Next Tuesday night, join the Richmond District YMCA for their eighth annual Comedy Night, a show of professional comedy to benefit their Strong Communities Campaign.
The show starts at 8pm at the Rockit Room (406 Clement Street). Stay after and enjoy DJ Wej from until midnight.
Tickets are $20 and are available the night of the show or in advance at the front desk of the Richmond District YMCA, 360 18th Avenue. For more information, contact jleonard@ymcasf.org.
Our friends over at SFAppeal did some more digging into what the current owners of the Alexandria have in mind for the property.
The building is currently owned by a group called Alexandria Enterprises. They plan to turn the back parking lot into a 46-unit residential complex, “with ground floor commercial space and parking for both the theater and residents of that complex,” project consultant Ronald Yu told SFAppeal.
However, they do not know what they plan to do with the actual theater building. Yu said, “The theater is right now just to be renovated. We’re not sure on the use.”
One idea being discussed is opening it up to the Richmond YMCA which currently sits across the street on 18th Avenue. Surprisingly, one of the reasons the Alexandria is not considered a vacant building is because the YMCA holds a lease on the space for daily use, according to the SF Department of Building Inspection. I didn’t know that hanging letters on a marquee would be considered “daily use” of a property.
So what’s holding up development and improvement of the property? Apparently it’s the fault of the city’s planning department. According to SFAppeal, “The process has been stuck at the city Planning Department for years, representatives of the developers say.”
How does Richmond District Supervisor Eric Mar feel about the issue? One of his staff, Cassandra Costello told SFAppeal that they would love to see it developed, but offered no specific plans to work with developers or the community.
Thanks to SFAppeal for digging further into the state of the theater. I’m not sure how I feel about a 46-unit building taking over the back parking lot, but if it means that the theater will get some attention, it could be a good thing.
Every year, 7×7 magazine puts out their “100 Things to Try Before You Die” list that includes the best dishes and treats at San Francisco restaurants. These Richmond District items made this year’s list:
13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling King
17. Samusa soup at Burma Superstar
62. Dim sum at Ton Kiang
63. Meatballs with grapes at Aziza
One Richmond District resident has started a new tradition from the list with a group called “100+ Things”. Scott and his friends host an open dinner party at their large apartment at Geary & 17th Avenue every few months. Friends, neighbors, fellow foodies and Facebook friends are invited to sample some of the items on the “100 Things to Try Before You Die” list.
For most events, they have 5-10 of the items on the list brought in. Total cost works out to be no more than $25-$32 per person. And for some events, they meet at restaurants and/or bars as a group.
If you’d like to be part of the tasting party, join the Facebook group to get updates on the next event. Scott thinks the next one will be later this month.
Sounds like a great way to try some good food and meet some new friends.
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?
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 courses are free and include training in disaster skills, disaster medicine, earthquake awareness, light search and rescue, hazard mitigation and more.
Normally training is 20 hours over a period of 3-hour sessions, but this month, they are offering an intensive session over two Saturdays. Anyone can attend but residents in the Richmond and Sunset are especially encouraged to help fill out the N.E.R.T. ranks on the west side of the city.
Saturday, February 13 & Saturday, February 20
8:30am to 5:30pm
L’Chaim Senior Center, 2534 Judah Street (between 30th and 31st Avenues)
Last month I wrote about plans for extensive renovations of the Beach Chalet soccer fields. The project calls for major facility improvements including converting the fields to synthetic turf, installing lights for night play, new restrooms, parking lot improvements, better walkways and lighting, and the addition of a designated spectator area.
A public information meeting was held on December 7 and according to our neighborhood paper, The Richmond Review, there was heated debate about the plan (sorry, article’s not online or I would link to it).
To paraphrase the article, Richmond residents who attended the meeting said they had never heard of the project until recently, and others worried about the environmental impacts of the artificial turf that would be installed. Neighbors also expressed concern about the night lighting that would enable games to be played until 10pm.
Growing up here in the city, I played soccer on the Beach Chalet fields for many years. In high school, I would practice there several days a week during our season. The things I remember most about the fields were their poor condition (ankles beware!) and the fact that often, one or more fields were closed due to rain or poor drainage. As an adult, I played recreational soccer there and the same problems existed. And it was a shame because as far as venues go, you can’t get much better than Golden Gate Park.
The Chronicle ran an editorial (thanks to reader 415 Native for the tip) on Monday in anticipation of the Rec & Park Commission vote on January 21 on whether to approve the project. I echo the Chron’s sentiments that this renovation would be a boon to to soccer players across the city. Artificial turf is already in use in several fields across the city, and the lower maintenance and increased playing time it offers make it a sound choice.
And unlike many city projects, half of the $8.9 million renovation costs would be shared by the City Fields Foundation who to date, have renovated five facilities in the city. They know what works and so far, have been very successful in their efforts.
In its current condition, the Beach Chalet fields can host just over 4,000 hours of play in a year. With the renovations in place, the amount of hours for both soccer and lacrosse games to take place would almost be tripled.
In a time when the game of soccer is on the rise, kids are in need of more physical activity and city budgets are being slashed, why wouldn’t we say yes to this project? Let’s turn Beach Chalet into the sports facility it was always meant to be. It would be a great benefit to soccer enthusiasts throughout San Francisco, and would be a facility that all of the Richmond District would be proud to have, especially this one.
The Beacon serves youth who attend Richmond District schools, but they also offer a dynamic menu of classes and workshops for adults.
This Thursday night, the Beacon will host an Adult Open House from 6-8:30pm. Enjoy a free dinner with the staff and learn about the free adult activities and classes that will be offered this spring. You’ll have a chance to sign up for sessions like Advanced & Beginners Computers, Tai Chi, Yoga, Dance, and Knitting Circle.
TheBeacon office is located on the campus of George Washington High School (Bldg. T-3); enter at Anza and 30th Avenue.
For more information on the open house or the Richmond Village Beacon, visit their website or contact staff member Mila at 750-8554, ediaz@rvbeacon.org.
Mark your calendars for these upcoming neighborhood meetings:
VA Medical Center Quarterly Neighborhood Meeting | Tuesday, January 12, 6-7pm
Location: 4150 Clement St. The meeting will be held in the Teak Room, (1st Floor, Building 200).
Topics for discussion will include:
- Building 22 Update
- Parking Garage Update
- North Slope Stabilization Project
- Emergency Department Project
If you have other topics/issues that you’d like for the VA to consider, please contact judi.cheary2@va.gov.
Planning Assoc. for the Richmond (PAR) Quarterly Meeting | Wednesday, January 20, 7-9pm
Location: Richmond Community Center, 251 18th Avenue (between California & Clement)
Safeway representatives will discuss plans for a new La Playa/Ocean Beach store and long-term plans to add housing to the site. Presentations on the SF Civil Grand Jury and the annual election of officers will round out the agenda.
Whether you’re into surfing, walking, running or biking out at Ocean Beach, you’ll be interested in a new local website, Ocean Beach – Kelly’s Cove.
Started by west side resident Hugh Bosely, the site offers visitors a real-time, snapshot view of what’s happening at Ocean Beach.
It’s particularly useful for those who surf the waves at Ocean Beach or like to walk, run or bike by the water. The site contains the current weather conditions, tide tables, radar, wind conditions and more.
But seeing is believing when it comes to weather and surfing conditions, so the site’s “Surf Cam” is one of its greatest features. During daylight hours, the front page refreshes a high resolution image every 60 seconds from its camera mounted above the Great Highway near Balboa.
Or jump to the time lapse page and see a full hour’s worth of images in about a minute. Time lapse movies are compiled at the top of every hour, and at the end of the day, a daily composite is made available. Check out the one below from January 6.
Hugh says he started the website because as an avid windsurfer, he was never able to find wind conditions for Kelly’s Cove despite it being one of the most popular places along Ocean Beach to surf. He originally hosted a surf cam on Weather Underground where it received thousands of visitors a month, but decided to move it to its own website so he could publish high resolution images of Ocean Beach’s conditions.
Hugh also owns Full Sphere Studios near Twin Peaks, which provides support services to Bay Area architecture and engineering firms. With the Ocean Beach – Kelly’s Cove website, Hugh also wants to help promote local businesses and foster a sense of community around the beach. To that end, ob-kc.com offers free banner space to Outer Richmond businesses. And be sure to click on the “Flava” tab for a guide to nearby restaurants.
The site is also taking nominations for Edge-of-the-Western-World Ambassadors, or as Hugh describes them, “waterwomen and watermen who have integrated Ocean Beach into their lifestyle including surfers of all kinds, beach walkers / runners, the traction set, fishermen, sun-worshipers, dog clubs and others”. One of his first ambassadors is Sally who gathers up trash three times a week along the beach.
The site will also celebrate the efforts of the SFFD and the Beach Patrol who not only rescue stranded surfers, but also work to raise awareness about elusive rip tides. Watch for the site to also promote beach clean-ups and other pro-beach, pro-conservation efforts.
Hugh says the website has been well-received so far. “I’ve got a lot of positive feedback from the kite and windsurf community, the landlocked near and far including a woman in Tennessee who enjoys watching the ships come and go and Pacific sunsets in real time.”
The next time you’re thinking about a trip to Ocean Beach, check Ocean Beach – Kelly’s Cove to see what’s going on. You can also follow Ocean Beach – Kelly’s Cove on Twitter or Facebook.
RSS
Next Tuesday night, join the Richmond District YMCA for their eighth annual Comedy Night, a show of professional comedy to benefit their Strong Communities Campaign.
Last month I wrote about plans for extensive 
Whether you’re into surfing, walking, running or biking out at Ocean Beach, you’ll be interested in a new local website,