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: 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]

This Week In Noe Valley: Mansion & Shacks, Murals & Alleys, Rants & Rumors

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

• The children’s area of the Farmer’s Market gets political [@F6x]
• A story of a landlord buying out a renter: NPR reporter and former Noe Valleyeon Stephanie Martin Taylor [KQED]
• “A favorite coat for cold Noe Valley mornings” from local preppy princess blogger Caroline Curran [SFGate]
• Need a wax? Stript wax salon opens on Church St. [Racked]
• Mansion or shack? Either way, $1 million in Noe Valley won’t buy you much [MarinIJ and CTPost]
• Yep, Noe Valley homes cross the $1,000 per square foot mark [The Front Steps]
• You're not imagining things: Average Noe Valley home exceeds $2M for the 5th month in a row [Downing & Co]
• $1.7M in Noe Valley = $899,000 in Hunter’s Point [CBS Local]
• An interview with Rare Device shop owner Giselle Gyalzen [SFGate]
• Rumor: Pasta Pomodoro closing? [@shaketini]
• Cardio-tone’s 24th St. location is for rent [Storefront]
• Day 8 of the new mural at Day and Church [Amos Goldbaum]
• Fun photos from the Ames & Quane Green Alleys Project [Greenalleys.org]

[Photo: IKnowWhereYourCatLives]

This Week In Noe Valley: Real Foods Fakeout, Noe Valley Is Full Of Cheater Parents, And The Peaks Gets A New Owner

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

• Summer in SF: Fireworks in the fog [ABC7]
• The Peaks bar closes and reopens - the bartender now owns the bar [@shaketini]
• Construction at Real Foods lit up our Twitterhood this week. It's just a new roof, folks. But here's a little more in our comment section [@pud and Heather World]
• Listing for new retail on 24th St and a rendering of the building (click through to the PDF for more details) [LockeHouse]
• More details on the curb bulb-outs and crosswalk stripes coming to 24th St including pictures [Streetsblog SF]
• A house on 26th St. goes for $3.2 million - $803,000 over asking [Curbed]
• A carport that doubles as an over-the-top indoor playground on 25th St. [San Francisco Magazine]
• Forget Manhattanhenge – in Noe Valley we have the Solstice Crack! (Sanchez at 30th) [Eric Fischer]
• Noe Valley philanderers have the most children ("Duh, it’s Noe Valley, land of the Bob stroller") [SFGate]
• Mysterious cement masks popping up around the City have made it to Noe Valley [@F6x]

[Photo: Rare shot inside Real Foods space via @nelson]

NVV March 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.

March 2014

Front Page: Word Week is March 16-23; Urban Putt, from Noe Valley's Steve Fox and Chris Myers to open in April, and is still looking for investors; Remembering Josh Epple.

Letters: An idea to create illegal housing for local Glen Evans; "If the people who rode the buses actually lived in Noe Valley they wouldn't have to park here to ride the buses;" An Occupy Noe update.

Short Takes: Upper Douglass Dog Park might open eventually with new drainage/turf but no change to operations if all goes according to the new plan; The NVDC is sponsoring a panel discussion on affordable housing in the Bay Area on 19th at St. Philip's; There is $25,000 in sidewalk landscaping grants available to District 8 landowners - contact Andres Power for more information.

Cost of Living in Noe: It's very hot on the surface of the sun.

Store Trek (at least we think it's Store Trek): A website/app from local Pascal Levy-Garboua called SixDoors that offers same-day delivery from small businesses in Noe Valley and across San Francisco (there's even an adult section); Noe Valley merchants are loving Townsquared - "a private online community for businesses" you can't join.

Rumors: Mazook spent Super Bowl Sunday at Elizabeth Street Brewery, loved the beer and learned that Richard Brewer-Hay has scrapped the idea of trying to open a brewery in the Real Foods space - at least for now; Valley Tavern hopes to was approved to reopen the back patio; Diamond Cafe to open opened; Horner's Corner opened and business is brisk with many people ordering pizza for pickup; The Streetlight Records/Sway building has been sold but needs work before listing for a new tenant; The Noe Valley Farmer's Market is matching food stamp purchases with an equal dollar amount of produce to protest the "Republicans' cutting food stamp benefits in Congress."

Bonus: Your pledge dollars at work: an ad for KQED. In Noe Valley.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: It's Pride Week (And A Few Other Things)

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

• Omnivore Book's Celia Sack made a quiet announcement Wednesday [@omnivorebooks]
• So it was Andy Anduha who was arrested near Bernal last week for stealing packages [SF Examiner; also NVSF]
• FOCC is looking for help to green Ames and Quane St - two alleys at the eastern edge of Noe Valley [FOCC]
• Some of British writer Tony Quarrington's pictures of his time in Noe Valley [Tony Quarrington]
• Jerry Kuns is blind and has a beautiful garden full of texture, smells and sound [San Francisco Magazine]
• Joyriding kids take out a stoplight and flee from the awesome Prius that labels them Noe Valley hoodlums [f6x]

[Photo: zoxcleb]

This Week In Noe Valley: Bliss Bar To Rebuild, Church St. Renaissance, Top Restaurants Revisted

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

• Bliss Bar to rebuild after investigators rule out arson [SF Appeal]
• East Bay writers/parents know that Church St is for kids, kids, kids, and kids [510 Families]
• Sanchez St remodel seeks LEED status - and bids in the $3M range [Socketsite]
• Contigo and La Ciccia make 7x7's Best-Of list [7x7]
• OTOH, Bauer says Incanto has slipped [SFGate]
• Pre-order your Philz Coffee online [@OrderAhead]

[Photo: embem30]

This Week In Noe Valley: Gov At James Lick, More Shuttle Bus Nastiness, Bethany Is Back

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

• Governor Brown kicked off the James Lick school year [SF Appeal]
• DPW has made sidewalk landscaping permits easy [SFDPW]
• Another shuttle bus (driver) behaving badly [SFist]
• Noe Valley's official car? [@CarinaOst]
• There must be a video geek in Noe Valley who will appreciate this [pbump]
• July condo sales in Noe Valley average $1M plus [Downing & Co]
• Bethany returns to renovated church; open house is September 15th according to sign in windows [Bethany]
• At least we know why there may be another helicopter in the air for a while [NNSA]

[Photo: Whole Foods parking lot construction or just another day?]

Volunteers Needed: Neighborhood Clean And Green

The San Francisco Department of Public Works is organizing a Community Clean Team event for Districts 8 and 9 this Saturday, June 9th. From the DPW:

Volunteers can expect to do a variety of cleaning and greening activities such as – planting, weeding, wood chipping, graffiti removal, and picking up trash.  The event will take place from 9am – noon and will kick off at Fairmount Elementary School (65 Chenery Street).

Volunteers are encouraged to RSVP to volunteer@sfdpw.org.

This Week In Noe Valley

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

• Those Cirque du Cesar Chavez tents are protecting you from sewer lining sealant [SFDPW]
• "Cheap" Noe Valley Homes [Curbed SF]
• The Chronicle explores Upper Noe Valley [SFGate]
• "San Francisco is now among the cleanest counties in the country in terms of smog" [SFGate]
• It's a (condo) sellers market in Noe Valley [Downing CO]
• Vivid Floral vacates Church St space before opening [NVSF]

[Photo: Redfin]

Noe Valley Garden Tour 2012: Tickets Sales Start Saturday

Nine gardens, six hours, one shuttle bus. Tickets will be available at the Farmers Market and at (unnamed) merchants for the 2012 Noe Valley Garden Tour starting this Saturday. Online tickets are available now. (That list of addresses? We're told it's inaccurate and shouldn't be published.)

Here's the tease:

The gardens range across Noe Valley, from 23rd Street to 30th, Hoffman to Dolores. Six are owner designed and maintained and three are professional gardens by Janet Moyer Landscaping, Michele Schaal and Shape of the Earth. Most are well established but one is brand new, showing you how to be realistic about where your new garden will start as well as what it can become.

As in past years, profits go to beautifying Noe Valley. This year funds will be directed to improving the garden at Alvarado School and trimming the trees at Upper Douglass Dog Park. Past Garden Tour fundraising brought street trees and flower baskets to 24th St.

Pro tip: can't afford the $18 entry fee? Sign up to volunteer--a 2.5 hour shift gets you one free ticket.

Update (4/28): We were told that the list of addresses available on the Constant Contact order page was inaccurate and shouldn't be posted online. That list has now been updated, and since it's public we've put together this map to help you plan your tour.

What: Noe Valley Garden Tour
When: May 19, 10AM-4PM 
Where: Buy tickets for official map
Cost: $18, $14 for seniors over 65

[FONV: 2012 Garden Tour]
[Photo: Flora Grubb]

This Week In Noe Valley

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

• Drewes Bros now at Noe Valley Farmers Market every other week [Twitter]
• Proposed changes to the J-Church corridor [SFMTA]
• Noe Valley Id invading La Lengua [Twitter]
• Noe Valley home sales averaged 103% of list price in March [SellingSF]
• The SF Bay Guardian discovers corporate shuttle buses [SFBG (or is it the SF Examiner?)]
• Multi-house sidewalk greeening around 26th and Sanchez has a Facebook page [Facebook]

Discuss: Electric Car Charging Station Causes Traffic Problems

Parking is once again a top issue in Noe Valley, at least for one reader. The City installed an electric car charging station in Walgreens’ parking lot and not everyone is convinced it’s a good idea.

Curious about your thoughts about the electric vehicle charging station at Walgreens. I exchanged some email with the store manager, but am not sure where things stand. Here are my thoughts:

• Kudos to Walgreens for supporting the environment!
• According to store management, the space is open to all vehicles, electric or not. However, they ask that non-electric vehicles limit their time to 20 minutes (vs. the 60 minutes for other spots).
• There are two problems, however: (1) There is no signage indicating that; and (2) the parking attendants do not seem to direct vehicles to use the spot even when there is a line into the street.
• I suspect some believe it's illegal to park in the space if they don't drive an electric vehicle.
• I asked Walgreens management to add signage to clarify appropriate usage for the space and to instruct the attendants to proactively guide cars to the spot when not otherwise in use. Given the limited parking in Noe Valley an under-utilized space is a bad thing, especially with the traffic and safety issues created by the periodic line onto Castro St.

Thoughts?

The City is installing more than 80 such stations around the City, free for use if you need a top-off. The goal? “Reducing greenhouse emissions.” If the above letter is any indication, that may be tough.

Good luck with taking away car access of any kind in Noe Valley. Close a street to traffic? We know what happened there. Parklets? Negotiated with a net gain in parking spots. Whole Foods? Always a line of stopped traffic on 24th.

Ultimately, the trouble seems to be the number or cars coming into our little village, not the number of spaces available to them.

By the way, Noe Valley’s Walk Score? 86 out of 100 “Very Walkable.”

NVV Dec - Jan 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 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.

December / January 2011

Front Page: Noe Courts at Douglas and Elizabeth is set for a much needed upgrade thanks to a $210,000 grant - the new design and upgrades should be realized over 2012; live reindeer and other festivities are planned for 24 HoliDAYs on 24th St - including six visits by Santa; Circle Bank has benefited from local discomfort with big banks ("dozens if not hundreds of neighborhood residents took part in the nationwide protest and switched their money from big banks to smaller instituions."); and up to 11,000 groups and people in Noe Valley may have unclaimed assets (money,stocks, etc.) sitting in a database.  

Letters: None. Weird.

Features: Noe Valley lamp designer Jennifer Slepin plies her craft on Etsy; get your geek on and raise money for local schools at the 3rd annual Tech Search Party on Feb 4; Bevan Dufty clocked in an abysmal 7th place in the mayor's race.

Obits: Former PlumpJack Wines manager Drew Spaulding dies by his own hand after wrestling with depression [Here's a picture of the staff mentioned in the obit; from the left are Josh, Elio, John and Drew.]; Nicky Salan, founder of Cover to Cover dies at 77 after a long illness.

Cost of Living in Noe: 14 single family homes sold in October - all for more than $1 million. Home values were up 12% year over year in the hood.

Rumors: Cookie wars erupt in the Ministry Parking lot [update: whether Cookie Time will be able to be a regular at the Farmer's Market is up in the air - until decided/accepted they will not be part of the market]; Only 51% of the 20,031 registered voters in Noe cast their vote this past Nov. - among those that did cast their vote Avalos was the top vote-getter for Mayor; Pixie Hall Studios is becoming a preschool and will be sponsoring a Date Night (hello, kid sitting) with Firefly; Fattoush has decided not to sell after all; The Vietnamese/Thai fusion restaurant on Church is going slow and may - or may not - open in 2012. A parking stall in the Walgreen's parking lot is now a charging station for electric cars [Ed note - Since a reader sent us this photo before Thanksgiving we've been trying to figure out how it works - apparently nobody knows, including the management at Walgreens which is waiting for instructions so they can "tell the customers how to use the dang thing." It also edges out a handicap spot.]

Also of note: A longtime Noe resident takes out a quarter-page ad looking for a "Woof Friendly Noe Valley Rental." Is it that bad for rentals in Noe?

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Street Trees: 24th St Blight To Get Blightier

The two trees in front of Real Foods are set for removal at the request of the owner, who apparently came out of hiding. The notice states multiple trunk injuries, decay, etc. The notice also states that the trees will be replaced by the Noe Valley Association, which is great but will leave a gap in the canopy for some time.

If you'd like to make the building owner show up at request a hearing to appeal the trees' removal contact the DPW Urban Forestry department at 2323 Cesar Chavez St, SF CA 94124. You can fax your letter to (415) 695-2147.

Click the photo for complete info.

Street Trees: FUF Planting Day This Summer

Reader Raphael is new to Noe Valley and is already trying to make things greener. He contacted Friends of the Urban Forest and is looking for people to organize a tree planting day in Noe Valley:

Want a tree in front of your home? Want more trees on your block? Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) is coming to Noe Valley for a Neighborhood Tree Planting this summer, and you're invited to participate.

FUF is a non-profit group that makes it easy and affordable for San Franciscans to get new trees in front of their properties. If you want a tree, you pay only $75 (for most trees); FUF covers 80% of the costs through the generosity of its funders and donors (FUF also offers a limited number of free trees; ask whether you qualify). In return, FUF provides the tree, permit processing, site preparation including concrete removal, two post-planting tree care visits, and a new tree owner's manual.

The tree recipient chooses the species; FUF's arborists recommend the species that are most likely to be suitable for the location. FUF coordinates the tree planting, which generally happens on a Saturday morning and includes the tree recipients, FUF staff and volunteers working side-by-side. Neighborhood Tree Plantings are community events that conclude with a potluck lunch.

Street trees beautify the neighborhood, increase property values, clean the air, reduce storm-water runoff, provide wildlife habitat, and generally improve the health and livability of the urban environment. To sign up for a tree or get more information, contact Doug at 415-268-0773 or dougly@fuf.net.

So sign up, select a tree and meet some neighbors. Most every block in Noe Valley could use some new trees, and while you wait for yours you can work on creative anti-dog-poop-signs.

See our 2009 post on FUF plantings for links to required applications.

[NVSF: Friends Of The Urban Forest Noe Valley Tree Planting]
[Photo: Friends of the Urban Forest]

Mission Streetscape Preview: Cesar Chavez Road Diet

.

Wondering how the traffic flow on Cesar Chavez is going to work when it drops from 6 lanes to 4 as part of the Mission Streetscape Project? StreetsBlog posted this video that explains the mechanics and highlights the benefits to the neighborhood and drivers. San Francisco has over 40 streets that are on or slated for a "road diet" - thanks to a reader for pointing out that Valencia and Cesar Chavez are featured prominently in this film. Among the benefits the SFMTA cites are better traffic flow, revitalized retail, more parking, safer pedestrian walking areas, dedicated bike lanes, and more trees/green. And it looks better.

For Noe Valley car commuters that don't like the Cesar Chavez plan and/or just want to get to the freeway the old way, there's still some good news: road diets typically improve neighboring property prices too.

Plant*SF Wants to Green Your Sidewalk in Noe Valley

The parklet idea is spreading to a sidewalk near you. Jersey Street resident Tamar writes to tell us about a Plant*SF grant in Noe:

Plant*SF was awarded a Community Challenge Grant from the City to install demonstration sidewalk gardens in Noe Valley by May 31st. These gardens will transform concrete into beautiful landscapes that will highlight a variety of edging options and different planting choices.

The minimum requirements are that you have sidewalk in front of your property that can be removed to make way for a garden. Drought tolerant plants are usually selected for these gardens so that very little (if any) watering is required once plants are established, which makes maintenance very easy.

Costs? In some cases, the garden might be fully paid for with the grant, but in other cases, the grant would pay for half the costs, asking property owners to match with at least 50%. It usually costs about $1000 to put in a sidewalk garden (includes getting permit, removing concrete, bringing in dirt, plants, river rock mulch, edging treatments, and then doing the planting itself). Property owners will ultimately be responsible for the gardens.

Wondering how they look? Tamar also reports:

I worked with Plant*SF when I had a place on Harrison Street and I can't tell you what a HUGE difference those gardens made on our street. They are just lovely, and I'm certain that once these gardens start popping up, it will set a great example for other residents to follow. These sidewalk gardens serve an important function in collecting rainwater that might otherwise go into storm drains and overflow our system during heavy rains. By absorbing the water into the ground, these gardens help recharge our groundwater supply as well.

If you're interested in learning more and submitting your property as a potential site for one of these sidewalk garden grants, email: Tamar Hurwitz.

Update: A PDF of the application is available here.

[Plant*SF]
[NVSF: Green Your Sidewalk]

Bye Christmas

Yup, holidays are over. Last day for Christmas tree pickup is nigh. Can't be bothered to dispose of your dead holiday cheer before tomorrow's deadline? Just drag it to the corner and someone will get rid of it. Don't worry - no one will know it was you.

[Photo: elainewigzell]

Billy Goat Hill Trail Planning and Design Concepts

From The Friends of Billy Goat Hill Park:

Billy Goat Hill (BGH) was allocated $50,000 of the 2008 Clean & Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond to rebuild the lower park entrance and the trail leading to the big eucalyptus trees (and the swing) and the steps up to the top of the hill. The current trail is extremely steep and unusable by all but the most adventurous of us. These improvements should make a 'walk in the park' much easier and bring more kids and families out to see the wildflowers, native plants and butterflies and enjoy the great view. A public meeting is being held on Wednesday, July 14th at 6:30 in the Upper Noe Rec Center to present the plans for community input.

What: Billy Goat Hill Community Meeting
When: July 14, 6:30 – 8:00PM
Where: Upper Noe Rec Center Auditorium (@ Sanchez and Day)

Click the image below to see the flyer for the event.
[FOBGHP: Community Trail Planning Meeting - July 14th]