Burma Club Debuts & Other Foodie Additions to the District
The popular Burma Superstar's latest location is now open in Mint Plaza; called
Burma Club, this location will focus on what its other locations have been unable to do due to size: accommodate many large groups at once.
Also, not the only addition to District, the recently opened Speakeasy-styled restaurant-bar
The Pawn Shop has opened at 993 Mission St. Patrons are greeted by kitschy pawn shop items and the store owner (clad in wig) and ushered through a fake door into a restaurant and bar. Currently serving wine and beer and small plates, the pawn shop decor gives way to cool greens and outdoor-like vibes.
The new restaurants don't stop there,
Falafelland opened as well at 133 6th St. The family-run restaurant serves Mediterranean and Yemeni cuisine, and is already receiving positive reviews on Yelp.
And the new additions keep rolling in --
food trucks have come to Market Street. The La Cocina food trucks
, sponsored by Zendesk in collaboration with Urban Alchemy public space stewards, will park at 1028 Market, Wednesday through Friday, 11am to 3pm.
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2 Blocks of Art Returns May 2019
Get ready for the annual art walk: 2 Block of Art! The 8th year brings more art and a longer show time: the revered art walk is now scheduled for daytime hours, 1-5pm on Saturday, May 4th. The change allows for expanded exhibition viewing time and even more audience participation. As always, the event will take place in over 20 locations along the 6th Street corridor and
feature local businesses and organizations, artists and arts groups.
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The Legend is True:
Julia Child
at Tu Lan
The SF Chronicle used its investigative reporting skills to drill down on the rumor Julia Child had dined at Tu Lan, a popular spot for their reporting staff. The fun article shares details, an old Herb Caen column, and the fact it's still a popular spot to dine.
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SF Skate Legend and
Thrasher Editor Jake Phelps Passed Away
An icon in the San Francisco skateboard community, and editor of Thrasher magazine, whose skateboard store opened last year at 66 6th Street, passed away in March. From the SF Chronicle: "A manifesto by Phelps appears by the entrance of the building [66 6th St.]: 'Skateboarding vs. San Francisco is war. It's 49 miles chock full of cops, vagrants, speeding cars, gang bangers and, the most humbling of all, the hills.'"
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Key City Hall Meetings to Attend
PUBLIC SAFETY & NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE
-Hearing on Open Drug Dealing
City Hall, Room 250; April 25, 10am
BUDGET HEARINGS
The following meetings take place at City Hall
Room 250, at 1pm:
-Public Safety (April 17)
-Homelessness and Housing (April 24)
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Mental Health & Substance Abuse (May 1)
-Other Policy Priorities (May 8)
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Better Market Street Hosts Pop-Ups, Unveils Draft EIR with Plans to Close 2 Miles of Market Street to Private Cars
Better Market Street hosted twice-a-week public pop-ups throughout February at the A.C.T. Strand Theater on aspects of the project from landscaping to traffic to bikeways. Following this, the Planning Department unveiled the draft EIR report, which is open for public comment through April 15. The largest element of focus may be the plans to close
2 miles of Market Street to private cars, from Steuart Street to Octavia. This would allow for a sidewalk-level bikeway, expanded muni-only lanes as well as shared bus lanes, new landscaping and more.
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Immediate Changes Come to Howard Street in Aftermath of Deadly Accident
In the wake of the deadly truck-bicycle accident on Howard at 6th Street, SFMTA immediately enacted a
parking ban on the north side of Howard from 4th to 6th Street to make room for cyclists. Following this they also implemented a new protected bike lane, opening weeks earlier than projected.
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BART Station Elevator Program Deemed a Success & New Escalators Coming to Downtown Stations
The BART escalators are the next to be addressed. BART will be replacing 41 escalators, including those at Powell Street and Civic Center stations. READ MORE
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS
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New 100% Affordable Housing Building Opens
Featuring 83 units, 1036 Mission St., a 100% affordable apartment building opened in early March. Housing 40 individuals and families, once homeless, as well as another 43 low-income individuals and families, the building will remain affordable housing indefinitely. It's currently overseen by District member Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC).
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Buildings Popping Up at The Hub
The SF Chronicle's urban design critic John King authored a piece on the buildings popping up along Market and Van Ness, which is being dubbed The Hub. Among the buildings mentioned is District parcel 1500 Mission St (at 11th St.); he states: "it will open next year with a 39-story, 550-unit apartment tower at the corner and a 16-story building filled with city government workers framing it to the east and north, with pedestrian passages in-between."
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New Place to Rest Your Head:
Yotel Opens
The new Yotel has opened its doors in the Grant Building (1095 Market Street at 7th Street). The 203-room hotel specializes in "micro rooms," with the hotel featuring historical aspects of the building melded with a tech forward design. The smaller rooms are economic and are geared towards a clientele that spends more time exploring the City than being inside their rooms. A rooftop bar and restaurant are coming this summer.
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Mani & Pedi: New Nail Salon
The Nail Hall, a non-toxic nail salon, opened at 1041 Mission St. Also an event space, the Nail Hall offers full service manicures and pedicures, quick mani/pedis and even a service for kids. Their sister business, the SF Beer Hall, provides beer on tap with services.
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Moe Greens: Pot Lounge Opens
The new cannabis consumption lounge decor at Moe Greens has been hailed as one "fit for a steakhouse," and is the largest lounge of its kind in San Francisco. The 1,500 square foot space is divided into several different areas and features large transparent windows, enhancing the lounge lobby and the storefront along Market Street.
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Tax Break Expires May 20
As the "Twitter tax break" (officially called the Central Market Street and Tenderloin Area Payroll Expense Tax Exclusion) readies to expire May 20, Supervisor Matt Haney is planning a hearing to look into the success and failures of the tax break. Officially launched in 2011, a hearing date for the tax break retrospective has yet to be announced, according to the SF Chronicle.
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Empty Storefronts To Register with City
Last quarter we mentioned the Mayor was putting a focus on possibly changing ground floor uses of retail buildings into more
flexible options, and a
KQED forum followed up with an piece on the booming economy and the empty storefront conundrum. And now Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer's bill has passed the Board of Supervisors, which will require empty storefronts to register with the City and pay a fee.
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Q4 CLEANING, MAINTENANCE & PUBLIC SAFETY STATS
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Community Ambassadors & Clean Team Members Sharpen Their Skills
Our District Ambassadors and Cleaners recently joined their other downtown CBD colleagues to attend a day-long mental health training -- generously underwritten by Lendlease.
The training covered effective support techniques for helping those in need on our streets; as well as how our Ambassadors and Cleaners should take care of themselves given the intense work they do day in and day out. Attendees also heard a presentation from San Francisco's HSOC team. The Healthy Streets Operations Center (started last year) has been instrumental in helping our District find solutions to public ream issues when multiple City agencies are needed.
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CBD Community Ambassadors continue to provide social service information
to
illegal drug users camped on
the street; and help clear and
clean
the sidewalk
making it safer and passable
for pedestrians -- especially the disabled.
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The Clean Team responds quickly to illegal graffiti and uses property-owner provided paint to return to wall to its original color.
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Plaque adorning the entrance of the new Burma Club in Mint Plaza.
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