Overheard: 24th St Survival Guide

"Next time I come to Noe Valley I'm bringing a paddle ball. Maybe then the stroller b******* will move over."

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 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.

February 2010

Front Page: The city clears the way for more restaurants on 24^th Street; Officer Lorraine Lombardo on the beat for 20 years with SFPD; Whole Foods and La Boulange are boosting business on 24th Street; a lovebird is weaned.

Letters: If your kids were photographed with Santa, Fima Photography has your free 5x7 photo for you; an alert about car break-ins in Upper Noe; and a bike-to-Marin benefit for multiple sclerosis.

Feature: Circle Bank is opening this spring; Mike Gutierrez of Tuggey's is going for the world record for the largest rubber band ball.

Cost of Living in Noe: Home prices overall saw a 13.8% drop in 2009. Average cost of a home was… $1.3 milion. (Ed.-Translation: It's now 10 degrees cooler on the surface of the sun.) Rents? Still ouch.

Traveling Voice: Cuba, Guatemala, India, Vietnam.

Store Trek: Independent Nature, Old Republic Title Company

Rumors: The Noe Valley Stroller Menace (Oh Noes!); Cover to Cover gets grief for not carrying Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue; SF Gate is looking for a freelance Noe Valley blog after the last one abruptly disappeared; and the NVV mentions Everyblock, and also this blog as a source of information: "while somewhat snarky, it keeps the news coming and has a neighborhood posting wall;" NVV goes on to mention "an interesting item duped on NoeValleySF in January was a 'Reader Rant: Dogs Need Places to Poo Too.'" We're not sure what that means, but you can read the story here. And NVSF (that's this blog again) linked to the NY Times story for the top 10 NetFlix rentals in Noe. That led NVV to poll Video Wave for their top 10 (first was Burn After Reading – pick up an issue of NVV for the full list). Thanks for the shout out, NVV!

Finally, NVV counts 9 vacant spots on 24th Street; the owner of the Artsake building is renting that spot for $3,000 and has fielded calls from a nail salon (noooo!). The 2,500 sq. foot former Mi Lindo Yucatan space should be finished by June and ready to rent – the owner is hoping for a destination restaurant. Cardio-Tone opens; Bill Yenne has another book; farewell Helen Weinschenk, former owner of the Wooden Heel (the shoe repair shop) on 24^th Street.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Video: The Story Of The Noe Valley Farmer's Market

Found on Google.

Update: Planning Commission Allows More Restaurants In Noe Valley

On January 14, the Planning Commission voted unanimously (with all 7 Commissioners) to allow an unlimited number of new restaurants within the Noe Valley Community Benefit District pending case-by-case Conditional Use authorization. Video of the hearing here (19 minutes).

NIMBYs? Denied.

[NVSF: This Week (Today!) At The Planning Commission]
[SFGTV: January 14, 2010, Planning Commission Hearing, Video]

Reader Rant: Dogs Need Places To Poo, Too

26th St @ Sanchez

Jenny writes:

I'm an avid reader of your blog and a Noe resident. In general, I love Noe Valley, but one of the things that drives me nuts are people believing that they "own" the sidewalk in front of their house and putting gates/fences around the very few green patches of earth, thus restricting their use. I am a dog owner, and there are literally so few places my dog can go to the restroom it's ridiculous. I, like most Noe dog owners, are responsible and ALWAYS pick up after their dogs. I think it's rude and perhaps illegal for people to be fencing off publicly owned property such as public green space. Tips? Advice? Any more info on the issue?

Crime Beat

Information is from Mission and Ingleside District San Francisco Police Station newsletters.

January 18

Theft -- 1:00 am. 4200 block of 26th St. Victim met suspect through a dating service. He invited suspect into his home and passed out. When he awoke, his date and his property were gone.

Rainy Saturday: Haiti Benefit Sale

Church @ 26th Street

This Week (Today!) At The Planning Commission

A weekly look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings are on Thursday at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

The Planning Department changed their website for the new year and we missed this in the shuffle.


Today's Chronicle describes the plan to remove restrictions on new restaurants on Noe Valley's 24th St rumored in November's Noe Valley Voice. Empty storefronts and a sea change in attitudes about regulation have prompted Bevan Dufty to propose allowing as many restaurants as the neighborhood will support. Here's what's in front of the Planning Commission today:

AMENDMENTS TO THE PLANNING CODE SECTION 728: 24 STREET-NOE VALLEY NCD RESTAURANT DEFINITIONS [BOARD FILE NO. 09-1208]. Ordinance introduced by Supervisor Dufty amending Planning Code Sections 728.1 (Zoning Control Table), 728.42 (full-service restaurants), 728.44 (small self-service restaurants), and 728.69A (specialty food, self-service) to allow new full-service restaurants, small self-service restaurants, and self-service specialty food establishments with a Conditional Use authorization; adopting findings, including environmental findings, Planning Code Section 302 findings, and findings of consistency with the General Plan and the priority policies of Planning Code Section 101.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval with Conditions

[SFGate: Blocks hungry to fill storefronts with eateries]
[NVV: November 2009 Rumors]
[NVSF: Update: Planning Commission October 23, 2008]