Video: The Story Of The Noe Valley Farmer's Market

Found on Google.

Update: Planning Commission Allows More Restaurants In Noe Valley

On January 14, the Planning Commission voted unanimously (with all 7 Commissioners) to allow an unlimited number of new restaurants within the Noe Valley Community Benefit District pending case-by-case Conditional Use authorization. Video of the hearing here (19 minutes).

NIMBYs? Denied.

[NVSF: This Week (Today!) At The Planning Commission]
[SFGTV: January 14, 2010, Planning Commission Hearing, Video]

Reader Rant: Dogs Need Places To Poo, Too

26th St @ Sanchez

Jenny writes:

I'm an avid reader of your blog and a Noe resident. In general, I love Noe Valley, but one of the things that drives me nuts are people believing that they "own" the sidewalk in front of their house and putting gates/fences around the very few green patches of earth, thus restricting their use. I am a dog owner, and there are literally so few places my dog can go to the restroom it's ridiculous. I, like most Noe dog owners, are responsible and ALWAYS pick up after their dogs. I think it's rude and perhaps illegal for people to be fencing off publicly owned property such as public green space. Tips? Advice? Any more info on the issue?

Crime Beat

Information is from Mission and Ingleside District San Francisco Police Station newsletters.

January 18

Theft -- 1:00 am. 4200 block of 26th St. Victim met suspect through a dating service. He invited suspect into his home and passed out. When he awoke, his date and his property were gone.

Rainy Saturday: Haiti Benefit Sale

Church @ 26th Street

This Week (Today!) At The Planning Commission

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.

The Planning Department changed their website for the new year and we missed this in the shuffle.


Today's Chronicle describes the plan to remove restrictions on new restaurants on Noe Valley's 24th St rumored in November's Noe Valley Voice. Empty storefronts and a sea change in attitudes about regulation have prompted Bevan Dufty to propose allowing as many restaurants as the neighborhood will support. Here's what's in front of the Planning Commission today:

AMENDMENTS TO THE PLANNING CODE SECTION 728: 24 STREET-NOE VALLEY NCD RESTAURANT DEFINITIONS [BOARD FILE NO. 09-1208]. Ordinance introduced by Supervisor Dufty amending Planning Code Sections 728.1 (Zoning Control Table), 728.42 (full-service restaurants), 728.44 (small self-service restaurants), and 728.69A (specialty food, self-service) to allow new full-service restaurants, small self-service restaurants, and self-service specialty food establishments with a Conditional Use authorization; adopting findings, including environmental findings, Planning Code Section 302 findings, and findings of consistency with the General Plan and the priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

[SFGate: Blocks hungry to fill storefronts with eateries]
[NVV: November 2009 Rumors]
[NVSF: Update: Planning Commission October 23, 2008]

Reminder: Billy Goat Hill Planting Day Is This Saturday

As we mentioned in November, this Saturday is Planting Day on Billy Goat Hill. Friends of Billy Goat Hill wants your help:

It's that time again for the quarterly community workday at Billy Goat Hill Natural Area! Join your neighbors, SF Park & Rec Natural Area Dept & Friends of the Urban Forest to plant trees at the Laidley Street entrance and a native wildflower garden at the Beacon Street entrance to Billy Goat Hill Natural Area.

What: Billy Goat Hill Planting Day
When: Saturday, January 16, 9:00am
Where: Beacon @ 30th St, Laidley @ 30th St
Why: Because you want to do more for your community than complain about nail salons

[FoBGH: Planting Day Is Finally Here!!!]

Moving: Artsake

Artsake packed up its brushes and has consolidated into the Just For Fun / Scribbledoodles space across the street (from where they originated 6 years ago). The sign says all the same stuff is available, although we’re skeptical they'll be displayed so well given the already tight quarters at Just For Fun.

Sad to see a long-time merchant get squeezed on 24th Street – and we’ll miss the space’s color on a dingy stretch of 24th Street. As always, we're hopeful the space at 3961 24th St turns into something...useful.

Update: Said space is $3900/month per Craigslist.

What Noe Valley Watches on Netflix

Ever wonder what your neighbors are getting in their little red NetFlix envelopes? The New York Times has a fun feature this weekend that shows the Netflix rental patterns by neighborhood including in the Bay Area. Here are the top 10 in Noe Valley for 2009:

Zip: 94114

• Doubt
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Rachel Getting Married
• Burn After Reading
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Wrestler
• Milk
• Changeling
• Frost/Nixon

Zip: 94131

• Milk
• Doubt
• Slumdog Millionaire
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Burn After Reading
• Rachel Getting Married
• The Wrestler
• Changeling
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Revolution Road

The trend here? Somber, erudite and just a wee bit tortured. Don't the kiddies like Netflix, too?

[NYT: A Peek Into NetFlix Queues]
[Photo: Netflix]

The Noe Valley Stroller Menace (Oh Noes!)

The Chronicle cashed in on the (often) entitled Noe Valley stroller set today and the opinions are flying:

...the only reason why Noe gets a bad rap is that unlike most of SF, it actually has kids. I'll agree with other posters that the bigger problem in Noe is dog poop--and the lack of parking spaces at Whole Foods!

...I may not get run over by a stroller, but I swear spending time in Noe is like being somewhere similar to Fresno.

...I don't get the aggressive stroller thing. I am nothing but polite to these folks and am tired of the cell phone yapping meaness of stroller. So, do we look forward to yet another generation of clueness when sharing sharing sharing public space?

...Bad: attempting to drive through the intersection of Noe St & 24th St., baby strollers which nowadays are the size of small SUVs, & hearing the automated-recorded lady-voice on the 24 Divisadero bus pronounce any stop along Noe Street as "no"...

...Noe Valley snobs are nothing compared to the likes of the entitlted brats in the Marina...

...Noe Valley is sort of the Palo Alto of SF neighborhoods. It's cool days are long long behind, now appropriated by unimaginative yups who all paint their houses a tasteful beige.

While this bit from the Chron's post probably sums it up, there's truth in stereotypes:

Some people in love with Noe's centrality, its Victorian splendor, its low crime rate, its warmer micro-climate, its shopping and food, and overall family orientation might take comfort from these data. But it does seem like such people would still have to be doing better than the majority of San Franciscans, a city whose median income doesn't push $80K. Others of us then, forever shut out, will continue to complain (a little enviously-- let's be honest) about stroller accidents with bourgeois soccer moms.

And?

...While all of you hater posters have been ranting on Noe, my property value just shot up another 3%.

[SFGate: Noe Valley: only for strollers made of gold?]

Supes Race: Ammiano Endorses Mandelman

Wasting no time, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano endorsed Rafael Mandelman today for this November's District 8 Supervisor race. The former SF Supe adds his name to a growing list including Supervisors John Avalos, Eric Mar, Ross Mirkarimi and...um....Chris Daly. And don't forget - Mandelman also has the support of the Harvey Milk LGBT Club.

[FCJ: Ammiano Endorses Mandelman]
[NVSF: Harvey Milk LGBT Club Endorses Mandelman for District 8]