Announced: Bistro 24

Yet another restaurant is to open at 4123 24th St: Bistro 24. So far there's just a sign in the window that says "Coming Soon: Bistro 24." No building permits have been filed. The domain name bistro24sf.com is currently parked on godaddy.com. And the beer and wine license is still held by the previous tenant, Stefano Coppola of Lupa.

Just speculating, but all this looks like how Mr Coppola opened the last business here. Could it be that City Grill is no longer for sale?

[NVSF: Another Noe Valley Restaurant/Cafe For Sale]
[NVSF: Opening: City Grill]

Update: Shuttle Study

General consensus: Noe Valley is for NIMBYs. The Examiner reported on last Thursday's Upper Noe Neighbors meeting without managing to get quotes from "the other side" so well represented in our comments sections. While much of the discussion here has revolved around employee shuttles to Silicon Valley, the Examiner missed the point that this study is looking at all shuttle use in San Francisco--Noe Valley is just a small (albeit vocal) focus of the study. (More about the Strategic Analysis Report in this post and this PDF.)

So what's next? "Findings from the report will be released in July and could include charging fees for shuttles to enter The City, possible route changes and the creation of special zones for the vehicles, according to Margaret Cortes, a senior transportation planner."

If you went to last Thursday's meeting, please leave your impressions in the comments.

[SFE: Give me some space! Shuttles clog Noe streets]
[NVSF: Meeting: Upper Noe Neighbors]
[NVSF: Shuttle Buses: Useful or Menace?]
[SFCTA: Shuttle SAR]

NVV: 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 stories we've covered at NVSF.

June 2009

• Front page: Noe Valley is for sale - lots of homes and rentals on market. 68 homes listed for sale in April, which is about double last year. "Bargains" are still over $1M. Rental rates are down about 10% from last year.
  
• Op-Ed: Misha Weidman, RE broker and attorney, says Noe Valley is no longer immune from the housing slump. Good news: Noe is off only 13% from last year.
• Letters: People are still outraged about arbitrary parking enforcement (4 letters); Someone wants you to send stimulus money to On Lok on 30th St; Thanks given to Noe Valley Auto Works for taking care of a recently laid-off client's car.
• Photo: 7 people waiting for train confirms that J Church is still the worst.
  
• Short Takes: FUF planting Saturday July 11 in Noe Valley; Celebrate the Solstice at Noe Valley Ministries; Got a problem with services at City parks? Parkscan.org will now route all calls to 311 [Ed.--better than calling: check them out on Twitter]; Noe Valley Quest Fest will celebrate winners on June 17th at Upper Noe Rec Center from 5:30-7:30PM, drawing at 6:15--more deets at noevalleyquest.com.
• Crime: Only covers first half of May, so no mention of armed robberies on Church near 26th (be careful out there); And...the Peace Blotter is back. [Ed.--If you're a crime watching sort of person, we've posted instructions for subscribing to regular updates here.]
• Rumors: Bevan Dufty considering run for Mayor [Ed.--can Noe get a pink cloud too?]; Dufty also denies he's endorsing anyone running to replace him; 28.6% of Noe Valleyans voted on May 19; Rumor becomes fact when checking police reports - many vehicle break-ins lately; Empty storefronts: AAA space for $12k/month, Riki landlord looking for retail (not food), Streetlight rent reduced to $8k/month, Simply Chic asking $4k/month, Wells Fargo's old ATM closet wants $4k/month, Successories opening, Noe Knit closing, Phoenix moving in; last month's Store Trek feature Arara changing name and moving to 1513 Church (NV Buzz); She-Bible opening; Noe full of babies; Also: "you can put a lock on a rumor" that Locksmith Central is moving--they changed their mind.
  
• Traveling Voice: Noe residents carried the voice to such far off places as...nowhere. The NVV is on staycation.
  

[The Noe Valley Voice]

SFGov's 311 Service Joins Twitter

San Francisco's 311 service is now using the internet real-time. Is there a Noe Valley pothole you're tired of? Broken sprinkler in Dolores Park? Want a new freeway through the City? "Customer Service Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to assist you. 311 can help with: street cleaning graffiti removal, pothole and sidewalk defects, abandoned vehicles, city garbage can maintenance, department information ... and much more!" After you submit a request "You will receive a Direct Message from 311 with either your Service Request number, the answer to your question, or a request for more information from us." Posting to @SF311 isn't the best way to get an answer, however: "For faster service, please us a DM as only DM's are monitored real time."

Response time seems to be quick, and the requests are all over the map. If nothing else, it's fascinating to read what people in San Francisco are concerned about.

[Twitter: SF311]
[SFGov: 311 Twitter FAQ]

$450,000 Buys A Lot of House .... But Not in Noe

The NY Times featured a Noe Valley flat for sale today as an example of what you don't get when you spend $449,000. In Shelburne Falls, Mass. or Richmond, Kentucky that price will net you a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house or larger. In Noe you get this lower-unit apartment on Clipper:

WHAT: A one-bedroom, one-bath apartment
HOW MUCH: $449,000
PER SQUARE FOOT: $700.49
SETTING: This apartment is on the lower level of a two-unit corner building in Noe Valley, a centrally located neighborhood in San Francisco. During the beginnings of the dot-com boom in the 1970s, densely packed row houses, originally built for working-class families in the early 20th century, became popular with young families. This building was built in 1921, but the unit was added in the 1950s. Two blocks north is 24th Street, a thoroughfare lined with coffee and pastry shops, bookstores, a diversity of eateries, and boutiques catering to young professionals and their kids. There’s a light-rail stop within a mile of the house.
COMMON SPACES: The kitchen is eat-in and there are hardwood floors throughout.
PERSONAL SPACES: The bedroom has built-in closets and cabinetry.
OUTDOOR SPACE: The unit shares a large yard with the rest of the building. A city park with a basketball and tennis court is across the street.
TAXES: $5,208 (estimated)

We're not even going to touch the comment about the 1970s dot-com boom (um, fact-check?). But we'd rather live here than either of those places - even in a one bedroom at 595 Clipper.

[NYT: What You Get for... $465,000]

1280 Church St: Sale Pending (Finally)

On the market for nearly a year, 1280 Church St now has a "sale pending" sign out front. No word on the selling price or if a Smart car was included in the deal.

[NVSF: Free Smart Car with Purchase of TIC]

Tidbits: More Shuffling On 24th St

We received a tip that Noe Knit will close on June 9th. Slow sales a sign of the times or is knitting once again uncool? Phoenix Books is rumored to be moving into the space at 3957 24th St. No word on what will move into the Phoenix spot. Ideas?

Also moving is Successories. Pamela Winston-Charbonneau is moving her custom jewelry shop out of the back of Lisa Violetto and into the recently-vacated space at 3904 24th St (formerly The Jewelry Box).

Madkat: Gutted. That answers that.

[NVSF: Opening: The Jewelry Box]
[NVSF: MadKat Closed?]

Meeting: Upper Noe Neighbors

[The Upper Noe Neighbors] will be having a follow-up meeting about the San Francisco shuttle study on Thursday, June 4th. There will be an update from the SF County Transportation Authority on progress made since our last meeting. Also on hand will be a panel of employers from Google, Genentech and more whose companies contract the shuttles. These employer reps will be there to address questions from neighbors and provide information about their shuttle services. Obviously, this meeting is a must for those who use or are affected by the shuttles in Noe Valley.

Who isn't likely to be there? Representatives from the bus companies. So while Google, Apple, Genentech, etc, can laud the good they're doing, no one accountable for large buses speeding, ignoring weight limits or idling while waiting in front of residences and businesses will hear your concerns. Hopefully word gets back to them...

What: Upper Noe Neighbors Monthly Meeting
When: Thursday, June 4, 7:30PM
Where: Upper Noe Rec Center, 295 Day St.

[NVSF: Shuttle Buses: Useful or Menace?]