This Week In Noe Valley: The Building Boom On 24th, RIP Bob St. Clair, And A Historic Home Hits the Market

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

• The building boom on 24th Street continues [SF Chronicle]
• SF Planning approves 3822 24th St in spite of Elizabeth St residents complaints and yields to Elizabeth St residents, delaying decision on 4022 24th St to June 11[NVSF]
• Here’s what 80% appreciation looks like in one year in local real estate [Curbed]
• A historic, custom-built Noe home is up for sale - complete with ceiling murals [263 29th Street]
• Bob St. Clair of the 49ers and St. Clair’s Liquor store namesake dies [SF Gate]
• NERT training starts in Noe Valley May 21 [SFPD Mission]
• Earth Day in Noe Valley [@NoeValleySF]
• Steve & Kate kids camp is at Alvarado  Elementary this summer [Steve & Kate’s Camp]
• Friends of the Noe Valley Rec Center’s Newsletter is out [FONVRC]

[Photo: Grandma and her purple Volkswagen via elese]

Closing: Successories

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

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

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

Closed: Bay Castle Cleaners

We were surprised to see the paper in the windows of Bay Castle Cleaners today. It always seemed to have a lot of activity, and Noe Valley can surely support more than a few cleaners. But an average of two stars on Yelp might explain why the owners have vacated.

There's a sign in the window directing people to pick up their clothes at 6215 Mission St in Daly City. That's Crocker Cleaners, and Yelp doesn't like them either. We tried calling the owners, but the number has been changed to a 650 area code number that rings and rings. That number is for Crocker Cleaners.

So it doesn't look like Bay Castle Cleaners is going to reopen on 24th St. Does anyone know the whole story? Rent pressure? Bad business plan? And more importantly, does anyone know what's destined for the space at 3906 24th St? Could it be that the owners of St Clair's think they can run a better business from here as well?

Sign Of The Times: St. Clair's Liquors

A reader sent this note highlighting yet another business feeling the pressure Whole Foods is exerting on neighborhood businesses to step it up a notch:

So I started out today dropping off a pair of boots at Mike's Shoe Repair. Then picked up a nice bottle of scotch and some wine at Plumpjack followed by some fresh seafood and produce at Whole Foods. On my way to 24th St Cheese Co I passed the attached sign at St. Clair's Liquors. I stopped shopping there years ago because of high prices and mediocre selection -- long before Whole Foods moved in.

What's this all about? According to the ABC, Whole Foods is pursuing an off sale liquor license.

The sign reads:

Whole Foods Market is hurting many businesses in Noe Valley. However, they are not done yet. Whole Foods Market is determined to hurt more businesses in our community. Call supervisor Scott Weiner [sic] at (415) 554-6968 or email him at Scott.Wiener@sfgov.org and let him know that you are against Whole Foods Market selling LIQUOR in Noe Valley. Please, protest to the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control by filling a protest form.

Hmmm...Bell/Ralph's/Delanos sold beer/wine/liquor and St Clair's survived. And St Clair's has its own predatory history.

Meanwhile, Urban Cellars, Bell Market and GrayStone (24th/Castro) are all gone. Given that there are fewer places to buy liquor in Noe Valley than 10 years ago we're not buying St Clair's protest.