NVV July/August 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.

July/August  2015

Front Page: San Jose Avenue traffic calming isn't working [for cars]; the earthquake shack was ruled a historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act; Airbnb hosts are successfully colonizing Noe Valley - there are currently 227 rentals in the hood with an average price of $212 per night;  Lhami Sherpa, co-owner of Holy Kitchen on 24th St has family affected by the Nepal quake.

Letters: A hater complains about the benches in front of Martha & Bros; the Garden Tour was a success and well-sponsored by Voice advertisers; a neighbor doesn't like the produce selection and high prices from the new owners of Church Produce.

Features: The bar at 1600 Dolores St has new owners and will be called The Bar on Dolores Street; Horner's Corner is closed and John Dampeer of Caskhouse is buying the bar/restaurant - still no word on planned changes or when it will reopen. Bliss Bar is becoming Tom Rai, a restaurant with live music. RIP local activist Vicki Rosen.

Cost of Living in Noe: Hotter than the surface of the sun. The average house price is up 10 percent year-over-year to $2.4 million according to Zephyr data.

Store Trek: The Podolls (3985 24th St)

Rumors: Short items in the back: Starbucks is killing La Boulange in September - no word on what will move into the corner spot on 24th St but there is still 10 years left on the lease; L'Atelier's brief run of upcycled goods is over and a children's bookstore called Charlie's Corner will move in by September; Work on a new cafe called LaPanotiQ in the old Global Exchange space should begin at the end of the month; VideoWave is losing it's annual lease but hoping to hang tough; The Ark toy store closed it's Presidio Heights store and is having a tough time competing with Amazon (maybe that's why the staff rarely smiles?); Songbird Studios opened and is offering singing lessons; Isso is closed; The Noe Valley Town Square got another grant for $743,543 and construction should start early in 2016; The 24th St. bulbouts, planters, benches and crosswalk improvements are wrapping up and there will be a ribbon-cutting on July 15; Noe Valley Harvest Fest is cancelled this Fall and will return in 2016; The Noe Valley Association will not approve any more parklets for 24th St says Debra Nieman; The new construction on 24th at Church is now expected to be completed in September and the 4 luxury condos and retail space will be available for sale/rent; the Noe Valley Wine Walk returns on August 20.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: City Hall's 100th, Another Home Approaches $7M, Valley Tavern Launches Live Music

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

• Video from the 100th Anniversary party at City Hall this week [Mr Eric Sir]
• Untouched since 1969 when it sold for $25,000, this home is now listed for $1.89 million [Curbed]
• Noe Valley’s second most expensive home: $6.7 million [Socket Site]
• Airbnb colonized the entrance to the Farmer’s Market today [NVSF]
• The Valley Tavern celebrated its live music permit with Heather Combs this week [rockarecord]
• Hip Hop artist Phesto Dee’s photos coming to the pop-up Fort Gallery on 24th June 27-28 [SF Weekly]
• Stylish new bike racks in Noe Valley [@kjbrazil]
• Community Forum on Bikes, Cars and Pedestrians at Noe Valley Ministry on June 22 [Streetsblog SF]
• Interview of Noe Valley native Remy Nelson of Mojo Café on Divisadero [Hoodline]
• Dolores Park’s northern half is back – and so are people peeing on buildings (ugh) [SFBay]
• ICYMI: Starbucks is closing all 23 La Boulange cafés in September – including the one in Noe [NVSF]

[Photo: hidayitsnight]

La Boulange Is Closing - Is Anyone Really Surprised?

Here’s a tone-deaf announcement that slipped out last night while you were enjoying the Warriors win: Starbucks is closing all of its 23 La Boulange locations by this September, most of which are in the Bay Area.

Starbucks bought La Boulange in 2012 ostensibly to improve the foods options at $SBUX. While La Boulange’s pastries and breakfast sandwiches have reportedly helped grow it’s food sales (yes, the stock is up), the net result was that the food options at La Boulange also became very La Boring shortly after the Starbucks assimilation.

Still, Noe Valley residents are already mourning la Bou's passing (and Starbucks' questionable timing for the announcement):

Starbucks just announced plans to close all La Boulange locations (mostly in the Bay Area) during the Warriors game? https://t.co/EgrvmXEB6S

— Nick Turner (@SFNick) June 17, 2015

Already mourning the death of the Noe Valley La Boulange http://t.co/tgdvcS7MMM

— Leena K. Rao (@LeenaRao) June 17, 2015

Wait til this hits the Noe Valley Nextdoor. https://t.co/i161IACevI

— Josh Williams (@jw) June 17, 2015

I wasn't going to riot & set things on fire, but then I saw this bullshit: http://t.co/0BCqmLPmuC

— Evan Doll (@edog1203) June 17, 2015

@Starbucks you're closing la boulange??? like my little la boulange in noe valley?!?! why?!!!!!!

— Cory Wilkerson (@corywilkerson) June 17, 2015

So …Noe Valley will be losing a café in September. Here’s hoping an inspired new coffee shop or eatery moves quickly into the prime corner location that used to be a pizza joint.

Related: Speaking of cafés, earlier this year La PanotiQ announced it would be moving into the former Global Fair Exchange at 4108 24th Street in Spring 2015 and the location is still listed as coming soon on its website. But so far there’s been zero activity to revamp the space and no sign of progress. Perhaps they’ll look at the La Boulange space as a quicker fix.

This Week In Noe Valley: The Holidays Are Here, Starbucks Reboots, And A Flying Car On 23rd St

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

• It's already Christmas in Noe (at least in front of Just for Fun) [Michael Creasy]
• Starbucks is closed for a week - use it as an opportunity to upgrade to a better local coffee shop [@ESBAle]
• Spark Creativity closes studio to "go mobile" [@NoeValleySF]
• A suspect with "a lot on his mind" was seen in the Noe Valley area vandalizing several parked vehicles [Ingleside Station Newsletter]
• October Condo sales"cooled ever so slightly" [Downing & Co]
• Photo tour of a Noe Valley designer's rock-and-roll home [Design*Sponge]
• Sandbagging victims from a bike was once a popular way to mug people in SF [Burrito Justice]
• Yet another truck fail in Noe Valley (but technically not high-centered) [@egpdejong]
• South on Dolores from 23rd St, 1923 [SF Historian]
• 23rd Street was also home to a Flying Car in the '20s [io9]

[Photo: "It's pouring out here!"adbonifacio]

NVV July/August 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.

July/August 2013

Front Page: Photos of Noe Valley families in the '90s.

Letters: Letter from Noe Valley community benefit district founder Carol Yenne thanking the cleaning crew for finding a lost hearing aid; more disapproval for the hygiene and service at La Boulange since Starbucks took over.

Features and Short Takes: R.I.P. breast cancer advocate Barbara Brenner, and Julian Rodigruez of Bernie's; Noe Courts proposals are online for review at sfrecpark.org; Friends of the Urban Forest tree planting coming to Noe on August 24; Upper Douglass Dog Park at 27th and Douglass is looking beautiful - please stay off the grass while the roots take hold. Interview with an accountant turned astrologer on Clipper St. who uses iPad apps in her research to allow more time for "interpreting the charts."

Cost of Living in Noe: Hot, hot, hot.

Store Trek: Kitami Ropa (1478A Church St.)

Rumors: The Noe Valley Town Square clears the final hurdle - if you haven't pledged yet, now's the time; Quitters is filming in San Francisco and around the hood; 2 blocks on Noe Hill are trying to get their street zoned for parking; dog grooming parlor Clipper Corner is closed; June Fisher M.D. celebrated her 80th birthday at Le Zinc; Noe Valley's mini-golf legend Steve Fox is set to open Urban Putt in the Mission this fall; Noe Valley "mayor" Sam Salameh, proprietor of Good News on 24th St., reports the neighborhood's favorite magazine is Vanity Fair, followed by Music Mojo and The New Yorker. Newspapers? "They're dead," says Sam. Meanwhile, Phoenix Books reports the favorite book is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Video Wave says the favorite movie rentals are Quartet, Silver Linings Playbook, Side Effects and for kids it's Oz the Great and Powerful.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV May 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.

May 2013

Front Page: The Town Square clears a major funding hurdle - the city looks set to buy the lots; Noe Valley wine makers will offer a taste of their wine at the May 11 Garden Tour, AT&T setting locations for the U-Verse broadband boxes - neighbors want them out of sight; local Mother's Day potraits.

Letters: A patron is upset with Walgreens' rewards program; an Elizabeth St. resident is still not happy about the de facto off-leash dog park status of Noe Courts; a Day St resident reports on the declining quality of Starbucks and La Bou since they merged; another Day St resident defends the blue bin recycling bandits: "on this small scale nobody suffers, the fellow makes a bit of change, Recology receives your same monthly payment... the police have more important things to do that deal with this pettiness..." [Ed.-- For the record, lost revenue from stolen recyclables is part of why your Sunset Scavenger rates are going up]. A Dolores St resident credits the NVV for shaming the owner of 1220-22 Church St into repainting.

Features and Short Takes: St. Luke's plans for a new 7-story hospital; Fair Oaks Street Fair (mega garage sale) is May 11 from 9am-5pm on Fair Oaks between 21st and 26th.

Cost of Living in Noe: Good luck finding a condo or single family home for under $1 million right now; the high mark was set by a 1900s cottage on 23rd St. that was updated and sold for $3.6 million.

Rumors: A truck driver gets his rig stuck on the ultra-steep 22nd St on April Fool's Day; look for sidewalk sales on 24th St on Saturday May 18 as part of Small Business Week; NV eagerly awaits the new eatery from the owners of La Ciccia called La Nebbia; the former Noe Valley Deli on 24th St is under construction [Ed.-- Griddle Fresh]; Mazook learns about what's in season at the Farmer's Market and why people like to hang out in Dolores Park; a clothing boutique on Church St. called Kitami Ropa is now officially open.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: La Bou Is Assimilated, Tombstones, Noe Shoals And More

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

• Chicks dig high-worth Noe Valley bachelor with multiple roommates [NYTimes; Also: Response]
• Noe Valley Chamber Music announces 20th Anniversary Season [NVCM]
• Map of San Francisco Archipelago now available as poster [Burrito Justice]
• The "First Gay President's" top fund-raising district is Castro and Noe Valley (94114), which has given him $248,048 this donating cycle [The Snitch]
• More fallout from the Starbucks – La Boulange deal [Inside Scoop]
• Big house, views, low ceilings, cheap finishes, no parking. $3.2M? Someone will buy it anyway. [Curbed SF]
• Please don't leave your junk on the sidewalk [Bernalwood]
• There are old tombstones on Valley St (and all over Ocean Beach). Anyone have pictures? [KTVU]

[Photo: Construction at the future site of Mill, NVSF]

Friday Night Surprises on 24th Street

Whole Foods: Big surprise party in the parking lot this evening – tons of food/snacks, a band and a tapas truck. No booze, just kombucha. There were store tours for people with the right pass, and freebie bags full of healthy junk food (more than a few people left the bags on 24th Street benches and ledges for scavengers).

Green11: An early opening tonight to catch some of the Whole Foods festival foot traffic. It's cute (and tiny).

Starbucks: Workers were still toiling away on the design refresh; they’re going to be there all night. Contractor overheard out front: "We will be opening on time tomorrow AM."

Coming Soon: Mystery Store: New store opening in the Simply Chic space. The hipster dude inside says the name is still a secret but will be revealed next week. Opening mid October-ish, the store will be selling “unique gifts” and “unusual cool things” in time for the holidays. Update (9/27): They told us today they'll feature "spiritual items" by local artists, giving us the impression they meant "crystals." But then maybe we're a bit skeptical anywhere near a psychic.

Urban Cellars: Open for business again.

[NVSF: Whole Foods Secret Pre-Opening Celebration]
[NVSF: Coming Soon: Green 11]
[NVSF: Urban Cellars: Closed By ABC]

Miracle on 24th Street: Real Foods Renewal

By Robbie Miller

My partner @oddknock tweeted it best: Miracle on 24th Street: Just as Whole Foods finishes up their move-in to the old Bell Market, Real Foods starts renovation across street. I attached a picture!


And 24th and Noe is under construction.


[Ed: Anyone have more details? In the comments, please. We'll post more info as we have it.]

Photo: Hot Noe Valley Nights

It's a great night for a iced venti double-decaf-nonfat-frappa-mochachino at the Starbuck's on 24th St. Too bad there's no FroYo at the other end of the block.

Thanks for the photo, Bats.

[Flickr: bats1234]
[NVSF: bats1234]
[NVSF: Tuttimelon: What Gives?]