When the word of the year is
vaccine, you know it was a doozy. We started with an insurrection and are ending with the pandemic grinding into year three. Gah.
For a minute there we were all hopeful when vaccines arrived. And then the Delta variant surged and now Omicron is spoiling the party. As one
TV writer on Twitter put it: "If I’d known the roaring 20s would be three weeks in June, I would have done more."
Yet even in the madness, Noe Valley is still a small slice of quirky sanity for those of us lucky enough to live here.
Here’s a look back at the biggest stories of 2021 in Noe Valley:
Streets Are for People Yep, Sanchez is staying slow and this year hosted
tons of fun. Plus, it’s now home to an awesome
blocklong street mural by artist Amos Goldbaum. We’ve also seen streateries/eatlets become more permanent like the ones in front of Noe Café,
Saru, Uma Casa,
NoVY, and Chloe’s. This is easily one of the best things to come out of the pandemic.
Noe Valley Is a Magnet for Cool EateriesThis year we gained a new
Australian rotisserie,
Mr, Digby’s, and
La Lucha, a cool new café on Sanchez. Noe Café also expanded its offerings and now has
taco pop-ups. In a year when most restaurants were closing, we’re lucky to have some new gems in addition to the regulars like Firefly, Eric's, Hamano and more.
Crime Is Here and It SucksStray shootings,
smash and grabs,
hate crimes,
retail theft — we had it all and it’s a bummer. After 3 break-ins this year, Gallery of Jewels (which has been here for 30 years)
shuttered it’s Noe location for good. Be careful out there, be kind to each other — and consider doing what you can to help others who are less fortunate.
But Noe Valley is still home to so many great things and we have so much to look forward to. The new
Birch & Rye restaurant coming to the old Mahila/Contigo space looks great, as does the
new sushi restaurant going into the former Bacco space. Slow Sanchez is an incredible gift to the neighborhood — as is the ongoing Saturday Farmer’s Market and the Noe Valley Town Square. We have world class restaurants like Saru, Al’s Place and La Ciccia
and even under-the-radar
great Brazilian food at Noeteca. (Be sure to support them all as we have to
go back to takeout only for a bit...) We’ve had lots and lots of RAIN this December. And what other neighborhood has a library that is a
work of art and a
Solstice Crack?! Life is pretty great when you think about it.
Phew. We made it — 2022 is upon us.
Happy New Year, Noe Valley. Wear your mask, stay safe and we’ll see you out there.
p.s.
This blog is now a teenager at 13 years old (!), and although we don’t always have time to post weekly, it’s still a labor of love and we always appreciate your tips. Thanks for reading both here and on Twitter
@NoeValleySF.
p.p.s.
Feeling nostalgic? Here were the top stories of 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
[Photos: Moody Noe skies via ithenightowl, Slow Sanchez via danluscher, Gallery of Jewels via Gallery of Jewels, Mr. Digby's via mrdigbys, Dolores sunrise via carosain, Noe steps via sf_stairs_stares ]
