CVIA Blog
news from Victorian Alliance
Throughout October: DISCOVER THE NEIGHBORHOODS in self-guided tours for 3 significant San Francisco neighborhoods: Pacific Heights, Haight Ashbury, and the Western Addition at Alamo Square. Discover and rediscover these neighborhoods as you walk about. Enjoy the feeling of “place.” Here’s the link for the Haight Ashbury tour.
news from San Francisco Heritage
Join SF Heritage at the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair
The 43rd Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is taking place on Sunday, October 16, 2022, from 11:00 AM -5:30 PM on Haight Street between Masonic and Stanyan. San Francisco Heritage will have a booth at this popular annual event, which showcases art, live music, and variety of local vendors. Look for giveaways and sign-ups for two free afternoon tours of our historic Doolan-Larson Residence, located at the iconic corner of Haight & Ashbury.
MCCLA Now in SF Heritage's 1506 Haight Street Gallery
San Francisco Heritage is excited to be hosting the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) at our pop-up gallery at 1506 Haight Street in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15, 2022), as well as a special window display and celebration of Dia de los Muertos on November 1. Be sure to stop by the gallery to learn more about the history of the MCCLA and to celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture.
Please take our brief neighborhood survey
Greetings, Cole Valley and Haight Ashbury neighbors!
Please take 5 minutes to take our survey and let us know what issues are important to you. For 30 years, CVIA has worked to improve the Cole Valley and Haight Ashbury neighborhoods. Populations have changed and issues have changed. We need to know what you think so that we can prioritize our efforts. And please pass it on to other neighbors. The results will be published later on cviasf.org and in the CVIA News.
Thank you so much.
Cole Valley & Haight Ashbury Resident Survey
Regards,
CVIA Board
Cole Valley Fair - September 25 10 am to 5 pm
Looking forward to seeing you at the Fair on Sunday, September 25 from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Sunset Mercantile is organizing the fair this year and would love some local volunteers. Click here to volunteer
Club Deluxe will stay!
Dear Friends & Neighbors,
I’m writing to share some good news – after an all-day mediation on Monday, an agreement was reached between the owner of longtime Upper Haight establishment Club Deluxe and property owner Veritas Investments, allowing the jazz and blues club to remain in its home of more than 33 years.
Our community faced the potential of a tremendous loss with the closure of Club Deluxe. I am incredibly grateful that all parties came to the table to keep the doors open and we were able to hammer out a deal. It was true before, but even more so as we emerge from the pandemic – our arts and our artists are what make San Francisco, San Francisco. Long live Club Deluxe!
In early August, Club Deluxe notified patrons and musicians that the venue would soon be closing due ongoing disagreements about past and future rent. As with many venues citywide, Club Deluxe had experienced significant pandemic hardship, shutting down for a significant period in 2020 and periodically ever since, with waves of COVID variants disrupting their once bustling destination.
Our office then intervened, urging property owner Veritas and the Club Deluxe owner to restart lease negotiations that had derailed. Negotiations resumed in the days that followed. On Monday this week, we brought parties to the table for a City Hall mediation. Six-and-a-half hours later, a deal was struck.
The resolution was made possible in part by our groundbreaking law, passed in July 2021, to waive certain pandemic-related back rent for small businesses. For the period that a small business was fully shut down by COVID health orders, the law effectively waived back rent during that time. Despite a challenge by landlord lobbyists, the law was upheld by a Superior Court judge in April 2022.
In addition, with support from Supervisor Preston and SF Heritage, Club Deluxe is applying to be added to the city’s Legacy Business Registry, which recognizes long-term small businesses in San Francisco, and provides benefits to businesses and their landlords to encourage long-term stability. On Tuesday, our office submitted a letter formally nominating Club Deluxe to become a Legacy Business, and we look forward to guiding them through the process to be added to the Legacy Business registry.
Club Deluxe is a one of a kind live music venue in the heart of the Haight Ashbury. It’s a gathering spot, a place where people share community, and join together in what makes us human. I am proud that we could help forge a path to keep the music going.
Sincerely,
Dean Preston
Share your feedback with SFMTA and enter to win a $50 Clipper Card
Your Voice Is Needed!
Share your feedback with SFMTA and enter to win a $50 Clipper Card
SFMTA Public Participation and Language Access Survey
The SFMTA is reviewing how we conduct public outreach and engagement, collect and use feedback in agency decisions, and best meet the needs of all of our customers and community members. We want to hear directly from you on what’s working and where we can improve. Please take five minutes to complete this survey – available in multiple languages below - and enter to win a $50 Clipper Card.
Thank you for your time and participation. Please share with your networks!
CVIA Members’ Summer Social on August 27, 1-4 P.M.
The Summer Social and Annual General Meeting will be at Finnegan’s Wake with food catered from Say Cheese. Our special guest is District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
Please RSVP to cviasf@aol.com so that we will be sure to have enough food, wine and beer at the ready.
$10 per person at the door. Your guests are welcome too.
National Night Out on August 2, 5-7pm at Duboce Park
Hello Park District Residents,
Join us in Celebrating National Night Out (NNO) 2022!
On Tuesday, August 2nd, neighborhoods throughout San Francisco are being invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the 39th Annual National Night Out: “America’s Night Out Against Crime.” NNO, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored locally by the San Francisco Police Department and our prevention non-profit Safety Awareness for Everyone (SF SAFE), will involve over 16,400 communities from all 50 states, US territories, Canadian cities, and military bases around the world.
NNO is designed to: heighten crime prevention and community resilience awareness, generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts, strengthen police-community partnerships, and to send the message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
From 5-7PM on August 2nd, residents in neighborhoods throughout the Park District are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights, and to spend their time in community with neighbors, families, merchants, and public safety professionals from SF SAFE, SFPD, SFFD, SF Recreation and Parks, the Department of Emergency Management, Park Station’s Community/Police Advisory Board, and others at Duboce Park (50 Duboce Avenue).
Park Station Captain Jim Hart
CVIA Revised Bylaws
The CVIA board revised our bylaws to reflect the way we do business. We will ask for your approval at the Summer Social / General Membership Meeting on August 27. Important changes include
designation of membership categories where non-residents can become members but not serve on the board or vote
votes by the board can be taken via email
there can be up to 15 board members
Eat Local - join the CVIA in supporting our local restaurants!
Dear CVIA Members,
The Cole Valley Improvement Association wishes you and your family a very happy and healthy New Year. CVIA would like to thank each member for your continued support. In the spirit of gratitude and new possibilities, CVIA is asking all members to make a New Year’s resolution to support our local restaurants by ordering some delicious takeout. To show CVIA's commitment, we are sending all member households a $10 coupon to spend at local restaurants. Please note, this one-time, $10 coupon will expire on February 14, 2021. Please feel free to pass the coupon on if you can’t use it.
The coupon will be good for take-out purchased in-person at the participating restaurants* which include Bambinos, CreoLA, Crepes on Cole, Ice Cream Bar, Ino Vino, Kezar Bar & Restaurant, La Boulangerie de San Francisco, Padrecito, Reverie, Wooden Coffee and Zazie. CVIA will reimburse the restaurants for all coupons used.
If you post a photo of yourself to CVIA's Facebook page, CVIA will donate a $5 bonus to the restaurant. When you collect your food, post a selfie to our Facebook page including yourself, the coupon, and the restaurant. CVIA will then increase the value by $5 for a $15 reimbursement to the restaurant. We encourage you to also tag the restaurants where possible!
Like your own cooking but still want to support the local restaurants? Send us a tax-deductible donation and we’ll distribute the funds to the restaurants. You can easily donate via our website specifically for this cause or you can send a check to us (PO Box 170611, San Francisco, CA 94117) with an indication it’s for COVID restaurant help.
Our restaurants are suffering badly, now more than ever. The best way to support them is to continue to patronize them. We need to intentionally support our restaurants to help them survive the pandemic. One final request - please consider adding a generous tip if it's not already included in the bill. For many, this gratuity may be a lifeline.
If you have any questions about the program, please send them to board@cviasf.org.
730 Stanyan Developers hosting community meeting on August 20
Joint developers Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) are hosting a Community Meeting about the 730 Stanyan development for permanent affordable housing on August 20, 2020 at 6pm via Zoom.
The deadline for registration and submitting questions is this Friday, August 14, 2020 at 6pm.
Register to attend:
Go to www.730Stanyan.org.
Scroll down to Upcoming Events.
Register your name and email.
You will receive a confirmation to the email address you registered with and it will include a second link to register for the meeting on Zoom.
Click that link and enter your name, email address, mailing address, Zip code and preferred language.
Click Register and you will be provided with the Zoom meeting link to save in your calendar.
Those who do not have internet access can register by phone at 415-935-3135.
Submit questions prior to the event
The developers have requested that questions are submitted in advance of the Zoom meeting. Information about how to submit questions is provided once registered.
2020 Cole Valley Fair Update
A Message from the Cole Valley Fair Organizers
To our Cole Valley Fair Community,
We hope everyone has been staying safe and healthy over the last six weeks, it's been quite the adventure. We have been following all of the information and guidelines about COVID-19 from the city, state and national authorities over the last few months, and wow, there's a lot of updates!
After careful consideration, extensive conversations and the amount of uncertainty as we move forward, we believe the right thing to do for all of our vendors, volunteers, local businesses, musicians and attendees is to skip this year's Cole Valley Fair.
We want you to know we did not make this decision lightly or quickly. We believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved to wait until 2021 to hold such a large scale gathering in person to ensure the Fair is safe and successful for everyone involved.
But don’t be too sad just yet, we are hard at work on finding ways to still connect in a virtual way. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.
We are so grateful for everyone who supports the Fair each and every year and we cannot wait to be back wandering down Cole Street, seeing all of the amazing artists creations, eating delicious food, listening to the incredible musicians and checking out the unique cars of our neighbors.
We hope everyone stays safe and healthy and here’s to an outstanding Cole Valley Fair in 2021, we can’t wait to see you!
Erica Kajdasz,
Cole Valley Fair Organizer ; Co-owner Lavation & MIDLINE
Website: http://colevalleyfair.com/
Tent Encampments
Recently, neighbors have reported that tents and tent encampments have begun appearing in the area. In particular, the encampment near Waller and Shrader Streets has garnered a great deal of attention. Since the appearance of tents on sidewalks is rare in our neighborhood, and in light of increased concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in public spaces, we wanted to update our members and the greater community on the situation, including ways to get the homeless individuals into a designated and organized space where it’s easier to ensure social distancing, offer services and (hopefully) be fast-tracked into hotel rooms.
Summary
Local homeless advocates have been distributing tents for those living on the street in the Upper Haight.
There is no designated location for these tents.
SFPD expects there to be increases in tents and encampments in the coming weeks and months.
The City, including SFPD, is not confiscating tents or asking homeless people to relocate.
The City is asking homeless people to maintain social distancing and refrain from illegal activities.
Residents are encouraged to report encampments to 311 so that they may be identified and the City can arrange for social services, trash pickup, sidewalk cleaning, etc.
Proposed Solution: The Cole Valley Improvement Association is proposing that the blacktop space and basketball courts in the Panhandle Park be made available as a temporary sanctioned tent site during the shelter in place, and is reaching out to Buena Vista Neighborhood Association and Haight Ashbury Improvement Association to ask for their support.
Background
In late March, local homeless advocates and the Homeless Youth Alliance began collecting tents for distribution to people living on the street. These advocates made public requests for tents and distributed them in the greater Upper Haight. To our knowledge, there was no plan or coordinated effort with the City for where these tents would be set up. As a result, they’ve been increasingly appearing on residential streets, such as Waller.
City Response
During this pandemic, the number of available shelter beds for the homeless has dwindled. Thankfully, the City recently announced that it will purchase over 7,000 hotel rooms (with talks to increase to 8,500) to house front-line workers and homeless people, but it will take some time for the logistics to be worked out and homeless people moved into the rooms (if they voluntarily agree to do so).
Captain Renee Pagano of Park Station confirmed that her officers have received increased reports of tent encampments, which is a new development as SFPD historically has very rarely received reports of tents on the sidewalk in our area. Since the tents are continuing to be handed out, she expects residents will see “significantly more tents showing up” in the coming weeks and months. Captain Pagano also shared that her officers are not confiscating tents or asking people to move.
Until further notice, SFPD Park Station officers and other City agencies are adhering to the guidelines provided by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing in conjunction with the Healthy Street Operations Center, which includes the rules below. This is to improve public health and safety during the shelter in place.
Do not take or remove tents.
SFPD may still address criminal activity in encampments.
The City should collect garbage at encampments.
Ask people to stay one per tent and keep tents six feet apart.
Educate people on COVID-19 and distribute a laminated flyer that was provided.
If residents have tents set up near their homes, please report it to 311 so that it may be catalogued and the City can organize resources such as social services and trash pickup, and call the SFPD non-emergency line (415-553-0123) if you witness illegal activities.
Neighborhood Reaction
The residents of our neighborhoods are not indifferent to the plight of people experiencing homelessness, especially during a pandemic. Our neighborhood has a long history with this subject matter, with opinions ranging from unequivocal support to lending help while emphasizing personal responsibility to strict law-and-order. Reactions to these new encampments have been mixed, with many of those that live closest to the encampments understandably being the most frustrated. Neighbors have reported issues such as lack of social distancing, public drug/alcohol use, urine/feces and other ancillary behavior.
For many, these encampments are intimidating and disruptive, especially in times of a pandemic and “shelter in place.” One family in particular noted that the sidewalk outside their home was their daughter’s only reprise from being inside all day because they have no backyard, but now their daughter is too afraid to play on their sidewalk outside their home because of the encampment. For seniors confined to a few local blocks due to mobility issues, this issue is even more pressing since those in the encampments have typically not been practicing social distancing.
Response from Supervisor Preston
Despite presumed good intentions from Homeless Youth Alliance and other homeless advocates, the distribution of tents without any plan for where they would be located has had the effect of solving one problem by creating a different one -- and forcing some residents to shoulder the consequences of well-intentioned (but potentially problematic) tent donations during an already difficult time. Earlier this year, Supervisor Dean Preston presented the Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA) with an official commendation from the City, and has long supported their efforts and those of other homeless advocates in our area.
We reached out to Supervisor Preston Thursday morning (April 9) to discuss this situation and seek his help. Although he has not yet responded to our urgent request, we intend to ask him the following questions:
Do you condone the distribution of these tents when there was no plan for where they would go?
If yes, will you take responsibility for current and future tent encampments (after the shelter in place concludes) in the Upper Haight where historically there hasn't been tents on the sidewalks?
How will you ensure that our neighborhood will not experience the negative side effects that have historically plagued encampments elsewhere in the City, such as loose trash, drug paraphernalia, feces, urine and criminal behavior?
If neighbors experience problems with those living in tents in front of their homes, how would you suggest they respond?
Proposed Solution
Background
Historically, on issues such as these, CVIA has taken a compassionate while pragmatic approach. That being said, even our own best intentions have not always succeeded. For example, in 2018 we provided a sizable donation (as well as several Cole Hardware gift cards) to the non-profit Taking It To The Streets SF, to help support their work of helping homeless young people in the Upper Haight move out of homelessness. Unfortunately, we were informed the following year that this organization was shut down by the City for “doing things they shouldn’t have been doing,” which is what we were told by then-supervisor Vallie Brown.
That is to say that even the best of intentions (including our own) are sometimes fraught. Recently, advocates have espoused the idea that we should “just provide anything” for homeless people, like a tent. However, without having somewhere safe for these tents to be placed, there is a burden placed on a subset of people who have to shoulder the consequences of having a tent encampment outside their home. We feel it is important to remain calm and make responsible decisions, especially when long-term impacts must be carefully considered.
Proposal
In light of the proliferation of tents in our neighborhood during this pandemic, coupled with the lack of social distancing and ancillary negative behavior witnessed thus far at encampments, we will be working with the City on the proposal below, and will be reaching out to the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association and Buena Vista Neighborhood Association for support.
Designate the blacktop area of the Panhandle Park, including the basketball courts, a temporary designated site for homeless people in tents until there is a room available for them at one of the City services.
While there are multiple potential locations, this one is ideal because (1) it’s already located near a public restroom, (2) it’s bound by two major thoroughfares (Fell and Oak) and removed from essential neighborhood services with heavy foot traffic, such as a grocery store, (3) it’s only a three minute walk to the corner of Haight & Ashbury, thus being close enough to areas with high homelessness for social workers to potentially convince this population to join the site, (4) its accessible to the Upper Haight, Lower Haight and NOPA, and (5) its location mitigates any potential negative “quality of life” side effects. There are other potential sites we would like to discuss with the City as well.
The former McDonald’s lot at 730 Stanyan was also considered, however, we do not believe that is a viable location for a number of reasons. Given that this is the site of permanent new affordable housing, which has been given priority construction, and the uncertainty regarding how long any tent encampment site might remain open after the shelter in place is lifted, we don’t believe selecting this location warrants potentially delaying the production of the 100% affordable housing development. Additionally, this location is in a high-traffic area that is more densely populated than the blacktop area of the Panhandle, as well as its very close proximity to the area’s largest grocery store.
*****
If you have any questions about this information, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Cole Valley Improvement Association at board@cviasf.org. Also, we encourage you to reach out to Supervisor Preston at Dean.Preston@sfgov.org.
Stay safe, everyone.
Supporting Our Merchants During the “Shelter in Place”
Updated as of June 11, 2020
One of Cole Valley’s greatest charms is that it has so many small, wonderful businesses — and don’t we want them to stay open after the “shelter in place” ends?
Our merchants have been hit especially hard by the impacts of the coronavirus, but there are ways you can support them during these challenging times.
The Cole Valley Improvement Association has reached out to the merchants and collected the ways you can help support the businesses that are closed, as well as information regarding businesses that are operating at a limited capacity.
Please help our local businesses stay afloat!
Cole Valley Businesses are open
Accelerate Sports Performance, American Cyclery, Bambino's Ristorante, Beit Rima, Cole Cleaners, Cole Hardware, Cole Valley Pets, CreoLa, Crepes on Cole, Dasluz, Dignity Health-GoHealth Urgent Care, Finnegans Wake, Gamble + Design, Ice Cream Bar, Ino Vino, Kamekyo, Kezar Bar & Restaurant (closed for renovation), Kezar Pizzetta, La Boulangerie de San Francisco, Lavande, LiveFitGym, Luke's Local, Mane Attraction, MARJANG Architecture, Padrecito, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Pharmaca, Postal Chase, Reverie, Say Cheese, SF Bikes, Sunny Country, Sword & Rose, Taboun, Val de Cole, Vierra & Friends, Walgreen's, Wooden, Zazie
Closed Businesses in 2020
Accelerate Sports Performance
Hours: Closed (but online services are available)
Ways to Help: Anyone can sign up for a membership in advance here to use at a later date: (basically credit going forward). We are offering 100% digital training for new existing and new members to do in their home via Training Slate. You can sign up for that here.
Finnegans Wake
Hours: Closed
Ways to Help: If anyone would like to support our bartenders during this time, we have created a Go Fund Me. You can also purchase 32oz, 16oz, or 8oz mason jars of our Award Winning Bloody Mary Mix for pick-up at Reverie.
Kezar Bar & Restaurant
Hours: Closed
Phone: 415-681-7678
Online Store for Pickup (the website has periodic offerings, but will appears as a broken link when there is no offering)
Ways to Help: You can purchase gift cards and we have a Go Fund Me that goes 100% to employees of Kezar. We will also offer occasional offers on our online store.
Lavande
Hours: Closed
Ways to Help: You can donate to our Go Fund Me page, which goes 100% to our team. Another way to help is to buy a Lavande gift card by texting us at 415-323-6909.
Live Fit Gym
Hours: Closed
Due to San Francisco requiring all non-essential businesses to shut down operations because of COVID-19, starting March, 16th 2020 all Live Fit Gym and Wellness locations will be closed. Please stand by for additional information. Thanks for your cooperation.
Mane Attraction
Hours: Closed
Ways to Help: If you would like to support your hair stylist during this time, you can do so by purchasing a gift card. Bumble products are available for purchase online as well.
Music Together
Hours: Closed (but online services are available)
Ways to Help: We are excited to announce that we are now offering our music classes for children ages 0-5 online and you can book through our website here.
Tantrum
Hours: Closed
Ways to Help: Shop online! We are shipping USPS with free local shipping on all orders over $30. You can also purchase a gift card.
Our instagram is @tantrumsf and we use it to announce various promotions and updates. You can also email tantrumsf@gmail.com.
Vierra and Friends
Hours: Closed
Ways to Help: We can sell products by appointment - call Lisa at 415-533-8578 or Robert at 415-860-2403. Some clients have also paid for their appointments even though we’re closed - which is unbelievable!
Limited Capacity Businesses
Bacon Bacon (takeout only)
Hours: Thursday - Sunday (8:00am-2:00pm)
Phone: 415-218-4347
We are open limited hours for takeout, and you can place orders by calling ahead. Plus you can purchase gift cards and click here to buy sandwiches for UCSF’s doctors, nurses and support staff.
Bambino’s Ristorante (takeout only)
Hours: 11:30am-9:00pm (takeout only)
Phone: 415-731-1343
We are open for takeout, and orders can be placed by calling ahead.
Beit Rima (takeout only)
Hours: 4:00pm-8:00pm (Wednesday-Sunday)
Phone: 415-566-1274
Ways to Help: We are open for takeout orders by phone and you can also purchase gift cards. Our Instagram is @beitrima, which has periodic updates.
We’re hoping to launch our online store soon!
Cole Cleaners
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (Saturdays)
Phone: 415-566-8841
Creola (takeout only)
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday (4:00-8:00pm)
Phone: 415-260-3143
We are open for take out orders (by phone or online) and you can purchase gift cards.
Crepes on Cole (takeout only)
Hours: 7:00am-10:00pm
Phone: 415-664-1800
We are open for take out orders, which you can place by phone or online.
gamble + design
Hours: Open for Phone Consultations
We are open for phone consultations, which can be booked on our website.
Ice Cream Bar (takeout only)
Hours: 3:00-8:00pm (Wednesday - Sunday)
Phone: 415-742-4932
We are open for takeout orders, and you can purchase gift cards.
Ino Vino (takeout only)
Hours: 11:30am-9:30pm (everyday)
Phone: 415-681-3770
We are open for takeout, as well as purchasing bottle of wine and gift cards.
Kamekyo (takeout only)
La Boulangerie
Le Marais Bakery (takeout only)
Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm
Phone: 415-359-9801
Visit our website to order pickup from our Chestnut location or order delivery. Please call us at 415-359-9801 if you would like us to bring your items curbside.
Although not located in Cole Valley, Le Marais is a owned by a local Cole Valley family and has had multiple pop-ups in the neighborhood.
Padrecito
Ways to Help: You can purchase gift cards from our website. Also, we have a Go Fund Me page to support the Padrecito staff during this extraordinarily difficult time.
Peet’s Coffee (takeout only)
Hours: 6:00am-3:00pm (Monday-Friday); 7:00am-3:00pm (Saturday-Sunday)
We are taking orders at the door, as well mobile order ahead. The mobile order app can be down loaded on the App Store.
Reverie Cafe (takeout only)
Hours: 12:00-8:00pm
Phone: 415-242-0200
We are open for takeout and you can place your order by calling ahead. We also have a Go Fund Me page to support our businesses during these unprecedented times.
Say Cheese (takeout only)
Hours: 10:00am-7:00pm (Monday-Saturday); 10:00am-5:00pm (Sunday)
Phone: 415-665-5020
We are open for takeout and can deliver with some limitations. We also sell gift cards over the phone or in person. Wine is 15% off by the case.
SF Wheels / Fix My Phone
Taboun (takeout only)
Hours: 11:00am-7:00pm (Monday-Saturday)
Phone: 415-566-9696
Give us a call to place your order ahead of time.
Wooden Coffeehouse
Zazie (takeout only)
Hours: Brunch 9:00am-1:00pm; Dinner 5:00-8:00 pm
Phone: 415-564-5332
Zazie is closed to the public for in-house dining. However, we do have take out available! Please check our menus and call 415-564-5332 to place your order. All take out orders will receive a free bag of pancake mix to make brunch for your family at home! We will be donating 30% of every order placed to our staff to help them through this very hard time.
Open Businesses
American
Cyclery
Hours: 11:00am-7:00pm (Weekdays except Tuesday); 10:00am-5:00pm (Weekends)
Curbside pickup and virtual payments are available.
Ashbury Market
Hours: Open for business.
Will populate more information once we hear back from the owner.
Cole Hardware
Hours: 8:00am-6:00pm (everyday)
Phone: 415-319-6705
As a convenience to our customers during this time, we are offering in-store pickup, curbside pickup and doorstep delivery. Call us with your shopping list, have your credit card information ready, and we’ll be your personal shopper. We’ll let you know when your order is ready for pickup or when we can deliver it. If you are picking up curbside, call us when you are 5 minutes away and we’ll have your order waiting to bring to your car. If you would like delivery, our crew member will make arrangements with you.
Cole Valley Pets
Hours: 11:00am-5:00pm (everyday)
Phone: 415-564-8811
We want you all to know that we are happy to deliver pet food and supplies to anyone in need (seniors, vulnerable persons, severe anxiety, etc) for FREE. Call or email ColeValleyPets@gmail.com your orders and we will walk (or drive) them over after the shop closes. We know that for many of us, our pets are our only companions at home.
Luke’s Local
Hours: 8:30am-7:00pm, with the 8:30-9:30am hour reserved for seniors who are 60+ (everyday)
We are limiting the number of folks in our store to 20 at a time. Customers will be dispensed hand sanitizer prior to entering the store. We are operating as a cash-free establishment, and are also encouraging folks to use hands-free forms of payment, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Our Instagram is @lukeslocalstore, which has periodic updates.
Pharmaca
Hours: 9:00am-7:00pm (everyday)
Due to high demand, we are limiting purchase of products related to the flu & virus prevention to 3 units of any one item per customer. Thanks for your understanding.
The Postal Chase
Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm (Monday-Friday); 11:00am-4:00pm (Saturday)
We thank you for your patience during this time and ask that you postpone any “non-essential” tasks or business at the Postal Chase.
Sunny Country Foods
Hours: 6:00am-8:00pm (everyday)
We have increased our assortment of produce and grocery items than in the past to help accommodate to the community.
We reached out to as many merchants as possible when compiling this list. If you know of a Cole Valley merchant who wants to be included, please have them reach out to us at board@cviasf.org.
CVIA’s Community Meeting (March 2020)
When: Wednesday, March 4th
Where: Wooden Coffeehouse (862 Cole Street)
Time: Meeting Start Time: 7:00pm, but doors open at 6:30pm for a meet-and-greet with neighbors
Speakers:
District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston (elected Nov. 2019)
SFPD Park Station Captain Renee Pagano (appointed Nov. 2019)
Adam Cuadra from SF Safe.
**Everyone (members and non-members) is invited and encouraged to attend**
**Light refreshments and snacks will be served**
Supervisor Preston will be discussing a broad number of topics that impact the neighborhood and the city, including:
The recent shooting at Haight & Ashbury
Car break-in prevention and response programs
Proposed MUNI changes
Storefront vacancies
Homelessness in our surrounding area
Captain Pagano and Mr. Cuadra will speak about some of the crime-related issues facing our community and ways residents can stay safe.
There will also be time allotted for Q&As with each of our speakers. This is a great opportunity to have the ear of city officials and express your opinions regarding the various issues facing our neighborhood and our city. If you’d like to submit questions in advance, please email them to cviasf@aol.com.
Lastly, we will be sharing some of our plans for Cole Valley and the Greater Haight Ashbury in 2020.
2019: A Year in Review
The Cole Valley Improvement Association (CVIA) had another incredible year in 2019. Below are just some of our highlights.
As a reminder, our next community meeting is taking place on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at Wooden Coffeehouse (862 Cole St). See details here. Both members and non-members are invited to attend. If you’re not already a member, consider joining our wonderful organization!
Clean Cole Street
We continued to fund our flagship Clean Cole Street program, where the sidewalks of Cole Valley’s commercial corridor are cleaned every day by CleanScapes. The program is made possible by contributions from participating Cole Street merchants, proceeds from our Santa on Cole fundraiser and member dues/donations (thank you!).
Additionally, CVIA received the 2019 Community Award from San Francisco Beautiful for our Clean Cole Street program. This award recognizes a neighborhood group that has taken action and significantly added to the beauty and livability of its neighborhood.
730 Stanyan (Formerly McDonald’s)
Aerial View of 730 Stanyan
The City purchased the McDonald’s at 730 Stanyan to build affordable housing two years ago. Thankfully, the area’s infamous reputation as a hotbed for drugs, crime and violence has steadily diminished since the closure. However, plans to activate the space with an interim use during the 3–5 year pre-construction period have been continuously delayed since the city issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) back in 2018.
CVIA, along with the Buena Vista Neighborhood Association and the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association, continued to press city officials to activate the McDonald’s site with an interim use that will benefit the entire community. In that vein, we helped craft a proposal submitted by Street Soccer USA, which was modeled after Playland in the Outer Sunset and PROXY in Hayes Valley (also on land to eventually become affordable housing), as well as Bryant Park in New York City.
MISSION. SSUSA, in conjunction with its partners, seeks to transform the site into a vibrant space, offering a broad range of benefits to the community at large. By providing health, wellness and outreach services for a marginalized portion of the community, recreational and sporting opportunities for youth that traditionally have lacked access, jobs for low and moderate income people and a shared space in which the community can gather and socialize, it is our belief the 730 Stanyan will improve the quality of life for those living and working in the local community.
Street Soccer’s proposal would have brought together soccer fields, Off the Grid food and beverage services, senior services by San Francisco Village, health and wellness services by UCSF and the Department of Health for youth and senior populations, as well as homeless services focused on transitional aged youth. Additionally, there would have been a flexible community space for events, play structures for children, urban farming, art installations and onsite security. This proposal was also financially self-sufficient, with the for-profit components subsidizing the community and non-profit components.
The proposal garnered near-universal praise and the city issued a letter saying it was “the high-scoring response to the Request for Proposals issued by the City.” Our submission even garnered the attention of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sadly, the interim use has been delayed again, but we continue to press for a safe space that activates this long-blighted area in a meaningful way, serves the residents (especially families and seniors) and does not allow the intersection of Haight/Stanyan to return to its problematic past.
Streetscape Improvement Project
In 2019, the SFMTA completed its Inner Sunset Streetscape Improvement project, which created bulbouts and streetscaping designed to bring safety, color and life to N-Judah stops in the Inner Sunset. What you may not know is that the Carl/Cole and Carl/Stanyan stops were originally not included in this project, but CVIA pressed the City to include them. Thankfully, SFMTA agreed and solicited input on the design aspects from the community.
It has been exciting to see the completion of this street beautification project for our Cole Valley N-Judah stops. Carl/Cole is one of the most highly trafficked MUNI rail stops in the city, and now there’s a place for riders headed downtown to sit while they wait for the N-Judah to (finally) arrive.
Grattan Playground
Cole Valley has become one of the most family friendly neighborhoods in the city. Sadly, our neighborhood’s main children’s park at Grattan Playground has seen better days. It received a “D” rating from the Failing Playgrounds Taskforce several years ago, and there were plans for a major overhaul in 2015, but the funding failed to materialize and the focus has shifted to making small incremental improvements.
In 2019, CVIA agreed to provide a donation to Friends of Grattan Playground in order to further these improvements. Additionally, one particularly generous CVIA member agreed to provide a large donation for improvements to the playground.
Throughout the year, CVIA also leveraged its relationships with city officials in the Recreation & Parks department to help quickly address problems that popped up at the playground. For example, we were made aware of faulty swings and dilapidated conditions in the bathrooms last year, both of which were brought to the attention of city officials and resolved.
Traffic Calming
You will soon see traffic calming measures on parts of Frederick Street and parts of Clayton Street. Last year, CVIA worked with the SFMTA and former supervisor Vallie Brown to highlight these areas for special consideration of increased traffic safety measures since they already had pending applications through the Residential Traffic Calming Program.
We’re happy to announce that these projects were allocated funding in 2019 and are currently in the community outreach phase. Traffic calming could include speed humps/bumps, improved pedestrian crosswalks, bulbouts, etc.
Business Streamlining Legislation and Zoning Changes for Cole Valley
Signing Ceremony at Wooden Coffeehouse. Attendees included SFPD Park Station Captain Una Bailey, Mayor London Breed, then-Supervisor Vallie Brown, Wooden Coffeehouse Owner Steve Wickwire and CVIA Board Members Steven Madrid, Lena Emmery and Carole Glosenger (among many others)
We supported former supervisor Vallie Brown’s legislation to streamline the permitting process for small businesses in San Francisco. Permitting and zoning restrictions are a frequent cause of frustration for small businesses in SF, and we were happy to support legislation to make these matters easier.
This legislation was particularly important to Cole Valley because even though Cole Street and Haight Street are two very distinct corridors, certain zoning restrictions on Haight Street were being applied to Cole Street because of these two streets’ physical proximity to each other. In particular, Wooden Coffeehouse on Cole Street was not allowed to obtain an alcohol permit to sell beer/wine at its comedy nights due to zoning restrictions on Haight Street. Thankfully, this legislation removed the applicability Haight Street’s zoning restrictions from Cole Street, and Wooden is in the process of seeking its alcohol permit.
Bikeshare Stations
In 2019, we, along with the SF Bicycle Coalition, helped conduct outreach regarding where a Cole Valley bikeshare station could be located and advocated for the installation of a station at Carl/Cole. This was the first bikeshare station in the greater Upper Haight, which was quite the accomplishment. We also supported the Buena Vista Neighborhood Association in their efforts to install a bikeshare station at Buena Vista West and Haight Street, which was approved in late 2019.
We understand that bikeshare is a polarizing topic and some residents feel strongly about the loss of parking, while others feel equally strongly about creating a viable bikeshare network. We have not expressed universal support of all bikeshare stations and we will continue to evaluate our support of potential locations on a case-by-case basis.
Friends of the Urban Forest Projects
Friends of the Urban Forest had a tree planting project in the Cole Valley and Haight neighborhoods last year and over 40 new trees were planted. We were very eager to help spread the word about this program to our members and the greater Cole Valley community. Additionally, a CVIA board member spearheaded a separate sidewalk garden planting project in Cole Valley where eight new sidewalk gardens were planted. Anything we can do to make the neighborhood a little greener!
Summer Social
Last August, CVIA hosted its annual Summer Social at Kezar Bar & Restaurant. It was the usual relaxed Saturday afternoon of snacking, sipping and schmoozing with neighbors. Present District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston and then-supervisor Vallie Brown were both in attendance.
Our special guest was Leah Garchik, a longtime San Francisco Chronicle columnist and Haight neighbor, who gave a speech about a variety of topics impacting San Francisco. In addition to honoring Leah, we presented special commendations to Julia Strzesieski, Cole Hardware’s longtime marketing coordinator, and Bill Hancock (posthumously) for donating considerable seed money to begin the daily cleaning of Cole Street.
We are once again thankful to Kezar owners Steve Schick and Jim Angelus for supplying appetizers and allowing us to host the party at Kezar. If you didn’t already know, 2019 was a big year for Kezar as they got a new co-owner, new chef, revamped menu, started serving brunch and added outdoor seating, so be sure to give them a visit.
Cole Valley Tree Tour
Last Spring, CVIA member Mike Sullivan, author of the 2013 book “The Trees of San Francisco,” led a fascinating tree tour through Cole Valley for our members. Mike showcased landmark trees — including a famous yellow-blooming New Zealand Christmas Tree — and non-tree curiosities such as a renovated church where the Grateful Dead once practiced and Shrader Street’s “Angel of Hope” statue.
Santa on Cole Fundraiser
We hosted our annual Santa on Cole fundraiser. More than sixty families brought their children (and pets) to have their pictures taken with Santa. This year, we raised over $2,500 for our Clean Cole Street program.
The Postal Chase once again served as our generous host and allowed us to use their store for the pictures. Loic Nicolas Photography continued to serve as our wonderful photographer and captured some amazing photos for the families of Cole Valley and the greater Haight-Ashbury.
Cole Valley Fair
We once again organized the car show at the annual Cole Valley Fair. CVIA also had a booth at the fair where we talked to residents about what our organization does for Cole Valley and the greater Haight Ashbury. It’s always a wonderful experience to chat with people (both members and non-members) and discuss what matters most to them in the neighborhood. Plus, we had many new members join our organization.
CVIA Launches New Website
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new website to better carry out CVIA’s mission of neighborhood improvement and keeping our members informed.
CVIA is proudly member-supported and volunteer driven. This website was developed on a volunteer basis by two of our board members, Steven Madrid and David Oates.
This new website is part of an ongoing effort to modernize our communications and engage with our members online, including via email and social media.
If you have any feedback on the new website, we’d love to hear from you!
Please contact cviasf@aol.com.
Thanks,
CVIA
Santa on Cole on Sunday December 2
Avoid long lines and busy malls and places that require and advanced reservation... Plan to come to the Postal Chase for that classic holiday photo of your child (or your pet, or just wonderful you) with the jolly guy in the red suit. See https://loicphoto.com/santa/ for pricing details.
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SOC Back 2016
2018 Summer Social is Here!
Our Summer Social and Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 18th at Kezar Bar & Restaurant from 1-4p.m. has the ultimate line up! Take this time to meet your neighbors and discuss important issues in the neighborhood, and get introduced to our new D5 Supervisor Vallie Brown, all while enjoying appetizers and libations!
We will also have special guest speaker SF Chronicle columnist Heather Knight. She works out of City Hall covering everything from politics to homelessness to family flight and the quirks of living in one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
Finally, Mayor London Breed is trying to find time in her busy schedule to stop by our little gathering.
For the second year in a row we have many new members thanks to our community partnership with Lavation and we hope to see you there!
RSVP to cviasf@aol.com. $10 per person at the door. Your non-member guests are welcomed with RSVP.
Want to get active with our organization? Make sure to introduce yourselves to the Board members at the meeting. We have lots we want to do and never enough people!
