News from the Heart and Soul of San Francisco
By Kellie Ell A once vibrant mural on the south side of the Boom Boom Room at Fillmore and Geary is now covered in gold, hot pink and white spray paint and other graffiti. Looming above, the next-door National Dollar store has painted its name and a parade of products it sells — soda, crackers,…
CRIME WATCH | Barbara Kate Repa Battling what appears to be an upsurge in prostitution, officers at Northern Station have stepped up enforcement efforts in recent months, making a growing number of arrests on Van Ness Avenue. In April, 88 people were arrested or cited on charges related to prostitution in the district — up…
Parking meters on Fillmore Street and in Japantown no longer have a one-hour time limit. As part of the rollout of the city’s new high-tech parking program called SFpark, the shiny new silver meters along Fillmore were re-programmed on April 25 to have no time limits at all. Drivers may park as long as they…
President Obama will be back in the neighborhood tonight for dinner. By mid-afternoon preparations were in full swing on the 3200 block of Jackson Street, where Obama will dine at tech exec Marc Benioff’s compound — which stretches the full block from Jackson to Pacific and fronts on the Presidio Wall — with about 60…
Its remodeling completed on time and within budget, the historic home of the Presidio Branch library at 3150 Sacramento Street reopened on March 26. The renovation included restoration of the exterior and interior and refurbishing of the original wood shelving. An interactive learning area for children and a teen area were added, along with 16…
New restaurants or food businesses are prohibited on upper Fillmore Street unless they replace a similar establishment. But that would change under legislation proposed by new District 2 supervisor Mark Farrell. Farrell made good on a campaign promise to propose changes to city law that would allow new food-related businesses on Fillmore to be approved…
Ambitious plans for a $10.2 million renovation of Lafayette Park have received enthusiastic support from neighbors and a unanimous thumbs-up from the Recreation and Park Commission. In addition, a fund-raising mechanism has been put into place to allow park supporters to solicit contributions to supplement available bond funding to create a more elaborate 13,000 sq.…
With the opening of a number of new restaurants, Union Street is showing signs of recovery from the economic doldrums that led to a spate of shuttered shops on the street. But a new group of young residents and business owners says more aggressive change is needed in the neighborhood, and has formed the Union…
Stuart Hall High School, the all-boys Catholic school at Pine and Octavia Streets, in recent weeks has experienced its own death and resurrection. In early June, word spread rapidly through the school community that a move was afoot to shut down the school because of declining enrollment and dwindling finances. Supporters quickly mobilized their resources…
The Bay Citizen — the new nonprofit news website financed by neighborhood investor and philanthropist Warren Hellman — launched today. Its lead story focuses on the wildly varying property taxes paid by the owners of the mansions on Outer Broadway. Included is an interactive graphic that is something of a star map to Pacific Heights,…