SIDEWALK SAYINGS #2

Northwest corner of Sacramento and Hyde Streets

The tragedy of sidewalk dyslexia.

Copyright © 3-2-14 by Chris Enquist

CONTEMPORARY SIGNS OF DISCONTENT (#1 in a series)

All photographs taken late last thursday, february 13, 2014, on 10th Street between Market and Mission.

BELATED VALENTINE’S DAY BLOG – HOMELESS HEART

 During the week I sometimes walk past the intersection of Market and Van Ness Streets.

On the north side of Market Street heading towards the Castro, there’s a chain-link fence that for several months had one section covered by knotted red ribbons and yellow locks.

Earlier this week, someone re-arranged the ribbons around the yellow locks into a heart. I call it Homeless Heart, because of the destitute people who normally  can be seen on that stretch of Market.

I asked a man sitting on a milk crate with his back reading a newspaper if he knew anything about who re-tied the ribbons into the shape of a heart. He thought it was a girl, but he wasn't sure.

Whoever it was, thank you.

WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO # 2

One of the many reasons I like living in my neighborhood (middle Polk Street) are the signs and window decorations of the local store owners. The window display featured today is from Discount Grocers.

     It’s basically a corner market that ended up on Polk Street between Bush and Sutter. Go figure.    Anyway, Discount Grocers often has holiday windows; these celebrate Valentine’s Day.

WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE I DO #1

One of the many reasons I like living in my neighborhood (middle Polk Street) are the signs and window decorations of the local store owners. The one featured today, currently on view at Royal Liquors at the corner of Pine and Polk, is a personal/local shout-out to Liz and John, who are getting married this coming Sunday, February 16.

It’s corny, I know. Small town. Like I said, it’s one of the reasons I like living where I do.

 

RAINY WEEKEND PARTY CROWD AND GOOD BUS MANNERS

Last Saturday walking my dogs while it was still only drizzling, I came across a group of well-off young people departing for a weekend party boarding a chartered bus.

It wasn’t a stretch or prejudice to assume they were well-off. First of all, this was a chartered bus, which meant the people boarding it either (a) worked for a company that paid for their transportation and overnight lodging somewhere or (b) the people boarding pitched in and paid for it themselves. Also, many probably lived in the neighborhood, where the average apartment rent is currently over $2,500 per month.

The mostly-white crowd was boisterous and happy, already having a good time before the bus even departed.

‘Where are you going?’ I asked out loud to the crowd in general.

‘Someplace accessible only by bus,’ a man replied. I laughed.

Alll the faces I saw were young, smiling, enjoying themselves, and why not? This is their moment. They were, at least for this weekend, on top of the world.

Finally, everyone was on board except for the driver.

Before they departed, I noticed the bus was parked outside the MUNI bus stop, instead of inside. Points for that, ExecutivƎ charter bus.

EPHEMERAL SIDEWALK DRAWING

 This signed chalk drawing appeared on the sidewalk last week, near the corner of Hyde and Pine. It’s gone now, washed away in the weekend rain.   

SIDEWALK SAYINGS (#1 in a series)

One of the things I like about living in my neighborhood are the sayings and drawings scratched and  painted here and there in the sidewalks.

This one seems appropriate for today:

on north side of Bush between Polk and Larkin Streets

Haven’t had one of those in quite awhile. Hopefully, we’ll have a few more.