The end of the year is near and it’s always fun to look back at what attracted readers here on the blog:

2011: Most Read Stories

1. KGO interviews ADA litigator; Pot de Pho is latest casualty among dozens being sued as
recently as this week. Where is Eric Mar?
2. Video: Funnel cloud touches down at Ocean Beach this morning
3. Wreckage from an 1878 clipper ship peeks through on Ocean Beach
4. Hacked! Digital road sign warns of zombies plundering San Francisco
5. Newsom shows off his skateboarding skills at Rochambeau Playground
6. Neighbors’ guide to the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park
7. Coyote sighting and casualty this morning on Park Presidio Boulevard
8. The odyssey of the original Beach Chalet
9. A closer look at the new Presidio Landmark apartments
10. Crowds line up for Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market grand opening

Keep in mind that the most read stories are also influenced by what other media outlets pick up on as well as search engines. My favorite thing about the list – most of those stories were generated by readers sending in tips.

2011: Most Commented Stories

1. Neighbors’ guide to the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park (210 comments)
2. Looks like PETCO will be shut out of 5411 Geary. How do you feel about it? (77 comments)
3. KGO interviews ADA litigator; Pot de Pho is latest casualty among dozens being sued as
recently as this week. Where is Eric Mar? (58 comments)
4. Supervisor Mar considering increased chain store restrictions (57 comments)
5. Round 2 in the PETCO battle: Supervisor Mar says stay out of our ‘hood (50 comments)
6. Speedway Meadow name change approved. Now it’s “Hellman Hollow” (45 comments)
7. Dry ice dumped in GGP’s Lloyd Lake. Result of Hardly Strictly festival cleanup? (37 comments)
8. Barks & bites: Petco still battling to open Unleashed store at 5411 Geary (36 comments)
9. Did Yet Wah at Clement & 22nd Avenue close for good? (36 comments)
10. Richmond residents declining Smart Meter installations from PG&E contractors (31 comments)

Clearly our readers have a lot to say about the issues that our local businesses face, and the events that take place in Golden Gate Park.

What will 2012 bring? Hopefully a lot more interesting stories, giving us plenty to talk about! Thanks to everyone for your readership and participation.

Sarah B.

5:05 am | Posted under Blog news | Add comments

Hi readers,

We’re still in the running as a finalist in the CBS-SF Most Valuable Blogger Awards. Click to vote for us if you’re so inclined (voting ends Sept. 9).

What’s at stake? A $50 Amazon gift certificate (I know, jaw-dropping, right?!). If we do end up winning, we’ll turn right around and give away the gift card to one of our readers in a fun drawing.

So if we win, you could win too. We think it’s much better that way.

Thanks for your votes – we sincerely appreciate it!

Sarah B.

10:43 am | Posted under Blog news | 11 comments

So during last night’s ridiculous fog “storm”, the line “In Fog We Trust” popped into my head as a slogan for the neighborhood. Some readers were amused by it on Twitter and Facebook so I threw together some quick t-shirts, sweatshirts and mugs in our online Zazzle store.

I’m not thrilled with the design so working on some other ideas. But if you’re one of those “First!” people and want to sport some new, neighborhood gear, happy shoppin’ to ya!

“In Fog We Trust” gear from RichmondSFBlog

Tip: Want a different color or style for an item? Click the “Customize” button on a Zazzle item to change it up.

Sarah B.

12:14 pm | Posted under Blog news, Shopping | 12 comments

Did you know we’re also on Twitter and Facebook? Follow us there to get the latest updates about what’s posted on the blog. Plus, we often post interesting links or stories related to the neighborhood that often don’t get posted on the blog.

Click below to follow us on Twitter (@richmondsfblog) or like us on Facebook (facebook.com/richmondsfblogfans):

         

Thanks to all of our readers – we appreciate the support!

Sarah B.

2:57 pm | Posted under Blog news | Add comments

While I’m all for not printing in the interest of being green, every now and then you may want to print an article you see here on the blog. Well I did that today and was horrified at how badly it printed!

So, I’ve added a handy “PrintFriendly” button which you’ll see at the bottom of every post. Click it and a window will pop up with the article in a format suitable for efficient printing. You can even turn the article into a PDF.

Another cool feature is that you can remove images, and even hover on a content block and delete it from the printable view. That way you’re able to cut down the article length and only print the parts you want. I promise I won’t be offended.

The functionality was created by printfriendly.com which also lets you drop in a web address on their website and get the same benefit.

Please let me know if you run into any issues with it here on the blog. Thanks!

Sarah B.

9:36 pm | Posted under Blog news | Add comments

Just a heads up that I added some functionality to make the blog more readable from smartphones like iPhone, Android, Blackberry etc. So instead of seeing the full, web version of the blog, smartphones will get a more handy format that is faster and easier to navigate.

Best of all, you don’t have to do a thing. Just visit http://richmondsfblog.com from your smartphone and you’re good to go. The mobile version includes search and access to all the articles and pages on the normal website. Just miniaturized.

If you have any issues with it, please let me know!

Sarah B.

10:54 pm | Posted under Blog news | 1 comment

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