This Year in Noe Valley: The Biggest Stories of 2018

2018 we hardly knew you. But boy did you flood the news headlines. Nationally this was the year of presidential lies (and felonies), tragic mass shootings, climate-change induced disasters, heartless immigration separations and epic Supreme Court battles. In California we saw impossibly sad firestorms. And in San Francisco, we saw history made with the first African-American woman mayor, a new transbay terminal that opened and then abruptly closed, plus outrage over a snarl of homelessness, a lack of new homes, and gentrification. In other words, this year was beyond exhausting.

Things in Noe Valley were a little less depressing but still a mirror of the world around us. Here were the biggest stories of 2018 in Noe Valley that preoccupied us, made us smile and that sometimes drove us crazy.

California Is Burning 
Climate change is real y’all. We mourned with our fellow Californians in August when the Carr fire broke out and we choked on smoke and cried more for the people of Paradise and surrounding areas in November. Here’s hoping this is not the new abnormal.

Endings, Beginnings and Coming Soon 
Lots and lots and lots of retail stores and restaurants closed this year in Noe Valley (and all of SF) and previously empty storefronts remained empty. Yes, there were new and welcome stores and restaurants in our little village this year (welcome Douglas, Seokyo, Sultan’s Kebab, Hi-Way Burger and Fry). But there were far more places that closed down or moved away (Podolls, Noe Valley Cyclery, Pete’s Cleaners, Hamlet, Mill, Contigo, Le Cupboard again… and the list goes on), and many more that vacated last year that are still empty (Pasta Gina, La Panotiq, Radio Shack, Fattoush…. and on and on). On a more upbeat note, Omnivore turned 10, Firefly turned 25 and the amazing Noe Valley Farmer’s Market turned 15. We’re also looking forward to the new Noe’s Cantina, a new Malaysian restaurant called Azalina and some new murals on 24th St. We are so lucky to have amazing local shops and restaurants – let’s keep it that way. #shoplocal

Housing Is (Still) Nuts 
It’s insanely expensive to live here, and maybe with good reason: If you own a house in SF, it’s earning an average of $60/hour – or $125K per year – with no effort on your part. These crazy prices led one landlord to ask $19,500 a month for a 4 bedroom house on 26th St. Meanwhile, historic homes are being illegally demolished around the city, and one Noe entrepreneur decided to rent out a van to people (like Google employees) who are desperate to live here. The average cost of a home in Noe Valley was $2.5 million this year. Which makes this next item even more ridiculous...

Real Foods Is Finally, Maybe, Going to Become … Something 
No, it’s not going to be housing. And it’s not going to become a Real Foods again either. 15 years on, the Real Foods building has new owners who are renovating the existing space and carving it into four small retail spaces of which we already have too many vacancies for on 24th St. #housingfail

People Behaving Badly 
Noe Valley had its share of people behaving badly in other ways too. There was a drive-by shooting that injured 2 people (no suspects found), a road-rage bat attack that sent a man to the hospital, kids who got sick on edibles at James Lick and had to go to the hospital, and a mother was attacked with her baby at 28th St and Sanchez and endured a skull fracture. Scary. We also learned that one of the priests accused of sexually abusing children worked at St. Paul Catholic Parish and School in Noe Valley from 2006 to 2011. Yikes. But then there are the self-inflicted wounds – like the way the head of the NVMPA Rachel Swann is bringing ridicule to 24th St across from Whole Foods by opening Doggy Style: “a boutique, with unique dog furnishings and accessories. Members of the private club can relax in the owner’s lounge, mingle with other doggy moms and dads, drink Bernie’s coffee, all while the dogs play outside...” Ugh.

So Much Greatness 
That said, there was still so much to be grateful for in 2018. Magnolias were gorgeous this year, we saw rainbows and double rainbows, a meteor shower, and the super blood moon. New ultra quiet MUNI trains started rolling on the J Church line and the colorful historic trains are back too. And our neighborhood is so photogenic. With all the craziness in the world, we’re so lucky to live here where we can fight for a better neighborhood with vibrant retail and restaurants, better housing options and all that good stuff.

Phew. We made it. Happy New Year, Noe Valley! Here's to a safe, fun and prosperous 2019.

p.s.
This blog turned 10 this year too (whoa - how did that happen?!). Thanks for reading both here and on Twitter @NoeValleySF.

p.p.s.
Yearning for simpler times? Here were the top stories of 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

(Photos: Noe vista via travismonsonsf and sfgate, smoke skies via bats1234, Noe Cantina via liammayclam, over-the-top Hill Street house via Ruth Krishnan, Real Foods via NVSF, crime photo via KPIX, and steps via geoff.welch)

NVV November 2018: 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 2018

Front Page: A roundup of places to volunteer in the community and give back for the holidays; four Noe Valley residents join a citywide lawsuit against a predatory landlord; the recent corporate use of the Town Square by Apple draws scrutiny and complaints from neighbors; the SF Planning Commission has given the green light to developers to turn the old Real Foods space into retail with no housing.

Letters: Support for a cannabis dispensary in the old Mill space; letters for and against Prop 10 on the ballot.

Features: There's a new mural outside NoVY at 4000 24th St. that celebrates the restaurant's heartwarming multi-generation story; a neighborhood group is proposing a green benefit district around Dolores Park to make it safer and more welcoming.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: Just two single family homes sold this September in Noe Valley and both were for less than $2 million.

Store Trek: Little Artistas, 1513 Church St. at 27th

Rumors and Tidbits: The Gold City Greenery has applied for a lease in the Old Mill space as a cannabis dispensary but it's not a done deal - the owner is entertaining other offers; the headquarters of GlobeIn will be opening a retail store at 4175 24th St. (the former home of Cliche Noe) on Nov. 16; the former Noe Valley Cyclery space is being rented by Real Management Company for 8 months as it renovates its offices at 1234 Castro St.; sadly, vandals have broken the glass window at Video Wave two times over the last 3 months; Philz on 24th at Diamond is now cashless and customers are expected to pay for their java electronically; Little Folkies on Church has vacated 1515 Church and a hair salon called Poppy & Finch has replaced it; a computer school is moving into the former campaign office of Rafael Mandelman on 24th St.; One Stop Party Shop reports that the most popular costumes were Black Panther for boys and witches and princesses for girls.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV June 2018: 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 2018

Front Page: Retailers continue to hurt on 24th St as locals opt for online shopping instead; The Noe Valley Farmer's Market ditches use of plastic bags this month; Healthy Spot pet store faces resistance from local merchants - vote slated for June 21.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: 11 single family homes sold in April for an average price of $2.5 million; 10 condos sold for an average of $1.9 million. A $5.2 million home sold on the 1300 block of Noe.

Store Trek: Seokyo new Korean restaurant at 1740 Church Street near Day

Rumors and Tidbits: Real Foods has been sold to local investors who hope to bring the space up to code and rent it out as 3 retails stores by this fall. The former Hamlet space at 1199 Church is for sale, liquor license and all for $3.5 million. Hi-Way Burger should be opening in the old Caskhouse space by the end of June. The space next to St. Clair's Liquors is nearing completion and will be leased, not sold. Modern Family Law has moved into the ground floor of 4126 Castro near 24th. TMI Colonics has moved to 1340 Haight St. Shoe Biz is now owned by shoe retailer Anthem. Unconfirmed (but rumored) is that Rabat may remain in Noe Valley by downsizing to just the corner space where it started. Whole Foods is now starting to enforce the "one hour while shopping at Whole Foods" rule. 

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week in Noe Valley: Hamlet Closing, New Vietnamese Pop Up and More Real Foods Drama

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• The remaining Real Foods Company stores in Cole Valley and in the outer Richmond close abruptly [Hoodline]
• A Noe Valley native muses about what might have been at Real Foods on 24th St [SF Examiner]
• Easy Breezy’s Castro outpost relocates to “safer” West Portal [ABC7]
• This could get interesting: Diamond Heights Shopping Center on the edge of Noe gets new investors/owners [CPExecutive]
• Meet the mayoral candidates at the Noe Valley Ministry on January 31 [Noe Valley Democratic Club]
• Is District 8 Supervisor Sheehy’s campaign in disarray? [SF Chronicle]
• Hmmm… Hamlet for sale and will close soon [Eater via @NVSF]
• New Vietanamese lunch pop up launches at the Noe Valley Farmer’s Market [NVFM]

[Photo: Winter SF via shalaco] 

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 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]

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]

This Week in Noe Valley: Real Foods Fate Is Nigh, Most Expensive House in the Hood and Firefly Does Lunch

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• One reason Noe Valley is so awesome today: FUF was started by concerned Noe Valleyeons who planted lots of trees [SF Weekly]
• City-owned tree in Noe chopped down by rogue building owner, neighbors livid [Curbed]
• Michael Bauer on Uma Casa [SF Chronicle]
• Noe Valley nuggets = buffalo Tater Tots with blue cheese crumbles [Bay Area Reporter]
• Interview with Jack Epstein, owner of Chocolate Covered [Candy Atlas]
• Noe Valley is about to have TWO bougie TV dinner shops [NVSF]
• Firefly now does lunch! [Firefly]
• The most expensive house in Noe Valley (again) [Curbed]
• Real Foods fate could be determined as soon as August [NVMPA]
• Growing up in Noe Valley in the 50s [Kate Campbell]
• The Dubliner the night of the Warriors title win #gowarriors [thedubliner]
• The cost to buy in Noe Valley right now: $1155 per square foot [Curbed]

[Photo: Castro St via simon_schleicher]

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]

NVV Oct 2016: 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 2016

Front Page: The Noe Valley Library is 100 years old; Some Noe Valley restaurants are thriving (Fresca, Contigo, La Ciccia, Firefly, Hamano, NoVY) - others not so much (Savor's owner says he can no longer offers table service and is just waiting for the lease to expire to move to the peninsula); Noe Valley Town Square plans to open Oct 29 and the Farmer's Market will move in Nov. 5.

Letters: A neighbor writes in to urge you to vote for Prop I.

Features: Real Foods is still empty, 13 years on; volunteers are planning a second Grand View green space cleanup on Nov. 5.

Cost of Living in Noe: The home market is still cooling but only 8 single family homes traded hands in August. The average cost of a home is $2.6 million.

Store Trek: La PanotiQ Bakery Cafe, 4018 24th Street

Rumors and Tidbits: See Jane Run is closed and the building is for sale for $3.3 million; Walkershaw Man closed and has turned over as Azil Boutique jewelry; the old Bliss Bar space is still for rent; Video Wave is taking over the entire Buttons Bar space and running a GoFundMe campaign. The old Common Scents space is now Monroe, a woman's clothing boutique. The former In-House space across the street is becoming an art gallery and will open Nov 6. The Cradle of the Sun space has been rented to a real estate firm (ugh). Drewes Brothers Meats closed in August and the landlord/owner reports he is close to signing a tenant that plans a meat market in the space; no other details were offered. The Noe Courts space is still under construction. The Noe Valley Girls Film Festival was a success. The Noe Valley Ministry is hosting a gala on Oct 27.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week in Noe Valley: Labor Day = Real Foods Day, Town Square Update and Noe Valley’s Google Bus Activist

The latest news from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• It’s Labor Day in Noe Valley [@BMWalter]
• My Real Foods story [@mysticflavor]
• Permeable pavers arrive at the Town Square site – with photos [SF Rec & park]
• Car delivery bottoms out on Noe St. [@nickoneill]
• Biting local satire in the old Cradle of the Sun [@coreywilkerson]
• Top 5 neighborhoods in SF with a view – Noe Valley makes the list, natch [SF Hotlist]
• ICYMI: See Jane Run is closing for real [NVSF]
• Noe Valley resident Edward Mason has filed 69 of the 296 comments about the tech shuttle buses – from the Noe Valley library [The Guardian]
• The ongoing California wildfires make for some amazing summer sunsets [hotzntotz, mitali and ozyoztboy]

[Photo: Cotton candy skies via mayapburne]

NVV June 2016: 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 2016

Front Page: A profile of Audrey Cooper, Noe Valley resident and editor -in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle; Some 24th Street retailers are feeling the squeeze from online shopping; The 35 Eureka bus runs more often; A profile of Kim Nguyen-Ehrenreich, the founder of the Noe Valley branch of Bricks 4 Kidz; A peek inside three Noe Valley Victorians.

Letters: Thanks to the team that put on the Noe Valley Garden Tour; A plea to vote no on Prop B.

Features: The proposed Town Square owl sculptures may finally be approved - with a more literal than abstract design; Local businesses are split on whether the Farmer's Market on 24th St helps or hurts business on Saturdays; SummerFEST is coming on Saturday June 18.

Cost of Living in Noe: Home sales are hot with 15 single family homes selling in April for an average of $2.4 million.

Store Trek: Songbird Studios, 3823 24th St. and VOILA, 1431 Castro St.

Rumors and Tidbits: Still no movement in the former Real Foods space. The former site of The Ark toy store is now a pop-up called The Curious Object which sells luxury items that Noe Valley resident and realtor Stephen Moore procured on a trip to London (including a penny-farthing, a stuffed swan and other curios). Once the pop-up pops down, Moore will turn the space into a more permanent shop called The Mercantile which will sell new and vintage gift items, housewares and antiques (basically, the same stuff). When Modern Was is offering Chalk Paint classes to "give new life to tired furniture"  and owner Donna Taylor is selling her other shop Buttons Bar, which is potentially very bad news for the recently relocated Video Wave. Walkershaw Man sublet its shop to Azil jewelry boutique for the month of May, and Azil is now looking for a new place to pop-up in Noe again. Heroine is leaving Noe Valley and moving to L.A. - Charlie's Corner bookstore will now expand into that space for more room for kids storytime, parties and theater classes (Ed.--Very Noe Valley for a prime corner location to become a child's reading space). Bom Dia is still closed and the owner is not responding to requests for information. The deal that would have put Golden Gate Urgent Care in the space vacated by In-House fell apart (Ed.-- Good) so the storefront is once again for lease. Instead, GoHealth Urgent Care is opening in the brand new commercial space on 24th at Church (Ed.-- Boo). Hahn's Hibachi has closed and is being replaced by Bistro SF Grill.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV March 2016: 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.

March 2016

Front Page: Janis Joplin's psychedelic Porsche that she drove while living in Noe Valley sold for $1.76 million in December; A profile of Todd David, president of the Friends of Noe Valley and political director of Scott Wiener's Senate campaign; The proposed Town Square animal sculptures are criticized for being unsafe to climb and for looking like "lumps;" Word Week is back March 20-26.

Letters: A plea for Noe Valleyeons to consider the Affordable Housing Density Bonus Program; A long rambling letter from someone who misses Real Foods and hates what's happening on 24th St; No love for Whole Foods' loud holiday trucks and parking grab; A complaint about Haystack Pizza adding $2.25 to the bill for whole wheat crust; An appreciation for Wilkes Bashford (RIP).

Features: Alex Louh of the old St. Paul's Market died of cancer in January. RIP Father Tom Seagrave a former Noe Valley priest at St. Paul's parish. In memory of writer and teacher Jane Underwood.

Cost of Living in Noe: The most expensive home sold for $4.5 million on Cesar Chavez at Noe. Rents are cooling off slightly (but not much).

Short Takes: The Peaks, Valley Tavern and The Dubliner will all be celebrating St. Patrick's Day in style on March 17; The Noe Valley Easter Egg Hunt is back, on Saturday March 26 (10 to noon) at Douglass Park thanks to sponsorship from the Droubi and Roddick families.

Store Trek: Lazeez Mediterranean Grill, 3915 24th St. (reviews here)

Rumors and Tidbits: A For Lease sign has appeared in the window of 1298 Church St. - the completed but unused restaurant is seeking a new tenant; Mylene's beauty Shop has transformed into Moe's Barber and Beauty Parlor on 24th St.; chef Paul Svensson was at the Noe Valley Farmer's Market with a film crew for a possible documentary about food (maybe); The bathrooms are now open at Noe Courts; BJ Droubi is retiring and moving to Sacramento - the real estate business is going to her daughter Lamisse; SFPD beat officer Lorraine Lombardo has retired; The restored Noe Valley firehouse at 3816 22nd St. is for rent on Airbnb for $1500 per night; Smash and grab car break-ins are on the rise (moral: don't leave anything in your car); Shoe Biz is no longer a small local shop; The Rabbit Hole Children's Theater is moving into the corner of Diamond and 24th (a former laundromat).

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV September 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.

September  2015

Front Page: Patxi's abandons plans for parklet to avoid a public spat with other merchants; a profile of BookMentors run by Noe Valley resident Debra Hannula; hiking trails in Glen Canyon will get an upgrade.

Letters: Letter from the lawyer for The Ark toy store explaining why the company went bankrupt (online retail, smartphones and financing were the cited culprits); Omnivore Books and Noe Valley Pet Company owner Celia Sack urges you to shop local if you love a livable and vibrant neighborhood instead of realty offices, banks and nail salons. Also: RIP Noe Valley artist Royce Harris Vaughn.

Features: Diana Barrand, co-owner of Le Zinc dies of cancer at 57; the restaurant will endure. Clipper Street repairs and traffic-calming plans are back on the drawing board for new ideas.

Cost of Living in Noe: The $7 million home that sold in June tied for the most expensive sale in Noe Valley. Average rent for a 1 bedroom is $3,500+.

Short Takes: Coyotes were spotted in Noe Valley in August; no pictures.

Rumors and Short Items: The Ark filed for bankruptcy, despite 3 years left on the lease; Cradle of the Sun is moving to West Portal and lots of items are on sale - doors close Sept 13; Noe Valley Music is becoming a nail salon (ugh!!); Martin Mattox is closed; Video Wave has moved into a shared space with Buttons Candy Bar; Pascal Rigo will be taking back several La Boulanges under a new concept including the one in Noe Valley [Ed note - we have not seen any other confirmed reports of this]; The Noe Valley Town Square will break ground in January; There's no Harvest Fest this year but Just for Fun is hoping to hold a Fall Fest on Oct 24 instead; No news at Real Foods despite the presentation in January; and improvements are slated for Noe Courts including benches and landscaping, to be completed by Thanksgiving.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: Real Foods Redo, Fire At 23rd At Douglass And A Memorial For Greg Gutknecht

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

• View of the blackout in Noe Valley Friday night [@brianhollinger]
• One alarm fire at 23rd and Douglass corner market – everyone’s ok [@esbale]
• Supervisor Scott Wiener’s January 2015 Newsletter [Scott Wiener]
• ICYMI: Notes from this week’s community meeting about the future of Real Foods [NVSF]
• The Wizard of Oz comes to James Lick Middle School [NVSF]
• Six reasons to shop local in Noe Valley [SF Gate]
• A well-maintained sidewalk garden on Sanchez [insidesfrealestate]
• Bummer: It will take 600 years to underground all the wires in San Francisco [ABC7]
• Sobering: A map of all the Airbnb and VRBO units in SF [Bold Italic]
• Suspected Castro arsonist (and your basic nut job) in custody [SF Appeal]
• Streetlight Records is leaving Castro too, after leaving Noe Valley in 2008 [Hoodline]
• Memorial and potluck for Greg Gutknecht at Valley Tavern 3pm Sunday 1/25 [NVSF]

[Photo: Artful Noe Valley steps via boldcursive]

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]