NEIGHBORHOOD DESTRUCTION

Things change fast.

When I last walked by the corner of Clay and Larkin at the beginning of March, the old Methodist church was still standing.

[photo from socketsite.com]

Last week, a friend of mine mentioned that the church had been demolished. And so it has.

In its place will arise the apartment building shown below.

[photo from socketsite.com]

If the picture above is any indication, it looks like more high-end housing for the two-tiered city.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/30/14

MEMORIAL DAY SIDEWALK

Yesterday evening I was walking down Market Street toward the Embarcadero taking photos of the current murals 

Market between 6th and 7th

when this chalk drawing on the sidewalk near 6th and Market caught my eye.

Somebody remembered.


Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/28/14

HAUNTERS AT THE BUS STOP

Tech workers waiting for their buses at Van Ness and Pine

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/27/14

NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSINGS 2014 (#2 in a series)

Main Luggage Repair at 1553 Polk Street, is closing due to a huge increase in rent, necessitating a successful business having to re-locate elsewhere.

Happily, Main Luggage will be staying on Polk Street.

Across the street at 1542 Polk, City Discounts has also lost its lease and is closing after 29 years on Polk, 14 of them in their present location.

Another long-time neighborhood fixture, Polk Street Hair Design, closed after the owner died last year.

And finally, after a 7-year run, Body Equations, a Pilates studio at 1317 Pine Street, has closed.

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Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/25/14

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS (#2 in a series)

This is Sagan's 1-Hour Valeteria (aka Sagan's Drive-In Cleaners) at the southeast corner of Post & Larkin. I don't know how long they've been open, but I've lived in this part of the City over 30 years and can't remember a time when they weren't here. 

Last weekend while walking down Larkin Street, I saw that a mural had been painted on the western side.

The longer I looked at it, the more I liked it. Instead of using the white wall as a canvas, the artist

uses a design of interlocking loops that bring out the white, so to speak. The white wall becomes a part of the painting instead of its background.

It's not a mural that's best observed from a car. It's best viewed from the sidewalk, where a person has more time to take it all in. So, next time you're in this part of the neighborhood on foot, stop by and take a look. 

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/22/14

NEIGHBORHOOD OPENINGS 2014 (#5 in a series) – MARINE LAYER

Marine Layer, a clothing company out of Portland, OR, has opened up a store and workshop in the old Lumiere Theater complex at 1572 California Street between Polk and Larkin. 

This marks their 3rd store opening in San Francisco (the other two being in the Marina and Hayes Valley) and 6th overall. More about Marine Layer can be found on their website by clicking here: marinelayer.com

Marine Layer store greeting in chiclet tile

What was once the lobby has been converted into a small store

with the ticket booth serving as a display window.

The space where the three movie theaters used to be has been transformed into a workshop

where they design their clothing, all of which is made here at their factory located at Mission and South Van Ness.

This is the second store selling new clothing to open up in the neighborhood this year (the other being Smith at the northwest corner of Clay and Polk).

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Copyright © by Chris Enquist xx/xx/14

SIDEWALK SAYINGS -- ASIAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION (#6 in a series)

One of the things I like about living in San Francisco are the sayings and drawings people have scratched and  painted here and there in the sidewalks.

Today's post is in honor of Asian Heritage Celebration, which is taking place today in the Little Saigon area of the Tenderloin.

East side Larkin Street between Sutter and Post, across from Olivo's

South side Geary between Larkin and Polk

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/17/14

CONTEMPORARY SIGNS OF DISCONTENT (#4 in a series)

Was the below drawing done by:

Drawing on wall on Larkin Street, since erased

                  (a) Unhappy SF resident, or

                  (b) Disgruntled Google employee?

You decide.


Copyright © by Chris Enquist 513/14

NEIGHBORHOOD MOTHER’S DAY

San Francisco is said to be a city with more dogs than children.

That may be. In my neighborhood, however, many of the new residents are couples with children. So, in honor of Mother’s Day, here are some photographs of neighborhood moms. Some were taken with permission; others weren’t, but all were taken respectfully.

To moms everywhere: may you all raise non-fubar adults.

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/11/14

SIDEWALK SAYINGS (#5 in a series)

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

This was scrawled into wet cement by some scalawag a few years back. I’d gone past it for years and only noticed it last week. Its timeliness remains.

east side Polk  around 156-48, between  California and Sacramento 

Sfgov.com

Copyright © by Chris Enquist 5/5/14

HAVE YOU SEEN WASTEFACE?

 Wasteface was here

north side of Pine between Jones and Leavenworth

and here

 north side Bush between Van Ness and Polk

and here

8th Street between Market and Mission

and here

trashcan outside Blur on Polk between Sutter and Post

for now.


Copyright © by Chris Enquist  5/2/14