Showing posts with label 24th Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 24th Street. Show all posts

September 1, 2016

Store Closing: See Jane Run

Back in March of this year, See Jane Run at 3910 24th Street posted signs that it was closing its Noe Valley store - the owners of the building had decided not to renew the lease. SJR eventually signed a 6 month extension - but the time is up and See Jane Run is out. A sign in the window announces the sad news:

Store Closing
Everything must go
We are sorry that are landlords will not let us stay at this location as they sell the building. We are forced to leave on September 3oth. We will continue to look for a new space.
Please get on our mailing list for updates.
Thank you Noe Valley for 16 great years. 
We will miss you.

All products are on sale. Please stop in and say good bye.

Sad to see yet another storefront on 24th Street go vacant.

March 17, 2016

Moving: See Jane Run


Well this is too bad: Another genuinely useful local store is apparently being priced out of its space. Early this week the signs appeared in See Jane Run’s windows at 3910 24th Street that they had lost their lease. Chatting up the staff there, it seems SJR didn’t lose its lease so much as the owners decided not to renew the lease at the new (in the staff's words) “greedy landlord” prices. The woman-owned and operated San Francisco company was founded in 2000 and is actively looking for a new space for a local store – hopefully in Noe Valley – and there’s currently no set date for closing. We have to think the pending construction next door may also have been a factor in SJR's decision to look around.

The owners are renting month-to-month in the meantime and it’s a great time to scoop up merchandise for 10-70% off. There’s also a See Jane Run store in Oakland on College Ave.


See Jane Run is one of many local shops to face rising rents in the last 12 months including Video Wave, Cradle of the Sun, In-House, Common Scents and Noe Valley Music (now a nail salon).

September 26, 2015

Closing: Common Scents

We got the news that Common Scents, the tiny but popular cosmetics store next to the former Noe Valley Music spot, is closing at the end of the year via Twitter a few days ago – and we finally have more details. The owner is moving to Florida at the end of the year after a 44 year run (!) and will continue to sell a similar collection of lotions and potions online starting in March 2016. In the meantime, as the sandwich board out front says, three more months to shop.


Sad to see another shop on that stretch close – and here’s hoping something interesting and useful takes it place.

June 12, 2015

Closed: Isso

Fans of funky vintage clothing that is made, found or designed in the Bay Area will now have to go a little bit further afield for their fashion fix. A sign in the window of Isso at 3789 24th Street (just down the street from the much tonier Mill) announces the store is closed and consolidating to its other location in Mission Dolores called Nisa.

While the 24th Street Isso store has plenty of 5 star reviews on Yelp, the last review of any kind was in 2013 – which may explain the decision to consolidate.

No news yet on what will replace Isso - or the painted sign around the corner on Church Street.

Nisa
3610 19th Street at Guerrero
415-865-0960

[Photo via Yelp]

April 4, 2015

This Week In Noe Valley: Easter Egg Hunt Cancelled, NIMBYs Out In Force, And True Love SF Style


News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:
[Photo: Bom Dia via no_barkin]

February 19, 2015

Closing: Successories


More changes on 24th Street: A sign in the window of Successories (formerly The Jewelry Box) announces that Pamela Winston-Charbonneau is moving her custom jewelry and gift shop from 3904 24th St to a new location in Pacifica on March 1st. The building, which is owned by the operators of St. Clair’s liquor next door, will be demolished to make way for new condos and retail space. Next door, the pop-up kids clothing store TugTug also recently vacated to Guerrero St. To be clear - the permit filed last May requests to demolish the one-story building that houses Successories and replace it with a new 3 story addition to the building that includes St Clair's (said permit languishes in Planning for now).

In happier news, another sign in the window also announces that Pamela and her work will be at the De Young on April 14. Stop by for details if you're curious.

Meanwhile, further down 24th at the corner of Church St, the windows at Happy Donuts are still papered over and the sign that said donuts were returning on January 25 is no longer there. We know there are more than a few people who would like to see the home of the best glazed donut in SF return soon.

January 23, 2015

The Big Reveal: Real Foods Building Presentation


Last night there was a pre-application community meeting for the project to (finally) replace the Real Foods building on 24th Street. Turnout was solid – all the chairs were filled, mostly with longtime Noe Valley residents who touted their tenure in the neighborhood as a badge of honor when giving comments. Few look like they take a shuttle bus to work. One person described herself as an “oldster” - a term that generally described the room.

Scott Wiener was the MC of the meeting, first giving the floor to Peter Gabel. Peter spoke of the recent passing of Greg Gutknecht and noted that there will be memorial potluck Sunday at 3pm at Valley Tavern.

Then Scott took the floor. We didn’t record what he said, but here’s a close approximation:
The Real Foods space has been vacant for more than a decade. In my 4 years in office, a week doesn’t go by that I don’t get an email or tweet from someone in the neighborhood asking why it’s empty and what can we do about it.

A year ago, someone in the neighborhood who wishes to remain anonymous introduced us to the head of Neutraceutical Corporation, the owners of the building. Three of us flew to Park City, Utah for a meeting with senior management that was supposed to take just half an hour and ended up being a very friendly 3 hour meeting. By the end of the meeting, Neutraceutical had committed to moving forward to make good use of the space and build a mixed use retail and housing space. Those plans are now moving forward.

As is common in a conditional use development that needs to appear before the planning commission, we are convening a community meeting to hear feedback on the plans. There are a lot of politics associated with this space and we're all entitled to our opinion. However, tonight we are looking to the future - to something we've all wanted, which is not a vacancy in the former space. The goal here is to listen with an open mind and have a productive dialog.
Scott then turned the floor over to Sergio Diaz from Neutraceutical (who was involved in the labor settlement with the employees of Real Food). Sergio nervously thanked everyone for coming and hastily handed the meeting over to Brian Liles and Julie Jackson, principals at Jackson Liles Architecture (Julie is also a proud parent and member of the PTSA at James Lick Middle School). They proceeded to go through a series of slides about the existing site, the plans, and the things they took into consideration when thinking about the design.

First, let's make sure we know what's allowed at the existing site:
  • The lot is 50' wide and 114' deep, requires a 28.5' rear yard and is zoned for 40' in height. Rear yard required: 28.5'.
  • The Noe Valley Commercial District prohibits office space on the 2nd floor of new construction.
  • A Conditional Use permit may (or may not) be required for whatever moves into the ground floor.
Here's what was proposed last night:
  • The retail level has 14' ceilings and is 3345sf – slightly smaller than the former Real Foods space. The space could be divided into two storefronts with 1470sf and 1875sf.
  • Four 2bd/2ba loft-style condos. The two facing 24th St are 1226sf; the south-facing units are 1540sf and all have decks.
  • The terraced design will allow more light onto the street and keep it inline with the surrounding buildings like Fresca and The Bagel Shop.
  • The façade will have wood siding on it's upper levels and stone facing the sidewalk at the retail level. Trees will green the sidewalk.
  • Neutraceutical pledged once again to not open a store on site - they will lease the ground floor.




The meeting was then opened up to public comment, paraphrased here to give a sense of the tone and who goes to these meetings:

Praise:
  • Neighborhood architect says: Thoughtful, addresses the streetscape, good usable units on 24th St. I have no negative comments.
  • I applaud Scott Weiner for his efforts here – we have an opportunity to create a great space. Good things have come out of Real Foods closure including the Farmer’s Market and Town Square – here’s to more.
Meh:
  • The façade is ugly– the masonry blocks look better suited for Van Ness than 24th St.
  • The drawings are generic – there's an opportunity here to do something that defines the neighborhood instead of 2 small skinny retail spaces.
  • The terraces are very hipster-like – too hip for our neighborhood. I'd like hipsters to stay away.
Anger:
  • “Where are the people going to park? This is bullsh*t!”
  • Angry lady living at 3933 24th St/next door over the bagel shop: The building is dilapidated because Neutraceutical ripped off the roof – they’re a bully of a company that doesn’t give a crap. Don’t know why we’re all praising them.
  • The street doesn’t warrant those terraces. I don’t to know who’s living there and what they’re doing – I don’t think there should be terraces.
  • I live near the senior housing down the block – relatively new project – a year later there was no parking, there are 3 residences with 6 cars and it’s a nightmare; also, the design is hideous and doesn’t fit in.
  • No amount of bike lanes is going to make parking easier.
  • What about trash bins and recycling? The design doesn’t show bins for those.
  • What about parking and middle income housing?
  • I live on Jersey with my backyard facing this building – I’m worried about privacy from the decks and the placement of mechanicals (noise).
Practical:
  • I’d love to sell my single family home and live out my retirement in a one bedroom on 24th St and walk my grandchildren down a sidewalk without curb cuts.
  • Why have a two story elevator to a two story loft with stairs?
  • Please make the retail not be a nail salon, title company or bank.
  • Design is nice contextually. Different heights and styles. Why not make more units that are smaller to attract younger buyers instead of car owners?
  • No matter what is built, please continue to work with the neighborhood.
  • Our community is happy to see change – it’s been blighted for 10 years. Let’s not shoot for lowest common demoninator. I’d like to see better options than a brew pub or having Whole Foods use it for their food use facility. Let’s make it like the Ferry Building with food stalls or carts – something innovative.
We asked Jackson Liles today what they thought of the process and what changes they may be considering. They said they enjoyed the process and are sorting through all the info. They will work with the design team over the coming weeks, but have not settled on a direction yet. We'll keep you posted.

[NVSF: Coming Soon: Plans To Develop Real Foods Building]
[Photo: Noe Valley community meeting #realfoods]

January 22, 2015

RIP Greg of 24th Street


We were sad to hear about the passing of Greg Gutknecht earlier this week, the affable and talkative gentleman who had become a fixture on 24th Street and around Noe Valley. Greg had been homeless for 10 years, picked up work at the Farmer's Market, frequently did odd jobs for area merchants, and as one local put it “was just a sweetheart.” He had a place to call home the last couple years and had been doing well.

Greg collapsed in front of Bernie's coffee shop on Monday morning. According to the staff in Bernie’s, EMTs worked for more than 30 minutes but were unable to revive him. 

There are flowers and notes in front of Bernie’s from those who miss him. We’d like to post more details about Greg. If anyone has stories of his life and/or photos please email us, post in the comments or tweet us @noevalleysf.

Update: There will be a memorial potluck for Greg this Sunday the 25th at Valley Tavern at 3PM.


January 21, 2015

Meeting: What Should Happen To The Real Foods Building?


It’s true: There are plans underway to develop the empty storefront across from Whole Foods on 24th St – the space formerly known as Real Foods. So what will it be: A Trader Joe’s? A climbing gym? A brew pub? Condos? Nails/Waxing? Now is your chance to find out – and more importantly to weigh in.

At 7pm Thursday (that's tomorrow) at St. Philips Parish Hall the developers will be offering a preview of what’s in the works. There will be plans displayed and architects on hand to describe the drawings and answer questions. Stakes are high for such a central location in Noe Valley – this should be worth attending.

What: Real Foods Building Plans Presentation
When: Thursday, January 22nd at 7pm
Where: St. Philips Parish Hall, 725 Diamond St

[NVSF: Real Foods: I Wish This Was...]

May 1, 2014

Opening in June: Rare Device


If you're wondering what will be replacing Mikes Shoe Repair on 24th St, that mystery is now solved. We received this friendly note today:
Hello editors,

This is Giselle from Rare Device. We want to let you know that we are opening up a second storefront in Noe Valley, taking over 4071 24th Street from Mike the shoe repair man. We hope to open up sometime in June. In the meantime, we are hiring and we'd love it if you can help us spread the word and maybe we can get some locals to apply.

A little bit about us:
We are husband and wife, Phurba and Giselle Gyalzen. We have 2 kids and we've lived in Bernal Heights since 2007. We currently have a store of the same name on Divisadero and Hayes. We moved to that location in 2012, from Market and Guerrero. We frequent 24th Street as a family and we are very happy to officially be a part of this neighborhood. We hope the neighborhood feels the same way.

A little bit about Rare Device:
Rare Device is a design gift store. I hand pick all the products that we carry and they are chosen for being beautiful, well designed, approachable and useful. Many of our wares are locally produced, handmade creations. There are also a wide variety of internationally created items. We also plan to host a variety of events at our Noe Valley location such as book signings, workshops, kids' events, and trunk shows.
A popular shop in the Alamo Square area, the current Rare Device shop has lots of favorable reviews for "all things quirky with a sense of humor."

No word on what's happening to the shoe sign that was on Mike's but as of this writing it's gone.

[Photo: Rare Device on Divisadero via Yelp]


January 1, 2014

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!

December 21, 2013

Closing: Sway

The former home and birthplace of Streetlight Records at 3979 24th St will soon be vacant again. The inexpensive women's clothing store Sway, which moved into the space in 2010, is closing up shop in Noe Valley and consolidating in the Haight. A sale is underway and the shop will be closed by the end of the month.

Fans of the shop can still buy their stuff online, or visit one of their five other stores around the Bay Area.

No word on who might move into the new space which back in 2009 was commanding $12K per month in rent. Here's hoping it becomes something fun and useful.


November 15, 2013

Closing: Swatdee Thai Cuisine


The Twitter brought news today that Swatdee is to close:

More from Swatdee:
After 26 wonderful years in Noe Valley, Swatdee Thai Cuisine will close its doors on November 30th. We would very much like to thank each and every one of you for your love and support over the past two decades. It will be one of the toughest things to do, but we are more than excited to start a new chapter in our lives. Many memories have been made and we are very grateful to have been a part of your lives, as you were a huge part of ours.

Thank you.
Sawatdee Family and Staff

August 19, 2013

Closed: Tung Sing Restaurant

It survived a shutdown by the health department but not gentrification: Noe Valley's last steamtable Chinese takeout and restaurant, Tung Sing, has closed. A printed sign in the window at 4105 24th St declares simply that the restaurant will be closed from Aug 18 – 30, but a For Rent sign is already in the window.

Judging from the reviews on Yelp, there weren't many fans of the place anymore, although a few remember it fondly ("...if you are ever enticed to the restaurant behind the take out area, and the wooden screens, you may find food that is made to order, and fabulous...").

We overhead a neighbor out front saying the place has been there for more than 35 years. End of an era.

Update (8/24): The for rent sign is down, but the "closed for remodeling" signs remain. There is evidence of painters inside and all the food serving trays have been preserved under plastic sheets. Maybe not for rent after all?

Update (8/30): Open for business. The NVV reports that the sign was for an apartment upstairs, poorly placed by an agent.

May 22, 2013

More Good News for the Noe Valley Town Square

The Town Square got a thumbs up from the budget and finance committee today prompting Todd David to send out this update (emphasis ours):
Hello Noe Valley Town Square supporters:
I'm thrilled to report that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee unanimously (5-0) voted today to recommend to the full Board the legislation authored by Supervisor Wiener to acquire the land that will be the future home of the Noe Valley Town Square. This vote is consistent with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission's unanimous vote for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to approve $4,242,500 from the Open Space Acquisition Fund for the purchase and remediation of the Noe Valley Ministry parking lot. (The Noe Valley Ministry would receive $3.9 million and the additional $342,500 would be
used for remediation of the lot that used to be a gas station.) The last hurdle to clear is the vote by the entire Board on June 4th – a 6-person majority plus mayoral approval would make the acquisition a reality!
A huge thank you is in order: We never could have come this far without the steadfast support and legislation of Supervisor Wiener and hundreds of Noe Valley Town Square friends and neighbors who have made financial pledges, written letters of support, and appeared at today’s and the previous Rec and Park hearings. Thank you – it does take a village to create a Town Square! (If you or your friends have not yet donated to the Town Square, now that we’re this close it’s great time to make a pledge! Even with the acquisition, we will still need to raise an additional money to transform the parking lot into our future Town Square.)

March 29, 2013

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]

May 28, 2012

Noe Valley SummerFEST 2012


Hawaiian shave ice, Smitten ice cream tasting, a petting zoo, live music, honey bee demos, a magic show ... it can only mean one thing: SummerFEST on 24th Street.

On Saturday June 16 from 11-5 (the day before Father's Day), 24th Street merchants will be throwing a family event in downtown Noe Valley.

There's nothing posted about this year's festival on the NVMPA site yet except last year's poster, but if you've seen the SummerFEST banners high on poles on 24th Street and wondered what they say, click the image above to see a larger version with full details.