THE NOE VALLEY VOICE
Noe Grassroots Fired Up About Kamala and Tim
Chance to Beat Trump Inspires Wave of Activism
By Matthew S. Bajko
To Paula Gerhardt, the change in attitude toward this year’s presidential race has been palpable ever since President Joe Biden dropped his bid for reelection in late July and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
Over the Fourth of July weekend, while tabling about the upcoming election on the block of 24th Street where she lives, Gerhardt found a sense of political dread among the people she talked with that holiday. The same had been true about her interactions with people while tabling once a month at the Saturday farmers market at the Noe Valley Town Square. People expressed an interest in getting involved electorally but voiced doubt about whether Biden could prevent the Republican Party’s nominee, former President Donald Trump, from returning to the White House for a second term.
“I really felt this pressure of trying to give people hope,” said Gerhardt, who
has lived in Noe Valley since 1985 and is now retired from her travel industry and seasonal summer theater careers.
“I shared in their just feeling this is going to be impossible, but I honestly couldn’t allow myself to feel any of that then. It is all coming up now afterwards.”
Returning to the farmers market Aug.
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Noe’s ‘Bernal’ Pizzeria Gets a Gen Y Reboot
New Partners Find Ways to Sauce Up the Menu
By Emily Hayes
The young new owners of Bernal Heights Pizzeria on Church Street are hoping their summer remodel and expanded menu with a Brazilian flair will help rejuvenate a restaurant that has been around since pre-pandemic days yet still is not very well known. Thais Tiozzo, 34, and her friend
Wanessa Cardoso, 40, assumed ownership of Bernal Heights Pizzeria, on 1361 Church near Clipper Street, in May. Since then, they’ve been busy painting the main dining room white with gray trim to lighten the ambiance, adding plants, and refurbishing their back patio to make the sunny spot even more inviting.
“It’s more welcoming—the wall colors were so dark, heavy brown,” Tiozzo
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Upper Noe Is Celebrating With A Block Party
Sept. 21 Event Features Music, Dance, and ‘Family Archery’
By Kit Cameron
People who live where streets like Noe, Church, and Sanchez bump up against 30th Street will be streaming to the Upper Noe Recreation Center on Day Street on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., to celebrate neighborhood spirit at this year’s Upper Noe Block Party, sponsored by Upper Noe Neighbors (UNN).
The free event, which is also sponsored by Upper Noe Merchants, the Rec and Park Department, and Friends of Upper Noe Recreation Center, will be like a county fair—with kids’ games, music and dance performances, food tastings, a raffle, and tables for schools, businesses, and local non-profits.
“We just need to have a party!” says UNN President Chris Faust. “This is something good for the community. We hope people will come out and have a good time, find our common ground, and share what we love.”
In 2013, says Faust, “UNN decided to do a five-year anniversary celebration for the renovation [of the rec center and the park]. We called it Cinco de Noe.” Then five years later, in 2018, the party returned as “Ten Together.” Covid interrupted festivities after the 2019 celebration, but the community rallied in 2022, with “Up Close and Personal.”
It wasn’t just the recreation center that felt the impact of Covid. “Park and Rec staffing has been downsized,” notes Faust. “We didn’t know how businesses were going to make it. Looking around Church Street now, you notice the vibrancy.”
He cites the arrival of newcomers
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Third Annual Art Festival Has a Broader Canvas
Artists Show Work in the Square, Shops Add Mini Venues
By Kit Cameron
Organizers
Peggy Cling, Linda Lockyer, and Rose Griffin are beyond excited about the third annual Noe Valley Art Festival, which will spring to life on Sunday, Sept. 22, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Noe Valley Town Square.
“We were overwhelmed by the number of artists who want to be involved,” says Lockyer. “We gave first dibs to first-time participants, and we’ll have 75 percent new artists.”
The media on display will incorporate everything from photography, such as nature closeups by Raquel Johnson, to painting—be sure to check out Diane Presler’s distinctive watercolors—along with sculpture, mixed-media and fabric art. There will be jewelry and pottery. Hettie Ketchen’s delightful clay mugs feature chickens, lobsters, and ladybugs.
And you can make some art of your own. In addition to artmaking at her gallery Art Haus (3977 24th St.), Elizabeth Dekker is bringing a whole raft of child-size easels to the square, and Cling promises to teach you how to make a “Taylor Swift” beaded bracelet. Up at Diamond and 24th Street, the Rabbit Hole Theater (800 Diamond St.) and Edward Jones Financial Services (4190 24th St.) are hosting more children’s activities.
And the fun doesn’t stop there. This year, for the first time, merchants and restaurants are extending the festival atmosphere with an Art Walk. Artists who are not in the Town Square will be setting up in front of and inside different stores along the street, while
On a High: San Francisco Democratic faithful Nancy Tung, Lily Ho, Carrie Barnes, and Gia Daniller, shown here at the Thursday night peak of the August Democratic Convention in Chicago, are among the many local activists now feeling energized. Photo courtesy Carrie Barnes
Come Early: The Noe Valley Art Festival attracted hundreds to the Town Square last year, and it’s expected to draw even larger crowds in its third incarnation, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Want to help set up or take down? Email lindalockyer3@ gmail.com. Photo courtesy Peggy Cling
Warmup in the Works: New owners Wanessa Cardoso and Thais Tiozzo (r.) welcome suggestions for making Bernal Heights Pizzeria your home away from home. Photo by Art Bodner
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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THE NOE VALLEY VOICE
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The Noe Valley Voice is an independent newspaper published in San Francisco. It is distributed free in Noe Valley and vicinity during the first week of the month. Subscriptions are available at $40 per year ($35 for seniors) by writing to the above address.
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Block Party in Upper Noe a Celebration
Damansara, Loving Stems, and Oki Sushi, along with the new owners of places like Lehr’s and La Ciccia. “They’re all doing well,” he said. “And all are excited. Gelato shop La Copa Loca promises to bring their gelato cart, and Delights by Lisa will offer samples” of their cakes at the Block Party. You will want to pick up a raffle ticket to get one of the prizes donated by local businesses and restaurants. And Faust wants to be sure to give a shout-out to Mardie Vandervort, owner of One Stop Party Shop, who brings all the beautiful balloons.
“We’re very happy St. Paul’s School is joining us,” he added, “along with, we hope, Mission Education Center, James Lick, and Dolores Huerta School.”
The volunteers of NERT will have a table to tell the crowd how to get ready for the next big quake or emergency, and Noe Valley Democrats will be registering voters.
The tennis court at UNRC will be the Kids Zone, with the giant blue foam blocks from the rec center, a face-painting station, and arts and crafts activities led by Carolina Ramirez of Aventuras Spanish Immersion Program on Church Street. You can channel your inner Robin Hood with family archery on the field, organized by Rec and Park.
And speaking of that worthy city department, you may get a chance to thank Phil Ginsburg in person for the robust ledger of activities at the rec center and throughout the city. You may also be able to buttonhole Scott Wiener, Rafael Mandelman, or London Breed— all three have pledged to show up and show support.
The main stage starts hopping some-
time after 11 a.m., with Zumba for all, a Mobu Dance Studio performance, live band music, and of course speeches from public servants.
“Our mission is inclusivity,” said Faust. “We want everyone to feel represented and supported, [to] learn about the schools and what’s going on in the neighborhood.” To that end, he encourages all of Noe Valley to come enjoy the fun. The party welcomes volunteers, too. If you can help set up from 10 to 11 a.m., or more importantly, take down from 3 to 4 p.m., contact Faust at info@uppernoeneighbors.com.
You are also invited to attend the next Upper Noe Neighbors meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., at Upper Noe Rec Center, 295 Day St.
Art Festival Unveils Its Outdoor Gallery
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
restaurants will be offering discount coupons to fair-goers. All in all, there will be close to 30 artists exhibiting their work. You can pick up a map at the square, 3861 24th St. between Sanchez and Vicksburg.
The festival is a creation of Friends of Noe Valley. but Cling says to thank Perez Construction for their generosity as the main sponsor this year. The Noe Valley Association, the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association, and SF Rec and Park continue to lend their support.
But when it comes to staging the event, Lockyer notes, “We are desperate for strong bodies at 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., to help unload, set up, and later take down tables.” She points out that the lead volunteers are all of AARP age and adds, “Those tables are heavy!” Contact Linda Lockyer at lindalockyer3@gmail.com to be an art festival hero.
Dancers from MoBu Dance Studio on Church Street will perform again this year at Upper Noe’s (almost) annual party in the park at Day and Sanchez streets. Photo by Chris Faust
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A Definite ‘Vibe Shift’ for Noe Dems
10, Gerhardt was ecstatic to find a burst of optimism among the people she met in the square. There was broad enthusiasm, even elation, she said, about Biden’s decision to bow out of the race and endorse Harris, known as “Kamala” in San Francisco, at the top of the Democratic ticket.
“The response at the market was night and day,” said Gerhardt. “We engaged with many more people in a shorter period of time who were highly motivated to work on this historic campaign. The interest was no longer out of stress and fear but out of joy and hopefulness.”
It is a sentiment shared by many Noe Valley residents, not to mention citizens all over the U.S. Running alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential pick, Harris is now leading in the polls in several swing states, as she vies to become the country’s first woman and first Black president who is also of South Asian descent.
“If the last couple of months are any kind of prediction, we are going to continue to get more and more people coming out of the woodwork to finally get involved,” said Charles Spiegel, a lawyer who is co-lead of the group Action SF, which organizes people in Noe Valley and other neighborhoods to work to elect Democratic candidates.
Attendance at Action SF’s July meeting doubled as talk increased of seeing Biden drop out of the race, said Spiegel. And at its tabling at the farmers market, Spiegel said it had become a lot easier to get people to take action
things such as writing postcards to potential voters.
“People feel optimistic enough they are now willing to contribute their time and money,” said Spiegel, who spent the Labor Day weekend in Reno helping to canvass for Democratic candidates in Nevada, the first of several trips he plans to make this month.
“Everything we are doing just goes much faster. You ask 10 people to help out and more than half want to do it. Before, it was like you ask 10 people and one person wanted to do it.”
Noe Valley Democratic Club
President Carrie Barnes told the Voice she felt relieved to see Harris become the nominee, because it was apparent that Biden would have challenges
mounting a winning campaign against Trump. Having worked to try to elect Hillary Clinton in 2016 as the first female president, Barnes said she was hopeful that finally Harris would break that glass ceiling on Nov. 5.
“I am personally energized and overjoyed we could possibly see our first female president. It would send a tremendous message to all of the United States about what is possible,” said Barnes a day after returning home from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where she witnessed Harris officially accept her party’s nomination. “With the club itself, I think there is a renewal of interest and excitement to get involved and help get out the vote.”
Caravans to the Central Valley Locals are hopeful the new enthusiasm for the Harris-Walz ticket will trickle down the ballot and help Democrats in Congress keep their seats or flip them from red to blue. Various political groups in the city have been organizing phone-bank events for people willing to make calls to voters in close races. “We call swing districts in California, Nevada, and Arizona,” said Barnes of the phone banks the San Francisco Democratic Party co-hosts on Wednesdays and Saturdays. “I will do phone-banking for sure to support our national candidates.”
And there are also weekly caravans to congressional districts in the Central Valley. Noe Democratic Club members traveled to Modesto Aug. 10 to talk to voters about former state assemblymember Adam Gray, who is in a rematch against freshman Republican Congressmember John Duarte in U.S. House District 13. Gray narrowly lost to Duarte in 2022.
Others have been heading further south in the Central Valley to California’s 22nd Congressional District, which includes most of Kings County and parts of Kern and Tulare counties. They are helping to see former Assemblyman Rudy Salas defeat Republican Congressmember David Valadao two years after he fell short in ousting Valadao from office.
District 22 is one of the most Democratic leaning in the country (of those held by a House Republican). In late July, Salas attended a fundraiser at the Noe Valley home of Trinidad Madrigal and her husband, Tom Yankowski, that netted more than $14,000 for his campaign coffers.
“To me, it was so important to learn of Rudy. He is Latino, and there are not
a lot of Latino politicians from the Central Valley,” said Madrigal, who first met Salas about seven years ago at an event in Sacramento her sister had invited her to attend. “He just struck me, honestly, as a very authentic, kind, genuine person, and so since then I just started following his career.”
Madrigal grew up in the small farming town of LeMoore, which used to be in Valadao’s House district but was drawn out of it due to redistricting. She and Yankowski had knocked on doors on behalf of Salas in 2022, and this month the couple plan to travel to the district to again assist with the campaign’s canvassing efforts.
“Rudy would be the first Latino to be elected to that office in 112 years and would be the first Latino in Congress from the Central Valley,” said Madrigal, whose 94-year-old mother was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. when she married her now deceased husband.
Happy Hours Even Happier
Since the start of Covid in March 2020, Madrigal has been hosting weekly Friday happy hours at her home to keep her neighbors and friends from feeling isolated. The social events often double as political affairs, such as the fundraiser for Salas.
“It started off being about community building. But we are all like-minded about politics, so we do have discussions about politics,” said Madrigal.
The tenor of their talks has “dramatically” changed with Harris becoming the presidential nominee, she said.
“I think we were all going to vote for Joe but were not excited about it,” said Madrigal, a retired lawyer. “Yeah, the reason we were not excited about it is I really felt he wasn’t the person to ignite activism and interest in young people.”
With Harris, the energy is contagious, said Madrigal.
“She is just vibrant and so articulate and smart and is assertive. Men would probably call it combative, but I call it assertive,” said Madrigal. “She just brings all that to the table. I think she is ready to do the job. That is why Joe picked her to be his vice president.”
Door-Knocking With Style
Madrigal and Yankowski also plan to spend a week this fall in Nevada, canvassing voters in the Silver State. It was during Salas’ 2022 campaign that they met their friend and fellow political organizer Nicole Wendel, who also belongs to Action SF and has hosted political fundraisers this summer at her Bernal Heights home.
More than most, Wendel canvasses in the Central Valley several weekends a month. She has been knocking on doors for Salas throughout the summer, despite the triple-digit temperatures.
“You are going to targeted doors of homes either with frequency voters or low-frequency voters who are registered Democrats or ‘decline to state,’” said Wendel, adding that canvassers use a phone app to help track the people they talk with.
She also has a special outfit for the job and to protect her from the glaring sun. It entails a new pair of Teva sandals, an apron with pockets stuffed with campaign literature to hand out, her phone, a pen, a lanyard with her name tag, a “Your Vote Counts” button, and a long-sleeved shirt for UV protection. She also is adorned in a large sunhat, prescription sunglasses, a wet neck cloth, and a neck fan.
“I am an old lady, and door-knocking is the absolute perfect thing for an
Trinidad Madrigal (r.) and husband Tom Yankowski plan to travel south to help elect Rudy Salas, who would be “the first Latino in Congress from the Central Valley.” Photo by Art Bodner
The July 4th weekend was a bonanza for actiivist Paula Gerhardt. “I passed out 500 cards in about one hour in front of my apartment on 24th Street. I also asked a woman who said she was too busy to write to make a donation to Action SF. She made two donations!”
Photo by Gloria Shaffer
Campaign Fervor Increasing
old lady to do. You are non-threatening,” said Wendel. “I am an old lady in a goofy hat.”
There is also a cooling car that follows the canvassers to provide them some relief. It is stocked with Gatorade so people stay hydrated.
“They have really worked hard to make canvassing in 100-plus degrees doable,” said Wendel, who finds it helps relieve her election anxiety. “It is a really rewarding experience, and for me, it was a tremendous stress reliever. I am so nervous, so I thought, well, get up and do something. Door-knocking is the most effective method for having these conversations.”
Postcards Send Personal Messages
One of the easiest ways to get politically involved is to mail out postcards to voters in swing districts to encourage them to cast their ballot. Gerhardt, who began penning them during the 2020 election, has handed out more than 10,000 postcards this year.
“I really am grateful and admire the people who say, ‘Yeah, I will step up and write postcards.’ They target infrequent voters,” said Gerhardt, a former Noe Democratic Club treasurer who was among the 80 people who attended Madrigal’s fundraiser for Salas. “They have done studies to show that a handwritten card or letter will move people to go to the polls and vote, more so than just getting a flyer or door hanger or something like that.”
More recently she has been handing out stacks of 50 postcards to people,
who then pay for the postage on their own. “For most people, it’s doable for them,” said Gerhardt, a member of Action SF.
Madrigal hosts postcard-writing par-
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ties in her home. In July, 16 women attended one of the gatherings and wrote 350 postcards mailed to residents of Ohio and Michigan.
“I write my own messages explain-
ing your vote is your voice and about the importance of voting in a democracy,” explained Madrigal.
As they have been since the Supreme e Court’s repeal of the federal right to an abortion, reproductive rights could be restricted further if Trump is reelected, fears Madrigal, as could LGBTQ rights and access to voting. It is why she has been, and remains, so active in this year’s election.
“We know what the convicted felon is all about. We already know what he is going to be like as a president,” she said. “We can’t have him continue to erode regulatory agencies, which sit at the foundation of how governments are run everywhere.”
That prospect should encourage everyone to take this year’s election seriously, added Madrigal.
“Some of my friends like to complain about what is going on, but complaining is not enough. You can’t be a couch voter,” she said. “You have to go out and do something to exercise your right to vote.”
Anyone interested in helping the Democratic campaigns can visit the website https://bayareacoalition.org/ to find information about upcoming phone-banking and canvassing trips.
The Bay Area Coalition is comprised of f numerous groups around the region, such as Action SF, that are coordinating g their election efforts. Links to their individual websites can also be found on the coalition’s site.
The San Francisco Democratic Party is looking at opening an office this month where people can go to phonebank. It is hosting a watch party of the scheduled Sept. 10 debate between Harris and Trump at a pub called the Halfway Club, at 1166 Geneva Ave. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.
Nicole Wendel shows off the garb she wears while canvassing for Democrats in the Central Valley. She dresses for sun protection and to be easily identifiable as a harmless “old lady.”
Pictured
Photo: Elizabeth Zavala
The J-Church, which began operation in 1917, is the oldest of the five Muni Metro lines, and the most scenic. When it emerges from an ivy-covered passageway above Dolores Park, it treats riders to a panoramic view of the downtown skyline and the sparkling bay beyond.
Until the pandemic, J riders had enjoyed a “one-seat ride” to and from downtown with no need to transfer.1 This is why many people chose to buy or rent near the J-Church route. In fact, the ability to ride downtown without having to transfer was so important that voters in the 1960s conditioned their original approval for the construction of the downtown subway on maintaining a “one-seat ride” downtown for all five Muni Metro lines.2
But in 2020, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) used the cover of the global pandemic to convert the J-Church to a “surface-only” line, forcing J riders to navigate a hazardous transfer at Church and Market to travel downtown.
The MTA’s exploitation of the pandemic crisis to impose an unpopular service cut, without public participation, caused such an outcry that in December 2021, the MTA Board voted unanimously to override an MTA recommendation for a “surface-only” JChurch and ordered the MTA to restore the J to the subway. Here is that story.
Using the Pandemic as Cover
In early 2020 when the pandemic began, the MTA responded to Mayor London Breed’s emergency shelter-inplace order by suspending all Muni Metro service. But the MTA then used the pandemic as cover to do something its director, Jeffrey Tumlin, had wanted to do long before the pandemic— remove the J from the subway and force J riders to transfer at Church and Market streets.
We know this because in 2019, before the pandemic, Tumlin spoke about removing the J from the subway.3 In a revealing interview on the site SF.Curbed.com, Tumlin, a Noe Valley resident, admitted that he avoided riding the J-Church (described in the piece as “horrid,” “execrable,” and “dismal”). In the interview, given as he prepared to begin his term as MTA director, Tumlin suggested a proposal to “take the J out of the subway” and have it “terminate at Market and Church in lieu of going underground.”
The pandemic provided an opportunity to stealthily implement Tumlin’s vision. At a time when most Metro riders were quarantined or working from home, the MTA decided NOT to return the J-Church to the subway when the subway reopened. To silence any concerned riders who somehow got wind of this plan, the MTA assured them this change would be “temporary.” For example, in a poorly publicized and lightly attended remote hearing in July 2020, the MTA stated that the J was being kept out of the subway “on a temporary basis as part of the COVID19 emergency response,” and explained that the “temporary” change to a surface-only J-Church “would be removed within 120 days after the mayor’s emergency order was lifted.”
And so, on Dec. 19, 2020, the MTA resumed J-Church service as a “surface-only route,” with a forced transfer to buses at Church and Market for downtown passengers. At the time, this forced transfer, while burdensome and inconvenient, did not cause alarm, because the subway was still closed.
The MTA began restoring subway service in 2021. In May 2021, the K/T and N lines were the first lines to be
J-Church Story
An Uphill Battle to Save the ‘One-Seat Ride’
By Karen Kennard
returned to the subway. In August 2021, M riders, assisted by Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Ahsha Safaí, successfully pressured the MTA to restore M subway service.
Due to ongoing construction, the L line was not expected to resume subway service until 2024. That left only the J-Church out of the subway. J riders logically assumed that their subway service would be next to be restored. They would soon learn otherwise.
As time passed, riders became concerned about the MTA’s failure to restore the J to the subway. Many riders had problems navigating the “forced transfer” at Church and Market, an intersection on Muni’s High Injury Network (HIN) map.
This transfer was especially difficult for seniors, the disabled, families with small children, and vulnerable individuals concerned about street safety while waiting to transfer there.
The MTA knew the forced transfer was unpopular, because a Summer 2021 MTA survey about the “transfer experience” at this intersection showed that a majority of riders found the forced transfer difficult to navigate and opposed making it permanent.4
When an observant group of riders managed to uncover the fact that the MTA did NOT plan to restore the JChurch to the subway,5 the Restore the J Workgroup was formed in the summer of 2021. The Workgroup made riders aware of the MTA’s plan to keep the J out of the subway, and the public responded with a flood of letters, petitions, and comments at public meetings voicing their opposition to the forced transfer.
The MTA tried to head off this growing opposition by claiming that removing the J-Church from the subway had reduced subway delays. But the MTA knew better. The real reason the subway in 2021 experienced fewer delays was because ridership was way down relative to pre-pandemic levels, and the MTA was running only 20 trains per hour (TPH) in the subway, as compared to 41–42 TPH before the pandemic.
In fact, the MTA admitted that the subway had capacity to run at least 30 TPH before congestion might even be a concern, so there was ample capacity to run four, five, or even six J-Church trains per hour while remaining well under 30 TPH. Still, the MTA persisted with its plan.
Three Options Proposed
Unable to stem the tide of public opposition, the MTA switched tactics. On Oct. 22, 2021, the MTA proposed three options for the J. Option 1, designated as the MTA’s preferred option, would continue the forced transfer at Market Street. Option 3 would restore the J to the subway only in the evenings, with a surface-only J running every 10 minutes during the day. Not surprisingly, there was no public support for either of these options.
The MTA’s Option 2 would return the J to the subway, but at 15-minute intervals—by far the longest headway of any Muni Metro line. The MTA clearly hoped that extending the headway to 15 minutes would chill support for restoring the J to the subway. But to the MTA’s surprise, Option 2 quickly gained massive public support.
A petition supporting Option 2 gained 725 signatures, and over 300 individual letters of support for Option 2 were submitted. The signatures and letters came from across the city, from the Tenderloin, Outer Mission, and Excelsior to Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, the Duboce Triangle, and beyond.
Option 2 was also endorsed by citywide organizations like SF Transit Riders, SaveMuni, the Coalition to Restore Muni, and Senior and Disability Action, as well as neighborhood groups like Upper Noe Neighbors, which conducted a written survey regarding J-Church service options and found that 92 percent of its members supported Option 2.
MTA Throws a Curve
The MTA Board was scheduled to hold a public hearing and a vote regarding these options on Dec. 7, 2021. Obviously concerned that Option 2 had gained overwhelming popular support and would require the MTA to restore the J to the subway, the MTA tried a last-ditch maneuver to derail this momentum. On Nov. 17, just weeks before the MTA Board meeting and without any prior public outreach, the The
Riders and transit workers celebrate the return of the J-Church to the subway after a yearlong campaign to restore the “one-seat ride” to and from downtown. Photo by Peter Straus
MTA proposed a fourth option. This confusing option would continue the forced transfer during the day, supplemented by a bus from 30th Street to downtown twice per hour, but would allow the J into the subway after 8 p.m. Not surprisingly, this fourth option, like all others that did not fully restore J-Church subway service, garnered NO public support.
As the MTA Board hearing approached, residents, troubled by the MTA’s stubborn refusal to listen to its own riders, contacted their representatives on the MTA’s Citizen’s Advisory Council (CAC). On Dec. 2, the CAC unanimously approved a resolution for presentation to the MTA Board on Dec. 7, requesting that the Board approve Option 2 and restore the J-Church to the subway.
Riders Speak, Board Responds
The MTA Board hearing on Dec. 7, 2021, lasted nearly four hours and was informed by multiple written comments, as well as public comments from 25 riders who spoke unanimously in support of restoring the J to the subway (Option 2). Nonetheless, the MTA staff dug in their heels and recommended that the Board adopt the MTA’s plan to keep the J out of the subway except after 8 p.m.
Ultimately, the MTA Board voted unanimously to override the recommendation of the MTA staff and directed the MTA to “return the J-Church to the subway at headways of 15 minutes.”6
The MTA Board also directed the MTA to “monitor subway capacity as usage increases and return to the Board if redline delays are reached.”
The J Returns to the Subway
The MTA scheduled the J-Church’s
return to the subway for Feb.19, 2022. Despite having previously claimed that restoring the J to the subway would cause congestion, on Jan. 22, 2022, just weeks before J-Church subway service was to resume, the MTA decided to start running five S “shuttles” per hour in the subway. That showed that the MTA knew that restoring the J to the subway would not cause congestion and indeed that the MTA could easily have restored the J to the subway at the more frequent headways enjoyed by all other Muni Metro lines.
The J-Church returned to the subway on Feb. 19, 2022, to the cheers of riders and of operators affiliated with Transit Workers Union Local 250-A.
J-Church Restoration a Success
Since February 2022, the Restore the J Workgroup has monitored the restoration of J-Church service. Workgroup members have had multiple meetings with the MTA staff to assess ridership and subway performance. Although the MTA representatives have struggled to provide detailed and reliable ridership, performance, and congestion data, they have consistently acknowledged that the subway has not experienced congestion since the J was returned to the subway.7
However, while the unreasonably long 15-minute headways of the restored J service should be easier for the MTA to manage than the more frequent departures enjoyed by all other Metro lines, data collected by the Restore the J Workgroup shows that ontime departures from the Balboa Park terminal are wildly inconsistent. The Workgroup therefore plans to ask the MTA to take prompt steps to ensure that an inbound train leaves Balboa Park Station every 15 minutes, as
directed by the MTA Board resolution. What Happens Next
The MTA Board directed the MTA to leave the J-Church in the subway unless and until the MTA returns to the Board and demonstrates that congestion in the subway is causing “redline delays,” a condition that was not defined.
Those delays have not yet occurred. But the MTA recently formed a Muni Metro Community Working Group (CWG), which is considering, among other things, a long-term proposal to remove one or more lines from the subway (referred to as “service restructuring” or “route restructuring”).
The CWG’s stated mission is to “provide input and community knowledge” to the MTA staff regarding this and other options. But at least four riders who spoke out publicly against forced transfers applied to the CWG, and the MTA did not select any of them. So it is unclear how, if at all, CWG will obtain “input and community knowledge” from those who believe maintaining a one-seat ride for all five Muni Metro lines should be preserved.
The CWG is bound by the Dec. 7, 2021, directive from the MTA Board. Accordingly, before the CWG issues any proposal or recommendation for a future service change that would eremove the J-Church (or any other lines) from the subway, such a recommendation or proposal should include a threshold requirement that the MTA staff must first appear at a public MTA Board hearing and establish, to the satisfaction of the MTA Board and the public, that subway capacity has reached “redline delays.” Whether the CWG and the MTA will do so is an open question.
3. “We in Transportation Have to Clean Up the Mess of Bad Housing Policy, Says New SFMTA Director,” Curbed San Francisco, Nov. 18, 2019 (https://sf.curbed.com/2019/11/18/20964854/interviewjeffrey-tumlin-muni-mta-housing-transit-plan).
4. J-Church Transfer Improvements Community Survey Results, Sept. 15, 2021.
5. It was difficult for the average rider to figure this out, because it was not publicized, which meant riders had to “read between the lines.” For example, the MTA published its “2022 Service Plan” in September 2021. The plan discussed bus service at length but did not mention the J-Church at all. From this omission, the MTA apparently expected riders to intuit that the J-Church would remain “surface-only” on a permanent basis, despite the MTA’s prior assurances the transfer was “temporary.”
6. The SFMTA Board Minutes, Dec. 7, 2021, as approved by the SFMTA Board on Dec. 21, 2021 (Resolution
7.
Church Street and a member of the Restore the J Workgroup formed three years ago by Noe Valley activist Kathy Setian. She is also an attorney and arbitrator, a member of Upper Noe Neighbors, and a self-described “enthusiastic J-Church rider.”
said of the new interior. “We hope more people want to come here and sit down and eat and enjoy our menu.”
The dark brown banner with the restaurant name out front is also set for a makeover.
To regulars in the know, the pizzeria is a reasonably priced, hidden gem in the neighborhood. It offers 17 different kinds of pizza and sells large individual slices with the ingredients of your choice. The menu includes a wide range of entrees (like chicken piccata and New York steak, for $22 to $25) and pasta dishes, such as fettuccini primavera ($16), but it also has fresh salads and soups ($8 to $14) and a hamburger for $9. Glasses of wine cost from $9 to $11, and desserts range from $4 to $7. The vibe is relaxed, and service is very friendly.
Out back on the spacious patio, you can have a latte or eat a full meal while watching the Paralympics on flat-screen TVs. When it gets a bit chilly, servers are happy to turn up the heat lamps.
Getting the Word Out
Still, Tiozzo and Cardoso, who are both originally from São Paulo, Brazil, but met randomly at a party in San Francisco, have their work cut out.
Pizza deliveries have been driving most of the business, and the duo want to build the number of orders while attracting more dine-in customers. Tiozzo recently started working on the restaurant’s Instagram account (@bernalheightspizzeria), promoting the menu and a new Thursday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., when you can get 20 percent off all food if you dine in.
Bernal Heights Pizzeria was opened at the Church Street location in 2019, by Brazilian Marcos Carneiro Rocha and partner Marco Junqueira. Prior to that, it was located in Bernal Heights on 30th Street and San Jose Avenue, and the owners opted to keep the name. Later, Rocha became the sole owner of Bernal Heights Pizzeria.
“What I hear a lot from people is, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were here,’” Tiozzo said. “We’ve been here for five years—it's a little frustrating.”
The restaurant stayed open during the Covid-19 pandemic, operating the popular pizza delivery business as well as service on the patio and out front in a parklet. It was a challenging time when staff had to be very careful with food and exposure to a frightening and little-known virus. Some days, there were no customers at all, recalls Tiozzo, who initially joined as a server in November 2019.
A Swift Transition
As Rocha was making more trips back and forth to Brazil, Tiozzo was promoted to manager, but though she was in charge of the day-to-day running of the restaurant, she didn’t hold the purse strings.
Tiozzo has a degree in culinary arts from City College and was researching restaurants for purchase in several different cities when the opportunity came in April this year to buy Bernal Heights Pizzeria. She and her friend Cardoso, who has a business certification and had been a practicing lawyer in Brazil, quickly decided to jointly purchase the Noe Valley pizzeria from Rocha. As part of the deal, Tiozzo and Cardoso paid half the restaurant price as a down payment, and the rest was financed by Rocha. That meant they could avoid
going through a bank for financing.
Tiozzo and Cardoso plan at least for now to keep the name of the business, as it has been around for 10 years at two locations. The kitchen and delivery staff stayed on under the new owners.
Have Brunch in Brazil
In mid-July, the restaurant launched a new brunch service available Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The brunch menu offers more than a dozen main dishes, including the traditional American breakfast, a variety of egg scrambles, pancakes, and chicken and waffles. It also features Brazilian specialties like pão de queijo (cheese bread), organic açai bowls, and sweet or savory crispy breakfast crepes made with tapioca flour.
But the restaurant will remain at its core a spot for pizzas, the most popular fare on the menu. Customers particularly like the Sweet Serrano pie, which is made with sausage, serrano peppers, mascarpone cheese, honey, and parsley, and the SF Supreme, with pepperoni, sausage, green bell peppers, onions, black olives, mushrooms, and garlic, Tiozzo said.
Outside of pizza, popular dishes include the grilled salmon entrée and house-made minestrone soup. The menu includes three Brazilian/South American appetizers: coxinhas (breaded and fried shredded creamy chicken), frango à passarinho (deep-fried chicken thighs), and thick yuca fries, made from the yuca root.
The continuity may help keep loyal regulars happy. One said he happened upon the restaurant one day and fell for the hamburger and now gets it every single time he comes in. Others have a generous, personalized slice of pizza and a drink while doing their laundry at Bubble Up across the street.
Art or Live Music?
Tiozzo and Cardoso are brainstorming possibilities for the space and are wide open to new ideas. Artwork by locals could be featured, for instance, on the now blank white walls. They are considering hosting live music nights— prior to the pandemic they featured the Brazilian international singer-guitarist Mariana Bonetti.
Game nights on the patio with the TVs could be in the venue’s future, as the patio seats 30 people, plus it can accommodate another 20 standing.
Other options are designated days with discounts for service workers and even Bingo.
Where do the new owners want to be in five years? They want to have more than one restaurant by that time “for sure,” and one should be a bakery per Tiozzo’s preference, and possibly a wine bar to suit Cardoso. Tiozzo said that she really enjoys food service and plans to stay local with a tight rein and strong presence.
“When we have like 10, we can step
back a little bit and let people run it for us. With the first three, we have to work a little bit more,” Tiozzo said. “But that would be the goal—to expand.”
Bernal Heights Pizzeria is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to Sunday. The venue’s back patio can be reserved for small parties and events. For details, contact Tiozzo or Cardoso by phone at 415-400-5644.
Saint Aidan’s Episcopal Church
At the church: 2:30 pm Bring mementos for display on our memorial altar. A Joyful Community of the Spirit All Are Welcome, Including Companion Animals
In-Person & Online Worship
email: office@staidansf.org for online connection info
Sunday Communion
8:00 am and 10:00 am
Childcare Available at 10:00 am
Morning Prayer Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:30 am
St. Francis Day: Blessing of Animals
Sunday, Octobe r 6 October 6
At the church & online: 8:00 am & 10:00 am
At Upper Douglass Dog Park: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm
Animal Companion Memorial Service
Sunday, Octobe r 6 October 6
Saint Aidan’s Episcopal Church
101 Gold Mine Drive, San Francisco, 94131 (@ Diamond Hts. Blvd., across from Safeway) Phone: 415.285.9540
www.staidansf.org
Wanessa Cardoso pours wine for guests in the outdoor patio behind Bernal Pizzeria. Cardoso and business partner Thais Tiozzo want to remind customers the courtyard is open for brunch Friday to Sunday and for dinner anytime.
Photo by Art Bodner
Children’s Day School just built a new Early Childhood center! Created with input from our students, the new center gives us more room for our popular inquiry- and play-based preschool and kindergarten. See how your child will grow into a courageous, kind, joyful, and curious learner who embraces difference, collaborates generously, and engages meaningfully in their community.
A remembrance by Kim
Howard
The news hit me surprisingly hard on Tuesday, June 25, when John Stadlberger let me know that his father, South End Rowing Club legend Rudy Stadlberger, passed away. Surprising because we celebrated Rudy’s 100th birthday at the club in February—he lived a century’s worth of a full life; usually it’s a gratifying feeling to know someone was lucky enough to live so long and so healthfully.
But Rudy represents so much, not just to me but to so many South Enders. He’s a symbol of good living, of how fulfilling life is when you prioritize community, friendship, and doing what you love. At his 100th birthday party at the club, after we chanted “Speech! Speech!” Rudy said, “If it wasn’t for this club and all the people around here, I wouldn’t [still] be here.” And after blowing out the candles, when someone yelled, “What’s your secret?!” Rudy replied without skipping a beat, “Walking! And a glass of red wine.”
Born on Feb. 5, 1924, in our vibrant city of San Francisco, Rudy's life story soon shaped the club’s story too. He was a South Ender longer than most of us have been alive. He joined the club Oct. 3, 1951, at the age of 27, and for the next 73 years, he was a constant, and I mean constant, presence here.
After graduating from Mission High School in 1942, he served four years in the U.S. Army. Rudy worked as a civil servant reading water meters, then cofounded Atlas Screw Machine Products
in 1956 with the late John Boitano.
His wife Mary, his kids John, Fred, and Jo Ann, his nephews Yanni and Jeremy, and eventually his grandkids—especially Erica and her husband Joe—all volunteered at the club for many years, some for decades. They were the life and soul behind countless sold-out St. Patrick’s and holiday parties, handball tournaments, happy hours, and special events, often cooking for days at a time.
Besides contributing generations of athletes and volunteers to the club and serving as president, Rudy contributed more than his share of the trophies on display in the upper boathouse. He was a 13-time national handball champion
(even against players 10 years his junior); one of the first to be inducted into the Northern California Handball Association Hall of Fame, both as a player and a contributor; and was a USHA Grand Master.
Rudy was also a San Francisco Bay swimmer, famously taking a (shorter and shorter) dip after playing handball for hours, as well as an avid runner, completing countless grueling Double Dipseas, including as the guide of a blind runner multiple times. (Imagine that!)
In recent years, he swapped handball for walking, becoming the star of the Noe Walks group (always in bright red South End sweats, “to advertise the
Editor’s Note: Rudy Stadlberger (center), a champion handball player who made his home on 22nd Street, passed away on June 25, 2024. He was 100 years old. His death was due to complications after a fall on his way home from the Noe Valley Library. Stadlberger is survived by his daughter Teresa and sons John (wife Martha) and Fred Stadlberger; his stepson Robert Barber; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Mary, his wife of 61 years, died in 2014. Rudy was a familiar figure in Noe Valley, often seen striding down Sanchez Street with the group Noe Walks. In a March 2023 story by Kathryn Guta in the Noe Valley Voice, Rudy inspired his fellow walkers with the words: “If I can do it, anybody can!”
Best Club on Earth”).
Every Saturday while walking, he delighted his neighbors with memories of the city he loved, such as growing up in the “earthquake shack” his grandparents built after the 1906 earthquake, and of his mother’s resilience during the Great Depression. His face graced the Noe Valley Voice more than once, including with my favorite headline, “Rudy's Walking Our Socks Off” (Voice, March 2023).
Beyond his athletic prowess, Rudy was a true renaissance man. He was an avid reader—at least a book a week—a passionate gardener, and a connoisseur of classic films from the 1930s and ’40s. To hear Rudy in his own voice, listen to the great interview South Ender Allen Luong conducted last year on YouTube (“SERC150 Interview with Rudy Stadlberger”).
In the 23 years I knew Rudy, I never once heard him say a negative word about anyone. He was as encouraging as he was competitive, as intelligent as he was kind, and he had an inspiring zest for life. They say 90 percent of life is showing up. Rudy showed up, 100 percent of the time.
Rest in peace, Rudy. You will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
Kim Howard is a family friend and a longtime member of the South End Rowing (swimming, handball, and running) Club. She notes, “I got to play what may have been Rudy's very last handball game, with him and two friends at the South End. It was fun and an honor. I believe he was 95.”
The Cost of Living in Noe
Summer Price Cuts
By Corrie M. Anders
Residential shoppers in Noe Valley purchased 20 single-family detached homes during June and July, according to data supplied monthly to the Noe Valley Voice by Corcoran Icon Properties.
That was eight more than the total number of similar homes sold during June and July of last year.
Buyers also picked up 14 condominiums. That matched the condo pace for last year.
Randall Kostick, Corcoran Icon’s CEO, said the summer sales activity was impressive. Houses sold on average for 8 percent more than the seller’s asking price, and “we got some pretty good action year over year,” he noted.
However, buyers took their time making offers and sometimes failed to meet sellers’ expectations.
“We’re having more price reductions, and properties are not selling immediately,” Kostick said. “Buyers are being more careful right now.”
He cited the case of the most expensive home sold in June, a major remodel in the 200 block of Jersey Street between Noe and Sanchez streets.
The house was listed for sale Feb. 2 with a $8.5 million price tag. A “dramatic” reduction on May 2 cut the price to $7,775,000, then to $6,995,000 on May 17. After another 11 days on the market, the home sold for $6,950,000— an 18.2 percent discount on the seller’s original price.
The crafty buyer picked up the keys to a swank contemporary home designed by Dumican Mosey Architects
and built from the ground up, save for its humble Victorian façade. The 4,020square-foot, four-level manse featured four bedrooms and three full and three half baths. Floor-to-ceiling Fleetwood doors and windows, European white oak floors, and Gaggenau appliances now complemented the spacious living and dining areas. The house also boasted three decks, a garden patio, one-car parking, and an air-conditioned “pent room” with a wet bar and downtown views.
Another house on the same block of Jersey Street was the costliest in July. After one week on the market, it sold for $4,850,000—7.9 percent more than its asking price ($4,495,000).
In its 3,432 square feet of living space, the home accommodated four bedrooms and five baths and a garage with space for two cars. Other niceties included a cozy living room with a gas fireplace, a formal dining room, a gourmet kitchen leading to a family room, and a walk-out deck and garden.
Condo shoppers this summer were
cautious too, biding their time and refusing to go overboard in spending.
The priciest condo in June was on the market for 35 days before a buyer offered $2,250,000—6.2 percent under the seller’s asking price ($2,399,000).
The three-bedroom, three-bath luxury home was part of a modern 2015 building located in the 100 block of Clipper Street between Church and Sanchez streets. The two-level residence featured open living-dining, a kitchen with Thermador appliances and a Caesarstone counter, radiant heat, a private terrace with views, and two-car parking with EV charging.
A three-bedroom, three-bath condo with 2,842 square feet of living space was the top dog in July. The condo, located in the 3300 block of 22nd Street between Guerrero Street and San Jose Avenue, sold for $2,450,000. That was 3.2 percent above the listed price ($2,375,000).
The home occupied three levels in a modern three-unit building constructed in 2001. Features included an open floor plan, an upscale kitchen with a
PALM SPRINGS
the building’s
marble floating island, a media room, exclusive use of
SHORT TAKES
Circling the Town Square
It’s going to be a busy September in the Noe Valley Town Square at 3861 24th St., starting on Saturday, Sept. 7, with the screening of last year’s megahit Barbie at 7:45 p.m. We may get lucky with September weather, but remember those warm layers, also lawn chairs and snacks. And wear your best Barbie outfit, to compete for prizes.
Then, on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 1 to 3 p.m., Fillmore District singer/songwriter Stephanie Woodford tickles the ivories with her own original pieces and covers from the 1960s to the present. Maybe there’s a singalong in there.
On Sunday, Sept. 22, walk on over between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for the third annual Noe Valley Art Festival (see story, page 1). The community event, organized by faithful volunteers from Friends of Noe Valley, gets bigger every year.
New this year, the festival partners with the Noe Valley Association to extend the artistry into an Art Walk of shops and businesses along 24th Street. You can pick up a map at the festival. Volunteers are welcome. Contact LindaLockyer3@gmail.com.
Saturday, Sept. 29, from 1 to 3 p.m., groove to the music and heritage of Afro-Peruvian culture with the musical group Warango, led by multi-talented performer Pierr Padilla. Check out their youtube.com video Mestizo. You won’t want to miss this unique event.
And, of course, like all Noe Valley Town Square happenings, these are free events open to all. Look to the website, noevalleytownsquare.com, for info..
District 8 Forum for Four Candidates for Mayor
On Thursday, Sept. 5, four challengers for the office of San Francisco Mayor will speak at a one-hour forum on what organizers call “issues that really matter in the neighborhoods of District 8,” including Noe Valley, the Castro, Glen Park, Diamond Heights, Cole Valley, and Corona Heights.
Hosted by 11 neighborhood groups, including Friends of Noe Valley and Upper Noe Neighbors, the District 8 Neighbors Mayoral Forum will take place at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The event hopes to help you select your top candidates in the rankedchoice election for mayor, to be held Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Candidates Mark Farrell, Daniel
Lurie, Aaron Peskin, and Ahsha Safai have confirmed their participation in the forum, while incumbent Mayor London Breed has declined the invitation, event organizers say.
The event is free. Seating is first come, first served.
Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, president of the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California Chapter, will serve as moderator. To secure a spot, go to “District 8 Neighbors Mayoral Forum” at Eventbrite.com.
Bookstore Raises $130,000
Former staff members of the late Folio Books are excitedly raising money, cleaning bookshelves, and collecting stock for a new bookstore to go into the vacant space at 3957 24th St. While they are still mum on the name of the venture, they say they are planning to be in business by mid-October.
Owner Katerina Argyres reveals that in addition to select new titles, the store will carry used books. “We’ve received so many!” she says. “We are selling them outside the store, with all proceeds going to the fundraiser.”
Speaking of which, the store’s GoFundMe campaign, titled “Save an Independent Bookstore in Noe Valley, San Francisco,” is a bestseller. In August, the fundraiser reached $130,000 of its $150,000 goal.
Donate to the cause or go shop and chat with Argyres or her Folio colleagues Andrew McIntyre, Isaiah Scandrette, and Kit Fitzgerald on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the sidewalk in front of the store. Yes, you can still drop off or buy those gently used books. For more details, check out the new store’s website, noevalleybooks.com.
Girl Power and Pixar Magic
To kick off our season of culture, look no further than the Noe Valley Ministry at 1021 Sanchez St., where on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 4 p.m., the ninth annual Noe Valley Girls Film Festival will rock the room with a dozen or so short films made by girls ages around the world. This year’s group features films from China, Korea, Iran, Egypt, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Canada, and across the United States (including, of course, Noe Valley).
Eight years ago, two sets of sisters decided they wanted to empower future women filmmakers by creating their own film festival. To produce the first one, Ella and Maggie Marks, along with Caitlin and Charlotte Kane, held bake sales, found sponsorships, and
learned the nuts and bolts of marketing and website creation.
What began as a relatively small local event turned into an international institution, with its own website (nvgff.com) and some serious attention from Hollywood. Last year, producer Robbie Brenner, who also just happened to be the president of Mattel Films, came to speak to the sold-out crowd. This year, the guest speaker will be Maurissa Horwitz, lead editor for Pixar Animation Studios and a cocreator of Inside Out 2
Key sponsors include Sterling Bank, Noe Valley Farmers Market, Droubi Team Real Estate, Born Tough and Elite Sports, and the Noe Valley Association.
As always, there is no charge for tickets, which are available at Eventbrite.com—just follow the link to Noe Valley Girls Film Festival.
Victorian Envy: Explore Houses in Noe
When you are strolling the streets of Noe Valley, haven’t you sometimes wondered what goes on inside those elegant homes dating from the earliest part of the last century?
San Francisco’s Victorian Alliance can give you a look at those paneled, plastered, and thoughtfully painted interiors as part of its Noe Valley Historic Home Tour on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 1 to 5 p.m.
The brochure-guided tour features the insides of seven unique homes as well as a number of historic sites in the community, including the oldest house in Noe (39 Chattanooga) and the flow-
ery Axford House at 1190 Noe St.
To help you distinguish the bric-abrac in a Stick Edwardian or a Queen Anne, docents will be on hand at each stop along the route.
The Victorian Alliance does a house tour in a different neighborhood every year (except when interrupted by a pesky virus), and this is the third iteration in Noe Valley.
“Our focus is on educating people on the interiors,” says longtime VA volunteer Megan Smith. “We love to see new members putting their homes back [to the way they looked when they were built].” For homeowners who have dropped a significant dollar amount on a small house, “we tell them, ‘Here are some examples of how you can live in an old home,’ perhaps redoing the kitchen while learning to appreciate vintage features in the parlor.”
Tickets are $40 for members and $50 for the general public, with $10 tickets for children aged 5 to 17, accompanied by a parent or guardian (and babes in arms can enter free). You can find the link or read Bill Yenne’s take on Noe history on the Victorian Alliance website: victorianalliance.org.
Taller Buildings in Noe?
Maybe.
The Noe Neighborhood Council and the Dolores Heights Improvement Club think you should know more about San Francisco’s upzoning plans to meet housing mandates coming down from Sacramento. They have joined eight other groups in hosting a District 8 Town Hall at the Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez St., on Monday, Sept. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Ozzie Rohm, of NNC, says, “District 8, along with many neighborhoods in western San Francisco, faces significant upzoning as proposed by Mayor Breed and the Planning Department to raise building heights to six, eight, and 14 stories throughout the district.”
Katherine Petrin, co-founder of Neighborhoods United SF, and Lee Hepner, an affordable housing and tenants rights advocate, will co-present the event, “with the goal of informing our fellow residents as well as the rest of District 8 folks,” about the impact of higher density around the city (and specifically on 24th and Church streets in Noe Valley). Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Rafael Mandelman will also attend.
For more information, contact Rohm at ozzierohm@sbcglobal.net.
The Victorian Alliance of San Francisco offers a peek into seven Noe Valley homes during its 2024 Historic Home Tour on Sunday, Sept. 8. Illustration by Sandra Evans
Here are the star producers of the 2023 Noe Valley Girls Film Festival (l. to r.): Margaret Smith, Oivia Roadcap, Lucy Fraga, Ashni Singh, Gray Edgeworth, Eleanor Borek, Marissa Higgins, Scarlet Sedwick, Charlotte Furey, Clair Kane, Mollie Weiss, Louise Roadcap, Shreya Aghi, and Emmanuelle Seguritan. This year’s team is screening the ninth annual festival on Sept. 7, 4 p.m., at the Noe Valley Ministry.
Photo by Sally Smith
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie star in the animated hit Barbie, which will be screened Sept. 7 at the Noe Valley Town Square.
SHORT TAKES
Get Keyed up for Premier Piano
Noe Music begins its 2024–25 season with a benefit concert to celebrate a nine-foot Steinway Model D piano, which according to co-directors Meena Bhasin and Owen Dalby, will be maneuvered up the stairs to its new home in the Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez St., early this month.
As reported in the Voice in July, an opportunity arose to swap out the previous seven-foot Steinway (itself a premier instrument) for the lightly played and lovingly tended Model D that had been temporarily gifted to the classical music series. The loan period of one year allows Noe Music to come up with the funds to purchase what they describe as “the overwhelming choice of concert pianists around the world.”
The action takes place on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 pm. Three renowned pianists, Stephen Prutsman, Elizabeth
19.
Joy Roe, and Jeffrey LaDeur, will take the bench for the piano’s inaugural concert. Tickets are $100 and $150 and are available through the series website, noemusic.com.
The regular season of Noe Music starts with more piano on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. with Jon Kimura Parker and Friends. Kimura brings along his “charisma, infectious enthusiasm, and dynamic performances,” and his friends include Bhasin and Dalby on viola and violin along with cellist Amos Yang. Subscriptions start at $200 and are available on the website. Individual tickets, just like last year, start at $45.
When It’s OK to Cry
Susan Halpern, noted social worker, psychotherapist, and author of The Etiquette of Illness: What to Say When You Can’t Find the Words, addresses the question of how to support those who are grieving and how to gracefully accept help in times of stress and sorrow, at a workshop on Sunday, Sept. 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 101 Gold Mine Drive. More information is available at office@staidanssf.org.
Open Studios Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Right on the heels of our very own Noe Valley Art Festival comes the citywide extravaganza of SF Open Studios. The theme this year, “From Disco Days to the Tech Craze: 50 years of SF Open Studios,” would seem a perfect fit for a neighborhood that has seen its fair share of both. Weekend Two features studios in the southern and central parts of the city, including Noe Valley, on Sept. 28 and 29.
Among the hundreds of participating artists, whose work you can preview at
OMNIVORE BOOKS
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
BEBE BLACK CARMINITO IN CONVERSATION WITH CLARE LANGAN • The Curated Board: Inspired Platters & Spreads for Any Occasion • 6:30 p.m. FREE!
ZOË FRANÇOIS IN CONVERSATION WITH LIZ PRUEITT • Zoë Bakes Cookies: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Cookies and Bars • 3:00 p.m. FREE!
JENNY ROSENSTRACH IN CONVERSATION WITH EMILY LUCHETTI • The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple: Strategies and So-Good Recipes to Suit Every Craving and Mood • 6:30 p.m. FREE!
TU DAVID PHU & SOLEIL HO • Book Launch Party for The Memory of Taste: Vietnamese American Recipes From Phú Quoc, Oakland, and The Spaces Between • 3:00 p.m. FREE!
STEVE SANDO IN CONVERSATION WITH KATHLEEN HILL • The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking With All Kinds of Beans • 3:00 p.m. FREE!
NINI NGUYEN • Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook • 3:00 p.m. FREE!
KRISTINA CHO IN CONVERSATION WITH ASHA LOUPY • Chinese Enough: Homestyle Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Stir-Fries, and More • 6:30 p.m. FREE!
MONIQUE VOLZ • The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook: 125 Ridiculously Good for You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day • 6:30 p.m. FREE!
STEPHANIE NASS IN CONVERSATION WITH CLARE LANGAN • Swing By!: Entertaining Recipes and the New Art of Gathering • 3:00 p.m. FREE!
MORE FOOD TO EAT
Editor’s Note: New York native Matt Fisher, 33, is a relative newcomer to Noe Valley, having settled on 27th Street five years ago,“after a journey that took me through Durham, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Boston.” One of his biggest pleasures since moving here, he says, is “walking to restaurants in the neighborhood and discovering a special dish” he can no longer live without. Here is the first of what we hope will be an abundance of culinary finds.
I’mnot a vegetarian, but I’m always on the lookout for vegetarian dishes that are so exciting they make me forget meat even exists.
Eric’s Restaurant’s Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce ($13.95)—not to be confused with the also excellent and similarly named Eric's Spicy Eggplant, which is not vegetarian—does just that. For better or for worse (better in my case), the dish is mild despite the moniker. It is a delightfully cooked, substantive eggplant dish covered in a sweet and savory sauce that pairs wonderfully with rice. If you're inspired to give it a try, Eric’s is conveniently located in the heart of Noe Valley at 1500 Church St.
The eggplant dish can be served as a fabulous vegetable side, or in our household it’s welcomed as the main affair. However, buyers beware that it’s so special as a side it can steal the show. One time my partner and I brought it along to a potluck, where the host had slaved over the dishes for hours, only to have the guests give the most compliments to the spicy eggplant. It was the last time we were invited back, but who needs friends when you have this dish?
—Matt Fisher for More Food to Eat
SOMArts, 934 Brannan St., on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. (check out the website, artspanart.org, for tickets which begin at $25), is multi-media artist Ken Sakatini. Sakatini’s work includes “cultural parodies,” landscapes, and still life art, and it all will be on display in a garden setting at 1026 Diamond St. Hours both days are from noon to 3 p.m.
The Artspan website will help you find other artists on the trail, who may
have different hours. As the name says, Open Studios is free and open to everyone.
This month’s Short Takes were compiled and written by Kit Cameron
Kind Words from Happy Noe Valley Home Sellers!
“We worked with Danielle Lazier when purchasing our 昀rst home. The whole experience was great! Flash forward, we decided to sell and relocate. We reached out to Danielle because she was so great to work with and felt she would be the best to represent us selling. They literally handled everything! We were kept in the loop with all the details, but Danielle and her team scheduled the inspections, hired the contractor, the stager, the photographer. It was all seamless to us. We were in communication throughout the whole process which was key. In talking to friends who sold at the same time, and even compared to our own experience in purchasing our new house, I feel like they really went above and beyond the expectations of a real estate agent. I rarely needed to call to ask questions because they had already prepared us. We wanted to get the best price that we could and wanted it done fast. Our expectations were truly surpassed.”
Amy S.
Curious About the SF Real Estate Market?
There are always twists and turns in SF real estate, but in broad terms the market is improving. As the city’s 昀rst real estate blog (established 2002!), our website and biweekly newsletter are your go-to source for information. Scan the QR to see the latest.
Stephen Prutsman is among a trio of pianists who will get a chance to play the new Steinway at Noe Music’s Piano Première & Benefit Thursday, Sept.
STORE TREK
Store Trek is a regular Voice column introducing new businesses in Noe Valley. This month we feature two shops that arrived just in time for summer. Each specializes in a cool kind of dessert.
BANÁN
3862 24th St. between Sanchez and Vicksburg 415-872-7956
https://banan.co/pages/order-online
Since opening its doors June 2, Banán San Francisco has been drawing crowds to its first location outside of Honolulu. Luckily for customers who can’t find a table inside the small storefront at 3862 24th St., there is seating across the street in the Noe Valley Town Square.
Banán uses organic bananas it sources from Hawaiian farms to make its no-ice-cream vegan soft-serve treats. Its banana, strawberry, chocolate, acai, matcha coconut, or passionfruit desserts come in either a 6 oz. cup ($7) or a 12 oz. bowl ($9). You can add honey, puffed quinoa, sliced banana, or shaved coconut for an extra $0.75 each, or top your swirl with granola, blueberries, caramel, or peanut butter ($1.25 each).
Among the shop’s specialty toppings are passionfruit, brownie bites, and dragon fruit drizzle ($2 each) . The most expensive add-on ($3) is macadamia-nut honey butter.
The eatery also offers its own sundae creations, such as the popular Chunkadelic, featuring banana softserve topped with macadamia-nut honey butter, dark chocolate, granola, honey, and coconut ($9); or the strawberry shortcake soft-serve, made with
B. Patisserie shortbread cookies, strawberry jam, strawberries, and whipped coconut cream ($9.95).
Smoothies are also on the menu, from a simple strawberry banana option ($9.95) to a Kabana smoothie made with mango, banana, dragon fruit, lime, and honey ($11.95). The most popular is the Mana Smoothie ($12.95). It’s made with macadamia-nut honey butter, plant-based vanilla protein powder, blue spirulina, coconut milk, bananas, and Himalayan sea salt.
The company started off in 2014 as a food truck parked near Oahu’s famous Diamond Head volcanic tuff cone. Luke Untermann co-founded it with three of his childhood friends, and they are now set on expanding across the continental U.S.
Co-owner Zak Barry moved to the Bay Area to oversee the local operations. Another co-founder, Galen McCleary, studied business at Stanford, while the fourth, Matt Hong, graduated from UC Santa Cruz.
“In a way, we are bringing Banán back to the Bay. We all grew up in Hawaii together, but the idea was born out of our college kitchens while a few of us were attending Stanford and UC Santa Cruz,” says Hong.
Their 700-square-foot store in Noe Valley used to be home to the eyewear shop Spectacles for Humans, which moved to another commercial space on the 4100 block of 24th Street. Banán is on a busy stretch of the street between Saru Sushi and Martha & Bros. Coffee Co. and a few doors away from Holey Bagel.
Customers who want to skip waiting in line can pre-order via Banán’s website or use the QR code posted on its storefront window, and then pick up their orders.
Banán is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
—Matthew
S. Bajko
LA COPA LOCA GELATO
1504 Church St. at 27th Street
415-829-3945
https://lacopalocagelato.com/
Billed
as a “truly authentic Italian gelateria,” La Copa Loca Gelato has been serving up its frozen treats and hot desserts since soft-opening May 11 at 1504 Church near the corner of 27th.
For La Copa Loca owners Mauro and Sandra Pislor, who live nearby at 30th Street and San Jose Avenue, this is their second location in San Francisco. The couple opened their original shop 19 years ago at 3150 22nd St. in the Mission district.
They produce their assorted gelato flavors at a production facility on Treasure Island. Various restaurants in the Bay Area serve up their sweet concoctions, and customers craving their gelato can have it dropped off to their homes by selecting one of the food delivery services listed on the store’s website.
If visiting the Noe Valley location in person, which had housed an ice cream store in 1900 according to the Pislors, customers will be greeted on the left wall by a giant lighted sign of the gelateria’s logo that features a clown face configured from gelato and various toppings. Lining the back left wall is a glass cooler holding the various gelato varieties on hand, which customers are welcome to taste before ordering.
The Pislors draw inspiration from what seasonal fruits are available. Their gelato flavors run the gamut from banana and strawberry to dark chocolate and pistachio. More exotic options include lucuma, a South American fruit, and mamey, which comes from fruit trees found in Mexico and Central America.
There are also unique blends such as espresso almond crunch, tiramisu, and yogurt lemon cookies. The gelato is served in either a cup or a cone and priced by the scoop. (One costs $4, two
scoops are $6.25, and three are priced at $7.25.)
Young families can take advantage of the special sizes for children. A toddler scoop costs $2.75 and when doubled is $4.25.
For those with dietary restrictions, there are also soy and sugar-free gelato options.
Toppings such as chocolate bits, marshmallows, Oreo cookies, M&Ms, or caramel crunch can be added to the servings. (They cost $0.50 to $0.75, and whipped cream is $0.75.)
There are a variety of specialty sundae cups and ones made from fruits on the menu—all cost under $8. Customers can also make their own. Three scoops of gelato, whipped cream, and two toppings costs $6.95.
In addition to the cold scooped treats, the gelateria makes hot dessert crepes served with Nutella and bananas, strawberry jam, fresh fruits, or the ingredients of one’s choosing. (Prices range from $6.20 to $8.90.)
Milkshakes can also be ordered, as well as a selection of hot beverages and fresh squeezed juices. The menu also features smoothies ($6.25 for a 16 oz., $7 for a 20 oz.) made with different fruit combinations.
The La Copa Loca Wild Berry smoothie is made with Marion berry, blueberry, raspberry, banana, strawberry, mixed berries sorbet, and yogurt gelato. The Samba Bit smoothie comes with açai booster, guarana juice, pineapple, passion fruit sorbet, and vanilla gelato.
Located next to the popular Chinese restaurant Eric’s, La Copa Loca Gelato took over the storefront that formerly housed Damia Salon. The hair salon relocated to 1300 Church St. at 25th.
The gelateria is open from noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays, noon to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and noon to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
—Matthew S. Bajko
Co-owner Mauro Pislor lords over an irresistable display of gelato flavors at La Copa Loca. The gelateria opened its new location at Church and 27th Street in May. Photo by Art Bodner
A line of customers is sure to form at Banán on a sunny day on 24th Street. People are eager to try the vegan soft-serve made with bananas from Hawaii. Photo by Art Bodner
Noe VALLEY LOCAL Services
HANDYMAN
• Custom & Refaced Cabinets
• Replacing Dry Rot Deck Planks
• Carpentry and Painting
• Refinishing Hardwood Flooring
• Finish Decks 6 different stains lasting 6 to 8 years. Call Miguel (510) 333-0732
CABINETRY COUNTERTOPS
Clear the Clutter Reclaim your Space! pat@patrosehomeorganizing.com patrose@gmail.com
Troubleshooting/Tutoring Tune-Ups/Upgrades SFMacMan.com (415) 821-1792
Sept. 1, 8, 15 & 22: Folk YOGA offers free classes on Sept. 8 & 22, and Yoga Flow does the same on Sept. 1 & 15. 11 am-noon. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com
Sept. 2-28: The Harvey Milk Photo Center hosts its annual member, staff, and volunteer show. Tues.-Thurs. 3-8:30 pm; Sat. 11 am4:30 pm. 50 Scott. harveymilkphotocenter.org
Sept. 3: ACTION SF’s monthly meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey; action-sf.com
Sept. 4: The Noe Valley DEMOCRATIC Club celebrates its third anniversary with visits from lMayor London Breed and others. 5:30 to 8 pm. Valley Tavern, 4054 24th. Sign up NoeValleyDemocrats.org
Sept. 4-Oct. 19: CHUNG 24 Gallery shows “Phantasm,” photographs by Irene Imfield. Reception Sept. 7, 2-5 pm; Wed.Sat., 1:30 to 6 pm, or by appointment. 698 Pennsylvania. chung24gallery.com
Sept. 5: UPPER NOE Neighbors co-sponsors a District 8 Neighbors MAYORAL FORUM. 6:30 pm. Randall Museum Theater, 199 Museum Way. 554-9600.
Sept. 5, 12, 19 & 26: Family STORYTIMES are on Thursdays, at 10:15 am and 11 am. Space is limited to 20 children. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 5, 12, 19 & 26: Mutiny Radio hosts free OPEN MIC comedy at The BAR on Dolores Thursday nights, 8 pm. 1600 Dolores. 695-1745.
Sept. 6: Public Hearing on potential 4-WAY STOP at Church & 28th. 10 am. Email JChurchProject@SFMTA.com with subject “Public Hearing: Noe Valley, J Church.”
Sept. 6: The self-guided Castro ART WALK features local artists on the first Friday of the month. 5-8 pm. castroartwalk.com
Sept. 6: First Friday COMEDY NIGHT at The Dubliner is hosted by Joe Gleckler and Spencer DeVine. 8 pm. Dubliner, 3838 24th. 826-2279; gleckler.joe@gmail.com
Sept. 7: The Noe Valley KNITTING CIRCLE meets from 10 am to 12:30 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 7: The ninth annual GIRLS FILM FESTIVAL begins at 4 pm. Noe Valley Ministry,
CALENDAR
1021 Sanchez. 606-6558; nvgff.com
Sept. 7: Upper Noe’s CONCERTS in the Park offers music by Isa and Isidore on Sept. 7. 10 am-noon. 295 Day; uppernoerecreationcenter.com
Sept. 7: MOVIE NIGHT at the noe Valley Town Square features Barbie and prizes for the best Barbie outfit. 7:45-9:30 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com
Sept. 7-28: The FARMERS MARKET has fresh produce, treats, and music, Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm. Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com
Sept. 7-28: Wander local byways with NOE WALKS on Saturdays. Meet at 24th and Sanchez 10 am.
Sept. 8: Psychotherapist Susan Halpern leads a grief support WORKSHOP at St. Aidan’s. 11:30 am-1:30 pm. 101 Gold Mine. 285-9540; staidansf.org
Sept. 8: The Victorian Alliance HISTORIC HOME TOUR features seven dwellings in Noe. 1-5 pm. victorianalliance.org
Sept. 8: Jeff Demark performs a MONOLOGUE about SF in the 1980s, “Went to Lunch, Never Returned.” 8-9 pm. Bird & Beckett, 653 Chenery. 586-3733
Sept. 8 & 22: City Guides offers WALKING TOURS of Noe Valley June 8, 2-3:30 pm, and June 23, 10-11:30 am. Starts at 451 Jersey. 375-0468; sfcityguides.org
Sept. 9: Get drop-In TECH HELP from the library staff at the Noe Valley Library. 2-3 p.m., 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 9: A District 8 TOWN HALL will take on the topic of upzoned housing. 6-8 pm. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. Sept. 9, 15 & 21 : Omnivore Books welcomes CHEF authors Jenny Rosenstrach (The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple) Sept. 9, 6:30 pm; Steve Sando (The Bean Book) Sept. 15, 3 pm; and Nini Nguyen (Dac Biet: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook) Sept. 21, 3 pm. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 282-4712; omnivorebooks.com
Sept. 11: Teens and adults can create a HUICHOL beaded craft at the Noe Valley Library. 4-5 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 12: Take a meditative LABYRINTH WALK, on second Thursdays, at the Noe Valley Ministry, 6:30 pm. 1021 Sanchez. noevalleyministry.org
Sept. 13: The Noe Valley Library’s FILM CLUB shows the 2018 documentary Cassandro, the Exotico! 2 pm. 451 Jersey. 3555707; sfpl.org
Sept. 13-Nov. 16: CREATIVITY
EXPLORED exhibits a group show, “All Things in Motion.” Reception Sept. 13. 6-8 pm; Thurs. & Fri., 3-6 pm, Sat. noon-5 pm. 3245 16th. 863-2108; creativityexplored.org
Sept. 14: The BAR on Dolores is flipping free FLAPJACKS, on the second Saturday of the month, from 1 to 4 pm. 1600 Dolores. 695-1745.
Sept. 14 The Noe Valley Library shows the DISNEY animated film Encanto 3-5 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 14: Rhythm & Motion offers a free DANCE workout, 4 to 5 pm. Town Square, 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com
Sept. 15: Noe Valley CLEANUP DAY volunteers meet at the Town Square to pick up supplies. 10 am to noon. 3861 24th. togetherSF.org
Sept. 15: ACOUSTIC Sunday features singer and songwriter Stephanie Woodford. 1-3 pm. Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com
Sept. 18: The Noe Valley BOOK CLUB discusses Days of Morisaki Bookshop. 6:307:30 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 18: The UPPER NOE Neighbors group meets at 7 pm at the Upper Noe Rec Center, 295 Day.
Sept. 19: Noe Music’s “Piano Premiere and BENEFIT” introduces a new Steinway and a varied program. 7:30 pm. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. noemusic.org
Sept. 19; 28 & 29: OPEN STUDIOS Noe Valley opens Sept. 19 with a preview show at SOMArts, 934 Brannan, 6-9 pm; studios in Noe are open on Sept 28 & 29, 11 am-5 pm. artspan.org/sfos
Sept. 20: The SF OPERA and the Noe Valley Library collaborate to discuss The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. 3-4 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 21: The Upper Noe BLOCK PARTY features local businesses, music, dance, food, and children’s activities. Upper Noe Rec Center, 295 Day. 11 am-3 pm.
Sept. 21: CalGrows offers a CAREGIVER training workshop at the Noe Valley Library. 2-5 pm.451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 21: Best Medicine hosts standup at SF COMEDY Underground, aka Noe Valley Farms, every third Saturday. 7:30-9:30 pm. 1828 Castro. Eventbrite; Bestmedicinethebay@gmail.com
Sept. 22: The Noe Valley ART FESTIVAL hosts artists, music, dance, and kids activities. 10 am-4 pm. Town Square, 3861 24th. Volunteer: LindaLockyer3@gmail.com
Sept. 24: PJ STORYTIME runs from 6:30 to 7 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. Reservations required: 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 28: The Dolores Heights Improvement Club’s FALL FESTIVAL features candidates’ speeches, a Kids Corner, and a history display. 11 am-1 pm. Sanchez between 21st and Hill. doloresheights.org
Sept. 28: A BUBBLEOLOGY workshop for all ages runs from 3 to 4 pm. Noe Valley Library. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org
Sept. 29: Attend a forum of the top MAYORAL CANDIDATES. 3-5:30 pm. Main Library, 100 Larkin. 557-4400; sfpl.org
Sept. 29: Noe Music’s hosts a CONCERT by pianist Jon Kimura Parker. 4-6 pm. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. noemusic.org
School Bells Ring: The
CHILDREN’S FICTION
In Grumpy Monkey: Too Many Bugs , by Suzanne Lang with illustrations by Max Lang, title character Jim Panzee learns about insects Ages 4-6
A family sings about the Texas night in Deser t Song by Laekan Zea Kemp featuring illustrations by Beatriz Gutiérrez Hernández Ages 4-8
Animal friends gather to celebrate in the picture book Summer : A Solstice Stor y by Kelsey E Gross, with illustrations by Renata Liwska Ages 4-8
Three recently separated best friends are urged to get back together by a paper game in For tune Teller s by Lisa Greenwald Ages 8-12
CHILDREN’S NONFICTION
Gail Gibbons describes and diagrams the basics of colorful produce in The Vegetables We Eat Ages 2-7
The many ways to count things and events are explored in A Treasure of Measures by Mike Downs, with illustrations by Joy Hwang Ruiz Ages 3-5
Belen Medina recounts the tale of an athlete from Mexico, in Daughter of the Light-Footed People: The Stor y of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramirez, with illustrations by Natalia Rojas Castro Ages 4-8
Where Are the Aliens? The Search for Life Beyond Ear th, by Stacy McAnulty with illustrations by Nicole Miles, shows how scientists search for extraterrestrial life forms Ages 10 and up
CHILDREN’S EBOOKS
Board book Gossie by Olivier Dunrea is the first in a series about a gosling who looks for her missing boots and finds a friend Ages 1-3
A girl and her father go horseback riding around the city at dawn in My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C G Esperanza. Ages 4-8.
A kitten travels round the world in Trim Sails the Storm by Deborah Hopkinson, with illustrations by Kristy Caldwell Ages 710
In The Ghosts of Nameless Island by Carly Anne West, illustrated by Teo Skaffa, a boy who can talk to the dead moves into an old mansion Ages 8-12
TEEN FICTION
In Takedown by Ali Br yan, a star wrestler, whose father has ALS, risks her scholarship to compete in an underground fight Ages 12-17
Louder Than Words , by Ashley Woodfolk and Lexi Underwood, is about a student who takes action against an anonymous podcast airing nasty secrets Ages 12 and up Cousins on a backcountry hike meet a stranger who appears to be threatened by her companion, in 49 Miles Alone by Natalie Richards Ages 14-18
Two ex-best friends work to keep an Islamic center from being shut down, in Four Eids and a Funeral, by Faridah AbikeIyimide and Adiba Jaigirdar Ages 14-18
TEEN EBOOKS
J Alber t Mann describes the effor ts of workers to fight the system, in Shift Happens: The Histor y of Labor in the United States Ages 13 and up
Graphic novel Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia tells the stor y of a girl s summer in Guatemala Ages 14-17
A teenager moves from Nigeria to America for her senior year of high school in With Love , Miss Americanah, a novel by Jane Igharo Ages 14-18
In Elvira K Gonzalez s true stor y, Hurdles in the Dark: My Stor y of Sur vival, Resilience , and Triumph, a Texas girl overcomes hardship to become a champion athlete Ages 14 and up
ADULT FICTION
In Julia Phillips’ novel Bear, sisters at a resor t island discover a mysterious animal near their home
Two brothers travel the world in search of an African soccer prodig y, in Godwin by Joseph O’Neill
Hombrecito by Santiago Jose Sanchez is the stor y of a gay Columbian boy between
MORE BOOKS TO READ
Even More Books to Read
The Noe Valley Voice hereby reveals the “hot off the presses” books and films at the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library. This month, Noe Branch Manager Mary Fobbs-Guillory and Adult Services Librarian Amy Lewis tipped us off to the new arrivals, as well as to the library’s September events for children and adults at the branch (see Events at right)
To get a head start on borrowing, go to SFPL.org and explore. Or you can download the mobile app at https://sfpl.org/services/mobileresources/library-catalog-mobile-apps/. If you need to speak with Lewis or Fobbs-Guillory call 415-355-5707.
To find a book the old-fashioned way, walk over to our beautiful Carnegie library at 451 Jersey St.
Also, the librarians wish to note: all San Francisco Public Libraries will be closed on Sept. 2, Labor Day.
cultures
Set in 1960 Nigeria, a shy student’s search for his brother lands him in the Biafran army, in The Road to the Countr y by Chigozie Obioma
ADULT NONFICTION
Olivia Laing explores concepts of utopia in The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise
In The Singularity Is Nearer : When We Merge With AI, Ray Kurzweil reexamines his 1999 prediction that AI will reach human levels by 2029
Zoë Schlanger considers the abilities and adaptations of plant life in The Light Eater s: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offer s a New Under standing of Life on Ear th.
Zeke Hernandez analyzes common narratives in The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomer s
ADULT EBOOKS
Griffin Dunne describes growing up amidst celebrities in Manhattan and Hollywood in The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir
How the World Ran Out of Ever ything: Inside the Global Supply Chain is written
by Peter Goodman, economic correspondent for the New York Times
A family discovers a secret when they move to a Black utopian city, in One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
In Abir Mukherjee’s thriller Hunted, a series of coincidences occurs that could derail the future of America
DVD/BLU-RAY
In the Land of Saints and Sinner s , a thriller set in Ireland directed by Rober t Lorenz, features Liam Neeson (2023)
The Last Stop in Yuma County, a film directed by Francis Galluppi, stars Jim Cummings and Faizon Love (2023)
Lost Soulz, a drama about a young rapper in Texas directed by Katherine Propper features Sauve Sidle and Alexander Brackney (2023)
The Ministr y of Ungentlemanly Warfare , a comedy set in World War II directed by Guy Ritchie , stars Henr y Cavill and Alan Ritchson (2024)
Re: Uniting, a drama about a college reunion directed by Laura Adkin, stars Jesse L Mar tin and Roger Cross (2023)
Annotations by Voice bookworm Karol Barske
Storytimes are on Thursdays at 10:15 a.m. and 11 a.m., Sept. 5, 12, 19 & 26. Limited to 20 children. Tickets available at the reference desk beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The Noe Valley Knitting Circle welcomes those who knit or crochet, and meets on Saturday, Sept 7, from 10 a m to 12:30 p m
Meet at the library for a City Guides Walking Tour, “Village Within a City,” exploring historic sites in Noe Valley, on Sundays, Sept. 8 and 22, at 10 a.m.-noon. Space is limited: registration required.
Get one-on-one Tech Help from the library staff. Learn how to download eBooks, use library eResources, or set up an email account. Monday, Sept. 9, 2 to 3 p.m. Bring your own device, or practice using a library computer.
Teens and adults can create a simple Huichol beaded craft item with instruction from a representative of the Mexican Museum, on Wednesday, Sept 11, from 4 to 5 p m
The Noe Library’s Film Club screens Cassandro, The Exotico! a 2018 documentary about cross-dressing Mexican wrestlers, on Friday, Sept. 13, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
The Noe Library offers a free showing of the 2021 Disney animated film Encanto on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m.
The Noe Valley Book Club discusses Days of Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Copies are held at the Noe Valley circulation desk for checkout.
A Book Club collaborates with the San Francisco Opera to discuss Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, on Friday, Sept. 20, 3 to 4 p.m.
CalGrow’s family Caregiver Training workshop offers an introduction to the Kinary mobile app, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2 to 5 p.m.
Kids and their families are invited to Pajama Storytime, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Space is limited to 20 children; reservations required: 355-5707.
Create an Origami craft, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 4 to 5 p.m. Children will especially enjoy a Bubbleology workshop, on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 3 to 4 p.m.
A hands-on chocolate chip cookie workshop includes a history presentation on Monday, Sept. 30, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.; reservations required.
All events take place at the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St. For information, call 415-355-5707 or visit sfpl.org.
Taste the Love
Every Day
5:30 a.m. — 2 p.m. 3966 24th Street
Flag Football Sure to Be Olympic
Flag football fun returns to Upper Noe Rec Center this fall, starting Sept. 3. American servicemen invented the game in WWII. Now it has become popular around the world, because of its limited contact, low costs, and playability for both men and women. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will feature it for the first time. The boys and girls of Upper Noe could be gold medal contenders, as both of our teams have been citywide champions in recent years.
Fall registration began Aug. 17, but don’t miss out on the action. Sign up for classes now at https://sfrecpark.org/. Tot soccer, volleyball, and tennis also are back. Many classes and activities are drop-in and free. Call the office at 415970-8061 or visit www.uppernoerecreationcenter.com for more details.
Come celebrate the neighborhood at the free Upper Noe Block Party 2024, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will feature live music, dance, sports, food, community booths, and children’s activities. Reserve a table now or sign up to volunteer. Email info@uppernoerecreationcenter.com.
Upper Noe Rec Center is located at 295 Day St. For issues related to Joby’s Dog Run, open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., call 3-1-1 or email info@fundogsf.org.
—Chris Faust, Friends of Upper Noe Recreation Center
Upper Noe Fall Session (Sept. 3 to Dec. 14, 2024)
Rec Center Hours, 295 Day St.: Tues. to Fri., 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sun. and Mon. closed; outside activities only. Park grounds daily, 7 a.m. to 10
Tuesday
9 to 10 a.m. Zumba (outside) FREE
10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pickleball FREE
12 to 1 p.m. Pilates (18+)
2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE
5 to 7:30 p.m. Open Gym (18+) FREE
6 to 7 p.m. Tennis Beginning (18+)
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga Vinyasa (18+)
Wednesday
110 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open Gym (adult) FREE
12 to 1 p.m. Feldenkrais (18+)
1 to 6 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Advanced Drop-In Volleyball (18+)
Thursday
10 to 11 a.m. Petite Bakers (ages 3-5)
10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pickleball (18+) FREE 12 to 1 p.m. Pilates (18+)
2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tennis Beginning (ages 8-10)
5 to 7:30 p.m. Open Gym (18+) FREE
6 to 7 p.m. Tennis Beginning (18+)
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga Vinyasa (18+)
Friday
9 to 10 a.m. Zumba (outside) FREE
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
10 to 11 a.m. Tot Soccer (ages 3-5)
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open Gym (adult) FREE
2 to 4 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE
3 to 6 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Girls Team Volleyball (ages 8-10)
4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Flag Football Junior Div (ages 8-10)
4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tennis Beginning (ages 8-10)
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Girls Team Volleyball (ages 11-14)
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Flag Football Senior Div (ages 11-13)
6 to 7 p.m. Tennis Beginning (ages 10-12) 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Girls Open Volleyball (ages 12-17)
Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Open Gym (all ages) 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Family Zumba FREE 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)
Catch me if you can! A close miss gets the adrenalin going. Photo SF Rec & Park
RUMORS behind the news
The Noe Village Swing
By Mazook
SUMMER AT LAST: As all Noe Valleyans know, summer in our part of the city doesn’t arrive until the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22). So in August, winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean are still here most days, keeping us cool, calm, and collected.
On Saturday night, Aug. 24, over 200 people showed up at the Noe Valley Town Square for an evening of swing. Never mind that it had been raining earlier in the day and sprinkles were still falling at the 6:30 p.m. showtime. The weather was perfect for swing dancing, hosted by music makers The Doghouse.
The show started with a dance lesson by deejay Chad Kubo and Doghouse dancer Kristen Paulin, who invited the crowd to create a big circle in the square and learn the “step forward and then step back and then side left and then side right” moves with their partners. About 120 people assembled, and those without a partner were then paired up.
During the lesson, the partner on the right was instructed to move counterclockwise to the next partner on their left and so on down the line around the circle. “Hello neighbor” was in “meet and greet” mode, to everyone’s enjoyment and delight. Regrettably, my journalistic duties kept me on the sidelines. Still, it was refreshing to feel the sense of community in our “urban village.”
The lesson ended in about 45 minutes, Kubo ramped up the music, and folks got to dancing the night away till closing time at 9 o’clock. After saying their goodbyes, the attendees grabbed their rain gear and vanished into the misty night.
Mark your calendars for the Town Square’s next evening event, Movie Night on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 7:45 to 9:30 p.m. Yes, “it's Barbie world...in Noe Valley,” Square manager Leslie Crawford enthuses. “Bring lawn chairs and sleeping bags and your favorite snacks for a ‘Kentastic’ evening of Barbie power!” She adds that prizes will be awarded to those wearing their best Barbie outfits.
The next footloose event will be square dancing on Oct. 5, 6 p.m. And a few days after that, the USMC Band will celebrate San Francisco Fleet Week on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at their annual concert at the Noe Valley Town Square, from 6 to 7 p.m. They are great, so don’t be late!
TOUJOURS LE TOUR: On one of my Noe Valley walks last month, a damp Tuesday afternoon, I was passing said town square and I saw a group of 20 people finishing their two-hour tour with San Francisco City Guides. Tour leaders Cathie and Paul Staley were giving their closing spiel about our Town Square. Paul described the creation of our public bathroom at the square, which as you know made international news. (Something I didn’t know: there is a Wikipedia page on our potty.)
After I went up to Cathie and Paul to say hello, they introduced me to the crowd. I commented how happy all the tour participants seemed to be. Paul said, “I am always amazed at the interest there is in Noe Valley by Bay Area (residents) and tourists from around the world. It is our most popular tour.”
One of the tour-goers was asking questions and making notes in a reporter’s notebook. Paul introduced him to me, and I immediately was star-struck. It was famous San Francisco Chronicle reporter Carl Nolte, who writes a column every Sunday on page two, the first place I go to on weekends to get day-before-yesterday’s breaking news. Nolte is timeless. Well, we spent half an hour shooting
the breeze, and he told me how much he enjoyed the tour. “What do you think makes Noe Valley such a successful neighborhood?” he asked me. My response, which also appeared in the Chron: “It’s a magnet and draws people. It’s a place where everybody knows everybody. It’s an amazing neighborhood.”
What impressed me the most, I told him, was the overwhelming sense of community in Noe Valley. The Town Square came about with a huge effort from residents to raise the funds. Donations came in from so many, giving $5 to $10 each, with some big donors putting in thousands, as high as $20,000.
I told him that the group was supported by our representatives in City Hall and the Rec and Park Department, California legislators, environmental groups, and even grants from federal and non-profit groups. Somehow, we came up with about $7.6 million, including payment of almost $3.7 million to eminent-domain the land (which used to be a gas station).
The headline for Nolte’s Aug. 18 column was “Noe Valley Has It All, Including High Home Prices.” True, prices are high. But our village thrives because many have lived here for decades, some due in part to the safety of rent control.
Thanks, Carl, for the shout-out, and back atcha, Bernal Heights brother! By the way, a plaque will soon be embedded in the sidewalk in front of the square, commemorating the tireless efforts of activist Peter Gabel, who passed away in October 2022.
FOODALICIOUS: A shout-out also goes to SFGate food reporter Nico MadrigalYankowski for his Aug. 10, 2024, story “Unexpected SF Neighborhood Experiences a Restaurant Revival.”
He wrote, “On a recent warm Tuesday evening on 24th Street, the main merchant corridor of Noe Valley, the street is vibrant, like it was before the pandemic. The town square…is packed as parents chat, one hand on their children’s strollers, while their toddlers roll on the ground with one another. Restaurants emit loud chatter, and people overflow The Dubliner bar’s trivia night.
“This vibrancy isn’t new for Noe Valley. It’s been slowly building up over the past year or so… I should know—it’s where I grew up and still frequent regularly.”
Madrigal-Yankowski pointed to this year’s influx of new restaurants, including Mamahuhu, Fiorella, and Todo el Día, representing, respectively, Chinese, Italian, and Mexican cuisine.
He quoted Rachel Swann, co-president of the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association, as saying the newbies were a little more casual than past fine-dining restaurants. In Swann’s words, “The three [restaurant] groups that have come in [have] something that appeals to everybody. It’s going to make Noe Valley a more walkable area to shop and dine and do everything. There’s been
a great change to the neighborhood since they came in.”
Fiorella (4042 24th) is across the street from Todo el Día (4063 24th), and they’re a half a block from Mamahuhu (3991 24th). Now let’s not all go there at once.
SHORT SHRIFTS: It looks like a “for lease” sign may soon appear on the front window of the long-vacant store on the corner of Vicksburg and 24th streets. The space was last occupied almost six years ago by the women’s clothing store The Mill Mercantile. The property owner, Sharon Cassidy, obtained approval for a cannabis dispensary about four years ago and is still waiting to receive the use permit from City Hall. “It’s time to move forward,” Cassidy says.
For the month of October, abstract painter and 24th Street resident Jaime Lovejoy and ceramicist Erin Hupp will take over Mill’s empty space, at 3751 24th, and hold a “lux” pop-up gallery. “Bay Area artists Kaleen Cameron, Hannah Franco, and Katie Gong will also be showcasing new work,” says Lovejoy.
On the Castro Street beat, Memento SF, at 1305 Castro, which serves a varied “new American cuisine,” has a new parklet and a new brunch menu, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Across the street, Mio Mio hair salon has moved into the space formerly occupied by Mapamundi children’s store at 1306 Castro. Note, the salon has an incredible wire sculpture exhibit.
The “for lease” sign has been removed at 1320 Castro, so we can expect a new restaurant in the spot vacated by Birch and Rye Russian restaurant last year.
Up the street, where First Republic was at the corner of Jersey, there will be a new runners haven called Run Wyld created by Katherine Douglas, a runner and a mom and “a lover of great product and great design.”
K Interiors is a residential interior design firm that has been in business for 15 years. Kristen Peña, owner and principal designer and a longtime Noe Valley resident, has decided to bring her firm back to the neighborhood (4071 24th St.) after being in Potrero Hill for several years. A furniture line called Peña, made by Peña’s husband Luis, will also be featured, by appointment only.
A new cafe called “Taffi’s" is rumored to be coming to 1748 Church, where Toast used to be. Toast surprised its patrons by closing abruptly Aug. 10 after 18 years.
Over the hill in Glen Park, after 61 years serving the neighborhood, Glen Park Hardware (685 Chenery) is closing. It has only been six months since new ownership took over. That’s too bad.
JUST FOR FUN: Just for Fun is expanding into its third location in less than two years. Owner Michelle O’Connor says the store celebrated its one-year anniversary
at 1957 Union St. in June and plans to move into a space at 2185 Fillmore near Sacramento Street by November.
Meanwhile, the Noe Valley store, at 3982 24th, is stocking up for the holidays. “Since we took over in 2021, we’ve had a few good Christmas seasons,” selling toys, cards, and gifts. “There’s a need for in-person shopping in the neighborhood,” O’Connor says. “People want to get in the holiday mood. They want a nice, curated collection of things. We have a very loyal customer base in Noe Valley.” The shop recently held a party for Sukrutha Raman Bhadouria and 4-year-old daughter Aina, who authored a children’s book called What Else Can Sameer Do? The book hopes to inspire children to try new things.
Martha's Coffee, founded in 1987, should have its new temporary location on the corner of 24th and Vicksburg open and running by Sept. 1, according to coowner/store manager Patricia Larizadeh. Then construction can start on the retrofit and remodel of their current store at 3868 24th St. She says they will put tables in front of their cafe on the 24th Street sidewalk and soon will put a bench(s) around the corner on Vicksburg.
To keep the Noe Valley Farmers Market from being short-shrifted, fans are contributing to a GoFundMe organized by Chris Keene for Kou Herr of Herr Family Farm. The farm has brought Asian greens, onions, peas, and other vegetables to the Saturday market at the Town Square for over 15 years. Herr and his siblings told Keene the truck they use needed $5,000 in repairs. Go to “Keep Kou’s Farm Truck Truckin’” at GoFundMe.com to donate. (At press time, the fundraiser had raised over $4,000.)
THE WHOLE TRUTH: Like everywhere, shoppers in Noe Valley are watching their grocery spending.
At Whole Foods (3950 24th), “We are trying to get away from the ‘whole check’ label,” says Jack Douglas, the Noe Valley store’s head team leader. “That has been stuck on us since we first opened in this neighborhood in 2009.”
Douglas says, “Our prices these days are very competitive with all the grocery stores near this neighborhood, and smart shoppers, which we have in this neighborhood, realize they can save money with our 365 brands of food and household supplies.” He goes on, “Our fruits and vegetables and dairy prices are very reasonable, with large daily sales. The meat and fish department now is very popular, and sales have substantially increased in the past year.” You may notice that the butcher shop in the back has been adorned with all white tiles, and there’s a new mural on the back wall.
“The mural was hand-painted during hours the store is closed,” Douglas says. “We have just finished the remodel of the deli counter, and we gave our staff more space at the Customer Service counter, and we are almost finished with updating our restrooms. We are trying to make the store more customer-friendly.”
In meat and fish sales, “we are close to the top among all Bay Area stores,” he says, “and our sales per square foot in Northern California rank number two, number one being our store at Tam Junction in Mill Valley. Nationwide, I believe, although I am not privy to those rankings, we are in the top 10.”
Douglas also says the store will be running half-off sales during September and into the holiday season.
For all you self-service checkout folks, Douglas’ tip is: “Ask for customer service to scan your discount(s).”
Another tip is to ask to have your order at the meat counter marinaded with one or more of the variety of marinades that are made in house and portioned in the display case.
Thanks, Jack Douglas.
month.
Swing, Pardner : Swing dance lessons at the Town Square attracted 200 people on a misty night in August The weather cleared and the par ty rocked till 9 p m Photo by Ar t Bodner
1709 Broderick St. | Lower Pacific Height
4 BED | 3.5 BATH | $6,500,000 | Single Family Residence
Own a historic Charles Lewis Hinkel residence built in 1883 impeccably renovated in 2019 by world-renowned architect Richard Landry. This Victorian home caters to the most discerning taste with timeless contemporary sophistication, seamlessly integrating period details with modern upgrades. The top floor features a luxurious primary suite designed for utmost comfort: a gas fireplace, window alcove, walk-in closet, and en suite bath. The children's room enchants with inspiring bird wallpaper, creating a sweet haven where imagination takes flight. A guest bedroom overlooking the garden perpetuates the ambiance of relaxation. On the main floor, the living room exudes sophistication with an elegant fireplace as the focal point. A striking custom chef's kitchen, set against an expansive backdrop of a second common room and dining area, further enhances the home's allure. The kitchen boasts a walk-in pantry, gorgeous custom cabinetry, Calacatta Oro countertop island, wine fridge, and state-of-the-art Viking appliances. The lower floor features a versatile room for entertainment or a private guest suite, with a full bath, walk-in closet, den, wet bar, and laundry room. A fitness area is located inside the garage. A picturesque English garden perfects the home's charm.
405 Hill St. | Eureka Valley
3 BED | 4.5 BATH | $3,895,000 | Single Family Residence
Perched overlooking the quiet hills of Noe Valley, 405 Hill Street stands as an opulent residence that graciously boasts modern elegance and timeless architectural charm. Upon entering, you're welcomed by a grand foyer that leads to a bright and inviting living room with a fireplace. Adjacent, a strikingly modern grand dining room is poised to host your next exquisite party. The heart of the home is undoubtedly the chef's kitchen, seamlessly connected to a secondary common room and outfitted with high-end appliances, sleek cabinetry, and expansive countertops it's perfect for culinary adventures and hosting dinner parties. Ascend to the upper level to the primary suite relax by the fireplace, organize your walk-in closet, and indulge in the ensuite bathroom. Two additional bedrooms and a bath are conveniently on this level. The lower level's entertainment room stands ready for everything from casual movie night to a guest suite with accessibility to a full bath. Step outside to your private oasis - a tiered patio, deck with a fire pit perfect for al fresco dining. Nestled in the highly coveted Noe Valley neighborhood, you enjoy close proximity to 24th Street's boutique shops, gourmet restaurants, Whole Foods, Noe Valley Town Square, Dolores Park and the Farmers Market!
530 Douglass St. | Eureka Valley
3 BED | 2 BATH | $2,250,000 | Condominium
530 Douglass occupies the top two levels of a meticulously maintained two-unit building and seamlessly blends modern convenience with sophisticated style. On the main level, you'll find an open, entertaining-friendly layout featuring a living room with a custom fireplace, a spacious dining area, and a gourmet kitchen complete with a large island and stainless steel appliances. This floor also includes two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a convenient laundry room. The upper level is dedicated to the primary bedroom, which highlights cathedral ceilings, an en suite bathroom, a walk-in closet, and sweeping panoramic views. Step outside to the private rooftop deck, perfect for alfresco dining with stunning views of Noe Valley and Sutro Tower. Additional features include large one-car parking and a dedicated storage area.
The Swann Group - meet the whole team:
Rachel Swann
Rachel HooperBryant CovarrubiasDrew Raher
Stop by our office to say hello and see how we can help you with your real estate needs.
