Picture yourself on a transcontinental flight, economy class, sitting in a middle seat with a weary mom trying to console her crying baby on one side of you, and a large man who is intently staring at his blank video screen on the other. A bit of turbulence starts, then intensifies, the plane bouncing up… Keep Reading
Like many other nations, Rwanda enforced a shelter-in-place order from mid-March to the end of April. Half-way through the social shutdown, as increasing numbers of people lost their livelihoods, a communique was issued: “In the context of the fight against COVID-19, and in solidarity with the most affected Rwandans, the Government of Rwanda has decided,… Keep Reading
Colleges have shifted to distance learning for the rest of the academic year. San Francisco Unified School District campuses are closed at least until May 1, with private sector gatherings similarly cancelled. What’s a community calendar to do in the face of a partial pandemic lockdown on communal activities? The View suggests that time can… Keep Reading
HELPFUL LINKS AT THE END OF THIS STORY. Starting Tuesday, March 17, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) will provide free breakfast, lunch, fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, and shelf-stable meals to all children ages 18 and younger. A child needs to be present to pick-up food; no registration, identification, nor proof of school… Keep Reading
Public schools in California have boosted their counseling staffs by 30 percent over the past five years, a trend that’s likely to continue due to a rise in mental health issues, and associated pressures from teachers’ unions. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is ahead of the curve, boasting a 110-to-one ratio of counselors… Keep Reading
The Potrero View, San Francisco’s longest-running neighborhood newspaper, was added to the City’s Legacy Business Registry earlier this year. The Registry recognizes venerable community-serving enterprises as valuable cultural assets, with educational and promotional assistance provided to support their continued viability. To date 239 companies have been listed on the Registry. Administered by the San Francisco… Keep Reading
Flower Moola Last month Kilroy Realty Corporation, the company developing a large mixed-used complex on top of the current home of the San Francisco Flower Mart at Sixth and Brannon streets, bought 901 16th and 1200 17th Street for $99 million. Kilroy has launched a “community process,” with an eye towards siting the Mart at… Keep Reading
Editor, I’ve been a San Franiscan for more than 20 years and a Potrero Hill resident for most of those years. I’m saddened by the news that a proposed housing development at 16th and Mississippi was shutdown and instead there are plans to move the San Francisco Flower Mart to a thriving residential community, especially… Keep Reading
A handful of civic organizations track land use changes in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill, and advocate on behalf of residents at City Hall. Among the most prominent of these are the Potrero Boosters, Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association (PDMA), and Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA). The Boosters focus on issues that impact Hill residents. “What makes the… Keep Reading
The possible opening of a cannabis dispensary at 667 Mississippi Street has been delayed after the San Francisco Planning Commission voted to continue consideration of the project at a March 19 hearing. The matter came before the Commission after Friends of Mississippi Street, a neighborhood group that opposes the dispensary, raised concerns about it operating… Keep Reading
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando: A Biography, tells the story of a poet born in Elizabethan England who lives for three centuries. Along the way the main character, Orlando, meets several key figures in English literature and mysteriously changes sex from male to female, making the novel both a history of English letters and an… Keep Reading
Southside San Francisco has long hosted cutting-edge clothing companies. Almost a half-century ago Esprit de Corps transformed a former wine warehouse into its corporate headquarters, ultimately leaving behind Esprit Park in Dogpatch. The first generation of self-heating jackets were created at the American Industrial Center, on Third Street, by a former The North Face executive.… Keep Reading
The Tuesday before “The Big Show,” Castle Bing Bong – Rock Band Land’s Treat Avenue headquarters – is bustling with activity. Dozens of young rockers playfully wander throughout the building, excitedly greeting their bandmates with giggles and high-fives. The sounds of vocal warmups, synthesizer beats, scattered drumming, and enthusiastic chatter spill out of various rooms,… Keep Reading
3/4 Wednesday – Music: Sunny Balopole Sunny Balopole’s repertoire includes many originals, with musical influences from Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney and Carole King. Free. 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Farley’s, 1315 18th Street. 3/5 Thursday – Music: Ben BarnesBarnes and his friends play acoustic rock, fiddle, classical pieces, jazz combinations; one show featured a saw. Free. 7:30… Keep Reading
A proposal to open a cannabis dispensary at 667 Mississippi Street will be considered by the San Francisco Planning Commission on February 6 after a neighborhood group voiced concerns over the number of children living on and passing by the block. Friends of Mississippi Street, which formed last summer when the dispensary concept surfaced, has… Keep Reading
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a collaborative effort led by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology to gather data on local bird populations throughout the world. Launched in 1998, the GBBC takes place annually over the four-day Presidents’ Day weekend. This year, that’s February 14 to 17. Anyone can participate… Keep Reading
Last month I was privileged to travel to Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. The isle is a speck in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, 2,190 miles from the Chilean coast. The Pitcairn Islands are 1,290 miles away; Tahiti, 2,700 miles distant. It’s one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands, with perhaps… Keep Reading
News Year The New Year wasn’t kind to print publications, starting with a sharp decline in the number of neighborhood newspapers informing San Franciscans. The Castro Courier, New Fillmore News, and Westside Observer all suspended their operations in December or January. “Extra, Extra, Read All About It!” is quickly morphing into “Nothing to See Here!”… Keep Reading
Editor, Apropos of recent View articles about new residential developments, am I missing something? I’d think that building all luxury housing will also help create affordable housing, since that’d free up the previous units from the new owners. The previous units are probably not as luxurious. Raymond ChuiPennsylvania Avenue Editor, The January issue… Keep Reading
Located a few steps from Muni’s 20th and Third Street T-Line stop, the Sea Star is a contemporary bar with a long history. The establishment’s décor – a canoe hangs above the pool table, there’s seaweed-esque wallpaper, a diving helmet sits behind the bar – pays homage to its name and Bay proximity. Its extensive… Keep Reading
Cycling Potrero Hill can demand more than a strenuous climb or two…or three. It can be an adventure, intended or not. I first discovered the Hill as a bike messenger after moving to San Francisco in 1982. A notable neighborhood feature is that while it’s a hill, it’s shaped like a mountain. Most San Francisco… Keep Reading
There are roughly 1,600 species of native bees in California. The insects are active when their favored flowers – those that provide nectar and pollen to support reproduction – are available. When those florae aren’t present, neither are the bees. Although some bees are active during the rainy season, most are either still developing or… Keep Reading
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) offers medical care to people experiencing homelessness throughout District 10. Two programs, Street Medicine and Shelter Health, play a predominate role in these efforts. According to Rachael Kagan, DPH communication director, Street Medicine is mobile, serving people sheltering in encampments, roads, parks, and under bridges. Street Medicine… Keep Reading
PlayGround, a resident company and founder of Potrero Stage, located on 18th Street, is in its twenty-fifth season. The theater group started 2020 with its third annual PlayGround Solo Performance Festival, presented through February 9. “Showcasing eleven creator-performers, including eight Bay Area premieres, this festival pairs two one-act solo performances together into full double-bill evenings… Keep Reading