NVV July/August 2015: 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 notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or other resources. Follow the NVV link at the bottom for full articles and all the ads.

July/August  2015

Front Page: San Jose Avenue traffic calming isn't working [for cars]; the earthquake shack was ruled a historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act; Airbnb hosts are successfully colonizing Noe Valley - there are currently 227 rentals in the hood with an average price of $212 per night;  Lhami Sherpa, co-owner of Holy Kitchen on 24th St has family affected by the Nepal quake.

Letters: A hater complains about the benches in front of Martha & Bros; the Garden Tour was a success and well-sponsored by Voice advertisers; a neighbor doesn't like the produce selection and high prices from the new owners of Church Produce.

Features: The bar at 1600 Dolores St has new owners and will be called The Bar on Dolores Street; Horner's Corner is closed and John Dampeer of Caskhouse is buying the bar/restaurant - still no word on planned changes or when it will reopen. Bliss Bar is becoming Tom Rai, a restaurant with live music. RIP local activist Vicki Rosen.

Cost of Living in Noe: Hotter than the surface of the sun. The average house price is up 10 percent year-over-year to $2.4 million according to Zephyr data.

Store Trek: The Podolls (3985 24th St)

Rumors: Short items in the back: Starbucks is killing La Boulange in September - no word on what will move into the corner spot on 24th St but there is still 10 years left on the lease; L'Atelier's brief run of upcycled goods is over and a children's bookstore called Charlie's Corner will move in by September; Work on a new cafe called LaPanotiQ in the old Global Exchange space should begin at the end of the month; VideoWave is losing it's annual lease but hoping to hang tough; The Ark toy store closed it's Presidio Heights store and is having a tough time competing with Amazon (maybe that's why the staff rarely smiles?); Songbird Studios opened and is offering singing lessons; Isso is closed; The Noe Valley Town Square got another grant for $743,543 and construction should start early in 2016; The 24th St. bulbouts, planters, benches and crosswalk improvements are wrapping up and there will be a ribbon-cutting on July 15; Noe Valley Harvest Fest is cancelled this Fall and will return in 2016; The Noe Valley Association will not approve any more parklets for 24th St says Debra Nieman; The new construction on 24th at Church is now expected to be completed in September and the 4 luxury condos and retail space will be available for sale/rent; the Noe Valley Wine Walk returns on August 20.

[The Noe Valley Voice]