Deadline Extended to Apply for Free Street Tree Planting

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

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If you’d like Friends of the Urban Forest to plant a tree in front of your glamorous Bernal Heights home, then you’re in luck: The deadline to apply for a tree-planting has been extended until January 18.

Esmeralda Martinez, a volunteer coordinator with the fabulous Friends of the Urban Forest says:

Exciting news! Our next big tree planting in Bernal Heights is just around the corner, coming up on February 25th.

We need more trees requests! The deadline for neighbors to apply to green your street has been extended one more week. The new deadline to submit forms is Wednesday January 18th. If you know anybody interested in getting a new tree, please have them contact me at 415 268 0772.

Your neighbors can sign up for a free, no-obligation site visit from our arborist team here.

Check out our community pages for more information.

Thanks for all your help greening your neighborhood!

Cheers,
Esmeralda

Hat Tip: Neighbor Vitaliy.
PHOTO: Tree planting, courtesy of FUF

Proposed Pinball Center Mired in City Permit Purgatory

/ Todd_Lappin / 72 Comments

sfpinball

Last November, many Bernal neighbors were thrilled to hear about Bernal Neighbors Christian and Elisabeth’s plan to open Skillshot Pinball at 1000 Cortland Avenue, on the corner of Folsom. However,  it seems some nearby neighbors were decidedly less-thrilled about the plan, and now Skillshot Pinball’s grand opening faces significant delays as the proposal grinds its way through San Francisco’s bureaucratic maw.

In a newsletter, Neighbors Christian and Elisabeth write:

This is our first letter and we were hoping it might be more exciting, but it’s mostly about bureaucracy and the fact that we may not be opening as soon as we’d originally suggested.

The space we’re seeking to occupy was not previously an eatery or drinkery so though it’s allowed by zoning, we have to apply for a change of use. This isn’t that big of a deal, except for anyone who’s not crazy about having an eatery or drinkery in the neighborhood, these applications allow them opportunities to protest the changes. And that’s what’s happening. We’ve had such a wonderful outpouring of support from Bernal neighbors and families, but all complaints, rightly so, must be properly heard out. Most of the issues surround concerns about noise and the effect on the neighborhood, but some concern mixing sales of beer with proximity to children. On our website we’ve got a list of those concerns and our approaches to how we deal with those issues. And we’ve met with some of the complainants, but we’ve been unsuccessful at changing their minds. They say they love the concept, they think it’s right for Bernal, and they like us, but they don’t want it right next to them. Ahem.

So we’ve had, or are expecting to have, protests against our Change of Use with the Planning dept, our alcohol application with the ABC and separately with the ALU, and the Board of Supervisors approval of our alcohol application. Add that all up and it could be quite a while before we’re able to open. We’re trying to push things along, but it’s probably more like a year now, or even longer. The protests don’t usually keep you from getting the permit, they just significantly slow things down and put conditions on operations (like hours) so you guys don’t have too much to worry about. We’re still totally dedicated to opening up here on The Hill!

PHOTO:: Williams San Francisco pinball machine (1964) at the Pacific Pinball Museum, by Telstar Logistics

Hard-Working Bernal Heights Storm Drains Need Your Love and Attention

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

drainbeforeafter

It’s another rainy, wet day, which begs the question: Have you given your nearest storm drain some love today?

Keeping storm drains free from obstruction and debris is an important way to prevent local flooding during heavy rains. Neighbor Susan tells Bernalwood about San Francisco’s adorable Adopt-a-Drain program, and how you can help keep our streets flood-free. She says:

I’m not sure how I heard about adoptadrain.sfwater.org – it has a nifty website that shows where storm drains are as you move through a map o the city. Of course I moved the cursor south to check out Bernal Heights. Drains everywhere! – and some adopted, on Banks Street. Upon inspecting the drains at the intersection nearest to my home, I decided this would be a good civic responsibility to take on. (Some people will argue that “the city should” but I prefer action to waiting.)

The photo above shows my “bad” drain, on the northwest corner of Banks, along with the implements I use to give it care – a broom, a dust pan with a long handle, and a bucket. The third photo is my bad drain, cleaned. The activity took about ten minutes and afforded me some pleasant conversation with people walking by – always good to find a new way to connect with others in the neighborhood.

A couple of keys to success: Check on street sweeping days to be sure that stuff near your drain is in the street to be swept. If rain is coming, clear the drain ahead of time. It doesn’t take long, and you’ll look at all drains differently from now on. As an added plus, no one will have to jump over or wade through a giant puddle caused by your drain being stopped up!

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Neighbor Susan

Big Winter Storm Knocks Down Trees Around Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments
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None shall pass! Neighbor Amy encounters the tree blocking Bernal Heights Blvd.

The big winter storm that blew through San Francisco on Sunday generally spared Bernal Heights from too much biblical-grade havoc, but it did get the best of our trees (and a few parked cars). Luckily, no one was injured.

The leafy mayhem kicked off on the Richland Avenue, where Neighbor Audra shared this photo of a big limb that fell across the Bernal Cut bridge, cutting off access to our ancestral kin in Bernal-Glen:

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DPW quickly cleared the branch from the Richland bridge (thank you!), but that was not the end of our arboreal mayhem.

Neighbor Darcy shared this photo of a tree eating a Nissan on the 100 block of Bradford, near Powhattan:

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On Wool Street, Neighbor Bernard reports that a tree had it out for this Audi:

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The Revenge of the Trees continued in Precita Park, where Neighbor Maria captured another tree munching on the hood of a Mazda, as a neighbor raised her fist in solidarity with the fallen foliage:

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But the biggest drama unfolded on the south side of Bernal Hill, where a very big tree fell across Bernal Heights Boulevard, rendering our scenic artery impassable. Neighbor Markus shared a dramatic photo of the fallen tree’s root structure:

treedown-markusMeanwhile, on the western side of the roadblock, Neighbor James captured a neighbor pausing for a stylish moment of chaos chic. Never mind the Golden Globes; What’s the it-look for Bernal Heights storm-chasing in 2017?  Why, it’s slip-on sneakers, cranberry tights, and a slim-fitting winter coat in navy — obviously!

treedown2-james

 

Pop-Up “Eye of the Avocado” Serving Breakfast & Lunch at 833 Cortland

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

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Someday soon, Black Jet Baking Company will hang its sign above the former Pinkie’s/Sandbox space. But in the meantime, Chef Jes Taber has opened up a pop-up eatery at 833 Cortland called Eye of the Avocado that’s serving gorgeous breakfast and lunch sandwiches right now.

Chef Jes says:

Eye Of The Avocado, is a Pop Up Cafe at 833 Cortland @ Gates, the old Pinkies Bakery. We are excited to part of the beloved Bernal Heights community. We offer one of the best dang egg sandwiches you will ever have, the “Roy G. Biv Sandi”. Plus we have: coffee, lattes, tea, scones, chocolate chip cookies, and etcetera. We are strictly locally sourced & organic. Check out the Pay It Forward program & inquire for details. Can’t wait to meet you!

Eye of the Avocado is already crushing it on Yelp, and the cafe is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm, with plans to remain at 833 Cortland until the end of the month.

(Also, If you have tips about potential permanent locations around greater Bernal, Chef Jes would love to hear them.)

PHOTO: The the Roy G. Biv Sandi + Bacon, courtesy of Eye of the Avocado

Struggling Chloe’s Closet Plans Cutbacks at Cortland Store

/ Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

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Chloe’s Closet, the consignment store at 451 Cortland specializing in clothes for kids and expectant moms, has been a cherished resource for budget-conscious Bernal parents for more than a decade. Yet recently the business has been struggling, and today Chloe’s Closet announced a series of changes intended to keep the Cortland store afloat.

In an email to customers, Chloe’s writes:

It is no secret that San Francisco has a rapidly declining population of the people Chloe’s Closet really depends on: middle class and working class families. Many of those families just can’t afford to live here any longer and it shows in our sales. The last three years have seen decreasing revenue at both our San Francisco locations, especially in Bernal Heights. While sales have dropped steadily, costs have risen – rent, insurance, taxes and payroll go up and up. We are just barely hanging on.

At this time we are considering our options. We have 18 months left on our lease in Bernal Heights and the next few months will determine whether we can turn things around in Bernal. If we can’t make it work, then unfortunately we will need to find a tenant and close that location down. (We will continue in the Inner Sunset as well as in Berkeley)

In order to hang on in the meantime, we have no other option but to decrease our overhead. To this end, we will be reducing our employee hours at all three locations, and doing a partial shutdown of the “Toy” side at our Bernal Heights location. We are having a sale on our remaining Women’s and Maternity clothing, then we will close that section down. This will allow us to have one fewer person on the payroll per day.

We are also considering going to limited drop off days/hours and/or closing one day per week at all of our locations.

In addition, Chloe’s Closet will implement changes to its consignment policy in order to reduce the quantity of unsellable items dropped off at the store.

 

New Preschool Opening on Cortland Today

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

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There’s a new preschool opening at 610 Cortland today (right next to the Wells Fargo banking robot), and it’s called Little Angels Nursery School. Neighbor Jen’s child has been attending Little Angels at another location, and she bring the 411 on the new Cortland facility:

Little Angels nursery/preschool will be opening their 610 Cortland Avenue location on January 3rd, 2017. School founder Rabab and many of the students’ families are very excited!

Little Angels will accept children aged 18 months to 6 years, and has a sister school in Sunnyside for infants. The Bernal location has two main play rooms including an invitingly cozy reading nook by the Cortland-facing windows, a new play kitchen, and enough blocks, train tracks, and Magna-tiles for everyone.

In the back, there’s a good-sized yard with a redwood playhouse and a large sandbox, all shaded by a generous avocado tree. My personal favorite thing about the school is the full kitchen: Rabab and the other teachers do fun baking projects and make tasty, healthy, homemade lunches for the children. (They got my picky kid to happily eat vegetables and soup! I can’t express how amazing that is to me.)

Bernalese grow-ups can expect to see the kids at the local library, playground, and around the neighborhood. There was an open house at Little Angels before the holiday break, and it had a ton of walk-in traffic, so I expect the school will fill up quickly — if it’s not full already. This is a great neighborhood for kids. If anyone wants to ask Rabab questions or apply, the school’s site is here.

PHOTO: The Little Angels on Cortland, courtesy of Neighbor Jen

Sunday: Celebrate 2017 by Helping to Make Bernal Hill More Beautiful

/ Todd_Lappin

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Here’s an honest way to atone for all the unholy things you will do on New Year’s Eve: Neighbor Sarah invites all Bernalese of all ages  to participate in a Bernal Hill clean-up happening on New Year’s Day,  Sunday, January 1, 2017(!) at 9 am.

The fabulous Neighbor Sarah says:

Start 2017 off by joining your neighbors in cleaning up Bernal Hill on New Year’s Day. (The Hill often takes a bit of a beating on New Year’s Eve.) Meet at the south entrance bulletin board at 9 am. Bring gloves and a couple of garbage bags or a bucket. We’ll divide and conquer, picking up bottles, cigarette butts, and, yes, unclaimed dog poop. This should be a good activity for kids – I will be bringing mine (ages 7 and 9).

See you there! (And thanks to the neighbors who, day in and day out, pick up trash on the Hill – we see them frequently!)

PHOTO: Bernal Hill from the air, courtesy of the Bernalwood Air Force

Today: Wild Old Women of Bernal to Protest at Mission Street BofA

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

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Today at noon, the iconic Wild Old Women of Bernal Heights will stage an anniversary protest at the Bank of America branch at 3250 Mission Street to put an end to Big Bank malfeasance.

Neighbor Lynn, one of the Wild Old Women, says:

The Wild Old Women of Bernal will be celebrating our 5-year anniversary of weekly demonstrations to protest foreclosures, evictions, and other disdainful corporate-bank acts. The demonstration and celebration will be in front of the Bank of America on Mission near 29th St. on Thursday, Dec. 29th from noon until 1 pm. We’re inviting one and all to join us.

PHOTO: Courtesy of the Wild Old Women of Bernal Heights

Apartment Rents Down Citywide in 2016, But Rising in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

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The median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in San Francisco declined by 4.9 percent in 2016, but the opposite was true in Bernal Heights, where rents spiked 9 percent. That’s according to data compiled by the real estate site Zumper,

Citywide, rents may have reached the limits of what people are willing (or able) to pay, as the construction of additional market-rate housing combined with a slowdown in tech hiring combined to put downward pressure on rents in pricier parts of San Francisco. Yet the rent is still too damn high, so San Francisco renters have apparently been looking for more affordable options in other parts of the city — such as Bernal Heights.

Kevin Truong from the San Francisco Business Times explains:

Even with the decline this year, the city sits firmly in the top spot when it comes to the most expensive rental market in the country, with its $3,300 median 1-bedroom rents beating out New York City by $300.

Falling rents were seen in previous high-flying neighborhoods in the city’s Northeast like Nob Hill, which was down 6 percent. The biggest drop in rental prices was seen in the NoPa neighborhood, which is down 9 percent since last year and Noe Valley which dropped 8 percent. Other neighborhoods seeing major median rent price declines include Ashbury Heights, Civic Center and Nob Hill.

“Overall, the priciest neighborhoods seem to have hit a price ceiling that renters are willing to pay,” the Zumper report said.

The data also traced a shift from the most expensive San Francisco neighborhoods like SOMA, Downtown, and Pacific Heights, to the outer, and less expensive, areas of the city, like Bayview, Bernal Heights, and the Outer Richmond.

Zumper adds that Bernal saw the second-highest increase in median rents this year:

The only neighborhood with double digit rent growth this December was Bayview, up 11.5% since this time last year. Bernal Heights (+9%), Western Addition (+9%), and Haight Ashbury (7%) had the next fastest growing rents.

GRAPHIC: via Zumper

Black Jet Baking to Open in 833 Cortland Bakery Space

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments
Team Black Jet Baking, with Gillian Shaw at center

Team Black Jet Baking, with Gillian Shaw, center

It was a sad day when Pinkie’s Bakery announced plans to shutter in October, but now the cycle of rebirth and re-use is set to take another turn. Last weekend, rockstar baker and former Bernal neighbor Gillian Shaw launched a crowdfunding campaign to relocate her Black Jet Baking Co. to the former Sandbox/Pinkie’s space at 833 Cortland.

Justin Phillips from Inside Scoop brings the backstory:

Black Jet owner Gillian Shaw sees potential on the block, so much so that she recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to drum up support (and $75,000) for the move. Black Jet’s loyal customer base has responded in droves, donating almost $11,000 within the first 36 hours.

“People have been so sweet. They’re donating and writing notes,” Shaw said. “Everyone seems to be excited. This year, we’ve just been lucky to grow and grow.”

After opening in 2010 as a niche shop delivering cookies and pops mainly to San Francisco office workers, Black Jet is known more now for its nostalgic takes on classic treats like layered chocolate cakes, banana cream pies, and oatmeal cookies. (Shaw’s”Lil Jennys” were featured in this Sunday’s Chronicle, with a recipe.)

Shaw said this year, the business had its most profitable November since opening six years ago. Black Jet sold more than 900 pies around Thanksgiving – no small feat for three bakers working out of a commercial kitchen space.

Neighbor emeritus Gillian Shaw has a lot of fans here in Bernal, not just because she used to live here, but also because she was the baker at the former Liberty Cafe , back in the days when the Liberty Cafe was known for its amazing baked goods. So congrats to her, and hooray for us.

If you’d like to join Black Jet Baking Co. crowdsourcing fund, you can contribute here.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Black Jet Baking

SFMTA’s Data Indicates Bernal Parking Permit Zone May Not Meet SFMTA Requirements

/ Todd_Lappin / 63 Comments
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Source: SFMTA

In the comments to last week’s post about the community meeting held on Dec. 7 to discuss the implementation of a Residential Parking Permit (RPP) area in portions of northwest Bernal, an astute Bernalwood reader noticed something odd: The proposed Bernal permit area does not appear to meet a SFMTA’s requirement for establishing a new RPP zone.

As Neighbor Rebecca points out, the SFMTA’s published requirements for creating a new RPP area are as follows:

To create a new Residential Permit Parking Area, a petition signed by at least 250 households (one signature per household) in the proposed area must be submitted to the SFMTA. See “Expand an Existing Permit Area” for petition forms.

Requirements
  • The proposed block(s) must be contiguous to each other and must contain a minimum of one mile of street frontage.
  • The proposed block(s) must be of a low- or medium-density residential character — high-density land use is generally not suitable for RPP
  • At least fifty percent of the vehicles parked on the street in the proposed area must be non-resident vehicles.
  • At least eighty percent of the legal on-street parking spaces within the proposed area are occupied during the day.

That third point is of interest:”At least fifty percent of the vehicles parked on the street in the proposed area must be non-resident vehicles.”

During the December 7 community meeting, the SFMTA released the results of its survey of vehicles parked in northwest Bernal Heights. The survey showed that no more than 33% of the vehicles parked in northwest Bernal belong to non-residents — a ratio well below the 50% required under the RPP rules. (In the evening, the percentage of non-resident vehicles drops to about 23%.)

Meanwhile, the SFMTA data shows that the percentage  of vehicles belonging to Bernal residents who live less than 1/4 mile away from where their cars were parked in northwest Bernal ranges from a weekday low of 67% to as much as 80% during predawn morning hours:

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Source: SFMTA presentation

Bernalwood reached out to the SFMTA three times over the course of the last four workdays to seek clarification on the apparent discrepancy between the agency’s moves to establish a new northwest Bernal RPP zone, the SFMTA’s published non-resident vehicle percentage requirement to create a new RPP area, and the SFMTA own vehicle survey data which indicates northwest Bernal does not meet the non-resident percentage requirement to become a RPP zone.

SFMTA has acknowledged these requests, but clarification has not been forthcoming.