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]

This Week In Noe Valley: Pride Week And #LoveWins - Plus Some Ridiculousness

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• The story of Noe Valley’s Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, an important piece of pride history [SF Chronicle]
• Noe Valley’s painted ladies [felipefontouraa]
• And the pride house [home_schooling]
• Dolores Park was just a tad crowded today [myfanglicious]
• An interview with Songbird Studios founder Whitney Nichole [SF Station]
• ICYMI: Neighborhood activist Vicki Rosen dies of cancer [NVSF]
• New restaurant to replace burned out Bliss Bar is approved [NVSF]
• Did anyone lose a chicken? [@jheyman]
• Homes in SF are now selling for $1M over asking – including 471 Hoffman in Noe [SF Gate]
• $7 to get from Noe Valley to SOMA via Uber – enjoy it while it lasts and drives alternatives out of business [@peterpham]
• This guy [@iamhenrydodge]

[Photo: Happy Pride and raising money for Glacier National Park sipsnacksweatsf]

This Week In Noe Valley: Wider Sidewalks, Landlord From Hell, And A Sign Of The Bubble

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Almost done: The new bus stop and bulbout on Castro and 24th [@Scott_Wiener]
• And a couple of videos of the crosswalk installation [@sfpublicworks, @theoverheadwire ]
• Time travel: Classic Corvette on Church Street [tfaccone]
• "Stunning" [@iamvivita]
• Eviction specialist and Noe Valley landlord from hell being sued by City [SF Gate]
• Scott Wiener on the mission moratorium defeat and where we go from here [SF Examiner]
• SF’s median rent is not $4225 (but it’s still really high) [SocketSite]
• Is the Noe/Mission/Castro TrashDay fake/real startup a sign of the apocalypse bubble? [MarketWatch]
• Does anyone know the history of the Noe Valley Red Light District? [@jlassen]
• The June issue of the Noe Valley Voice is out [NVV]
• Noe Valley SummerFest is coming Saturday June 20 from 11-5 [NoeValleySummerfest]
• Noe Valley – the t-shirt [Etsy]

[Photo: Hey sun, stay a little longer why don't you? ☀️ via hey_im_kate ]

This Week In Noe Valley: Thrasher Mag At James Lick, Contigo Building For Sale, And Trashday Worry RIP

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Contigo's building is for sale -- only $2.3 million [via @nnnlistings]
• Median rent is $4225 in SF – 16% higher than this time last year [Curbed]
• Songbird Studios is opening at 3823 24th Street – formerly OpenVoice Studios [@SongbirdSF]
• Thrasher Mag takes over James Lick – never mind the signs #ripperatclipper [jayhum and projectno155]
• Coming soon to Noe Valley: People who take your trash out for you [Trashday.co]
• 25th St condo takes a price hit - what's wrong with it? [4207-25th.com]

[Photo: Noe Valley Ministry and Prius via @jwcofrin]

This Week In Noe Valley: Hipster Coffee Battles, Debating Stanford Douchebags, And Other Signs of the Times

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Fun with yard art: No more Barbies. A dinosaur lives here now [merrij]
• The windows at the Peaks were smashed on Friday night by a drunk customer [@karlsf]
• And the stereo store was also broken into [@shaketini]
• Noe Valley median real estate prices - SRHs up 21% to $1015 per square foot in 2014 [Downing & Co.]
• The modern new Noe Valley Ministry stained glass [Coda Worx]
• Noe Valley fixer in prime location lists for $850,000 – will probably sell for $1.28 and then be flipped for $4.3 million (that's our guess) [SocketSite]
• With fewer seats at the new Philz post-remodel the hipster table battles are on #changeishard [@breyeschow]
• Signs of Noe Valley [joodyjoods]
• Are Stanford douchebags ruining San Francisco (and especially Noe Valley)? [SF Gate]
• Yes, says David Talbot, founder of Salon… [48HillsOnline]
• So does this Noe Valley resident [SF Gate]
• Investment company Ivanhoé Cambridge is spending $190 million to snap up multi-family dwellings around the city, including in Noe Valley [MultifamilyBiz]
• For all those wondering about the helicopters this week – scenes from the scary fire in the Mission [CrowdAlbum]
• Good news for local MUNI riders: Supervisor Scott Wiener is elected chair of SF Transportation Authority [@Scott_Wiener]

[Photo: Happy homes via juliahengel]

NVV Oct 2014: 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 2014

Front Page: Noe Valley Ministry will reopen in November; A must-read piece about the tech shuttle buses and the new routes that are outraging residents of 26th St and Duncan (other streets could be next); Harvest Fest (coming on Sat Oct. 18) turns 10 this year.

Letters: The mystery Alvarado tree pruner fesses up and defends his pruning of YOUR trees; A plug for Prop F and against Prop I; RIP Bruno, "a dog who loved food."

Cost of Living in Noe: A house on Fountain sells for $5.15 million; condos are moving briskly and average $1.1 million.

Rumors: 24 HoliDAYS celebration starts this year on Dec 1 with events through Christmas; The SFMTA has agreed to postpone bulbouts on 24th St until after the holidays; The former Joshua Simon spot will become Lazeez, a Middle-Eastern food spot that will serve shawarma, falafel, hummus and sandwiches - it will be operated by the owners of Savor and expects to open this spring; Shufat got a health score of 100 for its deli; Real Foods is still stalled; Whole Foods named James Lick Middle School the beneficiary of its Nickels for Non-Profits Program; Valley Tavern's limited entertainment license was approved for live music - and you can also catch buses to the 49ers games there; Elizabeth Street Brewery donated beer to this year's St. Philip Parish Festival; The steam-cleaning of streets on 24th St has some residents worried about water use during the drought (the NV CDA has an exception for water use); The Noe Valley Ministry is re-opening and throwing a party with local chefs; The construction on Mark Zuckerberg's $10 million house at 21st St and Fair Oaks is annoying neighbors - and just outside the Liberty Hill Historic District designation; The fortress-like home at 801 Sanchez which hasn't been occupied for 40 years has reportedly been sold for $10 million.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: The Way You Park, Designer Houses, And First Review Of Horner's Corner

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Check Please, Bay Area! filmed at The Little Chihuahua Noe Valley this week [KQED]
• Your neighbors are judging your parking etiquette - harshly [eyeanstagram]
• Only in SF, Part 1 [earthtone78]
• Only in SF, Part 2 [smarie825; Follow him here: @norris_pj]
• Two new passive energy houses approved for Noe Valley [Curbed]
• House designed by John Maniscalco closes waaaay over-asking (aka under-listed) [SocketSite]
• ICYMI: One of the steepest streets in the US is in our hood [Gizmodo; Also: disputed]
• Holy Kitchen is opening this Tuesday [Tablehopper; day confirmed by phone]
• First review of the fare at Horner's Corner [SFoodie]
• Google gives Muni $6.8 million hush money to pay for free youth access; will it quiet David Campos? [TechCrunch]

[Photo: Good morning stairs, by margaritaazucar]

This Week In Noe Valley: Similar SF Neighborhoods, Noe Valley Stereotypes, And War Breaks Out On Vicksburg St

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Photos of Billy Goat Hill [7x7]
• Google Shopping Express has arrived [@timpapandreou]
• Gas leak on 25th St [SF Appeal]
• OH: horrific travel story [@kevinchlo]
• Curbed's new associate editor thinks Noe Valley is like Sesame Street [Curbed]
• "Noe Valley is a poor man’s Russian Hill" [Anson Whitmer]
• Philz Coffee wants to be a good neighbor [via @Percysperson]
• An uprising on Vicksburg - #WarOnRats [@jane_e_nevins]

[Photo: Mosaic at Cradle of the Sun, by deemanator]

This Year In Noe Valley: The Big Stories Of 2013

Nationally 2013 was the year of NSA spying, twerking, and the Harlem Shake among other things. Bay Area residents will also remember it as the year of BART strikes, Bat Kid and The Stick closing. But it was also the year of the selfie, which longtime Noe Valley resident and linguist Geoffrey Nunberg picked as his word of the year.

In that spirit, here's a selfie of Noe Valley for 2013 - a snapshot of the stories that preoccupied us, delighted us and sometimes drove us crazy in our little village this year:

Changes and Rebirth on 24th and Church Streets
Lots of businesses opened and closed around Noe this year, including some very old ones on 24th St. The Noe Valley Deli was reborn as Griddlefresh. The second When Modern Was space turned into a Candy Bar. The 28-year-old Phoenix bookstore became Folio Books. Sway closed. Bliss Bar burned and remains closed. Bay Castle Cleaners vacated. LOLA left for the avenues and is now a nail salon with a stereo store next door. Caskhouse opened. Happy Donuts got a new sign. Swatdee will become an Indian restaurant. Over on Church Street, Dermalounge departed and was replaced with La Tira wax studio, La Ciccia added La Nebbia, and the mystery restaurant remains a mystery.

Real Estate Anxiety Escalates
With the Twitter IPO and home sales averaging above $1.5 million, the biggest thing on many peoples' minds was OMGWTF?! And will I ever be able to buy/move/rent/live here again? The answer from the Magic 8 Ball: Reply hazy try again, Cannot predict now and Ask again later.

The Google Bus Wars Rage On
What started as just an irritation for some Noe Valley residents has turned into a full-blown clash of the classes and an emblem for many of why Silicon Valley techno riche startup culture is ruining SF. This could get worse before it gets better.

Crime Is A Worry
Noe Valley might feel like a little village sometimes but we had plenty of big crime to worry about this year including a brutal beating, armed robbery, a hatchet attack, phone grabbing, a high-speed police chase, lots of theft like this, the return of the package thief and a bomb threat. Put your phone away, lock your doors and keep your eyes open, folks.

The Town Square Is Happening
The Noe Valley Farmer's Market turned 10 this year – and to ensure it will be around for another 100+ years, a group of Noe residents convinced the city to buy the Ministry parking lot and turn it into a green space and permanent home for the NV Farmer's Market. Woot!

What's Ahead in 2014
2013 is over but there's also a lot to look forward to in 2014. The greening and repaving of Cesar Chavez will be done soon which should make the commute along that corridor easier. Noe residents have been wishing for better things than the blighted Real Foods storefront – and in 2014 we may get that wish. Scott Wiener and Carol Yenne went to Utah and met with Nutraceutical Corp, and learned that the company plans to demolish the Real Foods building next year and construct an unspecified replacement that won't include one of their own stores. Also ahead: Noe's Bar will become a neighborhood restaurant and local hangout called Horner's Corner by the time the Super Bowl arrives. And the year will end with a District 8 supervisor race. Now we just need some rain.

Here's to a safe, fun and prosperous 2014. Happy New Year, Noe Valley!

The New Normal For Income Property In Noe Valley?

A reader pointed us to a listing on Craigslist offering 1688 Dolores for $9500/month. What raised his eyebrow is that 1688 recently flipped and sold after a relatively long time on market. We;re curious, too, so we turned to John Downing for some background. In short, a developer bought it from the bank in 2011 for $928,000, renovated and put it on the market in April of 2013 for $2.295M. It went in and out contract, on and off the market and eventually closed escrow on November 4 for $2.2M.

All of which begs the question: why would someone pay $2.2M for a house and then put it on Craigslist as a long term rental? We asked John if he knew anything more:

That's an interesting question. I did some more digging. Looks like the buyer purchased it as a 2nd home. They put $1.2M down and got a $1M loan with a 30/yr amo from BOA. The mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance might be just be under the $9,500 asking rent.

What do you think? Is a $2,200,000 single family home on Dolores near 30th the new normal for income property?

This Week In Noe Valley: Twitter IPO Real Estate Angst, Crime Rolls Downhill, and Where Locals Eat

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• With the Twitter IPO "expect home prices to go up, especially in and around Noe Valley" [ABC Local]
• "OH: 'Once we go public, we'll be in the 1%' #noevalley" [@karlsf]
• On the Bay Bridge opening: "In the year 2113, when our descendants celebrate the bridge's centennial, $6.4 billion might be enough to buy a nice house in Noe Valley." [SF Gate]
• But for now you can rent this mattress for $2,100 [@mikeindustries]
• Crime doesn't climb in SF (which is why buying on a hill isn't just about the view) [Socketsite]
• How SF maps to Seattle: Noe Valley = Ravenna? [Geekwire]
• Modern Market at 1401 Church Street posts a permit for transfer of ownership [CA ABC]
• Apartment fire on Clipper St [@nelson]
• Bernie's makes this top 10 best coffee shops list, but the quoted reviewer clearly doesn't know Bernie [Stuff]
• Where the locals eat in SF – La Ciccia makes the list [USA Today]

[Photo: "Between the Mission and Noe Valley, my shadow is the length of an entire block," Wndrlost]

NVV April 2013: 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 outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until the middle of the month.

April 2013

Front Page: The faces of Noe Valley - a photo collection of local residents from the NVV archives.

Letters: A neighbor's harrowing tale of being almost run over at 24th and Douglass (and breaking her wrist) while trying to walk her dog; another walker complains of stroller pushers and dog owners running solo pedestrians off the sidewalk and into traffic; a whistle-blower sends the license plate of a blue bin recycling thief; and curious minds wants to know why the flats at 1220-1222 Church St. next to Happy Donuts have been empty for so long [Ed.-- no answer from NVV, but according to the DBI the building is listed as abandoned and currently under investigation].

Store Trek: Little Folkies.

Cost of Living in Noe: Very little inventory is driving up prices for rentals and homes. Case in point: An Eastlake Stick Victorian that was once the home of August Coppola in the 90s (brother of Francis Ford Coppola) listed for 1.79 million and sold for 1.93 million.

Rumors: A history quiz of Noe Valley designed to make you feel like an interloper (unless you're from here); "Ninety-generian" Jeanne Galarza will celebrate her birthday eating out at a 24th St restaurant (for the first time) with SFPD officer Lorraine Lombardo; Everyone likes the new Happy Donuts sign; Mark Zuckerberg was spotted buying flowers at The French Tulip; Chris Cosentino of Incanto was nominated for a 2013 James Beard Award; Contigo and La Ciccia get a nod in 7x7 for best Spanish and Italian restaurants in SF; Selecta Auto Body is moving to Bernal Heights and Noe Valley Autoworks is expanding upstairs; Noe Valley Deli is under construction; the Asian fusion restaurant on 25th and Church has passed inspections but an open date is still unknown.

Notable: No back page full of April Fools stories. What replaced it? A Zephyr ad.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Year In Noe Valley: The Big Stories Of 2012

For the rest of the world this might have been the year of Gangnam Style, Call Me Maybe, Superstorms, "the most important election of your lifetime" and the fiscal cliff. But in Noe Valley we were obsessed with local issues. Here's a look back at some of the major themes and top stories from 2012 that resonated in our little village:

It Was a Year of Cool Meteorological Events…
The end of the Mayan calendar barely registered among NV residents, but who cares about that when you've got the awesome transit of Venus, a solar eclipse and a blue moon. While not a meteor, the space shuttle Endeavour buzzed Noe on the way to LA, which was also pretty cool.

Unreal Estate…
Facebook went public this year feeding a frenzy of real estate action in the hood, including the rebirth of the Blue Church on Church St as The Luxe, trust fund house lust, and average home prices of $1.5+ million and counting. And even as a former crack house sold for $1.3 million, Mark Zuckerberg bought a pied–à–terre close by.

Natural and Unnatural Disasters…
The wild weather around the country didn't spare Noe Valley as a fluke thunderstorm and lightning strike zapped transformers on 24th and Hoffman in November, causing more than a few locals to leap out of bed in alarm. The strange weather may also have been the culprit behind this naked car stomper. Granted we did not have extreme weather events, but the bigger threat this year was fire: After the 2-alarm 2011 conflagration in the Radio Shack building, our little hood experienced not one, not two, but five house fires and one case of arson in 2012. Fire and Victorians don't mix – be careful out there.

Changes on 24^th and Church Streets…
Lots of businesses closed or relocated this year including Urban Nest, Ladybug Ladybug, Kohler-Jones, Design Quarter, La Sirena Botanica, Heliotrope, and more than a few business were also scared away by the obnoxious ADA lawsuits. Even the oldest store in the neighborhood, Tuggey's, vacated after decreasing sales and the realization that the real money was in renting the space to...One Medical Group. Meanwhile, First Republic bailed on 24th St after merchants and locals objected, Real Foods of course remains blighted with no resolution in sight, and La Boulange was assimilated by Starbucks. Fortunately there was good news including the addition to 24th St of Loft 1513, Saru Sushi Bar, Easy Breezy, Mill, Olive This Olive That, Philz, DAVIDsTEA, and Pressed Juicery. Coming very soon: CraftCaskHouse and MF Chicken. All of this added up to AAA naming Noe one of the best window shopping areas in SF.

Crime and Punishment…
Despite NV's reputation for being a yuppie sleepy bedroom community, we had plenty of crime to worry about this year. Bike thefts were rampant, there was DEA action on Chatanooga, upper Noe became a dumping ground for stolen cars, joggers were harassed, iPhones were snatched at gunpoint (and in broad daylight), crime continued on Fair Oaks and a package thief made life hell for residents. Fortunately there was also some justice served: the Fair Oaks rapist of 2011 was sentenced to 373 years to life, the notorious bad neighbor and copper thief was sentenced to 3 years after "his" house was sold, and a brave local resident caught the package thief in action with some bear spray, a bokken and…some serious chutzpah. Huzzah!
 

 
#FirstWorldProblems …
In addition to crime, we had some whining too: The city installed an electric vehicle charging station at Walgreen's that prompted some outrage and a few cheers; Whole Foods had to close the parking lot for a nanosecond in August to resurface the pavement (the horror); and a few neighbors complained about the SFPD availing themselves of "entitled" parking spots. [It's parking folks, that's all.] Another hot button was the Noe Valley Town Square – which crossed the $430,000 fundraising mark in October (the last time there was an update - is it losing momentum?). 2012 was also the year that the outside world took note of the Google Bus phenom.

There Are Lots of Reasons to Celebrate...
We live in a beautiful neighborhood, in a beautiful city – with lots of cheer around us. Here's to a safe and prosperous 2013. Happy New Year, Noe Valley!

Letter: SFPD Abusing Parking Privileges?

A reader writes:

I am a Noe Valley Resident and lately have noticed how city police officers are to a certain extent abusing their privilege of no hassle parking to run errands while on the job. Last Friday, I was at the Korean restaurant and witnessed two police officers pull up and park their car in the bus stop section and came in for dinner. I understand the need to have the car close by in case they have an emergency but that seems like a bit too much leeway.

I am trying to understand if you folks would be willing to write something in this regard on the blog, I have pictures of the cops and their parking.

Abuse of power or necessary for effective police work? Is the Google Bus displaced? Does Robert Roddick know about this? Your (polite) thoughts in the comments, please.

NVV July/Aug 2012: 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 outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories until the middle of the month.

July/August 2012

Front Page: Noe neighbors nix the idea of losing a Muni stop at 30th; First Republic approved for 24th St; merchants are noticing an uptick in petty crime, shoplifters and "unbalanced homeless men" in the neighborhood as beat cops are spread too thin.
 
Letters: A reader opines that 24th and Church needs a traffic light for pedestrians; a plea for Noe Valleyeans to be Town Square heroes; Liberty resident alarmed that Muni wants to nix the Liberty St stop (reason: it's a scary blind corner if Muni doesn't pause there); the 2012 Noe Valley Garden Tour sold 200 tickets this year and the winning garden was Jana and Geoff King on Cesar Chavez; a Valley St resident rails against the white dots requiring sidewalk repair (choice quote: "the blinding white of replacement squares is a physical annoyance..."); a fan of First Republic chimes in; a Duncan neighbor warns of the perils of rat poison to other local pets (use traps instead); more Examiner grumping; SF Girl Scouts (Ed.--and more likely their parents as anyone who works in an office knows) are the top Cookie sellers in Northern California; and farewell Miss Kit, the much-loved "oldest dog in Noe Valley."

Cost of Living in Noe: Buyers are routinely paying 5% to 10% over asking. It's hot out there. Good luck renting.

Store Trek: Philz Coffee (4298 24th St.)

Short Takes: A $1700 sandbox cover was installed at Upper Noe Rec Center to keep out the late-night feline visitors using it as a litter box. (Ed.--It's an old problem not likely to go away.)

Rumors: La Boulange is now owned by Starbucks; Radio Shack will open "sometime toward the end of August" and the 2 upper units will be ready for renters in July; Tuggey's is closing at the end of the summer at which point the new tenant will be revealed ("in negotiations"); rumors that First Republic could have moved into the Real Foods space are wishful thinking so Real Foods remains a black hole; Noe Valley Town Square needs $3.6 million and so far Patxi's has pledged the most at $24,000, matching grants are materializing and residents are organizing house parties "hosted by people who work for for large Silicon Valley companies;" US DHS director to speak July 18 at St. Philip's Church; news from the blogosphere covered here at NVSF and elsewhere; and kudos to the St Philip's baseball team for 1st and 3rd places in the citywide tournament.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Witnesses Wanted: Party Poopers On 24th St

This from the Noe Valley Parents email list:

Did anyone notice the drunk/messed up couple who wreaked havoc in Noe Saturday night? They were trying to find parking by waking up residents and crashing their car into a parked vehicle and a garage door on 24th street between Noe and Castro.

They were generally very loud and threatening and possibly attending a party in the area. I am looking to figure out the licence plate on their Ford (which had a big Giants sticker on the rear window) which also is missing a rear tail light.

Any help appreciated.

See something? Know the perps? Are you the perp and feeling guilty? Send us what info you have and we'll pass it to the originator of the above plea.

[Photo: Babble]

Forget A Cup Of Sugar From This Guy

You think you hate your neighbors? A notorious 24th Street resident made the news again today in a Chronicle story about copper thieves getting away with it. But this bit of info caught our attention:

His fortunes changed in 2010 when a friend died, leaving a home on a fashionable block of 24th Street in Noe Valley. McGuire produced a will showing he had inherited 60 percent of the house.

Less than two years later, McGuire owes more than $138,000 in property taxes that date to 2005, records show, and another friend of the original homeowner is contesting the will in court, saying he was deeded the house.

"The house is full of drug addicts," said the would-be homeowner, 51-year-old Al Heinicke of San Mateo, and McGuire is "charging all of them rent. The next thing that's going to happen is that the house is going to catch on fire."

For now, the home is the subject of a campaign by neighbors to persuade the city to file a nuisance lawsuit. In a recent letter, they asked Supervisor Scott Wiener to intervene.

His neighbors really don't like the many-times-over convicted felon with all the drug users en suite and the bizarre behavior (never mind a lack of flushable toilets).

FWIW, multiple sources place McGuire at 4267 24th St.

[SFGate: SF man provides window into lucrative copper thefts]

Google Buses Behaving Badly

Longtime readers of this blog know that Google (and other) corporate shuttles have been controversial in Noe Valley. Homeowners appreciate the value they add, users continuously remind us that they cut down on cars on the road (as if living where you work wouldn't), and people who don't work in Silicon Valley complain about their neighborhood becoming a bus depot. But for the first time, we have a complaint about the buses from a bus user...of another company:

Noe Valley Editors - I read your blog on Noe Valley and I wanted to write in about an issue I've been noticing in our neighborhood. We our own home at 22nd Street and Noe. We have lived in Noe for 8 years and just recently, I noticed Google switching its private commuter shuttle bus route from 24th street to go on local streets that were not intended to be used by such large buses...

This reminds me of the incident where Google was upsetting residents on Jersey Street years ago. As a fellow Silicon Valley employee, I can empathize with the desire to have commuter bus shuttle service to service the commute to/from the Peninsula. I have commuted in/out of the Peninsula my entire career here in the Bay Area for the past 13 years but my employee commuter shuttle runs up/down Guerrero Street and does not go down the local neighborhood streets.

I believe these are the Google buses that are at fault but these private commuter shuttles are running west on 24th Street, going right onto Noe, driving up the hill, and making a left on 22nd Street to cut over to Castro Street. I am pretty sure they are doing this to avoid the traffic of commuter shuttles and SF buses and the light at the corner of 24th and Castro. I am upset by this as my children play on 22nd Street, it's a small street towards the top of the hill and was never intended to be a street served by bus traffic. I am wondering what we can do to help rectify this issue as a community as the Jersey Street folks did years ago for their street.

Which brings up a question: Do the commuters who use these buses ever confront the drivers for using inappropriate streets, bus stops, etc? Or are they just along for the ride?

[NVSF: All posts on shuttle buses]
[NVSF: Shuttle Buses: Useful or Menace?]
[NVSF: Meeting: Upper Noe Neighbors]

This Week In Noe Valley

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Remodeling your home? Had debris picked up recently? Know where it went? [Bernalwood]
• Don't get your future raincoat-clad puppy from a mill [YouTube]
• 24th St Bart to get a makeover; some upset there will be trees [Mission Local]
• Letter From Incanto inspires protest and attracts "press sluts" (info on helping to repeal foie gras ban near bottom) [Incanto]
• Also: #noevalleyproblems [Twitter]
• There must be a geek in Noe Valley: May the Fourth be with you [Vimeo]

[Photo: F6x]

NVV: 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.

March 2012

Front Page: Get ready for a new generation of Facebook, Zynga, and Twitter gazillionaires with money to spend on houses in Noe (also lifting rental prices) and bringing high tech workers in droves to local merchants on 24th Street; it's Word Week this week; Church Street businesses like Omnivore, Incanto, Curator, and La Ciccia are thriving, while some like Drewe's are "hanging by a thread" and looking for new opportunities including a booth at the Noe Valley Farmer's Market; NV filmmaker Yuriko Romer's documentary on 98-year-old judo master Keiko Fukuda debuts March 11 at the Asian American Film Festival. 

Letters: Blair Moser of the Fair Oaks Community Coalition reports in detail about the challenges of getting PG&E to repair a burned out streetlight near the Dec. 8 rape crime scene; an anonymous letter from one of the assault victims thanks the community for the generous support (she is still not able to return to work but hopes to soon); and a resident of 24th at Fountain is looking for suggestions for how to prevent recycling theft from the blue bins.

Features: Rising number of ADA lawsuits against 24th Street merchants (23 businesses in the neighborhood have been sued or threatened to date with the average cost to settle at $24,000, plus construction expenses); Capt. Robert Moser is the new chief of Mission Station since January.

Cost of Living in Noe: Despite the influx of high-tech buyers, just 4 single-family homes traded hands in January. The priciest home was on the market for 5 months and sold for $2.1 million, $95,000 under asking.

Store Trek: Heroine, Cliché Noe

Rumors: Gallery of Jewels and When Modern Was owner Dona Taylor quickly scooped up the old Hot Headz space and has installed Taylor's Home and Garden "a vintage home and indoor garden store;" Loft 1513 moved from Church to 3927 24th Street in the old Noe's Nest space; Radio Shack, which was damaged in the Sept. 2011 fire, hopes to reopen soon; Easy Breezy frozen yogurt in the old Cosmic Wizard space is shooting to open by June 1; First Republic is allegedly still eyeing the old Tuttimelon spot at the corner of 24th St. and Sanchez (first rumored here); Ladybug Ladybug has flown away to Sacramento; Matt Cain's 2,815 square foot Noe home may finally be selling; a heavyset woman went for a walk in the nude right over a Noe resident's Volvo hood and smashed in the windshield - and a Noe neighbor and witness posted a NSFW photo of the incident on SFist; Noe resident Catherine Bergstrom was honored as one of the District 8 Women of the Year for organizing a fundraiser for victims of the Sept. 2011 fire.

[The Noe Valley Voice]