This Week in Noe Valley: Chez Marius Closes, Nature Is Cool and Early Fall Happenings

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

• Chez Marius shuts down [Hoodline]
• Crows in Noe Valley: They also bring treasures [@MJgatewayhealth]
• Bookstore and Chocolate Crawl coming Sept 15 [@charliejane]
• Noe Valley Girl’s Film Fest – the only international film fest for girls under 15 [@CBarlerin]
• Sept Noe Valley Voice in 60 seconds - including rumors of new restaurants coming [NoeValleySF]
• The tree creatures are multiplying [mikepiercesf]
• YogaFlow Noe Valley is open [YogaFlow]

[Photo: Noe Valley Gaudi via runstagram9]

NVV April 2019: 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.

April 2019

Front Page: The buyer of $10 million mansion at 801 Sanchez at 21st St wants to raze the 4,600 sq. ft. building and erect a 7800 sq. ft. mansion in its place; an interview with a good samaritan and the chief trash officer of 22nd St; Noe dog park will now be open 6 days per week.

Features: The story of the bull on top of Haystack: It was a gift from the 83-year-old owner's girlfriend to celebrate his vitality. A neighbor complained that the bull's genitals were visible from the sidewalk, so he has since moved it to the roof. The bull's name is Trump, "because the president is 'just like a bull. He puts his head down and keeps on going, and he doesn't listen to nobody." Plus: More details on the permit troubles of the proposed Doggy Style, Inc.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: The average price of a single-family home in January was $3 million; only 7 houses changed hands in February.

Short Takes: The Noe Valley Garden Tour is scheduled for May 4, 2019. The Noe Valley Easter Egg Hunt in Douglass Park is scheduled for April 20. Lots of events are also planned for the Noe Valley Town Square this spring and summer.

Store Trek: Noe's Cantina, 1199 Church St. at 24th

Rumors and Tidbits: First Republic on Castro was smashed by a truck and the perps made off with a 374-pound ATM machine. Charlie's Corner has relocated to the former Cardio-Tone space on 24th near Church as its former home undergoes soft story reconstruction. Peasant Pies is also closed for the reconstruction and renovating its space; in the meantime you can get their pies at Whole Foods. Yoga Flow Noe Valley in the old Radio Shack space hopes to open in July. Holy Kitchen Indian restaurant is closing and a group called Bon Appetikka is taking over the permit. Globe In is moving out of the former Cliche Noe space and relocating up Castro Hill with offices only. Compass real estate has swallowed Alain Pinel and now has at least four offices on 24th St. alone.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV March 2019: 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 2019

Front Page: A piece about Bay Nature magazine, a tenuous connection to Mary Ellen Pleasant, the mother of civil rights in California, to a house on Laidley St; and an ode to the 48 Quintara/24th bus route.

Letters: A letter from a neighbor who has an owl in her yard on Alvarado. A thank you to the designer of the planters in the Noe Valley Town Square. Another neighbor writes that Urban Remedy uses too much plastic.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: The average price of a single-family home in January was $2.99 million.

Store Trek: Vive La Tarte, 4026 24th St. between Noe and Castro

Rumors and Tidbits: London Breed visited Noe Valley last month and toured merchants on 24th Street. The first tenant in the newly subdivided Real Foods space is SkinSpirit skincare clinic which offers "cutting-edge products and services in its clinics, including Botox, dermal fillers, facials, laser treatments, and other non-invasive aesthetic services" - it expects to open this spring. Pete's Cleaners next to the Town Square is set to become a fish market "that would also prepare and serve seafood dishes to eat there or take out." The former Fattoush space at 1361 Church, has been rented to the owners of Bernal Heights Pizzeria which is moving from its current location at 59 30th St., on the Noe Valley/Bernal border. Royal Cleaners is closed and the space is for rent. Ditto Rare Device. And the large commercial space at 3818 24th St. that was going to become an urgent medical care facility is now DOA.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV October 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.

October 2018

Front Page: Halloween is coming; dog trainers share their methods and tips; local dems want to flip the house in November.

Features: Fairmount Elementary is now Dolores Huerta Elementary School; recycling box now lives outside James Lick Middle School entrance. Republicans focus on local races. Two haunted houses will be at this year's Spooktacular Halloween celebration on Sunday Oct. 28 in the Town Square.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: Home values averaged $2.578 million this August, up 1.8 percent year over year. The most affordable home was a 350 square foot crackerbox condo on Guerrero that sold for $578,000.

Store Trek: Douglas, 1598 Sanchez at 29th

Rumors and Tidbits: The old Mill space is rumored to be a possible cannabis dispensary (?!); the old Radio Shack is becoming a Yoga Flow on 24th St.; Artisana on 24th St has closed; Eyes on 24th St. Optometry is moving a block down to 4080 24th St.; Castro Computer is vacating its space on 1500 Castro at 25th; Rafael Mandelman's campaign office has left the space next to Just for Fun and a new tenant is coming soon. Realtor Hill & Co. has been bought by Alain Pinel which means there are currently two Alain Pinel offices on 24th St - no word on whether one will close; Sotheby's Realty is rumored to be moving into the hood as well; Chloe's Cafe is now 31 years old and has been named a "valuable cultural asset" for San Francisco; The Noe Valley Girls Film Festival was a huge success.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV July/August 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.

July/August 2018

Front Page: Haystack Pizza is the longest running restaurant in Noe Valley (46 years) and going strong; Healthy Spot pet store was denied a request to open due to neighborhood protest; Picturesque and vintage F cars return to the Church St Muni corridor.

Letters: The owner of Folio Books urges neighbors to spend time (and money) in Noe Valley if they want a vibrant 24th St; A local complaint about a 6 month no parking permit for construction from 7AM to 6PM, 7 days per week.

Features: The clothes recycling box headed for the parking lot on 24th near Castro has been shelved due to concerns from a neighborhood group; London Breed is mayor and Rafael Mandelman took the District 8 supervisor seat; Upper Douglass dog park may be shut twice a week to address neighborhood concerns with the site's grass turf; Police still seeking clues to attack on mother with baby on Sanchez on June 3; The Noe Valley Coffee Company is seeking approval to operate its own coffee roaster inside Spin City at 1299 Sanchez at 26th; Summerfest 2018 is coming to Noe Valley from 11am-4pm on July 29.

Cost of Living in Noe Valley: Just 7 single family homes sold in May for an average price of $2.69 million; a mere 4 condos sold for an average of $1.3 million. A $4.9 million home sold on the 200 block of 28th St. and the most expensive homes and condos sold both went to private sales before they hit the market.

Store Trek: Moe's Barbershop and Beauty Parlor,  4008 24th St near Noe St.

Rumors and Tidbits: Of the 16,415 voters registered in Noe Valley, 64 percent cast their ballots in June; The crocheted animals in the trees on Diamond St between Alvarado and 23rd are the loving handiwork of local artist Huib Petersen, and a small protest against the "creepiness" of "the man in the White Hous;." Podolls is closing on July 9 and Small Frys is moving into the space; Sean, a menswear store on 24th has closed; The old See Jane Run space is going through a seismic retrofit and is for rent; Building permits have been issued and work has begun to create 3 new commercial spaces in the old Real Foods space; Douglas is now open at 1598 Sanchez; The Noe Valley Merchants and Professional Association is looking to add more murals by local muralists to downtown Noe Valley with the first ones planned for Rachel Swann's office on Vicksburg, Honeycomb Spa, Philz Coffee and possibly Novy.

[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]

NVV Dec 2017: We Read It So You Don't Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or other resources. Follow the NVV link at the bottom for full articles and all the ads.

December 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV Oct 2017: We Read It So You Don’t Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or other resources. Follow the NVV link at the bottom for full articles and all the ads.

October 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV March 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.

March 2017

Front Page: Deplorable person leaves racist note on Noe Valley resident’s car; Cleve Jones and other local authors are part of Word Week; jet noise from plane rerouting irritating some Noe Valley residents.

Cost of Living in Noe: Average price for the scant 3 single family homes that sold in January was $3M.

Store Trek: Artisana, 3927 24th Street

Features:  Noe Valley resident Ken Shaw will be a Peace Corp volunteer in Zambia.

Rumors and Tidbits: Baron's Quality Meats is opening soon in the former Drewe's Meats space; DavidsTea will be closing at the end of August or sooner; La Nebbia is closed and Sharon Ardiana (of Ragazza on Divisadero) will be opening a new restaurant in a few months in the space with an Italian/Mediterranean menu; Green11 is relocating to the East Bay; two more retail spaces that have been co-opted by boutique offices: the former laundromat at Castro and Clipper  is becoming a design studio called Studio 9 and an architecture firm is taking over the space at Noe and Alvarado. Similarly, the former The Ark Space on 24th at Vicksburg will house a mercantile, home design and real estate business for realtor Stephen Moore. Some changes are in the works for the checkout lanes at Whole Foods and by the end of March there should be a demolition crew tackling the space next to St. Clair's Liquors (the plan is 3 residential spaces and retail below).

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV Nov 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.

November 2016

Front Page: Noe Valley businesses that give to the local community (including Just for Fun, Firefly, La Ciccia, Cliche Noe and Zephyr); the Town Square debuts; we may be at peak rents for Noe Valley (for now).

Letters: A letter from Modern Times bookstore in the Mission - they're closing for good on Nov. 15; a lament about the demise of Drewes Brothers Meats (which may return as a new meat market soon).

Features: Noe Valley parking meters will likely increase rates as demand-based pricing spreads citywide.

Cost of Living in Noe: The luxury home market is cooling slightly and the average cost of a home dropped to $2 million.

Short Takes: Cliche Noe is sponsoring a Christmas tree lighting this year; Upper Noe Neighbors and PlumpJack will offer free drinks post election day with the launch of the Upper Noe Wine Club from 5-8pm at the VIP Scrub Club. You'll find SF Firefighters Program holiday toy barrels accepting donations for needy children at Cliche Noe and Just for Fun starting Nov 21.

Store Trek: Damia Salon, 1504 Church Street

Rumors and Tidbits: Small Business Saturday happens on Nov. 26 and 24Holidays begins Dec. 1 in downtown Noe Valley, with hayrides, shopping, caroling, reindeer, Santa and more. The Town Square is open, the Farmer's Market has a new home there, and the first big event is a Square Dance on Nov 5. Other events planned for the Square are movie nights and meditation - and the location is available for rent if you're interested. Also coming soon: eight benches that will line the square which have been stuck in customs in L.A. French bistro Le Zinc has closed following the death of the owner's wife and another French restaurateur, Laurent Legendre, is buying the restaurant and the new menu will be "totally French." (Legendre also owns Le P'tit Laurent on Chenery in Glen Park.) Noe Valley Bakery is expanding to West Portal and would like you to help pay for it. The former Cradle of the Sun space has been rented to Olive This Olive That, which will relocate from it's current spot on Vicksburg, and The Swann Group, a retail furniture and interior design business run by realtor Rachel Swann. The goal for both is to open this month. Video Wave is staying in the current spaces for at least another year. One Stop Party Shop on outer Church reports that the most popular costumes this year were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton; for kids it was Star Wars characters. Chocolate Covered was named SF Magazine's 2016 Best Chocolate Shop; other Noe Valley spots that made the Best of list were La Ciccia and Lovejoy's. Dani Sheehan-Meyer made the Merchant of the Year 2016 list for Cliche Noe, and NV filmmakers Linda and Tim Schaller won the Best Documentary Award at the LA World International Film Festival for A Spark of Nerve, a film about the doctors who helped their daughter regain the use of her arm after a deranged SF man attacked her.

[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]

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 April 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.

April 2016

Front Page: A profile of Jesse Walkershaw, owner of WalkershawMan clothting store on 24th; six bike share locations are coming to Noe Valley; a profile of Noe Valley hand surgeon and artist-entrepreneur Robert Markison; the proposed Town Square owl art is considered too "skull-like" and is back on the drawing board.

Letters: A vote for a Janis Joplin historic marker to commemorate her stay in Noe Valley at 22nd and Noe (ed note - she lived in a lot of places in the city); a complaint that the San Jose Ave road diet has increase congestion and carbon emissions; a rebuttal to a letter last month about the languishing Real Foods spot asserting that downtown Noe Valley is "alive, well and thriving." Bob Roddick wants you to know that Elle magazine and Trulia have named Noe Valley as the neighborhood with the best family amenities (ed note - we weren't able to find a link or confirm) thanks to the efforts of the NVMPA to create things like the hayride, Easter Egg Hunt, Garden Tour and more. The board of the Noe Valley Farmers Market encourages you to support local businesses near the Farmer's Market on Saturday. And one neighbor decries the use of commercial sidewalk scrubbing in a drought.

Cost of Living in Noe: Home sales average $2.9 million - the most expensive house that  sold was a $4 million home on Valley St.

Store Trek: Yoga Mayu, 4159B 24th St. at Diamond; Hamlet, 1199 Church St. at 24th

Rumors and Tidbits: Patxi's is riling up it's neighbors again by using the public parking lot as the pit stop for pizza delivery vehicles; the space vacated by In-House will soon become a Golden Gate Urgent Care outlet; Go Health Urgent Care is also looking to rent in down town Noe Valley but no space has been confirmed (ed note - ugh, Union St. here we come). The Lotus Method (yoga for expecting moms) is taking over the old Ambiance space; and the surely a hoax butler listing for $175,000 gets a mention. See Jane Run is sticking around for at least another 6 months; next door to SJR, the pop-up art store has had a good run - and Jan Van Swearingen, formerly of Common Scents is looking to pop-up in the additonal space next door at 3904 24th St. The former Video Wave space on Castro is becoming a women's clothing store called Aline's Closet which is relocating from Lower Haight. Zephyr is rennovating it's offices and expects to reopen on 24th St in 3-4 months. Hahn's Hibachi on Castro will soon become Bistro SF Grill which will serve lunch, dinner and lots, and lots of burgers. Noe Valleyeon Ben Fong-Torres (a founding father of Rolling Stone) launched a radio show in late 2015.

[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]

This Week In Noe Valley: Blue Angels, Blood Moon, And…Hooters?

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

• In response to complaints about the Blue Angels [@linecook]
• SF waterfront land could be soaked by sea-level rise - could Noe Valley someday have waterfront property? [The Examiner]
• (Yes - Noe Valley could be seaside) [Burritojustice]
• Spotted in the Whole Foods parking lot #gogiants [naseisland]
• If you missed the blood moon eclipse this week because of fog, here’s what the rest of the world saw [NPR]
• The sunset and moon sightings were also spectacular [ericaaa_24 and berdim99 and ajvicems]
• Rumor or wishful thinking: Tartine coming to Noe Valley? [@NoeMom]
• Spotted: A permit for Hooters to replace Bliss Bar [@ErosRemini]
• Um, no [Uptown Almanac]
• SF Studios starts this week around the city [SFGate]
• Noeteca plans to open Mission Brasserie [Inside ScoopSF]
• Authors of Thug Kitchen cancel their NorCal (and Omnivore) engagement [SFist]

[Photo: More tolerable weather. Yay! anilla02]

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]

NVV April 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.

April 2014

Front Page: April Fools.

Letters: Noe Valley used to have cable cars running over Castro; a neighbor urges Noe Valleyeans to protest bulb-outs planned for 24th St.; in praise of Word Week sponsors; a vegetarian complains that the new La Nebbia has no veggie options he likes.

Cost of Living in Noe: The average price of a single family home in Noe right now is $2.4 million.

Store Trek: Horner's Corner (1199 Church St at 24th)

Rumors: Mike's Shoe Repair is open month-to-month only and looking for a new space;  St. Paul's Market at Sanchez and 29th is closing for good at the end of the month (the owner is fighting cancer); Be Yoga is closed [Ed - and LOLA Pop-up has replaced it for now]; Incanto is closed and will be reborn as Porcellino in May; Fima Photography is once again NOT closing; the mystery restaurant at 25th and Church is still a mystery; Joshua Simon clothing store on 24th St is for sale for $239,000; Holy Kitchen Indian restaurant is open; The Valley Tavern won approval to reopen its beer garden in the back of the premises.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Rumor: Noe's Bar Has Been Sold

Earlier this month we received a tip via email that Noe's Bar and/or Basso's has been sold:

Rumor is that Noe's (including the Basso's restaurant) on 24th & Church has changed ownership and will be closing for several weeks of renovations sometime before the end of the 2013. It will reopen under a new name. I can only assume it won't be anything like the same neighborhood bar anymore.

We can't find anything online - nothing pending on CA ABC, SF DBI, or rumored on the NVV. Admittedly, we've been too busy this month to stop in for a drink and ask some questions.

Lending credibility to the rumor is this post from last year advertising a Noe Valley pizzeria for sale. Key words include "well established for 30 years" and "not a distressed business." At the time we suspected Haystack was ready to cash out, but now we think otherwise. Turns out Wayne Basso and his family have owned and operated Noe's Bar since 1982 - exactly 30 years before a pizza restaurant in Noe Valley was posted for sale. They took over the restaurant side from Cybelle's in 2008. The listing also indicates that the owner will relocate abroad.

Today we received another tip via Twitter that the bar has been sold, and since we really don't know anything we're asking for your help.

As we're posting Twitter is responding:

@NoeValleySF I've heard it from multiple sources. The consortium is said to include some Dubliner regulars & friends of Rose from The Peaks.
— Steve Courtney (@malderor) October 19, 2013

@NoeValleySF The new owner was promising to upgrade the TVs to HD finally, so that seems like a tellingly genuine detail.
— Steve Courtney (@malderor) October 19, 2013

What have you heard? We'd like to know more, and we'd like to hear from all parties involved if possible. Comment, or send us an email.

[NVSF: For Sale: Noe Valley Pizzeria]
[NVV: Store Trek, February 2008]
[Photo: Roberto Cosenza]

NVV March 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.

March 2013

Front Page: A 3-page profile of the wacky and colorful Sheila Ash, owner of Noe's Nest (a B&B at 1257 Guerrero); Bliss Bar plans to rebuild - but it may take awhile; Word Week starts on March 16; the community garden behind Sally Brunn Library is full of shoots, plants and leaves.

Letters: The Noe Valley Democratic Club asks dems of all stripes to join the dialogue; a supporter of the Noe Valley Town Square urges Noe Valleyans not to sound so entitled by claiming we're under-served as a community; another neighbor urges Scott Weiner not to force seismic upgrades for homeowners and renters - and Scott Wiener replies.

Farewell: "The highest ranking woman in the history of Judo" and Noe Valley dojo owner Keiko Fukuda died last month.  

Cost of Living in Noe: A 1904 Victorian on 22nd St. at Sanchez that sold for $2.89 million in 14 days was one of only 5 single-family homes to close in January. No condos sold (a first in many years).

Store Trek: Caskhouse (caskhousesf.com), Spark Creativity (sparkcreativitysf.com).

Rumors: Scott Weiner celebrates the team championing the Noe Valley Town Square (pledges are nearing $500,000); @CookieTimeTruck is no longer in the Ministry parking lot; Ed Lee pays a visit to the parklet in front of Just for Fun to congratulate our community benefit district; Mark Zuckerberg owns a home close by and has been spotted on 24th St (and at the Saturday Farmer's Market); Elisa's Health Spa is for sale; the 6th annual Easter egg hunt has been cancelled; Umpqua Bank has nearly $10k in grants available; Opes Advisers is expanding into the former Children's Playhouse; and winners of the Tech Search Party announced.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV Nov 2012: We Read It So You Don't Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories until the middle of the month.

November 2012

Front Page: Local authors roundup; neighbors rally to help families displaced by fires; interview with Top Chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto.
 
Letters: A complaint about a screaming child at a restaurant (and the rude backlash); a long explanation from Scott Wiener about tree removal as part of Glen Canyon Park improvements [PDF].

Cost of Living in Noe: Inventory is tight - which means most homes sold quickly and for more than their listed price (including this one with a checkered past that sold for 45% over asking).

Store Trek: Mill (3751 24th St.)

Rumors: The Town Square project has raised $435,000 of the $2 million needed; Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg bought a house near Noe; a vague unconfirmed rumor that the corner at 24th and Sanchez that First Republic had tried to occupy has been rented to "a retail store, probably clothing;" the owner of the old Mikey-Tom Market space that was most recently Kohler Jones wants to sell, not rent; Playhouse is closed; Crafthouse is replacing Joe's and planning to open Dec. 1.

[The Noe Valley Voice]