The giganto housing development at 3400 Cesar Chavez is really taking shape. It looks as if the Walgreens on the ground floor will open any day. The whole building has gone through several shades of color, and at first I really disliked what they'd chosen, but now I'm thinking those were just the undercoats because it's looking better. Saw a gaggle of artists beginning to create a mural on the Cesar Chavez side - just a drawing at this point but I see images of local flavor including Carnaval and familiar Mission District faces (it's the white patch on the south side). Wasn't there supposed to be street trees and nice landscaping around the building? What happened to those? I know this development was highly contentious when conceived (chain stores/day laborer displacement/affordability) but frankly I'm happy to see new housing and retail (yep, even if it's another Walgreens) that will encourage pedestrian activity on this stretch of Mission Street because it will bolster other businesses here. Plus there's reserved parking for City Carshare and bikes, retail spaces for local businesses and 15% affordable units with a first-time buyer's program. On balance a benefit for the neighborhood, in my humble opinion.
Down the street, Chicken John's house is for sale on Cesar Chavez. It's got a spiffy new mural on it too. John Rinaldi, aka Chicken John, ran for mayor not long ago. Seemed like a joke that wasn't supposed to be funny. Or something.
http://www.3400cesarchavez.net/en/home
Showing posts with label Mission District. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mission District. Show all posts
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
I Heart Mission Street, Take 2
For Valentine's Day, more things I love about Mission Street...
Women carrying baskets of bouquets to sell in local restaurants.
The man trying to chip gross gum off the sidewalk. You go guy.
Little churches in former retail spaces.
Grilled meat aromas drifting out of taquerias.
La Corneta.
The Miracle Mile, movie houses on every block. Can you imagine?
Salsa lessons at Roccapulco.
Those brown historic (looking) light poles. No crappy Cobras on Mission.
Homemade tamales for sale at the 24th St. BART station.
Blue and red mosaic tiles imbedded in sidewalks, by Precita Eyes I think.
Precita Eyes.
Mariachis with beautiful battered guitars who play at each restaurant.
Volver, Volver, Voooooollllverrrr.
Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!
Women carrying baskets of bouquets to sell in local restaurants.
The man trying to chip gross gum off the sidewalk. You go guy.
Little churches in former retail spaces.
Grilled meat aromas drifting out of taquerias.
La Corneta.
The Miracle Mile, movie houses on every block. Can you imagine?
Salsa lessons at Roccapulco.
Those brown historic (looking) light poles. No crappy Cobras on Mission.
Homemade tamales for sale at the 24th St. BART station.
Blue and red mosaic tiles imbedded in sidewalks, by Precita Eyes I think.
Precita Eyes.
Mariachis with beautiful battered guitars who play at each restaurant.
Volver, Volver, Voooooollllverrrr.
Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Also Loving Mission Street
Why do I love Mission Street? Let me count the ways.
The gentleman in mariachi gear on the 14-Mission trying not to block the aisle with his giant guitarron.
Sizzling sausages on makeshift bbqs near the 24th St. BART station.
Sounds of Latin music spilling onto sidewalks after dark.
Papel picado metalwork at the 16th St. BART plaza.
Arroz con leche for $2 a bowl on bridge tables up and down the street.
Small shops full of low-cost crap. This is a good thing. Have you seen Union Street lately? Empty storefronts. But in the Mission, not so many.
Cole Hardware.
A boy with backpack dashes into Zocolo, then out, opens the gate and runs upstairs to his family's apartment above the restaurant (I watch this from my office above the SoCha Cafe).
Medjool. Pupusas. Mission Pie.
That drunk guy peeing against the trash can outside my building? Not so great. Ditto for the 49-bus driver who saw me standing at the stop near Valencia waving my Fast Pass, came to a full stop, saw me start to run for the bus, and suddenly drove away. Why?
That's SoCha Cafe from the bus stop. My office is the window at the top right. The cafe has free Wi-Fi and live music every night. There's a benefit for Haiti happening there on the 4th. C'mon by.
www.sochacafe.com
The gentleman in mariachi gear on the 14-Mission trying not to block the aisle with his giant guitarron.
Sizzling sausages on makeshift bbqs near the 24th St. BART station.
Sounds of Latin music spilling onto sidewalks after dark.
Papel picado metalwork at the 16th St. BART plaza.
Arroz con leche for $2 a bowl on bridge tables up and down the street.
Small shops full of low-cost crap. This is a good thing. Have you seen Union Street lately? Empty storefronts. But in the Mission, not so many.
Cole Hardware.
A boy with backpack dashes into Zocolo, then out, opens the gate and runs upstairs to his family's apartment above the restaurant (I watch this from my office above the SoCha Cafe).
Medjool. Pupusas. Mission Pie.
That drunk guy peeing against the trash can outside my building? Not so great. Ditto for the 49-bus driver who saw me standing at the stop near Valencia waving my Fast Pass, came to a full stop, saw me start to run for the bus, and suddenly drove away. Why?
That's SoCha Cafe from the bus stop. My office is the window at the top right. The cafe has free Wi-Fi and live music every night. There's a benefit for Haiti happening there on the 4th. C'mon by.
www.sochacafe.com
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