A Century of Words. Saturday, Sept. 17, was warm and sunny—a beautiful day to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Branch of the San Francisco Public Library, our Jersey Street landmark. Neighbors and library patrons lined up early for a free lunch from the Spork and Stix food truck. Time passed quickly listening to the What’s Up swing band playing outside. Kids got faces painted on the patio, while others brought their food out to the library deck to enjoy sitting in the sun. Branch Manager Denise Sanderson and City Librarian Luis Herrera introduced special guests Nancy Brunn and daughter Sabina. (Nancy’s mother, Sally Brunn, led a successful campaign to save the library from closure in the 1980s.) There was even a big pot of library-grown fresh rosemary, free for the taking. If you missed the party, you can still visit the branch—it’s open seven days a week. Be sure to check out the large collection of books and DVDs, visit the garden and deck, or take your kids to meet Miss Catherine in the children’s room. The library is a San Francisco and neighborhood treasure. Photo and text by Pamela Gerard
Volume XL, No. 8
October 2016
Our 40th Year
THE NOE VALLEY VOICE Profits Sliced Thin For Noe Valley Restaurateurs
Town Square Opening Nears Farmers Market Plans to Move Into Plaza Saturday, Nov. 5
Rents, Wages, and Changing Habits Put the Squeeze On
By Matthew S. Bajko
T
She knows that soaring rents and eyepopping mortgages, and the hefty cost of living, are draining the bank accounts of some customers. “It’s also hard to keep workers, because they can’t afford San Francisco rents, even with two jobs,” Calvo said. “I’m scared to raise my prices. People might not come.” Business is down 5 percent for the past two years, and the rising price of produce,
he opening of the city’s newest park property, which has transformed a parking lot in the heart of Noe Valley’s business district into a public green space, is expected in late October. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Noe Valley Town Square has been tentatively scheduled for noon Thursday, Oct. 27, sources told the Noe Valley Voice in late September, though there is a chance the date may change. The weekly Noe Valley Farmers Market is expected to move into the park the following weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 5. It had moved onto the street at the start of the year due to the construction of the square, which is located at 3861 24th St., between Sanchez and Vicksburg streets. Backers of the park are planning to hold a second ribbon-cutting ceremony that morning. The evening of Nov. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m., the farmers market is hosting a public party with square dancing, pie-eating contests, and possibly a few food trucks or vendors to celebrate the unveiling of the Town Square. “Because we couldn’t resist the pun,
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By Tim Simmers
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n a recent Friday night, the Spanish restaurant Contigo was packed with hungry diners and buzzing with conversation. Skillets sizzled in the hands of cooks in the kitchen next to the front door, and the aroma of seafood and paella wafted into the dining room. The lively scene isn’t uncommon in Noe Valley, where lovers of healthy fresh cuisine have many good restaurants to choose from. “We’re thriving,” said Elan Emerson, co-owner of the seven-year-old Contigo on Castro, which has a California tilt to its Spanish cuisine. “Locals embraced us since day one.” But despite the popularity of more than a few dining spots, there’s something eating restaurants in Noe Valley. All are faced with the rising cost of food, wine, labor, rent, electricity, you name it. It’s that recurring San Francisco theme. And it takes a lot of magic, dedication, passion, and money to prosper amid the pressure. Just down 24th Street, the Peruvian fu-
A Culinary Star: After 11 years on 24th Street, Fresca is a proven success, attracting crowds on weekends. But like other restaurants in Noe Valley, it must please its customers in the pressure-cooker environment of rising costs and changing tastes. Photo by Art Bodner
sion spot Fresca is also busy, especially on weekends. Fresca owner Zoila Calvo has the smile of a successful restaurant owner. Still, two years ago even more diners crowded her reservation list. “There’s something about the economy,” said Calvo. “People are changing their spending habits.” She used to serve 170 to 180 dinners on a weekend night. Now it’s down to 130 to 140. She wonders if it’s the election season—the Trump-Clinton malaise—that is making people wary of spending.