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. June 2011
Front Page: Happy Donuts (home of the best glazed doughnut in SF) has a line of 6 people waiting for fresh donuts at 2 a.m.; SummerFEST is happening this June 25; Noe is losing another indie bookstore on June 15; profile of Randy Myers who does the heroic work of keeping 24th St. looking great.
Letters: More stories about the dangers of 24th & Church crosswalks - and of walking on Sanchez; dog owner says "animals are our children" and asks for people to learn to curb their kids too; support for the AT&T communications boxes if they come with greening; a reader worried about the health of local hardware store Tuggey's (Ed- yeah, the shelves are looking pretty bare these days); more on the ADA lawsuit madness; fun St. Paul church trivia (an anecdote about the filming of Sister Act at the church).
Cost of Living in Noe: Firehouse 44 at 3816 22nd St. sold for $4,050,000 in April. It was one of 6 single-family homes that sold that month, and the 2nd most expensive sale ever in Noe. The most expensive house - called the T-house at 526 Duncan (aka the House that Google Bought) - sold for $5.3 million in 2005 and just went on the market again for $6.4 million.
Short Takes: Cesar Chavez work begins this month; Noe Courts is looking to make a June 24 grant deadline; Glen Park now has a farmer's market that runs Sundays from 10-12 through Oct. 16 in the BART parking lot at Bosworth @ Arlington; Dolores Park renovations are underway.
Store Trek: Fahrenheit new hair salon (1195 Church St. at 24th).
Rumors: The lotion and soap store Common Scents is thriving - especially since Whole Foods opened; Fima Photography is not leaving to make way for a gluten-free bakery; lots of ongoing shop vacancies on 24th St. - though a sushi bar appears possible in the old Tamasei spot; The Animal Company is moving into the old Cover to Cover spot - expected open date is July 1; Tuttimelon is no more in Noe; Noe Valley Garden Tour was a success, raising several thousand dollars for local beautification projects; Friends of Noe Valley meets again June 23; DPT is cracking down on even partial sidewalk parking.
[The Noe Valley Voice]
I would really love to patronize Tuggy's more, but their ridiculous hours make it hard. I mean, closing at 3 on Sundays? That's when people are working on projects around the house. And 5 on Saturdays? That's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to compete with Lowe's, you need to be open at times that are good for the customers, even if they're not good for you.
I've tried to go to Tuggy's three times in the past few months and they were closed every time. Ended up going to Lowe's on Bayshore each time. I give up.
I don't go to Tuggeys ANYMORE. EVER.
ReplyDeleteWent there recently to get a simple 60 watt fl lightbulb. The stock on their shelves was disorganized, and mostly empty. The clerk there had "no idea" when they would be getting in more bulbs. Bulbs are pretty damn basic!
The store is understocked, out of date, and out of touch with the neighborhood. I only go to Cole, or Lowes from now on.
Karma?
ReplyDeleteKarma indeed. Been in the neighborhood 1+ years and Tuggey's has consistently been a disappointment. We used to live in the Pacific Heights area and I miss my dear old Brownies on Polk Street.
ReplyDeleteWhile I echo that their hours would be better if they stayed open a little later (been caught a few times going there in the weekday evenings to find them closed), I actually have always had TERRIFIC experience there. Every time I walk in there's someone asking right away how they can help. They've offered me good advice on how to fix certain things. 100% great experience for me.
ReplyDeleteI have found their service and informative staff great to deal with. The young man working in the store now is especially helpful. I do wish they were open more on weekends but I am glad they are in the neighborhood and will try and support them more.
ReplyDeleteYea, the reason someone is always there right when you walk in the front door is that they are NOT VERY BUSY.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they just clean up the place and get it fully stocked? that's not asking a lot. I get tired of having to trip over stuff cluttering the aisles.
I always head over to Cole Hardware on Mission instead. I know they'll have what I need. And more importantly, I know they'll be open.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if anyone out there has a Real Foods update. It hasn't been discussed on the blog for a couple of years and continues to be a big question mark.
ReplyDeleteThe owners of the building said they were going to apply for a demolition permit once they came up with plans--but that was over a year ago at a public meeting...and they haven't been heard of since. I think that they don't like Noe Valley and a Real Foods in the face of Whole Foods (with parking) won't ever work again, so they will keep it status quo or sell the space for a zillion dollars. To bad for us.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Supervisor Weiner or the Voice could find out what the owner's intentions are....or maybe somebody from this anonymous blog can make contact, ask, and then tell us all what the owners say.
Why don't we just drop the Real Foods issue for good. It's very old news, nothing is going to happen. Let's just move on and let it be. It's a private business,the building is privately owned, they can do what they want.
ReplyDeleteEnd of story.
the last comment comes from someone who has no interest in the commercial viability of our commerce strip
ReplyDeleteWrong! I love 24th St and shop there a lot. But businesses come and go for all kinds of reasons.
ReplyDeleteIf people are so concerned about that vacant store then they should inquire about BUYING THE PROPERTY and starting their own business.
Regardless of how one may feel about the politics and attitudes of the Real Food people, they are a business that ultimately failed.
To the last comment(you must be new to the neighborhood and have a 19th Century view of capitalism or a distorted view of socialism that "we" can buy the property--assuming it were for sale-- and start our own business--oh please!), for your information, the Real Food Company did not fail. Back in 2002 that business was purchased by a corporate giant, Nutraceutical International Corporation of Park City, Utah, through its subsidiary Fresh Organics, Inc.and in circa 2005 acquired that property as part of a court settlement over disputes with the prior owners of Real Foods. In 2003 their solution to the employees of that store attempting to organize with a union was to fire all the employees and close the store "for remodeling"
ReplyDeleteSorry, dear, I've lived and owned property in Noe for 30 years now, and I know what I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteI simply "simplified" what you took the long way around to say:
Real Foods (in Noe V) failed.
Buy the damn store and start your own business if you don't like empty store fronts.
That's REAL CAPITALISM.
Well then, dear, I would suggest you get a custom made tee shirt with the following printed on the front: "I know what I'm talking about."
ReplyDeleteAnd I do honey. I really do.
ReplyDelete"It's a private business,the building is privately owned, they can do what they want."
ReplyDeleteSo true. In fact, the owners are now shipping in several dozen teenaged girls from developing countries and planning on opening a joint brothel/meth lab.
Cuz they can do what they want! That's called CAPITALISM!
More seriously, the site as is is really knocking on the boundary of blight, which while not as outside the lines of the acceptable imposed limits on pure lasseiz-faire capitalism as prostitution and the manufacturing of illegal drugs, is still something which can be remedied. Unlike dog poop on the sidewalks which will continue to persist.
Good Murph. How about the city starting a condemnation action against this blight, pay the owner off with open space funds, demolish it, and create the town square there. It for sure is now a house of ill repute.
ReplyDeletep.s. my word verification for this comment, curiously is "fixedg"
I for one have definitely pestered Wiener and the NVA people about this. It's definitely on their radar but I think they're as puzzled as we are - I can't see what Nuetraceutical's upside is at this point.
ReplyDeleteThat location is screaming to be something like this
Once we can get past murphs really lame joke, we realize he doesn't have any basis for complaining about the property.
ReplyDeleteIt's not blighted. It's just an empty building with the front windows papered over. Big deal. There are actually quite a few buildings and home fronts directly on 24th St. that are seriously in disrepair. Complain about those too.
And, btw, the LAST thing we need on 24th st. is a dumb Disneyesque McDonalds style of kid museum.
I think more of this complaint about the building has to do with the actual events that took place within it and with the management.
Buy the damn building if you want to change the situation.
I say we turn it into a parklet.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Cranky Noe Valley Neighbor
"It's not blighted. It's just an empty building with the front windows papered over. Big deal."
ReplyDeleteThat's what you see. What you don't see is that the interior is completely messed up, the roof is in disrepair and leaking, there are openings to the outside. This is actual blight that will attract rodents/etc... which do cause actual problems for nearby businesses and residences.
Ref: The person who lives behind the building and can see it from their back window.
And to further respond to your troll, ask the neighboring businesses what they think of having an empty storefront next to them? How much foot traffic does that building bring into the area? None.
And if the LAST thing we need on 24th Street is a Habitots, what DO we need? Certainly not a boarded up building.
There have been overtures to buy the building from Nuetraceutical but they aren't listening. Every man has their price, but if the sales price makes no sense, that's a steep ask for anyone for the "sake of the community". Capitalism and all...
Hi last anon: I am sure the Neutra folks will be happy to know that there is at least one person in Noe Valley defending their right to blight our commercial district for the last EIGHT YEARS.
ReplyDeleteThose people who criticize this empty building never seem to offer construction options as to how to bring it back as a viable storefront.
ReplyDeleteThey just continue to complain about "blight" and "rodents" and lack of foot traffic. Last time I was on 24th St. last Sunday the sidewalks were packed with people. Very busy. So what's the problem? 24th St. is bustling and busy. An empty storefront or 2 is not going to doom the entire shopping area.
Again, I would ask the critics: Figure out how to buy the building and put in a well needed business.
Come up with the dollars or shut up.
Man, i'll throw in $10 just so this lady will stop talking about how we should buy the building and come up with a business idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll throw in $20 just to shut you up.
ReplyDeleteSweet. Thanks.
ReplyDeletewhere have all the commenters gone
ReplyDelete