Alright, here’s part 2 of our 2010 wrapup (part 1 is here). We hope everyone had a great year and is looking forward to an even better 2011. Happy New Year!

Sarah B.

GOLDEN GATE PARK
It was a long, strange year for Golden Gate Park. In January we heard that camping in the park may be one of the moneymaking ideas coming out of Rec & Park (say what??). That suggestion became more ironic as the year progressed and the park showed its ugly side. In early July, three people were injured when dogs belonging to homeless campers attacked them on their morning walk. A few days later on July 4th, a man was stabbed to death near the Conservatory of Flowers.

People weren’t the only ones to suffer in the park this summer. In July, a tree vandal hacked up 40 trees for no apparent reason, prompting the city to offer a reward (the vandal has still not been found).

All this Golden Gate Park negativity got the attention of city hall, prompting officials to suggest that we may want to officially close the park after dark.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in the park this year. New, tasty food trucks found their way into the park in time for the summer crowds, and in August the Music Concourse fountains finally began flowing again (video).

Stow Lake was approved for a new tenant and a much-needed makeover and the de Young hosted two fabulous Impressionist painting exhibitions starting in May. The de Young hosted a splendid Bouquets to Art gala in April too (more photos).

The Academy of Sciences also saw thousands ooh and aaah over their animal residents in 2010. Love was in the air in February when the penguins celebrated Valentine’s Day. In March they opened their Extreme Mammals exhibition, prompting me to take Indy, aka Indricotherium, the largest land mammal ever discovered, on a tour of the neighborhood. In June, the Academy hosted their first Penguins & Pajamas overnight for kids which was a great success. In September, Claude the albino alligator turned 15 with a party and in late November, Santa stopped by to leave a couple of reindeer for visits with holiday visitors.

The Academy also released the first ever iPhone app for Golden Gate Park in November.

In March, the Conservatory of Flowers announced they were cutting back their operating hours, but they also experimented with their first after-hours event in September, SLURP!, and they’re currently delighting visitors with their miniature Garden Railway exhibit (don’t miss it!).

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT
Nothing could outshine the high-rent, 154 unit Presidio Landmark apartment building, which opened for business just inside the 15th Avenue & Lake Presidio gate in July. The renovation project also included construction of the brand new Belle townhomes, and restoration of the adjoining Wyman Avenue homes.

The Alexandria Theater at Geary & 18th Avenue was back in the news in a big way this year. In February I asked what should be done with the decaying property. By April, we were at a community meeting looking at the plans for the theater property as well as residential units in the parking lot behind it. There were some hiccups (fraud, delays) at city hall later in the year but it looks like we’ll see the project get back on track in 2011.

Doyle Drive development kicked off this year and in February, we bid a final adieu – at least until 2013 – to the beloved ramps that connected us so easily to the Marina. So far the project has been smooth like butter, but wow, I miss those ramps!

In March, St. Peter’s on 29th Avenue broke ground on a new facility for the developmentally disabled, and in June, we also saw the start of a new building at the long vacant property at 5th and Fulton.

In June we also learned that CVS Pharmacy and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market would be co-leasing the former Albertson’s market space at 32nd and Clement. There were a few uncertain moments as the economy churned but in September, we finally got word that Fresh & Easy is planning to open in early 2011.

We also saw good progress on the Ocean Beach/La playa Safeway remodel; their planning team did a great job incorporating neighbor feedback into their revised plans which include a completely revamped store, parking area and residential units.

CRIME
In January, a man was sentenced for molesting girls at Rossi Pool. It took 30 years, but in February, a murder at Lands End was finally solved.

Women criminals grabbed some of the crime headlines this year. In June, we watched a woman take out the liquor aisle, bottle by bottle, at the now closed DeLano’s supermarket on Geary. In July, a fashionably dressed woman held up a bank on Balboa and later that same month, we got first word of a woman who scammed many renters with an apartment on California Street by taking multiple deposits. She did skip town quickly after posting bail but surprisingly, returned for her court dates.

It was less of a crime and more an act of rebellion, but the crowd at Outside Lands got a little unruly during one band’s performance. Tickets? Who needs tickets? Just plow down the fence.

This year, Safeway tried to lived up to its name. In September, a man was reunited with his dog that was stolen from the 7th Avenue Safeway and in December, a 12 year old kidnap victim from Virginia was recovered at the Ocean Beach Safeway after a savvy resident noticed her out front of the store panhandling with her kidnapper.

I also learned in November that there is a marijuana club a few blocks from me – because they were robbed at gunpoint.

And while it’s technically not considered a crime, many readers on the blog thought it was when in December, an elderly driver accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake while parking. She jumped the curb and pinned a man to the wall of Cheap Pete’s on Geary, sending him to the hospital with critical injuries.

GIANTS FEVER
Who wasn’t a Giants fan in October? Everyone had the fever, and there was plenty to go around right here in the neighborhood.

On the eve of the World Series, I interviewed Baseball Mary, the Richmond’s biggest and best known fan. We were also treated to a fireworks show over the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse as the MLB and Giants big-wigs got ready for the series at a VIP only party at the Academy of Sciences .

Meanwhile, we watched another fan’s rollercoaster ride through the playoffs in pictures, and the de Young Museum had their own amusing “fear the beard” comparison between Brian Wilson and Van Gogh. Another neighborhood artist, Jay Mercado, painted some icons in tribute to the orange and black.

HISTORY
I love me some history, and the Richmond District has plenty to offer. This year we learned how the neighborhood got its name and while on an outing with my nephews, I stumbled upon the Richmond’s fascinating contribution to aviation history.

We also watched vintage, 1903 footage from Ocean Beach and laughed at swimmers enjoying the slides at Sutro Baths back in the day.

A great new documentary called “Remembering Playland” premiered at the Balboa in March (DVD info). Hundreds came to the theater over the next couple of months to revisit the amusement park that entertained so many visitors along the Great Highway before it closed in the early 1970s.

The Cliff House and Sutro Baths continue to be interesting sources of history. I learned for the first time about the Cliff House Sky Tram that used to carry visitors back and forth along the shoreline. And Sutro Baths has still got “it” – one of its lithographs sold for $27k at auction in June.

And one of my favorite history stories from this past year was about the “satanic” house on California Street which still bears some of its spookiness.

Read Part 1 of the 2010 year in review

5:05 am | Posted under Blog news, Community | 3 comments

Wow, so much happened this year! I began looking back on all the stories that the blog posted in 2010 and soon realized I’d need to break this into two different posts. This one will cover a variety of categories; tomorrow we’ll look back on what happened in Golden Gate Park, Real Estate & Development, Crime, Giants Fever and History.

And while I’ve included some photos in each wrapup, I encourage you to just browse through the Photos category here on the site so you can enjoy all the great pics that our residents have taken this year.

Sarah B.

THE RICHMOND DISTRICT 2010 IN REVIEW – PART 1

BUSINESS
The new lady owners of Paul’s Hat Works on Geary had a stellar first year, getting lots of local media attention with clever promotions like their Mad Men themed windows, and re-tooling their store to begin offering men’s accessories as well as hats. Someone even stole the head off their sidewalk sign but they still persevered.

The sisters of Clement Street’s Satin Moon Fabrics were profiled in March and further down the street in June, new clothing boutique Seedstore opened their doors to men and women shoppers. Also new to Clement Street – Kookle Toys which opened just in time for Christmas.

Dog and cat favorite Cal’s Pet Supply bid adieu to their elder feline statesman, Odie, in May and a few months later, started a campaign to prevent Petco from moving in nearby on Geary. Not to be deterred, a new pet store opened in December called Pet’s Corner which sits, aptly, on the corner of Arguello and Geary.

In December, we began learning about a series of closures. First was DeLano’s market on Geary which closed its doors after the grocery chain hit financial problems. Then news began to spread about businesses in the Richmond that were being throated with American Disability Act lawsuits. The “Big Heart” Video Cafe on Geary at 21st was forced to close its doors after 25 years, and Thidwick Books on Clement closed on Christmas Eve due to similar ADA issues. Over a dozen more businesses are being sued by the same plaintiff, so this is not the last we’ve heard of this issue that is threatening the small businesses and restaurants in our neighborhood.

CELEBRITY
The Richmond District is notoriously low-key but we had a couple of notables pass through this year. In May, film director John Waters stopped by Green Apple Books, and in November, the blogosphere was buzzing over Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum partying at a couple of Richmond District watering holes.

We even got the infamous, sign-carrying Frank Chu out to the neighborhood not once, but twice. First it was to join a sit/lie protest on Clement Street in March, and then he showed up and refused to sit down at the Slash Oil protest on Ocean Beach in June. Make up your mind, Frank!

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
We do love our food here in the Richmond District, be it dim sum, Russian bakery treats, excellent Thai, pizza or homemade ice cream. One pair of residents love it so much that they organized a social group around it.

Eats at the corner of Clement and 2nd closed and then re-opened in February under new ownership by the Burma Superstar family of restaurants. Over on Geary in March, . In April, Family run Lou’s Cafe opened on Geary near Park Presidio, providing tasty sandwiches and quality coffee to neighbors.

We had a bit of a scare with landmark eatery Louis’ Diner out near the Cliff House. Early in the year, they announced that the restaurant space was being subjected to an open bidding process as required by federal law (the diner sits on federal land). They held a neighborhood rally, Supervisor Mar passed a resolution at City Hall in their honor, and we waited. We got the good news in October when it was announced that Louis’ would get a renewed lease contingent on making some improvements to the restaurant.

Another Richmond tradition began anew when Joe’s Ice Cream moved 1/2 block down Geary to a brand new, upgraded location. Lines have been out the door ever since. And Richmond favorite Giorgio’s Pizzeria finally began their delivery service over the summer.

Two new Asian restaurants received high praise from critics this year as well – Hakka and Quan Bac. And with the help of readers, we spilled the beans on a “secret” sushi spot on Balboa.

A group of neighbors organized this year to help bring the first Farmer’s Market to the Richmond District. Kudos to them for the progress they made, identifying a location in the inner Richmond and researching vendors and offerings. We can’t wait for it to open in 2011!

PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS
In April, Lincoln Park Playground re-opened with a ceremony filled with city officials, schoolkids and sunshine. Just down the path, the Lincoln Park steps completed the first phase of their renovation in November.

In June, we saw the final plans for the Fulton Playground renovation which include a cool kinetic sculpture.

Beach Chalet was the topic of much discussion this year as the City Fields Foundation, in cooperation with the city, proposed renovations and new artificial turf fields to help expand the usability of the much-needed fields. In April they got the green light from the Rec & Park Commission but it was short-lived. The light changed to yellow when in May, the project was told they needed to provide an Environmental Impact Report.

In July, we also learned of plans for a new visitors center at Lands End.

OCEAN BEACH
I posted more beautiful photos that I can count of Ocean Beach this year – the sunsets and lighting never disappoint. We welcomed two new websites devoted to the area this year – ob-kc.com in January and the Ocean Beach Bulletin in late summer. Nice to have them on the scene to cover future OB stories like the surfer we rescued off the cliffs in January.

In February I was on the scene for the overhyped tsunami watch and took a tour of the Cliff House’s camera obscura in May. Later on in August, people and dancing penguins were on the scene for our final Sunday Streets along the Great Highway. October brought us the always entertaining LEAP Sandcastle contest and in November, nature had its way when thousands of jellyfish took over the beach for a few days, providing great photo ops.

Coming tomorrow – what happened in 2010 with Golden Gate Park, Real Estate & Development, Crime, Giants Fever and History…

5:10 am | Posted under Blog news, Community | 12 comments

Photo courtesy of StokeReport.

6:08 pm | Posted under Photos | Add comments

Early this morning at around 3am, police and fire officials were on the scene at 4730 Balboa near La Playa, where a dead woman was laying on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building.

The victim had fallen approximately 25 feet from the 2nd story fire escape of the building. Hugh of ob-kc.com lives close by and reported from the scene that the victim suffered “massive head trauma” and that there was a large amount of blood.

The victim was removed around 5:30am by the medical examiner and the scene was cleaned. It’s unknown at this time whether the victim was male or female, and the cause of the incident.

Sarah B.

UPDATE: SFWeekly’s The Snitch reports that the woman who died was 96 year old Francis Rule. Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Lyn Tomioka says there “is no sign of criminal activity” in Rule’s death. It is “a medical examiner case.”

11:22 am | Posted under News | Add comments

Christmas was here and then whoosh – it’s over! Time to switch over to saying “Happy New Year!” to everyone I run into.

Here are a couple of events taking place on New Year’s Eve here in the Richmond District. Know of others? Leave a comment and I’ll add it to the post.

This isn’t in our neighborhood, but if you like fireworks, you’ll get a good show at midnight along the Embarcadero. When & where to watch

Thinking you may need safe transport on New Year’s Eve? Our friends at SFAppeal have the roundup of free ways to get home that night.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sarah B.

Rockit Room – Island Style New Year’s Eve | 8pm, 406 Clement Street
Come celebrate New Year’s Eve @ The Rockit Room with Hawaiian Reggae Legends Natural Vibrations, San Francisco’s own Native Elements, and special guests The Kicks. The show will start at 8pm in the downstairs bar with traditional Hawaiian performances followed by DJ Arrow (Youth Fyah Souns System) and DJ Vinny Ras (Cosmic Vibes). Native Elements hit at 10pm upstairs followed by Natural Vibrations to bring in the New Year. Food for sale provided by Hukilau. Limited # of tickets available at $25 and $30. $35 at the door so get your tickets early! Buy tickets

Park Chalet Mermen New Year’s Eve Dance Concert | 9:30pm, 1000 Great Highway
Ring in the new year at Park Chalet with their annual Mermen New Year’s Eve Concert. The Mermen describe themselves as “psychedelic instrumental ocean music”. Buy $25 tickets in advance or at the door on New Year’s Eve for $35.

3:05 pm | Posted under Events | 1 comment

What would you do if a disaster like the Haiti earthquake hit San Francisco? It’s horrible to even think about, but wouldn’t you want to be prepared, and be able to help out your family and neighbors?

After the 6.9 quake of ’89, the San Francisco Fire Department, prompted by the residents in the city, formed the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) Training Program, which provides training in disaster and emergency response.

Since 1990, NERT has trained more than 17,000 San Francisco residents to be self reliant in a major disaster. Their goal is to teach as many San Franciscans as possible that, with basic training, they can make a difference in the lives of their families and others when affected by a disaster, large or small. It’s often the first 72 hours after a disaster that are the most important.

NERT is looking for more volunteers for every neighborhood in San Francisco, and their next training takes place right here in the Richmond District.

Inner Richmond NERT Training:
Wednesdays 6:30pm-9:30pm
Class session 1: January 5
Class session 2: January 12
Class session 3: January 19
Class session 4: January 26
Class session 5: February 2
Class session 6: February 9

Location: Zion Church and School, 495 9th Avenue

NERT training is free. To register, sign up online, call 970-2024 or email sffdnert@sfgov.org for more information.

You can also check the NERT website for more training dates and locations around San Francisco.

Sarah B.

1:19 pm | Posted under Community, Safety | 1 comment

If you’re thinking about putting your tree out on the curb or corner this week, hold off! Starting next week, trees that are collected will be recycled as part of the city’s treecycling program.

To participate, just put your tree out with your cans on your normal garbage pickup day. Your tree should be cleaned of all ornaments, trimmings and lights, and trees over 6 feet tall should be cut in half.

Trees will be collected during two weeks; January 3 through January 7, and January 10 through January 14.

There will also be several drop-off locations throughout the city beginning on January 3, including the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood Council at 780 Frederick St., which will be open until Jan. 17; Recology Golden Gate at 900 Seventh St. (Berry Street side); and Recology San Francisco at 501 Tunnel Ave., which will be open until Jan. 15.

So what happens to all the trees that the city picks up for recycling? They’re chipped at Recology San Francisco and the wood chips are transferred to a facility in Tracy. There, they will serve as boiler fuel at a waste-to-energy facility.

Questions? Call Recology Sunset Scavenger at (415) 330-1300 or Recology Golden Gate at (415) 626-4000.

Sarah B.

[via SFAppeal]

12:24 pm | Posted under Green | 1 comment

Photo by Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

SFGate’s Healthy Obsession column recently featured a Richmond District resident who is an avid walker. Well, “avid” doesn’t quite do him justice.

Stanford Chandler began walking from his home to work at George Washington High School 30 years ago. Since then he’s logged 25,000 miles walking – that’s enough for 3 round trips to New York City.

Chandler, who is now 82, originally started walking because he got fed up waiting for MUNI to take him to work every day. He says his greatest accomplishment was reaching the 10,000 mile mark. He’s also lost 30 pounds in the last 3 years.

His advice to rookie walkers? “Don’t wait to walk. I walk daily, rain or shine, like the mailmen of old.”

How’s that for a New Year’s resolution?

Read the full article at SFGate.com

Sarah B.

11:38 am | Posted under Recreation | Add comments