CVIA Blog
UCSF Parnassus Hights Updates
Please join UCSF on Wednesday, February 7th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for a hybrid community meeting about upcoming construction and other planned projects at UCSF’s Parnassus Heights campus.
UCSF will share the progress of campus projects and potential impacts on the neighborhood, including but not limited to:
New Hospital Parnassus HeightsParnassus Research and Academic Building
Location: UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus
Faculty Alumni House
745 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA
Light refreshments will be served.
Please register to attend either in-person here or virtually by Zoom here.
UCSF PARNASSUS HIEIGHTS UPDATE
Greening Parnassus Heights Community Meeting
In 2022, UCSF announced the Greening Parnassus Heights initiative to replace street trees that needed to be removed along Parnassus Avenue to make way for the new hospital construction at a 2:1 ratio in the surrounding neighborhoods.
UCSF has been hard at work to bring this project to fruition. Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) has been chosen to plant the trees. Over the past few months FUF has been working to identify potential viable sites. The goal is to plant the trees by the end of February.
Interested in learning more? FUF will be holding a hybrid community meeting to explain the next steps for the planting process.
Date: Thursday, January 11
Time: 6-7pm
Location: UCSF Clinical Sciences Building, Room 0101
521 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143
Zoom Information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86775350460
Meeting ID: 867 7535 0460
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Upcoming volunteer day with the Sutro Stewards
Woods Beer & Wine Co. Cole Valley Open House
Inside still under construction Woods Beer & Wine Co.’s Cole Valley location.
A couple of CVIA board members were fortunate enough to visit the Woods Beer & Wine Co. Open House at the companies most current location in Cole Valley on Dec 6. Jim Woods, Founder and CEO, set expectations that the site is still under construction, but that didn’t dampen turn out from folks invited to the special event.
Inside still under construction Woods Beer & Wine Co.’s Cole Valley location. This is from near the rear of the space looking out towards the front.
It was a bit strange to walk into the former Reverie Cafe space and see stark white walls and empty room instead of the familiar dark orange walls. The Woods team was pouring a couple of beers and some wine from their selections while Jim talked about the space and how they’re going to approach it as well as talking about the company and it’s unique investment business plan in which members of the community can invest in the company.
Jim assured everyone that the Cole Valley Woods location would have it’s own vibe and be a unique design from the other locations. He mentioned basically keeping the same layout as Reverie had from a bar and food prep point of view. While the new bar was not yet in place, tables were set up in roughly the same location as the counters and displays from Reverie. Presumably the same footprint for the new bar, food service.
Sample of the Lovely’s menu posted for folks to check out.
For bar munchies, this Woods location will have food from Lovely’s—pretty well known in the East Bay for their burgers. We were sort of hoping for some Detroit style pizza from Joyride Pizza as the food choice, but after some thought about it, we realize that it’s really not that far for us to make the short trek to Woods Lowside on Haight Street for some Joyride Pizza (which we’re already accustom to doing.) Plus, the burgers do sound Yummy.
Jonathan Reddick, Lovely’s owner, was available to field questions. We hit him up on how authentically Detroit (while we’re on the theme of Detroit’s best food exports) the Lovely’s Coney Island hot dog was going to be. We reminded him how the topping on a classic Detroit Coney is not chili per se, and certainly does not have beans anywhere near it, but more like a hollandaise sauce. Perhaps seeing my off the charts scrutiny level, he set my expectations that it may not be exactly like a Detroit coney dog, but will be a solid chili hotdog. We’ll give it a shot.
Jim Woods mentioned to the assembled crowd of neighborhood folks that while there wasn’t a specific opening date set in stone yet, he is hoping to have the place open by early 2024.
Citywide Cultural Resources Survey
The San Francisco Citywide Cultural Resources Survey (SF Survey) is underway! SF Survey aims to identify places and resources of cultural, historical, and architectural importance to San Francisco's diverse communities. Cultural resources may also qualify for historic preservation incentives.
The San Francisco Citywide Cultural Resources Survey (SF Survey) is a multi-year effort supported by the San Francisco Planning Department to identify and document places and resources of cultural, historical, and architectural importance to San Francisco’s diverse communities. These places and resources include tangible aspects of our environment, such as buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts, as well as intangible aspects, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, festivals, and traditional crafts. SF Survey is taking steps to center preservation in racial and social equity, better reflecting the dynamic cultural resources that make San Francisco unique. The findings of SF Survey will help guide the Planning Department’s work on future landmark designations, heritage-based initiatives, environmental review, new development projects, area plans, and building permit applications.
Share Your Story
Everyone has a role in sharing and sustaining culture. If you see us in identifying SF Survey gear, feel welcome to come out, meet us, and share any photos or memories that you feel are important to the story of your community, neighborhood, or San Francisco. Staff will be collecting information on survey devices, or you can share by contacting staff at CPC.Survey@sfgov.org or leaving a voicemail at (628) 652-7573.
For more information go to https://sfplanning.org/sfsurvey
Reverie Closing, Feb 19
A sad note from Reverie owner Roger Soudah to the CVIA board…
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It is with a heavy heart that I announce to you the permanent closure of Reverie Café.
I extend my heartfelt thank you for all of your support through the last twenty-one years. We have shared many meals, raised many glasses, raised many kids, made many friends and lost some. We married people, celebrated birthdays, funded schools, and charities, supported campaigns but most importantly we created and maintained a community in a time when it has been most needed. For that I am grateful and honored to have been able to provide that over the years. Those of you who have been so kind to me and my family which includes my staff, please accept my deepest gratitude. I am not only losing a business but a lifestyle that has made me proud every day. Again, our last day of business will be Sunday, February 19th. We will conclude our journey that day with live music, drinks, and hot links. Please join us.
Roger Soudah
N JUDAH Will be Shuttle Buses February 18th and 19th
In support of important maintenance work along the N Judah Line, locations listed in the map, the SFMTA is running bus shuttles between Church & Duboce and Ocean Beach.
STORM IMPACT UPDATE
Bay Area storms continue to impact Mt. Sutro and weather service reports indicate that more storm activity is expected this week. High wind and rain events lead to dangerous conditions at Mt. Sutro, the public is advised to avoid Mt. Sutro at this time.
UCSF is monitoring the storm and impacts to Mt. Sutro, and we will provide updates as appropriate.
Storm impacts:
Tree removal: Starting today, January 3rd, trees will be removed rendered unsafe by storm conditions in the landslide area of Mt. Sutro on Koret Way.
Koret Parking Lot: The lot is closed until further notice, we expect this closure may be extended for a significant period while site and soil conditions are evaluated.
Medical Center Way: For safety reasons, Medical Center Way has been partially closed due to street flooding, the potential for landslides, and falling tree/branch hazards. The closure area is from north of Institute of Regenerative Medicine loading dock road to south of Surge/Woods Parking Lot. To access the Surge/Woods Parking Lot, access Medical Center Way via Clarendon. Medical Center Way will remain partially closed until further notice.
If there are any questions or concerns, please reach out to Jaclyn Drexler with UCSF Community Relations at Jaclyn.Drexler@ucsf.edu.
Reminder: November 9th Parnassus Research and Academic Building Community Meeting
Please join UCSF on Wednesday, November 9th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for a community meeting about the new Research and Academic Building at Parnassus Heights.
UCSF has brought on renowned design and architecture firms, Snøhetta and HGA, to create a space that will help scientists, clinicians and learners stay at the cutting edge of discovery, learning and care in state-of-the-art spaces that catalyze collaboration. The project will create newly opened vistas and a publicly accessible promenade to take advantage of San Francisco’s spectacular scenery.
This will be the first of multiple community meetings where neighbors will have the opportunity to meet the new Parnassus Research and Academic Building project team and provide initial feedback on the site and design plans.
WALLER STREET SKATE PARK REOPENS
Skateboarders and neighbors celebrated recent improvements to the Waller Street Skate Park on October 25, a project spearheaded by local skaters who helped shape its inclusive design that honors its street skateboarding roots.
The skateboarding area on the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park has been beloved since 2011, despite its cracked surface and markings leftover from days as a parking lot. The improvements unveiled this week aren’t just a makeover but a transformation of the area from informal gathering spot to officially sanctioned skate park. It's the first time in the nation that a city has transformed a decommissioned street into a permitted skate park.
The $218,000 makeover includes a high-quality asphalt repaving topped with acrylic overlay ideal for skating. The park kept its nontraditional spirit with elements meant to mimic the urban skate environment such as k-rails, granite blocks and curbs. A new landscape strip allows skaters to both sit and skate amid trees and shrubs. Many of the new elements were salvaged from San Francisco Public Works storage by DLX Skateshop—including granite ledges that once lured skaters to Market Street. Old defensive architecture elements that once attempted to stop skaters from grinding the edges and corners were removed.
A special thanks to the skate community that made this project possible, including Low Key San Francisco, DLX Skateshop, The Skatepark Project, San Francisco Skate Club, Mission Skateboards, FTC, Thrasher Magazine, and more!
Activities and Updates on JFK Promenade
We have been busy enhancing the JFK Promenade for park users! Come out to 8th Avenue at the JFK Promenade and take a coffee break at Golden Gate Park’s new lounge! New trees provide shade on sunny days and a variety of seating options, including benches and spinning chairs, allow you to rest and recharge. And new this week, get out and play with brand new cornhole boards and ping pong tables! Bring your own paddle, balls and bags to get some games in.
The Beer and Wine Garden will be flowing this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. while our busking program will be in full rhythm this weekend. Additionally, we'll have live music through Music Mosey.
Padrecito is Closing
Good Day,I wanted to share that we will sadly be closing Padrecito with our last night of service this coming Tuesday night.
This isn’t a story of a landlord or anything of that nature as the new owner of the building has been wonderful. It’s is a story of the economics not working for Padrecito in this new restaurant climate. As opposed to letting our quality and integrity for service and products slip, we want to be sure we finish how we started with pride for our food, drinks, service and our team and that means closing now with those standards in place.
At this point there isn’t a plan for the space as I want to be sure to concentrate on our team and these last few days in this wonderful community and neighborhood.
I want to say thank you from the whole Padrecito family. We have been a part of so many of your moments and have watched and been a part of your family gatherings and your and our families growing before our eyes.
Cole Valley is wonderful and we are so honored to have been a part of it fabric for these past 10 years.
With love and admiration,
Nate
Santa on Cole is canceled
Need photos? Check out Sasha (https://sashaphotography.com/) who was to be the photographer.
news from Victorian Alliance
Throughout October: DISCOVER THE NEIGHBORHOODS in self-guided tours for 3 significant San Francisco neighborhoods: Pacific Heights, Haight Ashbury, and the Western Addition at Alamo Square. Discover and rediscover these neighborhoods as you walk about. Enjoy the feeling of “place.” Here’s the link for the Haight Ashbury tour.
news from San Francisco Heritage
Join SF Heritage at the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair
The 43rd Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is taking place on Sunday, October 16, 2022, from 11:00 AM -5:30 PM on Haight Street between Masonic and Stanyan. San Francisco Heritage will have a booth at this popular annual event, which showcases art, live music, and variety of local vendors. Look for giveaways and sign-ups for two free afternoon tours of our historic Doolan-Larson Residence, located at the iconic corner of Haight & Ashbury.
MCCLA Now in SF Heritage's 1506 Haight Street Gallery
San Francisco Heritage is excited to be hosting the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) at our pop-up gallery at 1506 Haight Street in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15, 2022), as well as a special window display and celebration of Dia de los Muertos on November 1. Be sure to stop by the gallery to learn more about the history of the MCCLA and to celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture.
Please take our brief neighborhood survey
Greetings, Cole Valley and Haight Ashbury neighbors!
Please take 5 minutes to take our survey and let us know what issues are important to you. For 30 years, CVIA has worked to improve the Cole Valley and Haight Ashbury neighborhoods. Populations have changed and issues have changed. We need to know what you think so that we can prioritize our efforts. And please pass it on to other neighbors. The results will be published later on cviasf.org and in the CVIA News.
Thank you so much.
Cole Valley & Haight Ashbury Resident Survey
Regards,
CVIA Board
Cole Valley Fair - September 25 10 am to 5 pm
Looking forward to seeing you at the Fair on Sunday, September 25 from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Sunset Mercantile is organizing the fair this year and would love some local volunteers. Click here to volunteer