Bernal Hill

This Is The City’s Plan for New Crosswalks and Stop Signs on Bernal Hill (and How It Could Be Improved)

/ Todd_Lappin / 51 Comments

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Do you remember that City meeting a few weeks back to review the proposed pedestrian-safety changes to the intersection of Bernal Heights Boulevard and Bernal Heights Boulevard at the southeastern side of the hill, near the glamorous Vista Pointe Minipark? Well, Neighbor Tom attended the meeting, and took great notes, and made some spiffy diagrams of new crosswalks and new stop signs, and he thinks the current proposal needs revision. Neighbor Tom says:

First, the facts:

Three Bernal residents spoke, of which I was one. No diagrams were presented or handed out, but two of us were able to look at a diagram (by request) before the meeting started.

Of the three that spoke, all approved of making some improvements. Two of us approved of the stop signs, one felt it unnecessary, but the crosswalk is good. As far as I could tell, there was no resolution on this, just the hearing of opinions.

I created a sketch of the plans from memory. (I don’t like recreating drawings from memory, because it’s inaccurate, but if they’re not going to give handouts, then…)

The yellow parts are roughly what their plans showed. Here’s a version of the diagram with other colors added by me to illustrate my personal opinion.

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My opinion is:

1. Locating the crossing at C will encourage people to walk the red path, with leads to a tricky crossing of Bradford (where a stop cannot be added, due to the #67 bus).

2. Locating the crossing at B instead would encourage the green route, which benefits from the pre-existing ‘stop’ on Bradford, and could be further improved by a cross walk.

The MTA say that the crossing must be located at C, since that’s where Parks and Rec have decided to put stairs.

Yes, stairs! I’m opposed to the stairs, since they will lead users to further steep loose ground, which they then have to ascend (or turn back). They therefore violate the principle of “don’t trick people into thinking they’re safe.”  I’m informed that the stairs will help reduce erosion. I suspect they’ll do the opposite – they’ll encourage more people to take the route.

ILLUSTRATIONS: Neighbor Tom

Cara and Joey Just Got Married on Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

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Okay, so we now know that Bernal Heights is for [all kinds of] lovers.  But rest assured: Not everyone who expresses their affections on Bernal Hill is batshit crazy.

Neighbor Abner from Alabama Street shares some lovely news about a romantic wedding that took place on Bernal Hill last weekend:

Cara is my sister-in-law, and her long time beau is Joey.  They lived in Bernal for most of the last 5 years, and the couple were married in a lovely, fairly impromptu wedding on the hill last Saturday.  As of last week, they’ve relocated to LA for a job opportunity, but they wanted to finally tie the knot — after a long engagement— with family and the great community they built here.

There was a raucous party at our place afterwards.

Big congrats and best wishes to the happy couple, and never forget…

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PHOTO: The wedding of Cara and Joey on Bernal Hill, via Neighbor Abner

Cupid Blamed for Weird Car Crash on Bernal Summit

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

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Ah, the things we do for love.

You no doubt recall that weird incident earlier this week which saw a car crash into a guard rail near the summit of Bernal Hill beyond the access road gate. And then, of course, the driver of the vehicle declared he was Steve Jobs.

Well it turns out the whole thing was a romantic interlude that went horribly, terribly, insanely, stupidly wrong. So someone at SFPD’ Ingleside station had a lot of fun writing it up in the station’s normally staid crime newsletter:

Incident Date:
Monday, March 16th, 2015

Arrests:
7:20am  Bernal Heights/Anderson Vandalism
The third time was not a charm for two young lovers who wanted to park in a spot with a view of the City. The man and woman decided to consummate their feelings by the Bernal Heights radio tower. However, the road to the tower is protected by a gate thwarting their amorous plans, but only for a short minute. The lovers decided that no gate was going to prevent a wonderful morning so the two, in their Honda Civic, rammed the gate to gain entrance. But the gate didn’t break. So, they backed up and hit the gate a second time and again the gate held tight. The third time, they backed up even farther, and successfully broke open the gate, before speeding up the access road to the top of the hill. All the noise alerted nearby residents and dog walkers who promptly called police. Ingleside Officers Wong and Chang responded and found the couple, and their severely damaged Honda, parked near the radio towers. Both were put in custody and the driver, who didn’t have a valid California license or insurance, was booked for trespassing, vandalism, malicious mischief, and other charges. Report number: 150233507

Further proof: Bernal Heights is for lovers.

PHOTO: Car crashed on Bernal Hill, March 16, 2015, by Neighbor Devon

Vehicle Crashes in Closed Area of Bernal Hill Summit, Suspects Detained

/ Todd_Lappin / 23 Comments

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Reports are just coming in, but Neighbor Devon shared this [strangely beautiful] photo of an automobile crash at the very summit of Bernal Hill this morning, above the barrier gate near Sutrito Tower:

I’m not sure how they got through the barrier. I was near the top and witnessed it from 20ft away on the other side of the barrier. The drivers were speeding up the service road and crashed near the bench. The driver told me not to call the cops, and said he was Steve Jobs. They fled into the cellular tower gate. The suspects were in police custody when I left.

@bernaljournal (who is not the same as the Bernal Journal newspaper) reports that the perps apparently went Dukes of Hazzard through the gate:

Visualize: Artsy Bags of Abandoned Dog Poo Around Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 45 Comments

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Neighbor Richard has found a creative outlet in the little bags of doggie poo he often finds around Bernal Hill:

I submit that these pictures are worthy of your publication if only for the insidious danger and warning to our community they represent. Surely nobody has submitted pictures of s*** so beautifully wrapped and photographed in a natural park setting? What can be done? What shall we do?

Like many Bernal denizens, I walk frequently upon our glorious hill — and I’ve been doing that for some 15 years now. I cannot help but notice this strange practice has been increasing over the past year, and it really bespoils the hill for everyone. It has always amazed me that so many many dog owners are so irresponsible. No fault is due the dogs, but some owners, after using a plastic bag for the inevitable, will not carry it to the trash receptacle once the deed is done. Instead they leave the gift wrapped poop plainly in sight for someone else to pick up behind them. At least they don’t sling it into the bushes (although I haven’t really checked).

These are pictures I took Saturday late afternoon during just one 30 minute walk around the hill.

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PHOTOS: Neighbor Richard

Spotter’s Report: Which of These Bernal Birds Is the Mostest Cutest?

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

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Neigbor John and his 7 year-old son Eddie have been out bird-watching again, and they bring us this update on some of the avians they’ve spotted recently around Bernal Heights:

Getting good focus on the birds is really hard, as they move around a lot, and the plants have a tendency to attract the auto zoom. But we have great birds on the hill, and this is one way to share them.

Here are three super cool birds all found in less than fifteen minutes in the pine trees just up Bernal Heights Boulevard near the gate on the north side of the hill.

The first is a Nutthall’s Woodpecker. We are more familiar with the Ladder Backed Woodpecker, but it generally doesn’t come this far north and the red is a bit further back on the head of the Nutthall’s, which you can clearly see here. There must be a ton of bugs in the dead trunk just up from the live pines as this woodpecker was pecking ferociously:

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The Pygmy Nuthatch and Chestnut Backed Chickadee are in a dead heat for cutest bird on the hill. Here’s the Pygmy Nuthatch:

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Birds standing still in the nice light is a highly unnatural act, and the cutest birds seem to be the most shy. Here’s the Chestnut Backed Chickadee:

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It looks like we also have a pair of Red Tailed Hawks nesting on the hill. If you look closely, you can see nesting material in the hawk’s beak. I hope we can look forward to a few months of serious hawk activity:

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PHOTOS: Neighbor John and Neighbor Eddie

Gigaom Visits Bernal Hill and Lots of People Enjoyed the 36 Questions

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

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Celebrity blogger (and Olde Bernalwood Friend) Om Malik visited Bernal Hill recently, at an early morning hour which we rarely experience because of its horrific earliness. But with that said, Om’s photo makes a strong case for early-rising, because the light and colors he captured are so beautiful. Bravo, Om, and thanks!

At the same time, Om also created a cool photo essay that steered us toward a special #36Bernal hashtag that was used by visitors to the 36 Questions installation that sat atop Bernal Hill last week. Here’s a sample:

These two Bernalese really got into it:

Folks even seemed to enjoy it in all sorts of weather:

PHOTO: Top, by Om Malik

Charming, Challenging “36 Questions” Treasure Box Now on Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

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There’s a wonderful installation on Bernal Hill for the next few days, and it’s perfect for this Valentine’s season. Neighbor Jessica tells Bernalwood:

I just learned via facebook that a friend of mine, Chris, created a fun Valentine’s Day activity on our own Bernal hill… It’s called The 36 Q:

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Basically, it’s two chairs arranged around a desk/treasure box. There are 36 innnnnnnteresting questions engraved into the lid of the treasure box, and the idea is that you answer the questions with your sweetie to gain Profound New Insight into one another. It’s a little bit like The Dating Game, only more intimate, and the prizes are more clever, and it’s on Bernal Hill, atop that mini-peak along the Folsom axis just below the guard rail.

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The kuhlhunters at The Bold Italic explain the backstory:

By now we’ve all seen that “36 Questions to Make You Fall in Love” article in the New York Times. Local artists Mustafa Khan and Chris McCoy decided those questions need to get out in the open this Valentine’s Day. He engraved the questions on an antique treasure chest alongside a set of chairs and a “not reserved” sign on Bernal Hill. You and your date (or a total stranger) can sit at this table and fall in love with the killer view…and maybe each other. Khan says there’s also a “special surprise” inside the chest, which will be at the top of the staircase on Ellsworth and Bernal Heights Blvd until next Sunday.

Got that? Get there before Feb. 23, and enjoy.

PHOTOS: 36 Questions on Bernal Hill, February 14, 2015, 5 pm, by Telstar Logistics

Awesome Volunteers Help Make City-Owned Land Look Gorgeous Again

/ Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

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Remember the volunteer work party that joined forces with the San Francisco Department of Public Works last Saturday to spiffify that (formerly) neglected City-owned lot on Ellsworth at Bernal Heights Boulevard?

By all accounts, the effort was a big success. Neighbor John sent this note to Jerad Weiner, DPW’s community liaison, to celebrate the glorious collaboration:

Jerad,

Many thanks for the email and for working with us to fluff the garden. It looks 1,000 percent better already! I am going up tomorrow morning to finish smoothing the mulch out and doing a little more pruning. The birds have never been so happy – there were many of them alighting on the fresh mulch.

Other than that, the project is a complete success. Thanks to DPW for the chips and for hauling away the debris. And thanks to you for your help – we couldn’t have done it without you.

Bravo, Citizens! Bravo DPW! Way to take charge, take names, and look sexy while getting it done.

PHOTOS: Top two, John Blacburn. Bottom, John Cremer. With thanks from Bernalwood

“Winter Solstice” Video Conveys The Fabulousness of the Bernal Point-of-View

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

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The holidays are upon us, and the shortest day of the year has already come and gone. Luckily for us, David C. Hill brought his video camera up to Bernal Hill on December 21 — last Sunday! —  to shoot this gorgeous “Winter Solstice” video.

When your far-away relatives ask what life is like in Bernal Heights, show ’em Winter Solstice. And remember: We’ve got it pretty good.

Recent Sunsets Provide Special Treats for Fans of Purple and Orange

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

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There have been some rather spectacular sunsets on Bernal Hill of late.

And we are fortunate to have some rather spectacular photographers in our ranks to capture these sunsets for us all to enjoy. The shots you see here were all taken by Scott Morin on November 9, 2014, and shared with us via the always stylish Bernalwood Flickr Group. Thanks Scott!

Check out more of his awesomeness:

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PHOTOS: Scott Morin