with no sign that this is likely to change anytime soon. The reality is that we can expect more SkinSpirits and One Medicals if the economics of retail don't change.

It's Hard to Run a Restaurant in SF
Let’s just say that retail has nothing on restaurants for hardship. We saw the abrupt closings of Chez Marius, Pomelo, and Toast on 24th. Patxi's sold itself to Los Angeles-based Elite Restaurant Group at the end of last year and the business is now 50% takeout/delivery. The once vibrant Pasta Gina is now a ghost kitchen delivery outpost. And the former Le Panotiq was supposed to become Wallflower but appears to be in limbo. There were a few openings: Le Cupboard became Inle Burmese, Fattoush is now Bernal Heights Pizzeria, Holy Kitchen has become Bon Appetikka, and the old Contigo space was replaced by Mahila. Here's hoping San Francisco figures out how to be friendlier to restaurants.

Climate Change is No Joke
California burned and the smoke and effects were not lost on Noe Valley. We also had our share of heatwaves. Thank goodness for rain.

Housing in Noe Valley Is Hella Expensive
With $6 million mansions hitting the market monthly in our neighborhood, even Steph Curry had sticker shock here. And then there were the alarmist headlines like The IPO millionaires are coming! that only exacerbated the frenzy. Meanwhile, tech-savvy Compass real estate has swallowed Alain Pinel and now has at least four offices on 24th St. alone. The average cost of a home here in 2019 was $2.6 million. Those who are fortunate enough to own a house here should feel very, very lucky.

People Behaving Badly
Like every neighborhood, Noe Valley had its share of people behaving badly in 2019. This fall there were two scary gang assaults on commuters on 26th and Jersey, one of which was caught on video, there was the so-called “wine bottle murder,” at least 9 cars had their tires slashed at Cesar Chavez and Castro, and First Republic on Castro was smashed by a truck and the perps made off with a 374-pound ATM machine. But perhaps the most shocking was the anti-vaxxers at More Mojo dispensing alarming misinformation with impunity and The Noe Valley Voice gave the crazies a megaphone with a front-page feature story. Just yikes.

The New Decade Beckons
But, but, but… it wasn't all doom and gloom. There is still so much to look forward to in 2020. Spin City will reboot as a new café/roastery with small snacks and great coffee. Cole Hardware is showing signs it will be reborn so we’ll once again have a nearby hardware store. Church Produce closed abruptly but Baron's Meats stepped into the gap by offering 100+ new grocery items and has awesome fish and meat. 
Noe Valley also has the best chocolate shop on the planet (and a local Recchiutti-trained chocolatier sells his confections there). The head of the SFMTA lives in Noe Valley and the J Church has nowhere to go but up. We have world-class restaurants here including La Ciccia, Al's Place and Saru. Master sushi chef Jiro Lin works his craft at Hamano. Firefly continues to thrive. Telmo Faria serves SF’s most innovative Portuguese food at Uma Casa on Church St. We have a great bakery. Just for Fun is a local treasure. Noe Valley Cheese Co is better than ever after 33 years. We have gorgeous local murals. We have a Town Square with fun gatherings and an awesome Farmer's Market. And beautiful houses and street scenes. Even the fairies are happy here.

And there's more! Omnivore is amazing – we have world-class chefs visiting our hamlet to talk about their books and share food! There's an oyster bar and fish market called Bellingsford slated to open sometime in 2020 (fingers crossed). And we have treasures like the amazing story of the custom shoe shop on Church (spoiler: it involves the Holocaust and Mother Theresa). We also have one of the most beautiful (and Instagrammed) flower shops in San Francisco. Even our library entrance is lovely. And the sunsets and views! How lucky are we?!

So on that high note, it’s a wrap for 2019. We made it. Happy New Year, Noe Valley! Here's to a safe, fun and prosperous 2020.

p.s.
This blog turned 11 this year - time flies! Thanks for reading both here and on Twitter @NoeValleySF.

p.p.s.
Yearning for simpler times? Here were the top stories of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

[Photos: Golden skies via gustojr, SkinSpirit via Haute Living, Whole Foods via Direct Action Everywhere/SFGate, assault video via NBC Bay Area, Mahia via Azalina Malaysian, beautiful doorway via oldsoulhouses, fire sky via joannepruess, beautiful fog via ninadietzel] 

Labor Day Is (Still) Real Foods Day in Noe Valley

Labor Day 2010

It's Labor Day, which means you can always expect to see something posted  at the the blighted closed Real Foods space on 24th Street. Today, there were several printouts of articles and comments from around the blogosphere including this one from this blog and this one from SF Appeal … and a sheet to add more comments under each on the storefront. It was an attention getter - lots of people stopped to read.

The signs were up during the farmer's market and gone without a trace by 2PM. Is someone actually keeping tabs on the Real Foods space that closely? And is that a good sign or … ?

This Year In Noe Valley: The Big Stories Of 2015

Nationally, 2015 will be a year remembered for terror attacks, ISIS and the Syrian refugee crisis. It’s also the year same sex marriage became a constitutional right (yay!), the presidential race got off to a crazy-early start (ugh), and too many people died in mass shootings. In San Francisco, people were worried that the rich are getting too rich and the middle class is getting squeezed out. Oh, and we’re finally getting some much needed relief from the drought (thanks, El Nino!). But never mind that. All news is local, and here in Noe Valley we had different things on our minds. Here are the top stories of 2015 that preoccupied us, made us smile and that sometimes drove us crazy in our little village this year.

New Places to Eat
2015 was a good year for food in Noe. NoVY opened in the old Pasta Pomodoro space. Hamlet replaced Horner’s Corner with better food and friendlier bartenders. Starbucks killed La Boulange (aka La Boring) and La Boulangerie de San Francisco moved in instead. The owners of Savor opened Lazeez to mixed reviews, two restaurants at the edges of Noe got Michelin stars (Aster and Al’s Place) and the former Incanto/Porcellino space is slated to become Uma Casa in the summer of 2016. Meanwhile, the chain café La PanotiQ says it still plans to move into the former Global Fair Exchange at 4108 24th Street – only a year behind schedule.

So Long and Farewell
Sadly, there were lots of closings in 2015 too including several businesses that have been in Noe Valley for decades such as Noe Valley Music (now a nail salon), Cradle of the Sun (moved to Ocean Ave), The Ark (bankrupt), and Common Scents (becoming online only). The burned out Bliss Bar is slated to be a new restaurant called Tom & Rai with expanded housing above but construction appears to be stalled. Martin Mattox also closed and has been replaced with another pop-up duo Tejido & Somi. Successories, the little shop next to St. Clair’s liquors moved to Pacifica. Next door, the pop-up kids clothing store TugTug vacated to Guerrero St and a string of popups continue to inhabit the two storefronts while the permit for the 3 story addition to the building languishes in Planning. Isso also closed and the space remains empty. Meanwhile, the Noe Valley Radio Shack was miraculously spared a closure – at least for now – despite the national chain filing for bankruptcy. Another sign of the times: On Sanchez St, Life for Life and its pieces of fake fat left the neighborhood for good, only to be replaced by The Root, a midwife practice. Farther out on Church Street, K9 Scrub Club abruptly closed due to a personal situation and the space remains for rent. An artifact from another departure in 2014, the shoe sign from Mike’s shoe repair also turned up – in a private home at Mission and 24th (we ask again: is that stealing?).

The Neverending Real Foods Story Is Far From Over
In major 24^th Street developments, 2015 started out so optimistically! The owners of the old Real Foods building hosted a presentation to unveil the plans for the Real Foods building. Amazing! Turnout to the meeting was solid. Drawings were shown. Questions were asked and (mostly) answered. And since then… nothing. No meetings, no updates and not even Scott Wiener has any info. What was supposed to be the Big Reveal was just the Big Tease. Whatever happens, we’ll believe it when we see it.

Henrietta is my drone. She's a Phantom 3. Here's footage from one of her first flights. She's flying around Noe Valley, San Francisco! What do you think? #SF #sanfrancisco #sanfran #noevalley #noe #phantom #phantom3 #drone #drones #love #me #happy

A video posted by Victoria van Eyk (@victoriavaneyk) on Aug 14, 2015 at 9:57pm PDT

The Drones Have Arrived
You knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time before drones became a nuisance in our techie enclave – and realtors are proudly using them too anyway (here’s one of 147 Day Street). This will get worse before it gets better. In the meantime, watch your windows.

Crime Sucks
Despite reports that nationally crime is at an all-time low, there were plenty of reports of crime in the hood including: package thieves, suspects in a white Mercedes stealing phones and notebooks, succulent snatchers, a fatal dog attack at Douglass, copious bike and car thefts, an attempted rape and muggings. One bright spot: A traffic-snarling bomb scare turned out to be just a blender in a box. Stay frosty, Noe Valley.

RIP Vicki Rosen and Greg Gutknecht 
Two longtime fixtures of Noe Valley left us this year. Vicki Rosen, president of the Upper Noe Neighbors and longtime community activist, died on June 11 after a long fight with cancer. In January, Greg Gutknecht, the affable and talkative gentleman on 24th Street who did odd jobs for area merchants collapsed in front of Bernie's coffee shop and EMTs were unable to revive him. RIP Vicki and Greg – you are missed. 

New Beginnings
The Noe Valley Town Square got the final green light in 2015 and is set to become a reality soon. Construction is slated to start in January 2016 and the ribbon cutting is scheduled for October 2016. In the meantime, the Farmer’s Market will convene on 24th Street between Sanchez and Vicksburg on Saturday mornings. In other happy news, Video Wave of Noe Valley, which has been renting videos and DVDs at 1431 Castro St for 27 (!) years found a new home in the Buttons Candy Bar on 24th Street.  Other signs of renewal: The bulbouts and greening of 24th Street this year were welcome changes, and we were happy to see the Solstice Cracked refreshed again in June.

It’s Still Insanely Expensive to Live Here
2015 was a year of more "monster homes" in the hood – and more frustration from those that don’t want them here. A small but vocal group fought to Save the Shack at 369 Valley Street – and was successful in getting it designated a historic site. But that was the exception. Mostly we just saw lots of new homes, including a new Most Expensive House at $7 million - on Elizabeth Street and backing up the new development at Bliss Bar. A building boom also continues to update the Church end of 24th Street. And for good or ill, many of the neighborhood’s Permastoned houses are disappearing too, although plenty still survive.

The Forecast Is Beautiful
On a happier note, the drought and spare the air days this year made for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. And more sunrises and sunsets. And rainbows. All year long. Yep, we Noe Valleyeons and our visitors are not shy about photographing our beautiful neighborhood. Huzzah!

There are so many good things on the horizon for 2016. The Town Square breaks ground on January 4 and we should have a new park and plaza in the center of our village by the fall. SF's first high end Portuguese restaurant, Uma Casa, is slated to open on Church St in June. And here’s hoping the open retail spaces on 24th Street become something useful and entertaining for the neighborhood. Whatever happens, we live in paradise and we’re all incredibly lucky to call this place home.

Happy New Year, Noe Valley! Here's to a safe, fun, and prosperous 2016.

Feeling nostalgic? Here were the top stories of 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Did we miss anything? Share it in the comments!

[Top image: @TYxMcFly]

This Week In Noe Valley: Real Foods Fakeout, Noe Valley Is Full Of Cheater Parents, And The Peaks Gets A New Owner

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Summer in SF: Fireworks in the fog [ABC7]
• The Peaks bar closes and reopens - the bartender now owns the bar [@shaketini]
• Construction at Real Foods lit up our Twitterhood this week. It's just a new roof, folks. But here's a little more in our comment section [@pud and Heather World]
• Listing for new retail on 24th St and a rendering of the building (click through to the PDF for more details) [LockeHouse]
• More details on the curb bulb-outs and crosswalk stripes coming to 24th St including pictures [Streetsblog SF]
• A house on 26th St. goes for $3.2 million - $803,000 over asking [Curbed]
• A carport that doubles as an over-the-top indoor playground on 25th St. [San Francisco Magazine]
• Forget Manhattanhenge – in Noe Valley we have the Solstice Crack! (Sanchez at 30th) [Eric Fischer]
• Noe Valley philanderers have the most children ("Duh, it’s Noe Valley, land of the Bob stroller") [SFGate]
• Mysterious cement masks popping up around the City have made it to Noe Valley [@F6x]

[Photo: Rare shot inside Real Foods space via @nelson]

This Week in Noe Valley: Hamlet Closing, New Vietnamese Pop Up and More Real Foods Drama

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

• The remaining Real Foods Company stores in Cole Valley and in the outer Richmond close abruptly [Hoodline]
• A Noe Valley native muses about what might have been at Real Foods on 24th St [SF Examiner]
• Easy Breezy’s Castro outpost relocates to “safer” West Portal [ABC7]
• This could get interesting: Diamond Heights Shopping Center on the edge of Noe gets new investors/owners [CPExecutive]
• Meet the mayoral candidates at the Noe Valley Ministry on January 31 [Noe Valley Democratic Club]
• Is District 8 Supervisor Sheehy’s campaign in disarray? [SF Chronicle]
• Hmmm… Hamlet for sale and will close soon [Eater via @NVSF]
• New Vietanamese lunch pop up launches at the Noe Valley Farmer’s Market [NVFM]

[Photo: Winter SF via shalaco] 

This Year in Noe Valley: The Big Stories of 2017

2017 - it’s time to GTFO. Nationally, this was the year of fake news, alternative facts, covfefe, rampant tribalism and #metoo to name just a few of the things that defined our zeitgeist. In California, 2017 is was a year of record-setting rains followed by devastating firestorms. In San Francisco, it was a year of the Warriors winning (again), Mayor Lee dying abruptly and #resist. In other words, this year was exhausting. Things in Noe Valley were a little happier closer to home (hey, it’s still Noe Valley and we are soooooooo lucky to live here), but there was still a lot going on. Here were the biggest stories of 2017 in Noe Valley that preoccupied us, made us smile and that sometimes drove us crazy.

Nature Is Wild
In 2017 Noe Valleyeons spotted coyotes in the hood (including a dead one at Douglass park) and a wayward mountain lion was captured and relocated. We also had some pretty insane rain, heatwaves (115+ degrees reported, but more likely only 106) and lots of spare-the-air fallout from the NorCal and SoCal fires including spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The high point this year for natural phenomenon was the super cool eclipse. Just a little reminder that we’re just all just animals on a hot rock, folks. (Photo via hugitosf) 

Monster Homes and the Ensuing Eviction Backlash
In case you missed it, it’s waaay expensive to live here. The new high mark was the record-setting T-House sold for $12.5 million (for reference, it sold for a record-setting $6.1 million in 2011). Many other $5 and $6 million dollar homes sold for all cash this year. And megahomes are still being built. The dark side of all this: David Talbot posited that the real estate madness in SF is killing off the elderly, including Carl Jensen on 26th Street. However, a Noe Valley woman was the first to beat an Ellis Act eviction in San Francisco - perhaps a sign that evicting the elderly is finally uncool.

Endings, Beginnings and Coming Soon
Lots and lots of retail stores and restaurants closed this year and previously empty storefronts remained empty. Among the departures this year were Good News, Cliché Noe, Pasta Gina, Green11, Bom Dia, Radio Shack, Caskhouse (which is soon turning into a new burger joint)  and Cardio-Tone’s 24th St location. La Nebbia on Church closed but thankfully has been replaced by Ardiana pizzeria. Uma Casa replaced Incanto/Porcellino to rave reviews. Urban Remedy and LeCupboard opened as bougie TV dinner spots - with LeCupboard closing again in November. Overall, restaurants dominated the new business scene, with little pop-ups (like Rafe Mandelman’s campaign headquarters) and realtor offices filling in the rest. The oldest butcher shop in the West continued the tradition with the opening of Baron’s Quality Meats, in the old Drewe’s Meats space on Church. Also of note, Amazon ate Whole Foods this year, so we’ll see what that brings for our local grocery scene. Sadly, there are still around 15 empty storefronts and counting on 24th Street. But on a more upbeat note, the J Church turned 100 this year, Firefly turned 24, and Dorian D. Clair Clock Repair turned 30.

Real Foods Could Become Real Housing (Someday)
In August we got the good news that 14 years on, the Real Foods building has new owners who plan to sell it for housing. Of course, it still has to sell, there’s no clear path forward and it could take years for construction to start. But hey, at least it’s not locked down by the former absentee owners, Neutraceutical Corp. Here’s hoping it’s unblighted in our lifetime.

The Google Bus Is Here to Stay
Never mind that they’re too big for our little streets and very noisy (and this Noe Valley guy notwithstanding), San Francisco voted to make the tech commuter buses permanent. Get used to it. (Photo via photo_by_bill)

People Behaving Badly
Noe Valley was also home to some shenanigans this year like a massive meth bust (whaaa?!) and a racist White Supremacy note from a neighbor (no, it wasn’t on Nextdoor). Noe Valley was also ground zero for package thieves and car break-ins this year, judging from the volume of neighborhood police reports. One woman was so fed up with the package thief situation she wrapped her cat’s dirty kitty litter in boxes for the thieves to get back at them and made the national news for it (it’s come to this?!). The Raspberry of the Year for bad behavior, however, goes to Getzwell Pediatrics which covered up the historic Star Bakery sign with its own eyesore logo. Not cool. (Photo via @peephole) 

New and Notable 
This year we also saw some new stuff in Noe Valley - including duck art installations, lots of GoFord Bike stations and a regular pop-up sauna in the Noe Valley Town Square. Speaking of the Town Square, the space also hosted dozens of events this year including the amazing weekly Farmer’s Market, equinox drumming, dancing, movie nights, political rallies and more. Pretty amazing to see the space come to life so quickly. (Photo via leftcoastsauna)

Phew. We made it. Happy New Year, Noe Valley! Here's to a safe, fun and prosperous 2018.

Yearning for simpler times? Here were the top stories of 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

(Top photo via sam.a.miller)