Events

Grand Opening for the New, Expanded Succulence, Saturday

/ Todd_Lappin

Four Star Video has gone to the great disc-return slot in the sky, but shop owners Amy and Ken are having a grand opening for their new, expanded Succulence store tomorrow, November 17. Amy brings the details:

We’ve been working hard to prepare our space at 402 Cortland, and we’re excited to share it with our community. Our expanded store will feature a children’s section, bath and kitchen wares, and an exhibition of landscape photographs by local Bernal artist, Jean Pedigo. And of course, an ever-increasing collection of succulents, terrariums, and vertical gardens.

At the Grand Re-Opening Event you will also have the opportunity to contribute your personal wish to our Wishing Tree, which will remain in the shop as a symbolic, collaborative, testament to our continued commitment to our community, and our hope for peace and prosperity for all.  The Wishing Tree project is the first in a monthly series of Saturday drop-in family art classes and projects.

Please join us!

Darcy Lee from Heartfelt will set up a tea cart, we’ll have wine and snacks throughout the day, and after noon there will be a tasting table from Mama Tong, a purveyor of soups (which, along with other locally-produced edibles, can be purchased through Good Eggs and picked up at Succulence on Wednesdays!)

Starting at 4pm, we are holding an opening reception for Jean Pedigo: Selected Landscape Photographs.

PHOTOS: Sneak peek inside the new Succulence. Photo via Succulence

Benefit Walkathon and Silent Auction for Paul Revere School This Weekend

/ Todd_Lappin

Neighbor Richard is spreading the word about a benefit this weekend for Bernal’s Paul Revere School:

This Saturday is the big annual fundraiser for Paul Revere School, a pre-K through 8th-grade Spanish Immersion and English public school in Bernal Heights, just up the hill from the Alemany Farmers/Flea Market. Join our school community for the day by cheering on our kids in the Walkathon and bidding to win at our Silent Auction.

WHEN: This Saturday, November 17th (rain or shine!)
Walkathon: 11 a.m.–12 noon
Silent Auction: 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
WHERE: Paul Revere School, 555 Tompkins St. at Banks St. (south of Cortland Ave.)

Our list of Silent Auction items is growing every day, and it includes:

  • 2 tickets to the Giants’ 2013 Opening Night game (when the World Series Ring Ceremony is anticipated)
  • 2 tickets to a pre-season Giants vs. A’s game
  • SF Youth Ballet tickets
  • Sunset magazine subscription & autographed cookbooks
  • Original artwork by legendary Bernal artist Toby Klayman

Gift certificates to:

  • American Gymnastics Club
  • Sanchez Street Studios (pilates)
  • Hair Junction (hair salon)
  • Red Hill Books
  • Barberella Hair Lounge
  • Sports Basement
  • Local restaurants, including Vega
  • Wine tasting classes at VinoRosso
  • Legarza Basketball Camp
  • & more!

We’ll be serving food, so stop by for a cheap lunch and some fun while supporting our public school.

Hope you’ll join us on Saturday!

PHOTO: Students at Paul Revere, via Neighbor Richard

Halloween on Cortland for Your Little Monsters Starts at 4pm

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Late notice on this (not my fault!), but the Bernal Business Alliance will host their annual Halloween Stroll on Cortland this evening.

It’s intended to be kid-friendly, so bring your little monsters to see and be seen — and scoop up piles of candy — beginning at 4 pm.

Here are some Pro Tips from Miss Lynn of the BBA:

In the excitement about the Giants this weekend I had forgotten to send out our guidelines for Halloween on Cortland on Wednesday October 31, 2012 – so here they are:

  1. IMPORTANT: Cortland does not get closed off for Halloween – so if you are walking keep your eyes/ears open for traffic; if you are driving in the neighborhood, remember that the smallest trick-or-treaters will be out and about from around 4pm.
  2. Please do not cross on the diagonal.
  3. Stick with friends.
  4. The Library will be open on Wednesday until 9pm.
  5. Make sure you have a meeting place pre-agreed with friends/family before going out – the Library might be a great option.
  6. The stores and the Neighborhood Center will generally start early with their treats around 4pm.
  7. Stores will shut down at 8pm.

PHOTO: Bernalwood’s Cub Reporter with her best friend Eddie on Cortland for Halloween, 2009. Photo by Telstar Logistics

SF Chronicle Discovers Rock Bar, Concludes It Rocks PLUS: Halloween Party Tomorrow

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Bernalwood has long known that the glamorous and geologically-themed Rock Bar, on 29th Street at Tiffany in the La Lengua Autonomous Zone, is a rather delicious place to enjoy a cocktail.

Now the San Francisco Chronicle has come to a similar conclusion. In a recent article, the Chron’s Tara Duggan wrote:

[The Rock Bar] has a much friendlier atmosphere than you might expect, considering the quality of its cocktails. In addition to a few bar snacks, you can order anything off of the Front Porch menu from a retro phone at the bar. When your order’s ready, carry it back on a tray to your perch at the bar – just in time for another drink.

The vibe: The decor is like Granny’s living room, except Granny has tattoos and purple hair. Curtains and Victorian lamps pair with cacti, air hockey and crystals on the bar.

The crowd: Cocktail-curious neighborhood folks.

Best seat: Bypass the handful of small tables for a spot the bar, where you can learn more about the drinks and chat with the accommodating bartenders.

Killer app: Frying is the Front Porch’s cooking method of choice, with starters like fried pickles and Tabasco aioli ($6.50) and fried okra with jalapeno aioli. Buckets of spicy-coated fried chicken come with shareable portions of garlic mashed potatoes, gravy and collard greens ($17 for 3 pieces/$34 for 9 pieces).

Signature drink: A lot of thought is put into the drink menu, with house specials like Ichi Rock ($9), gin-based with St. Germain, yuzu and grapefruit bitters.

But wait! There’s more! And an additional excuse to have a drink: Rock Bar is having a ghoulish Halloween Party tomorrow:

Halloween Eve, from 4 pm to closing on October 31, 2012, will be a spooky spectacle filled with spine-tingling sounds; classic horror films; and eerie drink concoctions like Ghouly Punch in honor of the spirited evening.

Costumes encouraged and suggested, but all are welcomed for fright night sounds and films. Films are part of the Rock Bar’s ongoing Wednesday “Silent Movies or Played Silently” series. For more information about the series, please visit Rock Bar’s website or Facebook page.

PHOTO: Top, 3rd Base Coach and Black & Orange cocktails, at the Rock Bar, via Rock Bar on Facebook. Below, sign via the Bernal Barfly

Today! Free Pumpkin Carving at The New Wheel

/ Todd_Lappin

The newfangled New Wheel bicycle shop is having a free pumpkin carving this afternoon, and you’re invited. Miss Karen from New Wheel says:

We are having a fabulous pumpkin carving event at The New Wheel on Monday from 4-8 pm. Carving is free, but it is a BYOK event (bring  your own knife).  It should be lots of fun and we’ll showcase Jack-o’-lanterns at the shop that are not taken home during Halloween trick-or-treat festivities!

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

Glamorous “Sunshine Factory” Fashion and Housewares Shop Pops Up in Bernal

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Nifty! Neighbor Victoria is hosting a glamorous pop-up store this weekend from 11 am – 6 pm Saturday and Sunday at 698 Precita at York.

I’m putting on the Sunshine Factory Pop-Up Shop this weekend, October 27th and 28th, at my storefront live/work space on the Mission-Bernal Heights border. It is the first event of this kind, and it’s organized by myself and Jillian Knox of Joules Jewels Vintage.

The Sunshine Factory Pop-up Shop will be filled with tons of vintage clothing, curated vintage housewares and furniture, local and organic bath products as well as original art, jewelry, and designs by local SF makers! Polaroid kits, vintage records (good ones) and homegrown succulent arrangements in retro planters will also be for sale. We will also have a selection of vintage costumes for last minute Halloween shoppers.

On Sunday, we’ll have complementary Halloween-themed drinks between the hours of 11am and 1pm, as well as coffee served up both days by Vega!

BTW, great poster, eh? Nicely done.

This Weekend: Your Guide to Artists’ Open Studios in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Put on your walking shoes, art lovers, because Open Studios are coming to Bernal Heights this weekend. The event’s organizers at Artspan bring the context:

Here is the premise in a nutshell: The city is divided into four quadrants for the four open studios weekends. Artists in each area open their studio doors to show their art to the public. The work is for sale, but much more than an exchange of goods takes place. Perspective, inspiration, and ideas are shared; creative processes are divulged; and the appreciation of a life devoted to art is doled out. Join in the celebration by exploring and investigating a vast range of artists and artwork during this year’s SF Open Studios.

Bernal’s turn is this weekend; studios will be open Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm.  Lots of Bernal artists will be participating, and here’s where to find them: (Click the map for the spiffy interactive version.)

IMAGES: Work by Bernal Artists Beryl Landau (top) and Mark Monsarrat

Saturday: A Halloween Party to Support Junipero Serra Elementary School

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

There’s a Halloween benefit party at Junipero Serra Elementary School on Saturday, and monsters of all ages are invited. Neighbor Kristen says:

We’re having a Howling Hill gig this Saturday! It’s going to be fantastic.  We’ve worked with the neighborhood to block off the front block of the school from Park to Highland. One of our new families actually owns a petting zoo and is bringing it!  We’ll have pony rides, a jumpy house, a costume contest being judged by our very own district family advocate Ramon Martinez, and a pet costume contest judged by Supervisor David Campos!  Chloe’s Closet, Heartfelt, Red Hill books and many others are sponsoring us, and will have tables of items for sale.   There’s also great food and a kick-ass raffle with 49er tickets as one of the prizes.

The fun happens between noon and 4 pm on Saturday October 27 at Junipero Serra just off fashionable Holly Park. 

Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!! It’s Fiesta on the Hill 2012!!!

/ Todd_Lappin

Fiesta on the Hill, 2011

Fiesta on the Hill, 2011

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… it’s that magical time of year again.

That’s right, Fiesta on the Hill 2012 is coming to Cortland this Sunday! Bernal’s very own Main Street USA will be closed to traffic, pedestrians will roam with impunity, and there will be lots and lots of kiddie rides, music, and cute animals on hand to keep Bernalese of all ages entertained:

Fiesta on the Hill is a community based, high-profile and energetic Festival with an attendance of over 20,000 friends and neighbors from San Francisco‘s Bernal Heights area, neighboring communities and the greater Bay Area. The event is in its 24th year and continues to grow.

The Festival benefits the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center whose mission it is to preserve and enhance the ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity of the Bernal Heights District of San Francisco and surrounding neighborhoods.

See you on Cortland this Sunday!

PHOTOS: Fiesta on the Hill 2011, by Telstar Logistics

This Is Only a Test: NERT Emergency Preparedness Drill in Precita Park on Saturday

/ Todd_Lappin

This week marked the 23rd annivesary of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. In case you need a reminder of just how much that experience totally sucked, don’t miss the video  Julian Lozos, Bernalwood’s Chief Seismologist, posted on his blog, showing the effects of the earthquake at the time. Horrifying.

We don’t know when The Big One will happen, but we do know that Bernal Heights will be prepared — thanks to our solid foundation of chert and the many trained Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) volunteers who are ready to help when disaster strikes. I completed NERT training in 2002; it’s an impressively rigorous program.

This weekend, NERT volunteers from around the City will come to Precita Park for a large-scale emergency response drill. Neighbor John tells us more:

Here is some background on the NERT drill at Precita Park on Saturday, October 20.

Twice a year the San Francisco Fire Department NERT program runs city-wide drills. The October drill takes place in our neighborhoods. This year, the Bernal NERT team is hosting the drill for San Francisco Fire Battalions 6 and 9, which represent about a quarter of the city (Bernal is supported by SFFD Battalion 6, located in Station 11 at 26th and Church).

The drill starts goes from 8:30am to 12:30pm and will be staged on the west end of Precita Park, near Folsom. NERTs will be practicing the Incident Command System (ICS, a standard method for managing emergencies developed in response to wild fires in San Diego, 9-11 and Katrina), Damage Assessment, Cribbing, Utility Shut Offs, and HAM Radio Communications. Expect to see around fifty NERTs in their signature yellow hard hats and vests working in the staging area and walking around the neighborhood.

The drill is only open to SFFD-certified NERTs, but come by and talk to one of the Public Information Officers if you are interested. Or, come by the Bernal NERT table at Fiesta on the Hill on Sunday to learn more.

PHOTO: Shannon K

Do You Live on Precita? Want a Sidewalk Garden? Attend the Informational Meeting TONIGHT.

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Our green-thumbed friends from Friends of the Urban Forest are planning to do a sidewalk garden planting in a few weeks, and they’re looking for homes along Precita Avenue to participate. Want a garden in front of your home? Cheep? There’s an informational meeting happening tonight. Ms. Fiona from FUF tells Bernalwood:

The Community Meeting will be held on Tuesday October 16th from 6:30-7:30pm at 274 Precita Ave.

I’ll be giving a short presentation setting out full details on how to participate in our upcoming sidewalk garden planting on Precita Avenue, scheduled for December 1st 2012. Interested property owners will need to submit two forms and a $160 payment to me – all of which I’ll explain at the meeting.

I’ll aim to answer any and all questions, and will leave everyone with the relevant paperwork.

PHOTO: Friends of the Urban Forest

Hurry! The “Art From Within Bernal Heights” Show at Inclusions Is Closing Soon

/ Todd_Lappin

I regret not having posted about this sooner, but when I went for a walk down Cortland on Sunday afternoon, I stumbled into the artists’ reception for the Art From Within Bernal Heights exhibit that’s now showing at the Inclusions Gallery.

This year marks our 4th annual show devoted exclusively to art created by Bernal Heights residents. Each year the show is comprised of the numerous submissions made by the creative community surrounding the gallery. This year we will be featuring nearly 100 works by 37 different artists. The works are diverse in subject matter, style, size and media including: oil, encaustic, acrylic, watercolor, photography, etching, mosaic, sculpture, letter press, screen printing, assemblage and collage. The work is very accessible, as are their price points. The sheer volume and diversity of pieces make for quite a dynamic show not to be missed. It’s a wonderful opportunity to catch a glimpse of the immense talent and creativity within the Bernal Heights community.

It’s a really good show, and a terrific greatest-hits collection of work created by your Bernal Heights neighbors. But you’d best hurry if you want to check it out; The show closes this Sunday, October 21.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics