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December 31, 2017

This Year in Noe Valley: The Big Stories of 2017

2017 - it’s time to GTFO. Nationally, this was the year of fake news, alternative facts, covfefe, rampant tribalism and #metoo to name just a few of the things that defined our zeitgeist. In California, 2017 is was a year of record-setting rains followed by devastating firestorms. In San Francisco, it was a year of the Warriors winning (again), Mayor Lee dying abruptly and #resist. In other words, this year was exhausting. Things in Noe Valley were a little happier closer to home (hey, it’s still Noe Valley and we are soooooooo lucky to live here), but there was still a lot going on. Here were the biggest stories of 2017 in Noe Valley that preoccupied us, made us smile and that sometimes drove us crazy.


Nature Is Wild
In 2017 Noe Valleyeons spotted coyotes in the hood (including a dead one at Douglass park) and a wayward mountain lion was captured and relocated. We also had some pretty insane rain, heatwaves (115+ degrees reported, but more likely only 106) and lots of spare-the-air fallout from the NorCal and SoCal fires including spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The high point this year for natural phenomenon was the super cool eclipse. Just a little reminder that we’re just all just animals on a hot rock, folks. (Photo via hugitosf) 

Monster Homes and the Ensuing Eviction Backlash
In case you missed it, it’s waaay expensive to live here. The new high mark was the record-setting T-House sold for $12.5 million (for reference, it sold for a record-setting $6.1 million in 2011). Many other $5 and $6 million dollar homes sold for all cash this year. And megahomes are still being built. The dark side of all this: David Talbot posited that the real estate madness in SF is killing off the elderly, including Carl Jensen on 26th Street. However, a Noe Valley woman was the first to beat an Ellis Act eviction in San Francisco - perhaps a sign that evicting the elderly is finally uncool.



Endings, Beginnings and Coming Soon
Lots and lots of retail stores and restaurants closed this year and previously empty storefronts remained empty. Among the departures this year were Good News, Cliché Noe, Pasta Gina, Green11, Bom Dia, Radio Shack, Caskhouse (which is soon turning into a new burger joint)  and Cardio-Tone’s 24th St location. La Nebbia on Church closed but thankfully has been replaced by Ardiana pizzeria. Uma Casa replaced Incanto/Porcellino to rave reviews. Urban Remedy and LeCupboard opened as bougie TV dinner spots - with LeCupboard closing again in November. Overall, restaurants dominated the new business scene, with little pop-ups (like Rafe Mandelman’s campaign headquarters) and realtor offices filling in the rest. The oldest butcher shop in the West continued the tradition with the opening of Baron’s Quality Meats, in the old Drewe’s Meats space on Church. Also of note, Amazon ate Whole Foods this year, so we’ll see what that brings for our local grocery scene. Sadly, there are still around 15 empty storefronts and counting on 24th Street. But on a more upbeat note, the J Church turned 100 this year, Firefly turned 24, and Dorian D. Clair Clock Repair turned 30.


Real Foods Could Become Real Housing (Someday)
In August we got the good news that 14 years on, the Real Foods building has new owners who plan to sell it for housing. Of course, it still has to sell, there’s no clear path forward and it could take years for construction to start. But hey, at least it’s not locked down by the former absentee owners, Neutraceutical Corp. Here’s hoping it’s unblighted in our lifetime.



The Google Bus Is Here to Stay
Never mind that they’re too big for our little streets and very noisy (and this Noe Valley guy notwithstanding), San Francisco voted to make the tech commuter buses permanent. Get used to it. (Photo via photo_by_bill)


People Behaving Badly
Noe Valley was also home to some shenanigans this year like a massive meth bust (whaaa?!) and a racist White Supremacy note from a neighbor (no, it wasn’t on Nextdoor). Noe Valley was also ground zero for package thieves and car break-ins this year, judging from the volume of neighborhood police reports. One woman was so fed up with the package thief situation she wrapped her cat’s dirty kitty litter in boxes for the thieves to get back at them and made the national news for it (it’s come to this?!). The Raspberry of the Year for bad behavior, however, goes to Getzwell Pediatrics which covered up the historic Star Bakery sign with its own eyesore logo. Not cool. (Photo via @peephole) 


New and Notable 
This year we also saw some new stuff in Noe Valley - including duck art installations, lots of GoFord Bike stations and a regular pop-up sauna in the Noe Valley Town Square. Speaking of the Town Square, the space also hosted dozens of events this year including the amazing weekly Farmer’s Market, equinox drumming, dancing, movie nights, political rallies and more. Pretty amazing to see the space come to life so quickly. (Photo via leftcoastsauna)

Phew. We made it. Happy New Year, Noe Valley! Here's to a safe, fun and prosperous 2018.

Yearning for simpler times? Here were the top stories of 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

(Top photo via sam.a.miller)  

NVV Dec 2017: 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.

December 2017

Front Page: 24 days of holiday fun are underway on 24th St (see the schedule at 24on24th.com);  Local tenants on Grand View win concessions from an apartment building owner and a delay until March 1; Dr. Barry Kinney, at 3969 24th St, has been practicing dentistry in Noe Valley for 50 years; Noe Valley Voice to publish a special January 2018 issue that will cover a kids photo contest and a year in review.

Letters: A neighbor writes in support of not demolishing any smaller buildings on 24th St - they're part of the "Noe Valley character;" Tears and love for the Harvey Milk story last issue; A supporter of the Nov 8th anti-Trump candlelight vigil in the Noe Valley Town Square.

Features: The City looks to provide lawyers to tenants evicted from buildings; Photos from the Noe Valley Gala, which raised $9,500 for the Town Square; RIP Debra King, a Noe Valley preschool teacher for 20 years, who died of breast cancer at her Mt. Shasta home.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: Sales of home and condos have leveled off from the peak two years ago. Still, a Dolores St home with an elevator went for $6.5 million. The most expensive condo was a 1592 square foot apartment that sold for $1.85 million on the 1200 block of Sanchez between Clipper and 25th.

Store Trek: Stephen Moore Home Mercantile, 3845 24th St. at Vicksburg

Rumors and Tidbits: Pasta Gina is closed after both cooks quit unexpectedly - the hope is to reopen soon although the owners do want to sell the business; Caskhouse is becoming Hi-Way Burger & Fry [Ed.--Stay tuned for more info here on NVSF]; Le Cupboard has closed and the staff has quit - it's fate is uncertain; There's a giant yellow Amazon locker now blocking windows in Whole Foods; Arte Bella is a new art, clothing and jewelry boutique replacing Monroe SF on 24th St (formerly Common Scents); The Upper Hand nail and lash salon has taken over for Beauty Matters on 24th St; Navarrete's Black Belt Academy is temporarily in the old See Jane Run space while they renovate 1201 Church St; There was a meth bust in Noe last month - and a mountain lion capture; The 49ers bus that leaves from Valley Tavern to Levi Stadium for games has been running with fewer than 20 fans this season; The next Noe Valley Wine Walk is on Dec 7; There was a candlelight vigil on the anniversary of Trump's election in the Noe Valley Town Square; A film called A Spark of Nerve details a Noe Valley teen's successful nerve transfer surgery.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV Nov 2017: 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.

November 2017

Front Page: Harvey Milk used to write a column for the Voice; Grand View resident of 41 years could be displaced when landlord does seismic upgrades; a profile of local fashion illustrator Lynn Rosenzweig.

Letters: A neighbor writes of those who want to change 24th St. by adding new high-density housing: "...for the people who don't live here now, and don't have any interest in the old-world charm, can't they just move someplace else?"

Features: The steps at 20th and Sanchez are among several "Green Gardens" tended by neighbors; profile of a 13 year old Noe Valley Day Trader and budding capitalist.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: Just six single family homes changed hands in September for an average cost of $1.8 million; average rent for a 2 bedroom is $4393 per month.

Store Trek: Le Cupboard Cafe, 1298 Church St. at 25th

Rumors and Tidbits: First Republic is moving into 1354 Castro at Jersey in the former American Title Company space. Two restaurants are rumored to be for sale in Noe Valley (ed. Lazeez? Noe sushi? Fattoush?); meanwhile, three more that are zoned for restaurant use are for rent: the former Bliss Bar, La PanotiQ and Caskhouse. The new owners of Savor have remodeled the patio. Le Cupboard is open and also has vegan vending machines. There will be a gathering at the Town Square on Nov. 8 to bemoan the "sad one-year anniversary" of the election of Donald Trump. On Nov. 17 there will be a Fight Fire with Love benefit concert at the Town Square. The post box at 22nd and Church has been restored. Artist and interior designer Ian Stallings at 3848 24th St has left after less than a year. The Real Foods building is officially for sale and being shown to prospective buyers - no details on a buyer yet.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

October 7, 2017

NVV Oct 2017: 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.

October 2017

Front Page: Clipper St traffic calming will start to happen in 2018; the city is approving more tall multi-unit building on 24th St but neighbors are not thrilled; BistroSF Grill and Chez Marius feature live music on certain nights; the Noe Valley Gala fundraiser is happening Oct 27; lots of Halloween fun happening on Oct 29 at Noe Valley Pet Company and in the Town Square.

Letters: The St. Philips 79th annual festival was a big success, writes the school principal. 

Cost of Living in Noe: The average cost of a Noe Valley home tin August was $2.5 million and the most expensive home sold was $3.95 million; the average price for a condo was $1.6 million.

Short Takes: Halloween happiness: Merchants on 24th St will be welcoming trick-or-treaters on Halloween from mid afternoon to dusk - or catch the early fun at the Halloween pet parade on Oct 29 starting at Noe Valley pet co from 2 to 5pm. The Town Square will also host a Spooktacular on Sunday October 29 from 3-7 pm.

Store Trek: Urban Remedy, 3870 24th Street at Vicksburg

Rumors and Tidbits: We had a heat wave in SF in Sept and it was very, very hot in Noe Valley; There are lots of vacant storefronts on 24th St; District 8 supe candidate Rafael Mandelman has taken over the shop space next to Just for Fun through the June 2018 election; Mehak Vohra, a 21-year old tech entrepreneur and Noe Valley resident is running for mayor - as is NV resident Mark Leno; Wednesdays are sauna days in the Noe Valley Town Square from 6:30 to 9pm every week; The Star Bakery sign has been hijacked by GetzWell Pediatrics (bummer); Stephen Moore is opening his mercantile shop to the public this month in the spot where The Ark used to be; Astrid's Rabat is celebrating 40 years in Noe Valley; and the 2nd annual NV Girl's Film Festival was a big success this year (despite "a lot of submissions by middle aged men") and some of the winners are on YouTube.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

September 9, 2017

NVV Sept 2017: 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.

September 2017

Front Page: NVMPA president April Swann is looking for ways to fill more empty retail stores on 24th St.; vacant for 14 years, the old Real Foods building at 3935-39 24th St. is for sale (asking price not stated, last sold in 2005 for $1.6 million) - although it will likely take another 2 years before we see any construction start to happen in the space; five bike share stations have found a home in Noe Valley in former street parking spots; the SF poet laureate Kim Shuck grew up on Eureka St. between 22nd and 23rd.

Letters: Special thanks from Ivonne Guerrero of Martha & Bros on Church St. to her wonderful neighbors who helped out during a water outage; some love for a post-card writing event at the Farmer's Market in August 5; and thanks from a neighbor to our awesome local fire department who quickly and adeptly put out a recent fire on 23rd St. 

Features: SFMTA is moving two "Google bus" stops to the east side of Church at  24th St; Alvarado Elementary has a new outdoor green space/garden; Upper Noe Rec Center has a new colorful mural that was painted by kids and the community.

Cost of Living in Noe: Only 17 homes sold in June and July and the average cost of a Noe Valley home this summer was "only" $2 million; the average price for a condo was $1.5 million.

Short Takes: Noe Valley Girls Film Festival is back this fall and you can RSVP now; St. Philip Parish Annual Festival is on Sept 23 and 24 this year.

Store Trek: IS Fine Art and Design, 3848 24th Street at Vicksburg

Rumors and Tidbits: Ardiana is open in the former La Nebbia space; Baron's Meats is open for business and serving delicious custom cuts of meat; the entire Bom Dia business is for sale including the fixtures and wine for $279,000 - and the seller is currently in negotiations with a prospective buyer. Sasa's Pizza that was headed for the old Fattoush space has been booted for non-payment of rent. Caskhouse has retrenched to Hamlet. Cardio-Tone on 24th St has vacated their space after nearly 10 years; the old See Jane Run space is still for rent; Verizon is taking over the old Radio Shack space at 4049 24th St. Saru made Eater's list of the 18 best sushi spots in SF.  Rubber ducks were again spotted in Noe Valley in August and NVV speculates it's a symbol of protest in Russia and anti-corruption on Ukraine, Serbia and Brazil. The SFMTA is installing a stop sign on Liberty at Noe St. Whole Foods/Amazon has a bike fixit station at the northeast corner of the parking lot that's getting a lot of use from commuters. Cliche Noe Gifts has an SF Made corner in it's shop, and behind the shop is one of the few operating printing presses in San Francisco (cool!).

[The Noe Valley Voice]

July 23, 2017

This Week in Noe Valley: Another Coyote Sighting, Wildfire Sunsets and Virtue Signaling


The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:
[Photo: Noe cottage sanfranciscoture]

July 15, 2017

NVV July/August 2017: 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 2017

Front Page: There's a Petit Cine, a tiny sidewalk cinema on the 3800 block of Cesar Chavez; profiles of some of the Farmer's Market families; the company that owns Real Foods, Neutraceuticals, is for sale, sparking hope for a sale of the vacant building at 3935-39 24th St.

Letters: A shout-out for the great work of Friends of the Urban Forest for making Noe Valley so full of trees and sidewalk gardens; a love letter to the group that coordinated the concert in the Noe Valley Town Square in May; Several neighbors write in to decry the rash of senior evictions in the neighborhood; a recap of this year's Garden Tour and RIP "Big Mike" Lefiti, the Upper Noe UPS driver who was killed in the workplace shooting at the Portrero UPS in June.

Features: The District 8 Supervisor race is already ramping up and Sheehy and Mandelman are the main rivals so far; SF City Guides have several free history walks in our little neighborhood. Eva Skoufis, owner of the coin-op laundry at 1732 Church has retired after 29 years and the new owners, Leanne Yu and Ann Truong have taken over.

Cost of Living in Noe: The average cost of a Noe Valley home in May jumped to $3.1 million thanks to the recent sale of the renovated No. 44 firehouse on 22nd St. for $5.3 million and the home at 526 Duncan for a record $12.5 million. The latter is now the most expensive home in Noe Valley; it first sold for $5.3 million in 2005 (not a bad appreciation).

Short Takes: Lots going on in the Town Square all summer - schedule here. Local comedians will descend on Valley Tavern the first Thursday of every month - there's no cover for the show. Folio Books also has an active summer events calendar for kids and adults. Juri Commons park at the edge of Noe Valley just got a grant for some playground updates.

Store Trek: Shop Monroe, 3920A 24th Street at Sanchez

Rumors and Tidbits: Rubber ducks were again spotted in Noe Valley on June 23; Radio Shack has left the building and the space is for rent for $9,000 per month. Savor has changed management and is now the Savor Open Kitchen with a few new menu items. Le Cupboard is now open. The For Rent sign is down in the old Good News space, but no rconfirmation of a new tenant or if it's been rented. The old Bom Dia is still for rent. And a For Rent sign has appeared on a former dry cleaner spot on 29th and Noe. Just for Fun is selling fidget spinners. The most popular movie rentals at Video Wave are Get Out, Logan and Hidden Figures.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

June 4, 2017

NVV June 2017: 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.

June 2017

Front Page: Noe Valley lawmaker Mark Leno wants to be mayor; Noe Courts is open; BofA security guard James Grant moonlights as a singer and appeared at the Town Square; local filmmaker Jeffrey Braverman will have a short film called David in Brief at Frameline, the SF LGBTQ Film Festival.

Letters: Letter from a neighbor lamenting the loss of Good News newsstand on 24th St; a response to last month's Trump supporter; and a clarification on Karen Oliveto, pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church.

Features: RIP local filmmaker Dan Halas; Julia Ready closing her local daycare business after 27 years.

Cost of Living in Noe: The average cost of a Noe Valley home in April was $2.4 million as more homes came to market; the most expensive sale was a $4.1 million home on the 4300 block of 25th St. which went for 4.7 percent below asking.

Short Takes: SummerFEST is on June 11 this year; the free evening movies in Dolores Park this year are posted; garbage rates are going to rise this year.

Store Trek: The Rabbit Hole Theater Company, 800 Diamond St

Rumors and Tidbits: Urban Remedy, a local chain and purveyor of plant-based foods is taking over the old DavidsTea space and the grand opening is June 24; Cotton Basics is opening up a new annex in the old Green 11 space next to just for fun which will specialize in posters and cotton logo wear. Honeycomb Salon now offers 7AM hair cuts for regulars. The former Good News space is renting for $3,000 a month - owners of a barber, a store selling art stuff and a yogurt shop have so far expressed interest. Savor is undergoing a change of ownership. La PanotiQ abruptly closed last month. Wise Sons Deli in the Mission is selling bread at Whole Foods. Neighbor's Corner at 21st and Douglass has applied to be a restaurant so it can keep its seats. Neutraceutical is being bought by a private equity firm and the Real Foods store is reportedly slated to be sold in the transaction (here's hoping).

[The Noe Valley Voice]