You are browsing the archive for 2009 July.

This Week in Water: Trenches, Chlorination: Lots of water improvements still ongoing…

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

Lots of water improvements still ongoing in District 2! The big news this week is sidewalk-repaving on Vallejo; also chlorination tests for a new main at Broadway and Octavia. And expect excavations at Vallejo between Franklin and Van Ness, Scott between Jackson and Clay, and Clay between Divisadero and Scott. It’s all to bring us faster, better, cleaner, tastier water. Glug. [SF PUC]

On the Market: High Tech in Noe Valley

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

Want to be able to impress guests? Or at least try to? Then this 4-bed, 2.5-bath in Noe Valley might be right for you. Coming in at 2,212 square feet and $1,299,000, this condo recently went through a crazed remodel where all sorts of bells and whistles were added. Imagine this scenario: you walk into your friend’s new place and he’s like “hey let’s watch some TV, hehehe.” Not understanding what the big deal is, you inquire why he’s chuckling. “LOOK!” he screams, as the less than interesting art above the fireplace starts to fold up to reveal a freakin’ television underneath it!!!! High tech, people, it’s what makes a condo a home. In addition to the living room, the open floor plan on the main level is home to a beige and black kitchen and dining room with cove lighting (??). Shuffle upstairs and the master bedroom is tricked out with all sorts of wacky finishes, especially a curved wall that’s covered in what appears to be a metal wall finish. Everything else is what you’d expect from recently remodeled digs: zebra wood, brushed metal hardware, etc. The condo also has exclusive access to a private, landscaped yard, so you can do your nude sunbathing in peace.
· 168 Duncan [Redfin]

More Evil from CitiApartments: SFAppeal has been publishing horror stories…

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

SFAppeal has been publishing horror stories from CitiApartments renters. And oh, the horror! The latest? If you have a heart attack and fall down on the ground- breaking your toilet in the process- you have to fix it yourself, even if it’s been detached from the wall. I mean, who can’t attach a toilet back to the wall? Oh, that’s right, pretty much everyone. But that’s not all! The same renter stated that both of the elevators in the building have been out of order for over three months… (and) the elevator permits expired in February of 2007. Fantastic! [SFAppeal]

"Orange Alley" Rhymes With "Lovely Murals"

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

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Did you check out this weekend’s party in Orange Alley? It sounds like it was a blast. BBQ foods, hosted by the Receiver art agency/gallery, with the walls declared open canvas space to all interested comers — how could a weekend get any more San Francisco?

Orange Alley, if you’re unfamiliar, is an interesting laboratory: as the theory goes, murals serve as a graffiti-deterrent, so filling an alley with murals will chase away the irritating kids with sharpies who want to get famous by writing down their cute little nicknames over and over like the entire city is their Trapper-Keeper. Will it work? Well, if nothing else, the alley looks much nicer. A street-view tour from before the art went up shows a lot of blah beige, and plenty of typically ugly graffiti. And now OA is become an exciting secret destination for art-lovers (of course it’s on Facebook), so the added foot-traffic alone should keep out the undesirables. Only time will tell if it’ll last.

· Local Art News: Orange Alley San Francisco [Never Stop Seeing]
· I Heart Street Art: Murals Vs. Graffiti [SF Weekly]
· Orange Alley BBQ and Mural Painting Party [Mission Mission]

Pipes Ahoy!: We do so love a…

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

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We do so love a good pipe. This Wednesday and Thursday, some more GIGANTIC water pipes will be delivered to the Tesla Water Treatment Facility construction site near Tracy. As you’ll recall, the new $114 million facility will replace the 70-year-old water treatment plant that currently serves SF. Seventy years old! We just can’t get over that. Seventy! Anyway, get a load of those pipes, by God. [Hetch Hetchy Water System Improvement Program]

Friday PM Linkage

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

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["Lonely Evenings," courtesy Flickr user serge s.]

· Get Your Car-Free Zone On [Sunday Streets]
· Twitter Co-founder Tweets About Listing Home [Twitter]
· Get Informed About Getting Engaged [IKnowWhatImDoing]
· Plaza to Take Over Insane Intersection [SF Streets Blog]
· Housing Comparison Outside of City [SF Gate]
· Goggle Statues Vandalized, the Horror! [SF Appeal]

Leaving SF: Can it, Should it be Done?: The Front Steps reminds us what…

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

The Front Steps reminds us what awaits outside of SF: the real estate may be temptingly cheap, but according to the post, it’s also far easier to live a fat, lazy, uncultured life. We’re not so sure about that: we find it perfectly easy to be lazy and uncultured right here in the city. The fat part, of course, is a little harder, thanks to all those fucking hills. [The Front Steps]

Golden Gate Park Museums Cast as Odd Couple

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

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["California Academy of Sciences," by Peter Kaminsky]

In a recent Fast Company article, Ken Carbone compares the dueling personalities of The Academy of Sciences (inviting) and the de Young (imposing). Actually, the headline goes much further (maybe he didn’t write the headline?): the Academy of “Life” and the de Young is “Lifeless.” Zing!

Other architects have had similar things to say, though they’ve reached different conclusions. Randy Nishimura recently wrote that while the Academy looks outward and the de Young looks inward, he was surprised to find that he preferred the de Young, since it was more sculptural and authored. Is the de Young a museum that only an architect could love?

“The real winner is Golden Gate Park,” Ken writes, “it provides a neutral DMZ between the two institutional combatants.” Yes, all is quiet in the neutral zone … until Renzo Piano finishes constructing his elaborate glass trebuchet.

· Architecture in Golden Gate Park: A Matter of Life and Lifeless [Fast Company]
· Renzo Piano-Architect of California Academy of Sciences [YouTube]
· San Francisco Walkabout [SW Oregon Architect]

Why Are Victorians?: Nifty article in one of the…

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

Nifty article in one of the Examiners about our most precious natural resource: Victorians. Why are they called “Victorians”? The answer may surprise you! As it turns out, Queen Victoria personally constructed every single house in San Francisco, and that’s why we’re so fussy about preserving them. [An Examiner]

2830 Pacific Scoop: Still Not Sold, But Leased With An Option To Buy

July 17, 2009 in Uncategorized

A few days ago 2830 Pacific was the poster child of a Bloomberg piece on the flagging upper end of San Francisco’s real estate market. As previously noted on SocketSite, the 2009 Decorator Showcase home was originally asking $15,500,000…