With Assist From Local Contractors, Bernal Trees Terrorize Neighborhood Cars

November 12, 2014November 11, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

With help from a team of indifferent landscaping contractors and Sir Issac Newton’s laws of gravitation, there was an awkward interaction on Monday between a few oversize Bernal trees and a few undersize Bernal cars.

Neighbor Janna reports:

Tree cutting (contractors? from city?) on Cortland with no protection to cars below. Is that legal? Not my car, but a neighbors car.

Awww.

As a matter of policy, Bernalwood celebrates the mutually prosperous relationship that has long existed between Bernal trees and our mechanized vehicles. We would hate to see this relationship grow strained for want of a simple tarp. Thus, looking ahead, we trust that these sorts of interactions can be managed more elegantly.

PHOTOS: Neighbor Janna

Ye Olde Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack Closes Tonight; New Emmy’s Opens This Weekend

November 11, 2014November 11, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

As you know, Miss Emmy Kaplan from the eponymous Spaghetti Shack recently announced plans to relocate her restaurant to a new location a few blocks north.

Now Emmy has passed word to Bernalwood that Old Emmy’s closes tonight, and New Emmy’s opens this weekend:

Want to let our Bernal neighbors know that Tuesday night will be our last at 18 Virginia St.

We are hoping to open to the public either Friday or Saturday night at our new location, 3230 Mission Street.

We hope to be accepting reservations through our Facebook page as soon as Friday morning and presenting a happy hour and late night menu in a week or two.

Hope to see some regulars and neighbors over there soon!

PHOTO: Emmy Kaplan with actual spaghetti, via Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack

New Fairy Door Discovered in Undisclosed Location

November 11, 2014November 10, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Neighbor Robert has made an important discovery: A new fairy door in Bernal Heights!

To safeguard the interests of all parties involved, Neighbor Robert has decided to keep the tiny door’s coordinates under wraps. Reporting live from his mobile phone, Neighbor Robert writes:

I found this fairy door in the ‘hood. I don’t want to announce the location lest something happen to it.

PHOTO: Neighbor Robert

Campos Concedes Defeat in State Assembly Race as New Day Brings New Opportunities

November 7, 2014November 7, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 58 Comments

The Duel of the Dual Davids has reached its conclusion, and there can be only one.

After a few days of nail-biting uncertainty, our D9 Supervisor and Bernal Heights neighbor David Campos has conceded to David Chiu in the battle for the District 17 State Assembly seat.

The Campos concession came via Facebook:

A few moments ago I called David Chiu to congratulate him on his win in the Assembly race.

As I write this my thoughts are with Supervisor Harvey Milk. Forty-two years ago Harvey made a similar call when he lost his own race for the 17th Assembly district by fewer then 4,000 votes. It was one of many races that Harvey lost, in fact he was only a supervisor for 11 months before his murder. And yet the message that is most associated with him is that of hope. Right now my heart is filled with hope.

This is a time of great change in our city. And through this campaign we have sent a powerful message that the people of San Francisco are alive, spirited, and ready to fight for our values and way of life. We made clear that we love this city, refuse to be pushed out and are a force to be reckoned with.

Hmm. That’s what politicians say at moments like this, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. Indeed, the results of this election suggest the exact opposite.

Supervisor Campos carried the torch for San Francisco’s progressive movement. Yet this week, notwithstanding Bernal Heights, San Francisco voters rejected the whole slate of progressive-backed initiatives and candidates on the ballot.

Prop G, the so-called anti-speculation transfer tax, was soundly defeated. The Prop E Soda Tax fell flat. Prop I passed, in a rebuff to NIMBY turf-haters. And now, David Campos has also conceded defeat.

Bernal Neighbor Tim Redmond argues progressives fared badly because they were massively outspent by their fatcat foes. And in fact, that’s undeniably true. But it may not be the complete story either.

The language Campos used in his concession points to part of the problem. Yes, this is a time of great and difficult change. But professional progressives have chosen to address this change largely as a source of threat and menace. The structural limitations of that approach are now apparent, and there’s no reason to believe that its demographics will become any more favorable in the years ahead either.

So now David Campos has a few more years to hone his craft on the Board of Supervisors.

He might consider embracing all his constituents in District 9, instead of treating our new neighbors like an invasive species. And he might try introducing some innovative ideas to expand and rebalance the City’s housing stock, instead of waging guerrilla warfare on the fundamentals of supply and demand.

Or not… it’s up to him.

But David Campos isn’t going to Sacramento, so this is his opportunity to try something different right here in San Francisco.

PHOTO: David Campos, via 48 Hills

Saturday: Heartfelt’s Pop-Up Opening Party at 301 Cortland

November 7, 2014November 6, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Meanwhile, in other Heartfelt news…

Sad tales of plundered ravens aside, Neighbor Darcy Lee is spreading the word about Heartfelt’s seasonal pop-up store that’s opening up a few blocks north, on the fashionable corner of Cortland and Bocana.

Neighbor Darcy shares the scoop (and extends an opening party invite):

Heartfelt’s Pop Up store in the former Deli Pub space at 301 Cortland is opening up this Saturday, November 8th from 1 to 4 pm. Bubbly will be served! This is a chance to express my display mojo without the crowded yet magical confines that is Heartfelt.

If you want a holiday shopping experience with air space, good taste, light, a piano and kindness…. stop by 301 Cortland.

Two questions have come up repeatedly:

1. “Is this a holiday store?”

Nope, it is open for the holidays but will have a variety of stuff.

2.” Is it the same stuff?”

Of course it is not the same stuff… that stuff is down at Heartfelt. This is other stuff.

We are also raising dollars for two charities gift drives this year. We are helping to buy presents for all the residents of Curran House in the Tenderloin and of course the Infamous BHNC Holiday Toy Drive. Giving=getting!

Midcentury Bernal Shoebox House Flips After 21st Century Makeover

November 6, 2014November 6, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

Somewhere relatively high up on Bernalwood’s List of Things We Really Want to Cover Someday is an item called “What’s Up with Those Bernal Shoebox Houses?”

You know the type, because it is very common here. The Bernal Shoebox is what I call those vaguely modern inflill homes that were built all over Bernal Heights in the 1950s and 1960s. Rectangular shapes. Double-wide garage door on the bottom. Residential space above. Standardized construction. Raise and Repeat… all over Bernal Heights (and San Francisco’s southern neighborhoods) during those heady postwar years.

For example, here’s tony Nebraska Street, just north of Cortland, as seen through Google Earth Street View:

As a genre, Bernal Shoebox houses are now found in various states of repair, upkeep, originality, adaptation, and/or disrepair. There’s even one in the Bernal Heights Architectural Coloring Book:

Some Bernal Shoeboxes look rather Midcentury Chic…

…which is why clever graphic artists have even created new posters like this:

Space Age grooviness aside, these types of houses have some notable advantages as a residential resource. They’re plentiful, they are structurally uncomplicated, they usually offer a generous amount of interior space, and they’re relatively easy to reconfigure and remodel to accommodate our fabulous 21st century lifestyles.

So someday, Bernalwood hopes to tell you more about this particular building type. Where did the basic design come from? Who did it? How were these homes built? And by whom? And for how much? And who bought them? That kind of stuff. Stay tuned. (Have insights on the topic? Share them in the comments or via email)

In the meantime, our cyberpals at the CurbedSF real estate blog recently found this example of a Bernal Shoebox for sale at 357 Franconia after a full makeover:

CurbedSF writes:

Back in March, flippers purchased a worn-out Bernal fixer for $770K and set about transforming it into a super-slick contemporary box. Out front, the forlorn white siding was switched out for a new stucco facade with lava stone cladding and black metal trim. Inside, the kitchen is all new, an unwarranted third bedroom seems to have gone legit, and a second bath was added, along with some welcome skylights. At $1.395M, the new ask is a more than 80 percent boost over the sale price eight months ago. Looks like the sellers are getting their money’s worth, too—the property went into contract after only five days on the market.

OK, so, that’s obviously a rather dizzyng bump in price. And yes, it’s obviously a reflection of our wacky-doodle, supply-constrained real estate market. Blah blah blah.

Yet it’s also, likely, a reflection of what will become of more and more Bernal Shoeboxes, and how many of them will evolve in the fabric of Bernal’s streetscape during decades to come. Shall we call them DwellBoxes?

PHOTOS: 357 Franconia via Redfin and CurbedSF. Bernal Shoeboxes by Telstar Logistics

Raven Theft Highlights Challenges of Being a Bernal Merchant

November 6, 2014November 6, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 14 Comments

Over the years, your Bernalwood editor has gradually received an eye-opening education in the challenges faced by many of our neighborhood merchants.

Never mind higher-level stuff like marketing, advertising, parking, margins, and worrying about tectonic shifts in the retail environment triggered by ecommerce and Amazon. No, the matters that impress us most are the day-to-day issues that arise from the fact that when you operate a storefront, you are quite literally opening up your front door to anyone who decides to walk through it — for better or for worse.

Neighbor Darcy Lee from Heartfelt on Cortland is normally unflappable in this regard; She is a pro, so she handles most oddball encounters with the general public in stride. But a shoplifting incident last week really got under her skin. Neighbor Darcy writes:

We have/had a beautiful raven piece that sells for $650. We have sold two over the years. They are one-of-a-kind and the artist does not always make the raven, but recently we got it in again!

And then the other day I noticed it was gone. I had just done a display with it, so I knew it had been stolen very recently. It is big (18″ long) and a focal point in the store. Then I started counting the other hand carved birds that are by the same person. We are missing 5 altogether, which adds up to $2,000 in sales.

I filed a police report.

This part of retail is pretty tough – and I have taken it hard. Part of store ownership is being in denial about theft — if not, one would be constantly worried and or paranoid. That said, one must also be prudent. I will have security cameras installed. Blchhh.

On that last note… Darcy tells Bernalwood she seeks recommendations for a good security camera installation and service provider. Not just a camera, she says; she hopes to find someone who will install and support a new security camera system. So if you have any recommendations, you know where to find her…. as always, the front door at Heartfelt is wide open during normal business hours.

A Few Spaces Left in Little Bee Baking Class This Weekend

November 5, 2014 / Todd_Lappin

Neighbor Stacie from Little Bee Baking on Cortland tells us she has just a few spaces remaining in her new baking class that gets underway this Sunday, November 9. This is your big chance to learn the ancient secrets of pie dough:

I’ll be starting to teach baking classes at Little Bee in November.

This has been an idea I’ve had since starting the shop – I love teaching and creating a fun and relaxed environment where people aren’t afraid to try baking.

My first class will be about making traditional pie dough and I hope to teach a new class each month or so. I encourage people of all levels to join in. All ingredients and equipment are included. Students will get to take home their doughs at the end of class, and we will enjoy fresh baked pie with coffee or tea at the end over a relaxed Q & A session.

Look for details on cost, timing, and sign-up logistics in the poster below.

In a follow up email earlier today, Stacie said:

I have a four spots left for the first class this Sunday. If there’s a lot of interest, I am able to add a second class if necessary the following Sunday, 11/16 from 6-9. I’m also planning a class for December as well on 12/14.

PHOTO: Top, Stacie Pierce from Little Bee Baking, by Telstar Logistics

Campos vs. Chiu: Your Bernal Heights Microhood Voting Analysis for Election 2014

November 5, 2014November 5, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 22 Comments

Happy Day After Election Day! Today you can savor the clarity of a (mostly) known election outcome and the knowledge that your mailbox will no longer overflow with huge stacks of election-related direct mail. Today, it’s all about the results — and the punditry about what those results tell us.

On that last score, Bernalwood is very fortunate to have some of the most clever readers in the entire universe. Specifically, we speak here of Neighbor Patrick, who has done us the great service of looking at some key returns from yesterday’s vote through the prism of the Official Guide to the Microhoods of Bernal Heights.

Neighbor Patrick has broken down the results of the David Campos vs. David Chiu contest for the District 17 Californa State Assemby seat by Bernal microhood. He then did the same for Prop E, the Soda Tax measure, to see how it fared here in the Dominion of Bernalwood.

As you probably know, the current citywide election tallies show that David Chiu is on track to defeat Bernal resident and D9 Supervisor David Campos for the State Assembly seat. As MissionLocal reports this morning, though some absentee and provisional ballots remain outstanding, “with all precincts reporting, Chiu held a 2,397-vote lead over Campos in the Assembly race to replace Tom Ammiano.” (At this writing, Campos has yet to concede.) Meanwhile, the Prop E Soda Tax failed to clear the two-thirds majority it needed to pass.

But how did Campos and Prop E do in Bernal Heights?

For that, let’s go to Neighbor Patrick in the Bernalwood Election 2014 News Center:

I thought I’d do a little digging into the election results and break down voting patterns by Bernal microhood using the Bernalwood map posted on March 18th. I think it’s a little more revealing than the generic “Bernal North” and “Bernal South” designations used by the SF elections department!

I’ve attached charts for the Campos/Chiu vote as well as the Prop E (soda tax) vote as these were the closest races. These are based on the preliminary figures released by SF Elections very early this morning so they may change slightly as provisional ballots are counted.

Note that there isn’t perfect overlap between precinct boundaries and microhood boundaries, but I’ve done my best.

Here are Bernal microhood results for Campos vs. Chiu:

Here’s the Bernal microhood breakdown for Prop E:

Innnnnteresing, yes? It would appear that the residents of Foggy Vista, on Bernal’s west slope, are the most progressive tribe of all Bernalese. Neighbor Patrick adds:

I guess what jumps out at me is the relative conservatism of St. Mary’s and Alemanistan, and the heterogeneity of the different microhoods. I was very surprised to see St. Mary’s actually vote against Prop E (it was over 50% citywide although that wasn’t enough to make it law). Turnout was pretty even across the board, although Alemanistan was below average at 34%.

There’s lots to ponder and pontificate about in this analysis, which is why the Internet Gods have given us the commenting mechanism. Most of all, though, HUGE thanks to Neighbor Patrick for this terrific piece of analysis.

Witnessess Disturbed by Beating Incident on Cortland

November 4, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

There was a violent incident on Cortland Avenue at Bennington on Sunday — right in the heart of Cortlandia. Witnesses say it was an upsetting scene. Neighbor Rick filed this report:

I’m saddened to write this, but our neighborhood witnessed a beating on the corner of Cortland and Bennington Sunday evening at about 5.30 pm.

A group of 4-5 men were in a shouting match that quickly escalated into a fight, which in turn became a beating as 2 of the assailants were kicking one of their downed opponents.

We don’t know what the argument was about (we were halfway up Bennington walking down, and although we could see the action, we couldn’t hear details) but it was a crowded evening and a ton of Bernal neighbors were witness to the encounter. What we did hear was gangster-like posturing, racial slurs, and some seriously antisocial behavior.

One brave neighbor placed herself in between the attackers and the unconscious, bleeding man on the ground. My brother in-law and I honestly believe that if she hadn’t intervened, the attackers would have continued kicking this man and we fear he may have lost his life. (The woman left before the police came because she had her young daughter with her. The poor girl was sitting in front of Progressive Grounds, scared and confused. The woman gave me her details to pass on to the police so she could share her information, but she rightly wanted to get her little girl out of there.)

The attackers fled the scene and unless the woman who placed herself in harm’s way to stop the fight has more details about them, I’m not sure the police had much information to go on. (Most of us were more concerned with the injured man and getting help than with identifying the assailants). The injured man had 2 people with him who seemed to do little to help their comrade and who slinked away once the police arrived. We did ask them who the downed man was and if they knew the guys who beat him, and they said very little but ultimately “no” was the response.

I abhor this sort of base violence and I’m still pretty creeped out by the whole thing. We’ve noticed an escalation in aggressive behavior in Bernal over the past few Sundays (people being accosted by rowdy teenagers sort of thing, even my wife got yelled at by a couple girls in a passing car for not wearing enough Niners gear) but this is by far the worst I’ve witnessed. A few of our neighbors stepped up and that’s great, but this scene has shaken me.

Bernalwood also received this from a nearby merchant:

There was what seems to have been a gang fight at the corner of Bennington and Cortland [Sunday] evening. It was pretty bad and made me think (among other things) that the beat cops are missed these days.

If it was indeed a gang fight, that would mean this incident was non-random. Bernalwood has not yet received any further information from the SFPD’s Ingleside Station. Neighbor Sarah, your vigilant SFPD liaison, has been making enquiries, so we will update you here if more detail becomes available.

In the meantime, an important reminder: Statistically, yes, we are entering crime season. As Bernalwood has previously reported (almost exactly two years ago): the end of Daylight Savings Time means less evening light, which often sparks an uptick in street crime, as goons and hoodlums seek to exploit the early onset of darkness.

Stuff happens. Please be extra-alert this time of year.

It’s Election Day! Vote Today! Vote Often! Vote Bernal!

November 4, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Citizens of Bernalwood!

This is a public service announcement to remind you that today is Election Day 2014. Get thee to your local polling place, and vote!

If anyone is in the mood to compare notes on how they voted on any of the local propositions or elected offices, feel free to transform the comments into a virtual town square. Or coffee shop. Or dinner conversation. Just not talk radio. Or those call-in shows. Talk radio or call-in shows, not so much please.

PHOTO: Polling place on Mirabel, Nov. 4, 2014, 9:45 am, by Telstar Logistics

Watch What Bernal Rockstar Matt Nathanson Did During His Recent Trip to Peru

October 31, 2014October 31, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Bernal Heights neighbor and rockstar next door Matt Nathanson has had a very busy year. A new album, a big tour, lots of travel… you know, rockstar stuff. Somehow, however, he managed to squeeze in some pro bono work with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, an organization that provides assistance to hearing-impaired people around the world.

So when Neighbor Matt went to Peru recently, it was all about lending a hand with the Starkey Foundation. On his own website, Matt writes:

i joined a trip to huancayo, peru with some folks from starkey hearing foundation. our job was to fit people with hearing aids if they needed them. the company provided the devices and their service for free. they do this all around the world. i was one of the many volunteers.

i’ve been trying to write a short piece about my experience for weeks now. it’s been really hard. words kinda fail it.

if i didn’t have my hearing, i wouldn’t have music. and if i didn’t have music, i definitely wouldn’t have survived my childhood. listening to albums and seeing bands and being connected to songs was EVERYTHING to me. it still is. it makes me feel not alone. it helps me transcend my broken brain. in fact, the only reason i play music is because i love it so much. i couldn’t stay on the sidelines, i HAVE to be a part of it.

going to peru was super heavy. the people were incredible. to be in service to them, to assist in connecting them to their kids laughter, to their parents voices, to MUSIC!… it was completely humbling. and overwhelming. i felt love and gratitude towards other human beings on a level i’ve never experienced.

see? it’s really hard to put into words… so i’m glad we shot footage and made a video while we were there. it does a WAY better job explaining than i ever could.

Matt’s newest song and video are all about his time in Peru. And when you see it, it’s easy to understand why the experience was so powerful, and so difficult to put into words. Because here’s what Neighbor Matt did during his recent visit to Peru:

Matt adds:

100% of artist and label proceeds from this video are being donated to Starkey Hearing Foundation. For more information on how you can help, go to headphones.starkeyhearingfoundation.org

This Weekend: Open Studios in Bernal Heights

October 31, 2014October 31, 2014 / Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Heads up Bernal art nerds! Or, people who identify with Bernal art nerds!

This weekend, Artspan has organized the 2014 Open Studios in Bernal Heights. Visit Bernal artists between 11 am and 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, November 1 & 2. See their work. Find out where the magic really happens:

SF Open Studios is the oldest and largest open studios program in the country, featuring an annual, month-long art event in October and November that showcases over 800 emerging and established San Francisco artists in their studios. Each weekend, art patrons, admirers, and collectors venture out on self-guided tours to see as many SF Open Studios artists and their artworks as possible, in the hopes of finding their next true art love. The event connects collectors with artists for engaging dialogue and a glimpse into the life of the working artist; SF Open Studios simultaneously helps artists build their mailing lists, gain new admirers, and ultimately sustain a living making art.

Right on. And here’s the details, to get the names and addresses of the participating Bernal artists: