The View turns 49 years old this month. It’s an astonishing accomplishment: almost 600 issues produced, perhaps 15,000 pages, by an un- or poorly paid crew dedicated to civic journalism. By all accounts the monthly is a beloved community institution, a colorful, informative, thread in the fabric of our neighborhoods. It’s a place – now… Keep Reading
District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton was quick to deliver on at least one campaign promise after he took office last January, announcing in his first week that switchbacks on the T Third Street Muni Metro line would be eliminated. Mayor London Breed helped Walton secure the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s promise to end the… Keep Reading
Associate Capital presented alternative Potrero Power Plant development designs to the San Francisco Planning Commission last spring, which included restoring the 300-foot concrete smokestack and adjacent 131-foot Unit 3 control room, as well as preserving elements of Station A. Claus Spreckels, who founded the company that became the Western Sugar Refinery, built Station A in… Keep Reading
By J. Eric Miller Robots have walked, well, rolled, the streets of 21st Century San Francisco, but whether they’ll do so in the future is uncertain. Led by District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed legislation last year that restricts the use of delivery robots. Initially calling for an outright… Keep Reading
“It went by so fast,” my 80-something father exclaimed, when I told him my daughter would be attending college in the fall. “Yeah,” I said. “I know.” In a year and a quarter, I’ll turn 60, an unimaginable age to my younger self. Sixty was when people started preparing for retirement, purchasing the necessary plaid… Keep Reading
Bagels and Cream Daily Driver, a café, creamery and bagel bakery, opened last month in a 7,000-square-foot, two story, space in Dogpatch’s American Industrial Center. One of the owners, David Kreitz, developed the bagel recipe, which apparently is not quite Montreal nor New York style, but an excellent vehicle for the establishment’s cream cheese and… Keep Reading
In the face of sky-high construction costs and ongoing housing shortages, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) wants to partner with a private developer to build upwards of 800 homes at its Potrero Yard when the bus facility is reconstructed over the next ten years. The 104-year old facility, which spans a 4.4-acre block… Keep Reading
Now through 9/2 MondayArt: San Francisco Museums for AllUnder the San Francisco Museums for All initiative, free entry is available to more than 15 museums and cultural centers to residents who participate in Human Services Agency public benefit programs. Simply show your Electronic Benefit Transfer or Medi-Cal card and proof of residency at a participating location… Keep Reading
After years of political promises, 53 Potrero Terrace households moved into brand new apartments last month at recently constructed 1101 Connecticut Street. Once dubbed Project X, the building reflects completion of the initial phase of a plan to fully redevelop the Annex-Terrace complex into mixed income housing by 2029. Johnnie Ledbetter was the first resident… Keep Reading
From its perch at 1050 Wisconsin Street the Caleb G. Clark Potrero Hill Health Center (PHHC) serves a wide range of City residents, including long-standing Hill patients, municipal employees, and new clients from the Excelsior and Tenderloin. “This health care center stands out because patients feel like they’re coming home. Many patients at the center… Keep Reading
Crane Cove Park, a long-awaited waterfront commons located at Pier 70, is expected to open early next year without the iconic crane booms that gave the park its name. The greenspace will offer public access to a beach, boat landing and, in 2021, an aquatic center featuring a small cafe and meeting space. But the… Keep Reading
His six children called him Siegfried the Dragon Slayer, a name he embraced. His 13 grandkids knew him as Grandpa Ziggy. His beloved wife, Luba, called him Freddy. Fred S. Findling earned all those appellations, and more, leading a life of courage, compassion, charisma, and love. His heart, crushed by the loss of his parents… Keep Reading
Editor, I lived on Kansas Street for 20 years, from 1968 to 1988. I knew Enola Maxwell and Ruth Passen very well. I was at the Family Celebration of Life in honor of Ruth at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House last month. Marc Passen did a fabulous job putting the event together. It was great… Keep Reading
In April, the Port of San Francisco unanimously approved Mayor London Breed’s proposal to build a temporary 200-bed Shelter Access for Everyone (SAFE) Navigation Center at Seawall Lot 330, despite a request from the Central Waterfront Advisory Group to postpone the vote. The Embarcadero facility is a step towards fulfilling Breed’s promise to add 1,000… Keep Reading
Under its Court Watch program Stop Crime SF (SCSF) fields volunteers to attend burglary trials to support victims and demonstrate to judges and prosecutors that residents are concerned about wrongdoings, with the goal of making them less inclined to drop charges or reduce sentences. It also maintains a blog that advocates for more stringent approaches… Keep Reading
Could dashcams be the answer to San Francisco’s car break-in epidemic? In an age of security cameras and smartphones, it was only a matter of time until the two were combined to protect one of people’s most valuable assets: their car. Last year, Owlcam, a Palo Alto firm, unveiled a dashcam that can stream interior… Keep Reading
Former Rhode Island Street resident, Joan Jeanrenaud, fondly remembers her days practicing and recording cello in what she called the “Darth Vader” house. “It was an all-black house covered with black asphalt shingles…a black metal fireplace exposed in the front…two studios in the back. I rehearsed there for hours,” said Jeanrenaud. Jeanrenaud, who lived in… Keep Reading
For more than a half-century, Jon Greenberg, former Potrero Hill Recreation Center recreation director, has helped children, teenagers, and young adults grow. “Working on the Hill became a joyful experience in my life. I started in 1966 and it became something I wrapped my life around. Leading sports, activities, and the Center gave me self-worth…allowed… Keep Reading
Best read out loud with a British accent; think David Attenborough. We’re on location in Tomales Bay tonight to experience one of Nature’s greatest wonders. Camera pans across the Bay. After arriving at a musty rustic cabin run by a disgruntled caretaker, we drove to the Bay, which separates the Point Reyes peninsula… Keep Reading
Now through 6/13Film: San Francisco Documentary FestivalSince 2001 SF DocFest has brought weird and wonderful aspects of real life to the Big Screen, showcasing the best new documentaries from around the world. This year’s festival takes place at Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street, and Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street. For complete schedule and to purchase… Keep Reading
More than 6,400 backup generators – not counting the thousands of small engines in household garages and backyards – are littered throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, squatting at police stations, health care facilities, internet server farms and other places. Ninety percent use diesel, a fuel that when burned can emit high levels of asthma-inducing… Keep Reading
Workers at Potrero Hill’s Anchor Brewing Company – the production facility and Public Taps – voted to unionize last winter. The action made the “craft-brewery” – if it can be called that, under beer-giant Sapporo’s ownership – an early adopter of labor organizing in the industry. Anchor Brewing was founded in 1896 in San Francisco.… Keep Reading
Citing economic and neighborhood needs, the Golden State Warriors want to build a hotel and condominium complex instead of the retail building that was initially approved as part of Chase Center construction. The new facility, which’ll adjoin the Chase Center on the northeast corner of South Street and Terry A. Francois Boulevard, would feature 142… Keep Reading
Editor, I just pulled up the View on the web as I was recounting my involvement in founding it in 1970 and there was an obituary for Ruth Passen. What a beautiful picture…does it bring back some fine memories! I recruited Ruth to do a culture page for the View in early-1971. E. Cahill Maloney… Keep Reading
Forty-four years ago, Goat Hill Pizza opened its outpost in our then working-class, diverse, neighborhood, quickly becoming a beacon for good food, friends, and family. Since its launch it’s grown to three locations, 100 employees, while still serving its world-renowned – or at least San Francisco-renowned – sourdough crust pies. Co-owner Philip de Andrade is… Keep Reading