The crosswalks at 3rd and Clement. Photo by @steven_aquino
It’s nearly the weekend, Richmond District! Here are some local links to keep you informed.
- The crosswalk at 3rd Avenue and Clement is sporting a new look – faux brick. This is presumably a new eye-catcher to help with pedestrian safety, though we haven’t confirmed with the SFMTA. Meh, we think the rainbow crosswalk in the Castro is way cooler.
- Registration is now open for the Richmond District Jog in the Fog 5k presented by Kaiser Permanente, taking place on Sunday, September 11th. A fun event where you’ll get some exercise, enjoy great views, and support your local YMCA. Plus kids 12 & under are free.
- The waning gas station at 4th and California may be on its way out. Socketsite reports that developers want to turn the 4135 California Street property into a four-story building with seven three-bedroom condos and a ground-floor garage for seven cars (the entrance to which would be by way of Cornwall Street).
- Special thanks for the ongoing efforts of the Surfrider Foundation who host an Ocean Beach volunteer cleanup several times a month. The Chron did a nice piece profiling their efforts which account for 3,000 pounds of garbage and 15,000 cigarette butts being cleared from San Francisco beaches this year.
- If you can look up from your Pokemon Go game for a bit, you might want to switch gears to the Ultimate Golden Gate Park Scavenger Hunt from 7×7. A nice way to get some exercise and check out hidden spots in the park.
- Clement Street’s Heartbaker was featured on the KQED foodie show “Check, Please!”. Watch their episode below:
Speaking of faux brick crosswalks maybe, for the sake of authenticity, we should outlaw fake building materials in SF. I noticed the other day that the “wood” flooring near the doughnut case at the 7th Avenue Safeway had a gash/tear in it. It revealed to all that it was only a linoleum-type material.
Nice to see Heartbaker getting some love.
The new crosswalk is… interesting. I walk over it every morning, and wonder, “why is this crosswalk different than all other crosswalks?”
Not to be a wet blanket, but it would have looked much nicer if thy had just installed real brick in that pattern.
Speaking of gas stations, does anyone know what they are doing to the Union 76 station at Geary and Stanyan? The one that used to charge waaaaay higher prices than any one else nearby? It’s all fenced off. Curious to know if it is being replaced or renovated.
Sam – a few years ago the site was slated for demo and they were going to build condos or something, perhaps that’s finally happening?
Sam, they’re demolishing it and building a 4 story building, ground floor retail and 3 levels of housing above. Drawings looked similiar to the bevmo building next to it. I live right across the street, got all the mail from the planning department on it.
Thanks, Panchos!
sf.curbed.com had a note about the Union 76 gas station at Geary and Stanyan planning to go bye bye and be replaced by a mixed-use structure back in 2008. So change is kind of a slow process here in SF.
Hands down I give the prize for consistently the highest gas prices in the Richmond District to the Union 76 station at California and Arguello. It always makes me feel so good to drive by there and think to myself that I saved so much money by going elsewhere I deserve a Latte.
@Jan, The problem with real brick is that specifications for both the brick and mortar must be precise, the quality checked and materials rejected if they don’t meet specifications. When the sidewalks on Market were replaced with bricks (much had been glass circles embedded in concrete for light flow into basement receiving and storage areas before then) the brick wore out so quickly many pedestrians were falling on the uneven surface, it had to be replaced for a second time at taxpayer expense in less than a decade. Given the substandard concrete used in numerous regional massive construction projects over the past 15 or so years, I would expect similar would probably happen. Memories aren’t necessarily good at City Hall.
1. I love the faux brick. that corner at 3rd and clement is really happening now with the parklet, the mural and the red brick crosswalk. love it. now if we can just cumaica to buy some new benches with backs on them
2) sucks they are destroying the gas/service station on 4th and cornwall/cal. this is one of my favorite. great car service/smog service, easy to get gas here, great weekend car wash.
3) i hope the design of condos on 4th and cornwall is nothing like the hideous building across the street that was built 3 years ago. it is soo out of place and i go out of my way to avoid looking at it. but my dog does like to pee on all those new bushes.
Oh boy…
The fake bricks are really bad… How was this decided? Is the grip even that functional? Doesn’t seem to cover a lot of the ground area. I’d rather get functional, cross walks than something that is going to cause issues for pedestrians, cyclists, etc.
The faux bricks are similar to the crosswalks at 24th St & Castro in Noe Valley. They have been in place for several years and have held up well.
Oh thank GOD. More mixed use buildings with multiple-bedroom condos!
WOW. What a boon to the neighborhood.
All things being equal, a stank/rundown gas station would be infinitely preferrable. Cue the crossfitting dorks in from the midwest.
Hey, speaking of crossfit, that Crossfit joint on Geary near Stanyard, how are they allowed to take up the sidewalk with their lifting machines, scraping the sidewalk as they drag these enormous weights up and down the walk? How is that legal?