My Changing Neighborhood(s): lower Polk

Showing posts with label lower Polk. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

UPCOMING EVENT – FIRST THURSDAY ART WALK

There is now an art walk thru the lower Polk and Tenderloin happening every first Thursday.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

UPDATED NEIGHBORHOOD HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS 2018

No sooner do I post a blog bemoaning the dearth of Halloween decorations in my neighborhood than I get out and about in the late afternoon and come across not only an unexpectedly gentle Halloween mural at the corner of Geary and Larkin

but a decorated store across the street.

I also soon realize there were more decorations ion Polk Street than I thought.

Even a local church got into the spirit of things,

passing out candy to passersby.

Later this morning I hear from a friend at work about how there was a Halloween block festival around Polk and Green in Russian Hill.

So, it appears people were much more into the holiday spriti than I realized.

I really need to get out more.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

LAST MEAL AT LITTLE HENRY'S

Little Henry's, an Italian restaurant that opened in 1983 by an Asian immigrant (at least that's the story I heard; I'm unable to verify this, though)

served its last meal on Friday, August 31.

The meals weren't haute cuisine, but they were decent and affordable and the food always covered the plate.

For anywhere from $12 - 20 you got a main dish plus vegetables, a side of spaghetti or rigatoni with meat sauce, soup or salad and bread.

Plus,if you were feeling especially flush, you could buy a bottle of the house wine for $15.

Diners at Little Henry's

It's last day was Friday, August 31. When I asked why they were closing, and was told that they were retiring.

I have no idea what's next for the restaurant itself, or the building on the corner of Post and Larkin, but I do know that Little Henry's will be missed.

Friday, July 13, 2018

OLD NEIGHBORHOOD, NEW BOUNDARY

I published a blog recently on June 1 (“Where I Live –June 2018”) where I said the southern boundary of my neighborhood (known as mid-Polk/Polk Street/Polkstrasse, etc.) was O’Farrell Street.

About a week ago I happened to get involved in a conversation with two of the new millennial residents who lived in the neighborhood. To them, Sutter Street was the boundary where another neighborhood (lower Polk) began. The general sentiment was, the further south of Sutter one went, the more it became a different neighborhood.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized this was true. South of Sutter mid-Polk becomes Lower Polk. Their boundary was more up-to-date than mine.

So, this is an update to the June 1, 2018 blog mentioned above. The current southern boundary of my neighborhood, is Sutter and Polk (like I'm the final arbiter of this).

Sutter at Polk, looking south to lower Polk

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

MURAL OF FRIENDLY ALIENS

This is one of my favorite murals in my neighborhood.

S & B Grocery and Liquor Store, 1012 Post Street

I like it because was done before murals were Art or Statements, but just ways to make a blank wall more interesting.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS – MAYES PROTEST

About a dozen of these postcards were left in the lobby of my building earlier this week.

This blog has no opinion about this matter one way or the other.

That being said, the hearing is scheduled for Thursday, December 14 at 1:00 p.m. City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlet Place, Room 400.

Friday, November 10, 2017

NEIGHBORHOOD OPENINGS 2017 (#12 in a series) – KUMA SUSHI + SAKE

Kuma Sushi + Sake, a Japanese sushi restaurant, opened recently at 1040 Polk Street.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

POLK STREET CONSTRUCTION

Polk Street between Pine and California has been undergoing construction since August.

New sewer pipes are being put in and the road re-paved.

Similar construction recently started on the stretch of Polk between Sutter and Post.

This has made commuting and driving more difficult and time-consuming during the daytime on Polk, since that's when everyone is working.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

NEIGHBORHOOD HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS 2017

Thursday, October 26, 2017

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS 2017– SAN FRANCISCO: ITS HISTORY AND ITS DIVERSITY

Six new murals, begun in Hemlock Alley between Polk and Larkin earlier this year,

have been completed. They were officially unveiled on September 6.

The six murals were done by the following artists: Dray, Ali Futrell, Will Durkee and Marcus Lee, Marina Perez-Wong and Elaine Chu and Mel Waters, Yukako Ezoe and Naoki Onodera.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

NEW DOOR, OLD WINDOWS

The outside of The Baldwin, a run-down apartment building at 1036 Polk currently being remodeled into upscale units.

Monday, July 17, 2017

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS 2017– DEATH'S HEAD SPIDER, HEMLOCK ALLEY

This new mural recently appeared on the side of the Hemlock Tavern located at 1131 Polk Street. It's visible in Hemlock Alley.

Monday, June 27, 2016

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS 2016 – UNTITLED, BACK WALL, MITCHELL BROS. THEATER (#6 in a series)

This new mural appeared last week on the back wall of the Mitchell Bros. Theater at O'Farrell and Polk.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS – CAT MURAL, HEMLOCK ALLEY (#13 in series)

Recently painted, it can be seen at the intersection of Polk and Hemlock Alley.

Monday, February 23, 2015

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS – LEO (#12 in series)

Painted within the last month on the wall of House of Thai Restaurant at 901 Larkin. I don't know if Leo is the artist's name or the name of the painting.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

NEIGHBORHOOD MURALS 2015 – THIS LOVE IS SILENT (#11 in a series)

Around 940-944 Geary between Larkin and Polk

Artist: Tarek Benaoum, 2014.

Friday, February 6, 2015

NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSINGS 2015 – FRENCHY’S ADULT BOOKSTORE (#2 in a series)

Before OneTaste, before Good Vibrations, before everyone began making their own pornography and the internet, there was Frenchy’s Adult Bookstore.

Opened at Post and Polk over 35 years ago, when that part of the City was much seedier than now, it was just where an adult bookstore should be.

Times have changed and while this Frenchy’s has bit the dust, the business model is still good and continues at three other locations in the City.