News from the Heart & Soul of San Francisco
The House That Graft Built LANDMARKS | ANNE BLOOMFIELD Back in 1906, the Board of Public Works was stalling building permits until applicants agreed to use an expensive contractor, Deneen Building Co., recommended by Mayor Eugene Schmitz. Deneen built a mansion for Schmitz at 2501 Vallejo, across the street from 2670 Pierce — the new…
By BRIDGET MALEY Perched on a particularly steep block of Broadway between Fillmore and Steiner Streets, this year’s Decorator Showcase, at 2315 Broadway, affords incredible views of the bay. This Queen Anne residence graces the hillside with intricate detailing and is nearly an architectural twin to its uphill neighbor. Both were designed by the same…
By THOMAS REYNOLDS A plan to revive the Clay Theater as a single-screen neighborhood theater has passed its first test before city authorities with flying colors. The Historic Preservation Commission on April 1 unanimously endorsed plans to restore historic elements of the Clay while bringing it into the modern age. “It’s gonna be a great…
By BRIDGET MALEY San Francisco’s annual Decorator Showcase returns to Pacific Heights again this year, opening on April 26 at 2935 Pacific Avenue and continuing through May 26. Originally built as three flats in the Tudor Revival style, 2935 Pacific was transformed in 2009 into a classically inspired manse. It had been constructed in 1902…
A PLAN TO upscale the landmark Lane Medical Library at Sacramento and Webster into 24 condominiums — which so far has found smooth sailing through the city’s planning apparatus — has run into a roadblock. It is being appealed to the Board of Supervisors, with a hearing scheduled on February 6. After serving as a…
By WOODY LABOUNTY The story: the imposing Calvary Presbyterian Church on the corner of Fillmore and Jackson streets — which seems like an ancient temple that has stood on its plot for time immemorial — was moved there from Union Square. Let’s play detective and take a before-and-after look. Read more: “One Million Bricks“
By FRAN MORELAND JOHNS When the nominations for this year’s James Beard Awards were announced in late January, there was a local surprise. Among the semifinalists for Outstanding Bakery: Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop, a small shop in the corner of a Japantown grocery store most noted for keeping alive one of the city’s most beloved creations,…
THE LAST TRACES of the legendary Elite Cafe — a beacon of hospitality on Fillmore Street for decades — have disappeared. The lettering on the vintage neon sign has now been removed, along with the wooden booths inside. The Elite’s new name: The Tailor’s Son, in honor of owner Adrianno Paganini ’s father, who was…
DEMOLITION OF THE interior of the 110-year-old Clay Theatre on Fillmore Street began today, with workers hauling out the seats, the projectors and the popcorn machine. Landmark Theatres, the company that operated the Clay in recent decades, has instructed its staff to leave the building empty by the end of the month. The theater closed…
By CHRIS BARNETT One of the neighborhood’s enduring architectural treasures has been resurrected and a mystery is solved — almost. The 107-year-old Beaux Arts four-story Health Sciences Library on the corner of Webster and Sacramento — which gave refuge to the smart and studious for decades, but has stood empty collecting cobwebs in recent years…