Author: Todd_Lappin

New York Times Deems Bernal Heights Idyllic (But Expensive)

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Over the weekend, the online Real Estate section of the New York Times published a big profile of this neighborhood we call home. Under the headline “Bernal Heights, San Francisco: An Inclusive Village With Lofty Prices,” NYT writer Julie Lasky says:

Bernal Heights has the ambience of a village, with small shops, public bulletin boards papered over with notices and even a wild coyote whose welfare many in the community fuss over. But some Bernalese declare themselves ambivalent about the San Francisco real estate boom that has put their once-humble neighborhood out of reach to many.

Ms. Burdman, 50, an advertising executive who lives in the house on Bonview Street with her teenage daughter, said, “I’m happy by how our houses have appreciated, but it’s changed the character of the neighborhood.”

Kristin Hofso, an owner of Bernal Hill Realty in Bernal Heights, acknowledged that the community has grown more affluent, with the average price of a single-family house rising from $800,000 in 2012 to just under $1.4 million this year. “But it’s remained progressive, racially diverse, with some vibrant artists and many independent businesses,” she said. In her experience, newcomers seek out those aspects before any particular property. “I’ve sold real estate here for 25 years,” she said, “and almost all the buyers who come to us say, ‘We want to live in Bernal.’”

So how just spendy is Bernal Heights real estate these days? The Times says “as of Dec. 8 the median sales price of a single-family residence in Bernal Heights was $1,400,000, an increase of 7.6 percent over a 12-month period, based on 151 sales. The median price of a condominium was $1,011,000, a decrease of 7.5 percent over the same period, based on 23 transactions.”

We’re fortunate to be here.

Thursday: Elves and Bernal Neighbors Invited to the 2016 Cortland Holiday Stroll

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Holiday Stroll

Tens of thousands of hundreds of many years ago, in the time of our mystical ancestors, a joyous community of elves lived on these Bernal Hill lands. Each year, during the winter equinox, these proto-Bernalese would gather in the meadow we now call Cortlandia to celebrate the arrival of the rains and the season of lights.

Today, the Bernal Business Alliance carries on this hallowed tradition, in the form of the glamorous Cortland Holiday Stroll. The 2016 Stroll happens this Thursday, December 8, from 6 to 9 pm, and all Modern Bernalese are invited partake of the many spectacles.

The shamans from the BBA tell Bernalwood:

7th Annual Bernal Heights Holiday Stroll, Thursday, December 8th, 2016

Join your neighborhood in supporting small businesses for Bernal Height’s 7th Annual Holiday Stroll, this Thursday night, December 8, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm on fabulous Cortland Avenue.

Your favorite local stores are extending their hours for family fun and holiday shopping. Many shops are offering discounts, music, tasty treats and beverages to make your evening even sweeter.

Come support your community and don’t forget to donate a new, unwrapped toy or monetary contribution to our Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Toy Drive at 515 Cortland Avenue.

Thanks everyone, see you Thursday, rain or snow, from your friends at the Bernal Business Alliance.

12 Small Things, 513 Cortland – In addition to supporting fair trade artisans, we will be collecting spare change for UNICEF and donating 10% of our sales to victims of the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland.

Arts of Balance, 406 Cortland – Come on in for chai tea!

Bernal Beast, 509 Cortland – Toys and treats will be 20% off and will be serving Chocolate Cake!

Bernal Homeopathy, 406 Cortland – Limited number of homeopathic cold & flu remedy kits for sale $40

East West Bernal, 406 Cortland – We will be serving chai and offering 15 percent off gift cards.

Epicurean Trader, 401 Cortland – We will be having a free Wine Tasting from 6-8pm.

Good Life Grocery, 448 Cortland – We will have hot apple cider and several samplings inside the store from various suppliers. And just out that day, we will have our 2017 calendars to give out with the wonderful pictures of Bernal Heights and Potrero Hill from local photographers.

Healthy Spirits, 249 Cortland – We will be sampling our famous house-made hummus, hosting a wine tasting and have lots of fun freebies!

Heartfelt &, 409 Cortland – Brian Belknap the Cajun One Man Band will be playing refreshments will be served!

Inclusions Gallery, 627 Cortland – Celebrating our 9th year with our annual Retrospective show, featuring the work of 14 local artists. Live music with jazz duo Gary Zellerbach & Carl Herder and lots of holiday cheer!

Little Bee Baking, 521 Cortland – Surprise!

Paulie’s Pickling, 331 Cortland – Surprise!

Pinhole Coffee, 231 Cortland – There will be Japanese Curry by Chef Michael Black, Jewelry by Oakland Based jeweler Holly Bobisuthi and crocheted goods by Pacifica based artist Samantha Baron. Our coffee bar will be open and we will be sampling peppermint hot chocolate! Also Mitsuko Siegrist of Tsuchikara Pottery will be selling her wares (she is the ceramicist behind all our cups and plates).

Recycled Glassworks, 231 Cortland, I’m also going to be at Pinhole for the stroll

Sandy Owens Massage & Healing, Gift certificates, discounts and other surprises!

State Farm Insurance, 399 Cortland – Serving hot apple cider and holiday cookies

Succulence, 402 Cortland – 15% discount on all store inventory, plus snacks and beverages, with music by JD Limelight.

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Wall Collapses at Crescent Avenue Construction Project

/ Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

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A wall collapsed yesterday at a home renovation jobsite on the corner of Crescent Avenue and Moultrie in South Bernal. Fortunately, Bay City News reports no one was injured:

The collapse was reported at 501 Crescent Ave. just after 10 a.m., according to a fire department spokesman.

The two-story residential building is currently under construction. No injuries have been reported, fire officials said.

The city’s Department of Building Inspection has been called to the scene.

A June 2016 Google streetview of the site shows what the project looked like before the accident.  Neighbor T. adds that the property has been — and remains — a magnet for drama:

The house at Crescent and Moultrie that collapsed Tuesday morning has been undergoing the most recent of MANY unfortunate renovations.  The crew that was working on it today scattered/disappeared just as it was collapsing.  Then, after hours of police investigating and photographs/red tagging it, they came back after dark and were demolishing more. At 7:30 pm there were 2 police cars on the scene with three guys face-down on the street, I imagine arrested for trespassing a red tag.

PHOTO: 501 Crescent yesterday, courtesy of a Bernalwood reader

Oakland Fire Victim Cash Askew Had Deep Roots in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments
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Cash Askew

A few neighbors have alerted Bernalwood that one of the victims in last weekend’s horrific Oakland warehouse fire had roots in Bernal Heights. Cash Askew, 22, perished in the blaze.

Neighbor Paula says:

Cash Askew, one of the artists who perished in the Oakland fire, grew up in Bernal and also worked at Bernal Beast for a few years before she moved away to go to school.

Neighbor Jordan adds:

Cash Askew died in the Oakland fire. Cask was a graduate of Children’s Day School and she was in a band named Them Are Us Too.

Cash’s step-dad, Sunny Haire runs a dog-walking business and walks many a Bernal dog (including mine). Cash’s mom, Leisa Askew, owns Fix Studios on Valencia Street.

Neighbor Jordan adds that a memorial fund has been set up to assist Cash’s surviving family as they come together to recover. Bernalwood readers are encouraged to contribute.

The Washington Post published a profile of Cash Askew yesterday:

Cash’s stepfather, Sunny Haire, is a transgender man and skilled guitarist who for years worked as the manager of one of the last lesbian bars in San Francisco, the Lexington Club, he told The Washington Post. As a child, Cash would spend time with her stepfather in the Lexington Club, sipping cranberry juice and watching the clientele.

Since 2013, Cash had been performing in a musical duo called Them Are Us Too alongside Kennedy Ashlyn, whom she met while studying at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Some have described the group as “goth” or “synth-pop,” but the duo prefers to refer to its sound as “visceral,” “euphoric” or simply “feelings.”

Most of all, the two identified as “queer femmes” and connected most with underground, queer or transgender communities of young people in different parts of the country, Ashlyn told the Post.

“It’s our chosen family, our radical music community,” Ashlyn said, describing their circle as one of “creative, beautiful people who are not as highly valued in normative spaces as they should be.”

Them Are Us Too released its first album last year, and had since toured the country several times, Ashlyn said. Cash had been working on a new demo track for years, and the duo had hoped to finish writing a new album within the coming year. They planned to tour South America at the end of January, Ashlyn said.

This is “Eudaemonia,” from Them Are Us Too’s 2015 album, Remain.  It’s wonderful:

Once again, you can contribute to the memorial fund for Cash Askew’s family right here.

Wednesday: Meeting on Proposed Northwest Bernal Parking Permit Zone

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The days of unrestricted weekday parking in northwest Bernal Heights may be coming to an end.

Following a well-organized signature drive by some North Bernal neighbors, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency is moving ahead with plans to establish residential parking permit (RPP) system in portions of northwest Bernal where a majority of residents signed petitions supporting the creation of an RPP zone.

The next step in the process is a community meeting, to be held on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 7 pm at Leonard Flynn Elementary School. From the SFMTA announcement:

RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING
PROPOSAL FOR NORTHWEST BERNAL

The SFMTA and Northwest Bernal Heights Residents invite you to a public meeting to discuss the proposed Bernal Heights Permit Parking Area.

Residents on the following blocks have voted over 51 percent to move forward with residential permit parking in Bernal Heights: Mirabel and Montezuma, Shotwell (1400 – 1599), Coso (1 – 199), Precita (1 – 199), Coleridge (1 – 99), Winfield (1-99),and Powers.

Please join us to hear details about next steps in the permit process, which includes a discussion about how this will affect residents in the area.

Northwest Bernal Heights Community Meeting
Wednesday, December 7th, 2016, from 7 to 9 P.M.
Flynn Elementary – 3125 Cesar Chavez Street

Additional information about the Northwest Bernal RPP plan and the RPP program is available here on the SFMTA website.

Two Violent Crimes Plague Precita Avenue Over the Weekend

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

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Neighbors living near Precita Park are concerned about two violent crimes that took place in the area over the weekend.

Late Saturday night, a neighbor witnessed an assault in Precita Park, as a man on a bike attacked a man walking near the west end of the park. The witness says the victim was apparently beaten to the point of near-uncsciousness.

Then, on Sunday night, Precita Avenue was blocked off west of Shotwell, as SFPD investigated a stabbing that occurred on the steps into the big parking lot along the 100 block of Precita.

Bernalwood reached out to Captain McFadden from SFPD Ingleside this morning for comment. He said both of the weekend incidents are likely connected to the recent wave of gang-related crime. Capt. McFadden told Bernalwood:

All are related to the same gang activity of a few individuals. The [stabbing] victim will be ok. The Gang Task Force is handling the investigation, and hopes to make arrests in the case soon, which should stop the activity completely.

PHOTO: SFPD investigating the scene of the stabbing on the 100 block of Precita Avenue, December 4, 2016, by Telstar Logistics

In Praise of Musical Friday Nights at Charlie’s Cafe

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

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Charlie’s Cafe on the corner of Folsom and Precita on the west end of Precita Park is a neighborhood institution. Normally it’s a laid-back daytime coffee shop and deli, but on Friday nights Charlie stays open late to host live music.

Tonight, Friday, December 2, Charlie’s will play host to the Trance Mission Duo, a musical collaboration by Beth Custer and Steven Kerrit.

Neighbor Mary is a Friday Night regular at Charlie’s, and she shared this summary of the scene:

It’s becoming a tradition: For years when Charlie’s, the cafe on Folsom and Precita, holds musical events, neighbors come in droves, steam up the windows, crowd the doorway, spill out onto the corner, and peer into the windows if they can’t get in.

The warmth of Charlie’s Cafe brings a special sense ofbelonging to all of us in these dismal post election days. It’s an exceedingly bright spot on the dark north side of the hill.

The lights are bright food is hot, the music is from nieghbors who show off mighty talent. Yes, Paul Griffiths and Beth Custer, neighbors you have greeted over the years, or just know by face (or by dog) have hefty portfolios of music behind them and are well known original talents. You will be amazed.

Children abound and bound around, and there’s plenty of crayons to color with) as yummy plates of Steak Tacos pass under your nose.

You can come fill up on food at the friendliest place in town and hang with your neighbor friends.

Or you can stay home and watch the news.

The Old Bus Tavern Now Has 2.5 Bauer-Stars and Music on Sundays

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

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The Michael Bauer returned to the fabulous Old Bus Tavern at 3193 Mission (near Valencia) recently to take new chef David Zboray’s food out for a test-drive. Two-and-a-half stars later, he says he liked the experience:

The most substantial main course was grilled swordfish ($29), expertly cooked and presented next to a salad of kohlrabi, pickled fennel and charred scallions. The only flaw was the mushy butternut squash risotto underneath.

While [former chef Max] Snyder’s top-class chili didn’t make the cut for the new menu, Zboray retained the must-order quail eggs ($10), brined, poached and arranged on a nest of fried leeks, hot from paprika. He’s also included the cheeseburger ($14) made with sharp cheddar, pickles, a secret sauce and ketchup, an ingredient I usually avoid for anything but french fries — but in this case it worked well.

The waiters are good salespeople for their products; they know the menu and are adept at explaining the beers and cocktails. They are also attuned to the finer points of service, a surprise in such a casual environment, where the crowd becomes more animated as the night wears on. Oftentimes there are gaggles of people dining or standing at the bar, separated by a counter from the 49-seat dining room.

Meanwhile, as a special bonus, neighbor Ned Buskirk of Elsie Street is working with the Old Bus Tavern team to fill the space with music on Sundays. Neighbor Ned says:

The Old Bus Tavern owners are about as down-to-earth & sweet-hearted as any good Bernalite would hope for AND the food/beers fit the tastiest of additions to our local options.

So, I’m booking regular music there every Sunday now, and we want to start making a name for the local spot, for all the right reasons… music being a big one of them.

This Sunday, December 4, the lineup includes amazing food by Soul Cocina and live music by John Elliott (aka The Hereafter)! Bar opens at 5pm and food starts at 6pm. Check out details about Sunday’s menu right here.

PHOTO: Old Bus Tavern facade, via InsideScoop

Bernalwood Readers Report on Monday’s Alex Nieto Memorial Meeting

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What happened during Monday night’s community meeting about the proposed City ordinance to install a memorial for Alex Nieto on Bernal Hill? Several Bernalwood readers attended the meeting, and shared their perspectives on what happened.

rikitiki49 felt the meeting wasn’t really about soliciting input from the Bernal community about a memorial:

Just left this meeting disappointed that the first 1 1/2 hours was not about establishing a memorial for Alex Nieto, but a memorial come-together meeting. It was very touching and sad to to hear from the Nieto family and indeed other families of recently shot citizens who were introduced by Campos.

Campos and Avalos (with a brief but sympathetic cameo by Hillary Ronen who left shortly after 7) spoke at length . Then the father of Alex spoke o Alex’ life and then warmly about once sitting on that bench with his son overlooking the city. Then, a woman from the arts commission distributed paper info with photos re plaques, sculptures and other forms of remembrance. She noted that given the story she heard from the father perhaps a special bench might be what the community wanted…(I thought this was so appropriate and hoped the crowd would agree but this was not to be that kind of meeting.)

There was then another round of much shouting “Amor, Amor” for Alex and posturing by one man in particular. I left about 7:20 hearing no constructive talk about a memorial other than Campos/Avalos saying there would be a community process, two supervisor meetings, and a guiding committee you could sign up for. The vast majority of people in the room appeared to either express love for Alex or anger for the incident.

Craig says he’s still unclear on why a memorial for Alex Nieto is being proposed:

I attended the meeting together with about 40 others. The people attending were all supporters of Alex Neito and friends/families of the other 2 victims of police killings this past year. The family of Alex Neito spoke in Spanish and was translated to English. Alex apparently grew up in Bernal and attending local public schools. He later attended a [junior college] and studied criminology. He did a lot of volunteer work with children. I attended to learn more about his contribution to Bernal and to understand the reasons to establish a public memorial on the hill. Campos, Avelos and Hillary Ronen attended. Each spoke and their comments were unremarkable.

An artist from the city art commission spoke about the type of memorial that might be considered. She had a portfolio of brass plates, benches and bronze bust. She mentioned that a bronze bust of Newsom cost about $120,000 that some of his wealthy patrons contributed to have it made. She did mention the public must pay the cost of this type of project. However, Campos chimed in to announce that he inserted language in the ordinance to possibly include city money to purchase the memorial. He received a round of applause.

I left the meeting after 45 minutes and still cannot understand why two public officials – Campos, Avelos and Supervisor-elect Ronen would endorse a public memorial for Alex Neito. Hearing scheduled Dec 5th at 1pm. If approved by this committee, it will go to the full Board for a hearing.

But mimiklausner had no trouble understanding why a memorial might be appropriate:

I went to the meeting. It was an overflow crowd. Once the resolution is passed, it is up the the Nieto family with input from the community to decide what form the memorial will take. Someone from the Arts Commission made a presentation about the process, gave ideas about plaques, benches and statues. Right now there is no City money available for the memorial. Some in the audience wanted to approach the City to fund it; others thought it should be funded by the community. Beth Stephens who teaches at UC Santa Cruz offered to fabricate the plaque at the USC bronze foundry. Other people offered to write grants.

Rufugio Nieto talked about his son and said that at one point he dragged Rufugio up to the hill at 3 am and they sat together on a bench and Alex said he loved seeing the City asleep and that he felt so safe there, safer there than anywhere else.

 

 

Thursday: Planning Department Hearing for Nine-Story Shotwell Housing

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Rendering of 1296 Shotwell, as proposed with revised southern facade, facing Bernal Hill.

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Elevations showing proposed facades facing South Van Ness (above), and Bernal Heights (below).

After almost a year of community meetings, some redesigns, and more community meetings, the housing development planned for 1296 Shotwell, near the corner of Cesar Chavez, will go before the San Francisco Planning Department for the first time tomorrow, on Thursday, December 1.

As you may recall, 1296 Shotwell is proposed as a 100% subsidized-affordable development that will rise 80-feet above street level, to a height of nine stories. That’s 20 feet more than current zoning for that site would allow, so Thursday’s planning meeting will consider the project developers’ request for a height waiver under the Affordable Housing Bonus Program.

Here’s the Planning Department’s agenda item on the project:

1296 SHOTWELL STREET – west side of Shotwell Street between Cesar Chavez and 26th Streets; Lot 051 in Assessor’s Block 6571 (District 9) – Request for 100% Affordable Housing Bonus Program Authorization to allow for the demolition of an existing 1-story building and construction of a new nine-story 100% affordable residential building for seniors and formerly homeless seniors with 94 units, pursuant to Planning Code Sections 206 and 328. The Project requests development bonuses for 1) increased height above that which is principally permitted by the zoning district and 2) reduced dwelling unit exposure pursuant to Planning Code Section 140. The Project also requests an exception for the rear yard requirement pursuant to Planning Code Section 134. This Project is within the Mission Street NCT (Neighborhood Commercial Transit) Zoning District and 65-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approve with Conditions

You can view the complete Planning Department assessment on 1296 Shotwell here.

The Planning Department meeting starts at noon on Thursday in Room 400 at City Hall, and 1296 Shotwell is the 16th item on the agenda. There will be opportunities for public comment from residents who live near the project during the meeting.

Good Morning Bernal Heights!

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If (heaven forbid) you happened to live in Noe Valley, and if (just if) you happened to be up at sunrise this morning, and if (lucky you) you happened to have a rockstar view of Bernal Hill, then this is what you might have seen this morning as you looked out your window.

Christopher Baker is a Friend of Bernalwood who happens to meet all of these criteria, with the added bonus that he’s also a wonderful photographer. So here you go: Bernal Hill, at sunrise this morning, as seen from Noe and 28th.  Thank you Christopher!

Also: Damn we’re sexy.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Christopher Baker

The Bernal Hill Coyote Is a Female and Human “Kindness” Could Kill Her

/ Todd_Lappin / 17 Comments

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Janet Kessler, the San Francisco coyote whisperer who runs the  wonderful Coyote Yipps website, has been keeping an eye on the coyote that lives on Bernal Hill.

After some observation, Janet has noticed some disturbing signs that the coyote is in danger — and the problems stem from people who are putting her at risk with misguided “kindness.” Janet explains what this means in this special contribution to Bernalwood:

AN UPDATE ON THE BERNAL COYOTE

In case you haven’t heard, the Bernal Hill coyote is most definitely a “she!”

Almost all Bernal Hill visitors love her. How could anyone ask for a more congenial neighbor! She’s good natured, photogenic, good-willed and fun-loving. She knows how to entertain herself. I watched her play exuberantly with a stick several times within the span of an hour.

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Some people love the Bernal Coyote so much that they are literally throwing “kindness” at her. However, the “kindness” she’s being showered with is actually cruel. Unintentionally so, but nonetheless cruel: it’s hurting her tremendously.

Feedingthe Bernal Coyote is bad enough, but feeding her from cars is detrimental. As a result, she’s now out in the streets, approaching cars, stopping traffic, and even just hanging out there. Please remember: the last Bernal Hill coyote was killed by a car.

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A few days ago I witnessed her run repeatedly to a bluff overlooking the road whenever she heard a certain type of truck go by. A couple of people said that two months ago they witnessed someone in a white truck deposit food for her. I saw her run towards a coffee cup as it was tossed from a car window — she was expecting food.

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When cars stop on the road to observe her, she often hurries down the hill to the car. And I witnessed her chasing four separate cars, one after the other. Her motive would be the expectation of food. She would only expect food if she has been given it in the past. Witnesses have seen her being fed from car windows. By feeding her, people have “trained” or “food conditioned” her (rewarded her behavior with food) to come down into the streets. It will be much harder to break this behavior than it was to start it.

She has also been coming in towards walkers, again in the hopes for food. This scares some people. If she’s expecting food, she could start closing the gap and nudging people for what she wants. A spooked human may startle her and she may react with a self-protective nip. Although dogs are allowed their first bite free, this is not true of coyotes. If she bites a human, she’s dead. This is why, “a fed coyote is a dead coyote.”

Some folks are being overly “friendly” towards the coyote. Dogs with their owners sit and commune with her only 15 feet apart. This, also, is an unkind thing to do. It’s important not to be so friendly, not to engage physically or psychologically with her. Rather, be neutral if you can and always walk away from her. You are not respecting her wildness by engaging with her or by allowing your dog to interact/engage with her in any way.

On the bright side, this little female does not seem territorial: she does not defend her space against intruder dogs. The reason for this is that she’s a loner who does not claim a territory, she’s not a member of a family. Nonetheless, if and when she hooks up with a mate — coyotes mate for life — her mate will be territorial. Male coyotes can be very protective and jealous of dogs getting too close to their mates or pups. By respecting her wildness and giving her plenty of space, we can maintain a balance for coexistence which will work.

What to do now? First, DO NOT FEED THE COYOTE — EVER! Second, become an ambassador for the Bernal Coyote: If you see anyone giving her food, speak to them about what is needed for the well-being of the coyote. If the person resists, report them to the police; It’s actually against the law to feed wildlife.

The Bernal Coyote will the one who pays the price for humans’ misguided “deeds of kindness.” Please — please! — never feed her, be as neutral and uninterested towards her as possible, and always walk away from her, don’t engage her with your dog or talk to her. If she persists in coming closer to you, spook her away by picking up a small stone and heaving it towards her (not at her so as to actually hurt her, just towards her), and keep walking away. The Bernal Coyote’s behavior is not her fault; it’s our fault.

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PHOTOS: All photos by Janet Kessler of Coyote Yipps