Fair Warning: DPT To Crack Down On Sidewalk Parking

Jersey St.

We learn from the SFPD Ingleside Station that the DPT will step up enforcement of Section 22500(f) of the California Vehicle Code, more commonly known as "parking on sidewalks." The DPT appears to believe that enforcing a policy last updated in February of 2010 will help close SFMTA's budget deficit (which we're not getting into here). In short:

Vehicles parked on sidewalks constitute an inconvenience for pedestrians and a hazard for people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired. Officers are to renew their efforts to cite violations...to discourage this ongoing and increasing problem.

Section VC2200F states: "No person shall stop, park or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device..." DPT will collect $105 each time you stop "even for just one minute." We're going to go ahead and assume that Whole Foods customers will be exempt.

A full list of all parking fines is available here. Keep a copy in your glove box so you can choose the cheapest late-night option.

Survey: Design Your Corner Store

Sunshine Market at 4300 23rd Street wants to overhaul its one-review/one-star rating on Yelp. An Alvarado area neighbor forwarded this plea:

Sunshine Market at 23rd and Douglass is getting an overhaul. They are going to be re-stocking the store and wanted input as to what was needed. Below please find a link to a survey. Please fill out asap and pass on to others in the neighborhood.

Stellar Research Survey

[Photo: Google Street View]

105th Anniversary of the SF Quake – Scene from Noe Valley

Tomorrow morning marks the 105^th Anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (5:12 a.m. on April 18, to be exact). If you're wondering what it was like to be in Noe Valley during the Big One, neighborhood buildings were largely spared the quake damage and ensuing fires. But the 7.9 – 8.25 magnitude quake and aftershocks sent people around the city outdoors for days. This picture was taken after the 1906 quake on Valley Street.

For more photos of other parts of the city after the quake, the Chronicle reports that the SFMTA has released a trove of rare photos taken by John Henry Mentz, the photographer for United Railroads, the city's transportation operator at the time. Uptown Almanac has some of the best highlights here, including this astonishing one of City Hall.

[Photo: Greg Gaar Collection, via Foundsf.org]

Mission Streetscape Preview: Cesar Chavez Road Diet

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Wondering how the traffic flow on Cesar Chavez is going to work when it drops from 6 lanes to 4 as part of the Mission Streetscape Project? StreetsBlog posted this video that explains the mechanics and highlights the benefits to the neighborhood and drivers. San Francisco has over 40 streets that are on or slated for a "road diet" - thanks to a reader for pointing out that Valencia and Cesar Chavez are featured prominently in this film. Among the benefits the SFMTA cites are better traffic flow, revitalized retail, more parking, safer pedestrian walking areas, dedicated bike lanes, and more trees/green. And it looks better.

For Noe Valley car commuters that don't like the Cesar Chavez plan and/or just want to get to the freeway the old way, there's still some good news: road diets typically improve neighboring property prices too.

Food Bites: Gary Danko's Favorite Noe Restaurant and More

Once again, the little Sardinian restaurant at 30th and Church is getting some love from local foodies. La Ciccia was listed in NY Grub Street's link-baity but tasty article called Pasta Porn: 101 of America's Most Delicious Noodle Dishes.

"Husband and wife Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan serve elegant dishes with rustic flavors like this one featuring southern Italy's baked-pearl pasta, fregula. Cured tuna heart, shaved over the plate like bottarga, may be the oddity here, but the earthy, nutty pasta is the star, accented with fresh ricotta and Meyer-lemon zest."

La Ciccia also got another mention in an interview in the WSJ with celeb chef Gary Danko - he called it one of his favorite restaurants in SF.

New Restaurant Progress - Maybe: The long-rumored (and stalled) Vietnamese-fusion restaurant at 25th and Church had a visit from an inspector and got permission to cover the walls.

[photo: La Ciccia via Grubstreet]
[WSJ: Chef Savors Taste, Not Trends]

NVV April 2011: We Read It So You Don't Have To

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.

April 2011

Front Page: Cover to Cover closes - the remaining inventory, fixtures and playhouse are in the hands of a bankruptcy trustee; a profile of Dorothy Noe, great granddaughter of Jose de Jesus de Noe; cherry trees in bloom on 24th Street; update on Chabad of Noe Valley's expansion. 

Letters: A call to support Phoenix Books with the closure of Cover to Cover; laments of MUNI service cuts to the 35-Eureka bus; a rant about dog owners that bring their dogs into stores - and don't curb them either; a request for case numbers with the crime beat reports; more stolen planters at Sanchez and 24th.

Features: How to speed the J Church? City transit officials at a March 28 public hearing suggested converting 4 way stops to 2 way along Church Street, consolidating some stops, and installing traffic signals in select areas. SFMTA may set up a pilot to determine the feasibility of these ideas - any changes would require further public meetings to implement. Our district 8 supe Scott Wiener was "pleased" at the immediate and long-range proposals. [Ed note - for a different perspective check out StreetsblogSF's post on this meeting.]

Cost of Living in Noe: Zephyr reports 4 houses and 5 condos changed hands in Noe in February. One of those was a pricey "ultramodern" home on Hoffman that was bought last year for $3 million and sold 11 months later for $2.97 million. 

Short Takes: Noe merchants are pitching in with donations for the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund; the Easter bunny returns to Noe on April 23 for the annual Easter Egg Hunt (10 to noon at Douglass playground); Noe Garden Tour is on May 21.

Store Trek: Russo Music (2072 24th St. at Castro); Two Birds (1309 Castro at 24th St.)

Rumors: SF Giants pitcher Matt Cain is loving family life in Noe - you may see him with his daughter, wife and 2 dogs at the Noe Valley Farmer's Market or at Toast.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Closed: Tamasei Sushi

Now that 24th St store fronts are filling (sort of), have landlords decided it's time to get rid of old standards (like the site of the oldest sushi bar in San Francisco)?

Several readers today let us know that Tamasei Sushi (3856 24th Street @ Vickburg) is closed - and it looks like for good.

A sign in the window says the tiny but colorful little sushi shop has lost its lease and will hold a sidewalk/clearance sale of "beautiful plates" and "sake cups" on Saturday, April 16th.

Click the image for details on staying in touch with the Beatles-loving owners.

[NVSF: Suspended: Tamasei Sushi Liquor License]
[NVV: Of Butoh and Beatles: In an Octopus's Garden at Tamasei Sushi]

"Flood" Closes Spectacles For Humans

The sign on the door reads: "Due to flood Spectacles for Humans is closed for remodel" and will reopen on April 16th with a trunk show. Plausible with all the rain.

But maybe it has something to do with this March 19th item that appeared SFPD Mission District newsletter:

9:00 a.m.​ 3800  [block of] 24th St. ​ Burglary

The owner arrived at her business to discover that a burglar had entered her business and stolen 450+ pair of eyeglass frames valued at $76,500.

At any rate, expect new inventory soon.