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Chase Bank Protest Planning
Westside neighbors prepare to protest in front of Chase Bank on West Portal

Westside Neighbors to Protest Climate-Hostile Banks

Chase Bank - West Portal - Tuesday, March 21st - 9:30am

••••• March 9, 2023 •••••

Chase Bank
Chase Bank is at 98 West Portal Avenue

On March 21 at 9:30 am a group of Westside neighbors will gather at the West Portal Chase bank branch (98 West Portal at Vicente) to demand that JP Morgan Chase stop financing the fossil fuel industry. Chase along with Wells Fargo, Citi and Bank of America dominate the funding of fossil fuel pipelines and expansion in the world, together loaning more than one trillion dollars to fossil fuel companies since the 2015 Paris Climate Accords.

We have all experienced the recent atmospheric river and long drought here in California. Climate destruction means the world our grandchildren inherit from us will be unrecognizable. What bank we use is an important decision consumers can make to help slow down and reverse climate change. We encouraged others to please join us on March 21 in front of the West Portal Chase bank.

quote marks

...encourage bank customers to close their Chase accounts and credit cards until Chase stops using customer deposits to fund climate destruction.”

The Westside neighbors will be asking the branch’s management to relay their concerns to Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. They also will encourage bank customers to close their Chase accounts and credit cards until Chase stops using customer deposits to fund climate destruction. A 2021 survey found a majority of Americans were likely to switch their bank or credit card if they knew the bank or credit card company was investing in fossil fuel companies.

The action is coordinated by Third Act, a national environmental organization founded by journalist Bill McKibben last year designed to get people over the age of 60 working to defend our climate and our democracy. Third Act is coordinating over 75 protests in 23 states on March 21 outside the four climate-bad banks, including a 3:30 pm San Francisco protest at Wells Fargo headquarters (420 Montgomery) that the Westside residents also plan to attend. The SF Wells Fargo protest involves a coalition of large and small environmental justice groups, including Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth,350.org, 1000 Grandmothers for Future Generations among others. Nationally  even more organizations are involved.

Can't Protest? Here's what you can do: encourage anyone concerned about stopping banks from funding the fossil fuel industry to sign theBanking for our Future pledge pledging to close your Wells/Citi/Chase/BofA account and credit card if you have them, and to never open a Wells/Citi/Chase/BofA account or credit card if you don’t. The Third Act website offers guidance on how to pick an alternate bank or credit union and suggestions on the mechanics of making the switch. There are many other banks and credit unions who do not fund climate destruction who would love your business, many with lower fees, unlimited ATM access, cash back credit cards and whatever is important to your banking and credit card needs.

Ken Hoeger is part of Third Act, former director of the Miraloma Improvement Club and member of the West of Twin Peaks Neighborhood Council. He lives in Miraloma Park.

March 9, 2023

Stunt Driving Incident
Neighbors woke up well after to midnight driving stunts in West Portal Photo and video credit to West Portal resident Kai Sparnas

Things That Go Screech in the Night

SFPD seems unprepared to deal with stunt driving

IIf you were in the typically quiet neighborhood just above the West Portal tunnel after midnight on November 18th last year, you may have been startled from your slumber by the raucous screeching of tires, the jarring discord of racing engines, flashing lights, the onslaught of 50 to 100 cars blocking the streets, and the shrill clamor of a mob baying for even more. It was a scene reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno. Then, later, if you were in the vicinity of usually staid locale at 30th & Lawton, you were subjected to a repeat performance of the pandemonium.

A Police report of the uproar that shook those sleepy neighborhoods is stated simply, or perhaps understated:


Stunt Driving Incidents

Claremont Blvd. & Ulloa St. | 12:18 am | Case #21078945

30th Avenue & Lawton St. | 12:57 am | Case #210783939


No information was given about any citations or impounded cars. Inquiries about the baffling commotion that disturbed hundreds of citizens that night have, so far, not met with any response from the Westside Observer’s inquiries to the Taraval Police Station.

Doughnuts the day after
The day after at Claremont and Ulloa Photo credit to West Portal resident Kai Sparnas

What was it?

Such incidents are referred to as “sideshows.” They have been going on for several years in the quite of the night all over the state, the nation and in affluent foreign cities as well, but little is really known about them. 

“It’s also important to note,” SF Stop Crimewrites, “that police were aware of the traveling sideshow as it had been moving throughout the city. Police were present and took action. It can be difficult and dangerous for police to aggressively disperse a sideshow crowd, especially if participants have weapons. Ideally, police can stop sideshows before they happen with intel from undercover officers and by monitoring social media accounts that announce where sideshows will be. But this is a labor-intensive effort akin to the game Whack-A-Mole. It requires a level of police resources San Francisco lacks.”

“San Francisco has too few police officers for a city our size. City Hall commissioned an independent study on police staffing last year. It said a city our size should have about 400 more police officers than we currently have.”

Questions remain unanswered, questions residents need to have addressed:

Who were the organizers of the “event?”

How was it promoted?

Who were the participants?

Will it “happen” again — and if so, will police be able to determine where?

The Board of Supervisors took up the issue in October of 2020

Ahsha Safai

Supervisor Ahsha Safai

At a hearing of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on October 8 of 2020, Supervisor Ahsha Safai presented the legislation. Chief Scott described police response to a stunt driving event on September 7. “When the officers were dispatched, unfortunately there were three victims among that crowd who were suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims a 21-year-old male suffered fatal gunshot wounds to his head, while the others were transported to the local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The day before this homicide occurred, on September 6th, there were several events in the same area in the Bayview
district in what is referred to as roving exhibitions of stunt driving however there were no reports of gunfire on September 6th.” 

Supervisor Stephani made the connection between driving events and social media, noting the recent death of Mark Berman, a 50 year-old father of two who was killed in the crosswalk by a reckless driver speeding at 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. The killer, 26 year-old Raja Whitfield was recording the criminal occasion at Gough and Geary for his followers on twitter or instagram. He was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, speeding, and entering a crosswalk on a red light, according to police. Stephani hinted that the current stunt driving legislation would soon expanded by further legislation to include speeding and other reckless disregard for public safety.  

Due to the blockaded streets, Chief Scott noted “these events are very difficult to police and respond to. And they take up a lot of our police resources, that really could be going to other things. But we have to divert resources to deal with this activity,” adding “We believe we have a much better response now. We have officers that are stepping up our game to really support this. We've done that and resulted in citations and impounds.”

quote marks

Ideally, police can stop sideshows before they happen with intel from undercover officers and by monitoring social media accounts that announce where sideshows will be. But this is a labor-intensive effort akin to the game Whack-A-Mole. ”

The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted legislation, authored by Supervisors Ahsha Safai and Aaron Peskin, with aid from Board President Shamann Walton that addressed stunt driving. Article 56 of the SF Police Code included Sec. 56 Findings that spell out the problem:

“In recent years, San Francisco has seen a rise in “motor vehicle stunt driving,” which includes reckless driving, vehicle speed contests, and/or exhibitions that involve stunts and tricks with vehicles. In some instances, the motor vehicle stunt driving features cars weaving and speeding along thoroughfares, spinning “doughnuts,” and screeching tires while passengers hang out the windows, drawing crowds of spectators. In other instances, the cars speed in unison. The various stunts and tricks featured during motor vehicle stunt driving are extremely dangerous and imperil both willing spectators and uninvolved bystanders, as well as participants. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the use of vehicles for stunts and tricks has caused serious injuries and death to not only participants and spectators but also to bystanders.”

The findings further describe four incidents in February of 2020 in more specific terms.

“exhibitions involving 50 to 100 cars,” which sped loudly and recklessly around and into quiet neighborhoods where they blocked streets around an unsuspecting intersection, creating a stage for further exhibitions of “figure eights” and “donuts.”

Despite the danger and the warning of screeching tires, “dozens of spectators crowded the streets and sidewalks in very close proximity,” but whether the spectators were local residents or a select audience drawn to the event from outside the City is unknown. Another unknown is the media that drew the assembled crowd. What is clear is that they are a major public safety concern for people everywhere.

Again, in August of 2020 the Findings memorialize an incident where cars:

“orbited an intersection performing continuous ‘doughnuts’ and sending burnt rubber smoke from tires into the air as passengers hung out the window.”

Sec. 56 indicates that there were 100 likely spectators cheering on the spinning cars, but that an, in the melee a driver lost control and his auto swerved dangerously near the admiring, but suddenly fleeing crowd.

“Spectator vehicles” served to block access to the “exhibition intersection.” It also notes that gun shots were fired nearby, though whether from a spectator or an aroused residents is unknown.

Unfortunately, a death occurred in a similar incident in September of 2020, involving about 50 cars, and “hundreds of spectators” this time there were roughly 100 emergency calls from the public to the scene. It was likely the serious nature of this incident that compelled the Board of Supervisors to act. Art. 5601 sets out that it is illegal to engage in such stunt driving and that:

prohibit persons from aiding and abetting such activities.

Art. 5602 allows police to impound a vehicle thus engaged for no less than 14 days but not more than 30 days, but no penalty is indicated for “aiding and abetting.”

SFPD Response

Ahsha Safai

Chief Bill Scott

Police Chief Scott told Supervisors There have been more than 2,043 calls to police over sideshows since the beginning of 2020, according to Police Chief Bill Scott. The stunt-driving events have also resulted in 61 incident reports being generated, 613 officers responding, nine vehicles being towed and 17 arrests.

Sideshows have also resulted in shots being fired in nine incidents, one homicide, four collisions, one pedestrian being hit and one aggravated assault, Scott said.

“There are laws existing that deal with reckless driving that are on the books,” Scott said. “What this legislation is really meant to do is re-enforce and re-emphasize.”

Stunt Driving Response Unit

Police Chief Bill Scott ordered a special unit, Stunt Driving Response Unit (SDRU) to facilitate a quick response to incidents reported by the public.

The SFPD reports that, armed with the new legislation, in response to 911 calls at 2:45 am, very early on a Sunday morning am on January 24th of last year, Police intercepted a sideshow at Dolores Avenue and 30th Street “within minutes,” hauling in 11 impounded autos and citing 10 perpetrators, noting that none of them were San Franciscans. The 911 call was triggered when 50 to 100 autos roared into the quiet streets, blocking off the intersection displaying similar maelstrom.  Police also identified more than 100 cars that were blocking every lane of Dolores Avenue, preventing access to the exhibition site. They were able to observe the “doughnuts” and burning rubber, however, and most of the audience or participants quickly dispersed when they were ordered to clear the road and return to their cars.

The eleven unattended vehicles that remained — still blocking traffic on Dolores Street between 30th and Day Streets were impounded the vehicles and citations were issued to ten drivers between the ages of 18 and 23 from Oakland, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Petaluma, Antioch, Santa Rosa, San Mateo and Stockton. There were no San Francisco residents among them.

Public Response

There were more public responses during the hearing opposed to the legislation than there were calls in favor of the tougher laws against stunt driving. A typical response came from Mr. Garcia, District 11:

“I would like to speak in strong condemnation of the proposed legislation. This proposal criminalizes young people. It criminalizes brown people. It criminalizes poor people. It's effectively a civil asset forfeiture. And we've seen all over the country how strongly American shave come out against that. As San Franciscans we should be leading the way, not following. And we need to think about creative ways of solving these problems that don't just involve more of the same mistakes. As one caller pointed out, this is an unconstitutional proposal and it will cost the City a ton of money to defend the lawsuits that will come as a result of it. So, I would encourage you to listen to the City of San Francisco and reject this proposal.”

Without acknowledging the coordinated effort to influence the committee members vote on the proposed law, the Supervisors did not take Mr. Garcia’s advice. In fact, they seemed to be well informed from their own constituents. Supervisor Safai clearly was not convinced from caller testimony. “I heard from hundreds and hundreds of neighbors, longtime neighbors, people who have lived in district 11. And then after talking to my colleagues, I found out that they've heard the same. This is nowhere near anything that has to do with gentrification. I just want to be clear on that. This is not displacing anybody. This is not transforming a neighborhood. This is about protecting people's health and safety.”

An alternative point of view, from SF Weekly’s story  “Tell ’Em Where to Go: Oakland’s Sideshow Culture"

Instead of spinning their wheels with crackdowns and task forces, authorities should give stunt drivers a safe space to go dumb.” The writer follows the history of racing from the 1940s to the current cultural version of car tricks and stunts and proposes that designated spots allow these events, similar to skateboard parks that are designated for activities.

SFMTA Response

SFMTA moved in March 2021 to prohibit “reductions and waivers of towing and storage fees when a vehicle is towed and impounded because of or in connection with felony or misdemeanor crimes.” The agency noted that “Since July 2020, the San Francisco Police Department has impounded over 400 vehicles in connection with motor vehicle stunt driving and other driving offenses; approximately 25 percent of these vehicles were released to owners that paid reduced towing and storage fees or obtained waivers under the SFMTA’s low-income tow program. Under the new directive, low-income drivers whose cars have been impounded would no longer be eligible for such waivers or lowered storage fees. The drivers, or owners of impounded cars will still have to pay $578 to cover the towing fees as well as $68 per day for storage.

But in March of last year a reader commented to Mission Local:

“Sunday morning 3/21, at 1:30 am, the perps came revving to Geneva and Alemany as usual. I waited ten minutes to see how fast the SFPD would respond. Nothing. The noise was brutal like a war zone, complete with loud fireworks that sounded like guns firing. I called the police. The female Sargent at Ingleside station stated that they were aware and had received other calls already. I was astounded.”

“This noise could have been heard over there for sure! They don’t need phone calls!

I timed it. Another fifteen minutes passed. Then eight blaring cop cars arrived all at once going from San Jose Avenue down Geneva in formation. Because of all the parked cars, sideways on the north side of Geneva, their four-car formation had to be cut down to two going up to Alemany. Not one stopped and ticketed the illegal cars revving everywhere along Cayuga and Geneva. Parked cars could have been surrounded and blocked and impounded easily as they were abandoned by the perps for the show. They didn’t leave their cars and blared with flashing lights to drive the spinning cars out of the intersection.

All of this took forty minutes! How many arrests and impounding?
Why isn’t this front-page news?

West Portal and Taraval area residents are still waiting for the answers. Where was the much-touted quick response?

At the first sign of a stunt driving event in progress, SFSafe recommends that you call 911 immediately. And if you have any info on any illegal stunt driving event can contact the SFPD Tip Line at 1 (415) 575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. Callers may remain anonymous.

Doug Comstock is editor of the Westside Observer

January 2022

Halloween on West Portal

Trick or Treat!

West Portal Halloween Stroll is Back—and So are We.

Hello!  We are coming out of the pandemic lockdowns slowly but surely, and the West Portal Merchants Association is ready to launch back into action!  Please note important information here:

 
  1. We are bringing back our annual trick or treating event!  We will be distributing postcards to merchants along the avenue and encourage you each to decorate your business, plan how you would like to market this, dress up and be ready to hand out tons of candy to all the little trick or treaters from 4PM -7PM on October 31.  Costume contest at 215 West Portal at 5PM.  Let us know if you want to be a judge!  Wawona will be doing its usual street closure for the night, so we expect our usual huge crowd along the avenue.
     
  2. Jump back in with the Merchants to support our businesses and plan events!  Monthly merchant meetings will be held at Beyond Office – (also home to Von Rock Law), 215 West Portal Ave. (across from Walgreens) on the third Thursday of each month at 9:00AM.  Future evening events will be under consideration.
     
  3. We would like to plan our (usual) annual Snow Day for December 11 and a Wine Walk for February-March, 2022.  We will need immediate help to plan Snow Day.
     
  4. We will be sending out applications and renewal invoices for annual Merchants Membership dues for January 1, 2022. 
     
  5. We are finalizing our new Board and Officers and will update you soon with that information.
     
  6. In the meantime, please reach out to me if you would like to assist us in any way, and we will look forward to re-connecting!
Halloween Stroll
 
WPMA Board President,
Deidre Von Rock
dvonrock@vonrocklaw.com
415-635-5256

OCTOBER 2021

Little Joe's Interior
Little Joe's: Open and Ready; Pizza and sandwich orders to go and world class deli market with an Italian flare
West Portal Avenue's Awakening

Customers may be a harbinger of the May 15th return of the K Line.

While we've lost some businesses for good, West Portal Avenue is coming back to its vibrant and lively former state. MUNI announced that on May 15, the K and N lines will fully reopen the after halting all underground service last August due to an equipment malfunction — just three days after subway service resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Even though West Portal businesses are all looking forward to the restored K Line on May 15th as it was announced by Supervisor Melgar, customers are returning to the familiar local businesses on West Portal.

The Ingleside Light reported the Supervisor's remarks: “The K light rail is crucial for District 7; not just our businesses but also our institutions, such as our SFUSD schools and City College,” Melgar said. “We need reliable and accessible transit service and to ensure our recovery and success after a year of COVID-19. I look forward to continued advocacy for my district.”

The K-Ingleside line will return and be joined with the T-Third Street line, operating at all stops from Balboa Park station to the Sunnydale neighborhood, including providing subway service at all stations from West Portal to Embarcadero.

The Westside Observer took a recent Sunday stroll and popped into some open doors along the Avenue, we found some surprisingly "non-essential" businesses going strong.

Note: If we missed your business, or a business you know, get back to us ASAP.

Little Original Joe's

Little Joe's

It's hard to imagine a more difficult time for a start-up than December 2020. But Little Joe's survived the pandemic and seems to be well on its way. Although, with a to-go only menu — there is no inside dining — it's almost as if they planned it that way.

Store Manager Vianca ascribes the success of the store to the neighborhood; "it's a very good neighborhood — they love our food," she said, "we reach our goals everyday."

393 W Portal Ave • (415) 759-1155 • E-mail: littleoj@originaljoes.com Website • Hours: Daily • Marketplace opens at 10am • Pizza-Sandwich-Rotisserie at 11am •  Closes at 11pm


Clay Oven Indian Restaurant

Clay Oven Indian

Orders to go and to reserve a table for indoor dining use the website — and walk-ins are also accepted. Delivery minimum $20 / free within 4 miles. Indian dishes include vegetarian/vegan, chicken and lamb as well as seafood, breads and rice many unusual specialities.

385 West Portal Ave. • 415 731-2400 Website • Hours: Daily • 9:45 am - 11 pm / Friday-Saturday 12 pm

 


Healthy Pets Veterinary Hospital

Healthy Pets Veterinary Hospital

Call Healthy Pets today and the friendly staff will match you and your pet with a veterinarian based on your pet’s specific needs and your healthcare wishes.Please complete the Online COVID-19 Form prior to bringing your pet to the Hospital.

373 West Portal Ave. • 415-742-5961 • Website Email • Hours: Daily • Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 5 pm / Sat 9:30 am - 4 pm / Closed: 12:30-1:30pm

 


Tsings Chinese

Tsings Chinese

It's Take-Out and Delivery only (for now) at Tsings Chinese — a longtime favorite destination on West Portaland still going strong. Pot stickers and spring rolls are always popular. Kung Pao and General Tao's chicken, Hot and Sour Soup, Won Ton Soup, Noodles, Szchewan Beef, Brocolli, Asparagus or Oyster Beef, Seafood specialties as well as Noodle and Bean Curd Vegetarian dishes.

361 West Portal Ave. • 415 681-6808 Website • Hours: 11 am - 9:30 pm • Closed Sundays

 


Walter Adams Framing

Walter Adams Framing

Walter Adams Framing has been providing clients with quality custom picture framing and an unmatched selection of photo frames since 1978. Whether it’s a valuable oil painting or an irreplaceable photo of a loved one, you can trust the designers at Walter Adams to add the expertise to give your artwork that perfect, tasteful touch.

348 West Portal Ave. • 415 759-2002 • WebsiteE-Mail • Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 10 am - 6 pm • Closed Sunday & Monday.


The Dubliner

Dubliner

With 13 beers on tap and TVs showing the latest game, this laid-back hangout is perfect for you and your friends. Our upstairs overlooks the bar with plenty of seating, a pool table (can be covered to be used as a table top and a TV to entertain your guests or host a viewing party.

328 West Portal Ave. • 415 566-9444 • WebsiteE-Mail • Hours: Mon - Fri Noon - 2 am / Sat-Sun 10 am - 2 am


People on West Portal
Signs of a reinvigorated West Portal: Customers enjoying a sunny day

Ballast Coffee

Ballast Coffee

Snag a coffee, espresso or tea as beverage or beans/loose tea and a breakfast pastry. You can drop in, sit in the streetside patio or order online and pick-up your to-go order. Always special: Cappuccino, Latte, Americano, Mocha, or Cold Brew with a muffin or donut from Third Culture Bakery. Pre-order via email or website. Breakfast at Ballast — it's a must try.

329 West Portal Ave. • WebsiteE-Mail • Hours: Open Daily 8 am - 3 pm / Last Pick-up @ 2:50 pm


Xiao Loong Chinese Restaurant

Xiao Loong Chinese Restaurant

Xaio Loong has employees who have worked there since the day it opened (16 years ago) and is doing everything it can to maintain employment for their employees. We will be open for Take-out and Delivery with contactless curbside pick up. Walk-in or place your order and pay over the phone. When you are outside, call again and they will bring it out to you. You can also order delivery through Doordash.

250 West Portal Ave. • 415 753-5678 • Website • Hours: Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm | Dinner: Open daily 5 - 9 pm.


West Pawtal

West Pawtal Pet Supplies

West Pawtal is a full line pet store located in the West Portal neighborhood! They carry a wide variety of pet supplies, including Fromm Family variety driven gourmet dog food and treats and Fromm Family cat food and treats as well. They also offer special orders.

242 W Portal Ave. • Phone: 415-340-3175 • WebsiteE-Mail Facebook • Hours: Open Daily Mon-Fri: 10 am - 7 pm / Sat: 9 am - 7 pm / Sun: 11 am - 4:30 pm


Orexi Greek Cuisine

Orexi Greek

Orexi means appetite in Greek, which is exactly what you get at this West Portal favorite. Dine inside, or outside in the heated patio and for Delivery, Pick-up Orders to go call or visit the website. Delivery via Doordash. Greek specialities include kalimari, prawns, octopus, chicken and lamb as well as vegetarian.

243 West Portal Ave. • 415 664-6739 Website • Hours: Wed-Sunday 4:30-8 pm / Friday-Saturday 9 pm / Lunch Sat - Sunday Noon - 2:30


Ambassador Toys

Ambassador Toys

A sad time for the children of the westside, after 23 years at this West Portal location, the windows are papered over and the property is listed for lease as negotiable on loopnet.com. It was famous for its selection of toys, art supplies, and educational products

186 West Portal Avenue • Closed Permanently

 


Que Syrah Wine Bar

Que Syrah Wine Bar

West Portal's neighborhood wine bar. For over twelve years Que Syrah has been discovering small production wines from around the world to share with discriminating clientele. It is now open for retail and wines by the glass Wednesday through Saturday.

230 West Portal Ave. • 415 731-7000 • Website • Hours: Wed & Thu: 4 pm - 8 pm | Fri & Sat: 4 pm - 9 pm | Closed Sun - Tue

 


Goat Hill Pizza

Goat Hill Pizza

It's always Pizza Time at Goat Hill! Authentic sourdough is made daily, then rests for three days to develop its distinctive sourdough flavor. All pizzas are hand stretched and baked in a traditional brick oven. Delivery and Takeout — phone or via website. The Slice Counter is temporarily closed, but XL, L, M & S wth all the favorite toppings and choice of Cheese: feta, goat, ricotta, dayia (vegan) are just a keystroke away. Gluten-free crust is available.

170 West Portal Ave. • 415 242-4628 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 11 am - 9 pm / Last Delivery Order In @ 8:15 pm


Pure Barre Workout Classes

Pure Barre

Pure Barre features four group class formats that deliver an effective total-body workout focused on low impact, high-intensity movements that lift and tone muscles and improve strength, agility and flexibility for every body. Classes are available streaming and in-person by reservation online, including a first-time free workout.

162 West Portal Ave. • 415 340-3946 • WebsiteE-Mail • Hours: Mon: 7am-1:30pm | 4pm-7:30pm / Tue & Thu: 6am-1:30pm | 4pm-7:30pm / Wed: 8am-1:30pm | 4pm-7:30pm / Fri: 7am-6:30pm / Sat & Sun: 7am-11am

 


Toast Eatery

Toast

Toast's menu includes omelets, fluffy pancakes, Belgian waffles and French toast — breakfast served all day. Hearty lunch options include gourmet salads, sandwiches, and specialty burgers. Add on a hot beverage, soda, juice, a cold beer, or a mimosa! Order online or drop in, inside seating or sit in the streetside patio or order online and pick-up your to-go order..

160 West Portal Ave. • 415 566-2000 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 7 am - 3 pm / Last Pick-up @ 2:50 pm

 


Trattoria
Streetside dining is proving very popular on West Portal, here diner's enjoy Italian food al fresco at Trattoria da Vittorio

Trattoria da Vittorio

Trattoria

Southern Italian — Calabrian food is about deliciously satisfying fare. Vittorio and his staff present warm, welcoming and exemplary service — a memorable dining experience that sings with Southern Italian hospitality. Indoor dining is now available or enjoy the streetside patio or order online for delivery or pick-up your to-go order. Catering is also a speciality.

150 West Portal Ave. • 415 742-0300 • WebsiteE-Mail • Hours: Open Daily 11:30 am to 9 pm

 


Shaw's Ice Cream
Shaws is open! There's always time for ice cream.

Shaw's Ice Cream and Candy

West Pawtal Pet Supplies

Twenty flavors of San Francisco's iconic Mitchell's Ice Cream.So many decisions. After Douglas Shaw's 89-year-old business closed, Diana Zogaric and her three children completed a 5-month rebuild and re-launched the new Shaws in January.

122 W Portal Ave. • Phone: 415 683-5626 • Website • Hours: Open Sun-Thu Noon - 7 pm / Noon - 8:30 pm Fri & Sat

 


 

Rain Tree Cafe

Rain Tree

The quintessential neighborhood coffee shop is OPEN for Indoor Dining, Outdoor Dining, Pick up & Takeout orders. Rain Tree serves a full menu of American diner classics for breakfast & lunch. For Delivery: Doordash.com

118 West Portal Ave. • 415 242-9000 • Hours: Open Daily 9 am to 2 pm

 


Starbucks

Starbucks

The passionate purveyors of coffee also offers a selection of premium teas, fine pastries and other delectable treats to please the taste buds. And the music in store is chosen for its appeal. People go to Starbucks to chat, meet up or even work. We're a neighborhood gathering place, a part of the daily routine. Open for Pick up & Takeout orders.

100 West Portal Ave. • 415 664-8370 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 4:30 am to 9:30 pm


CineArts at the Empire

Cinearts at the Empire

The Portal, which began showing silent-era films on a single-screen in 1925was renamed the Empire in 1936. It was bought by Cinemark in 2003. It has been closed since March, when shelter-in-place orders first took effect. Although Cinemark’s other Bay Area theaters, including the nearby Century 20 Daly City, reopened in late summer before shutting down again during the region’s shutdown over the holidays, the Empire will not reopen.

Closed Permanently


Mozzarella di Bufala Pizzeria

Mozzarella di Bufala Pizzeria

Italian and Brazilian dishes. Try the best seller, the Di Bufala pizza made with salami, sausage, pepperoni, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. Cornmeal crust is optional. Brazilian dishes, include feijoada - a fresh and smoked, pork and beef, black bean stew with rice, collared greens and farofa. Check out their unusual menu. Pick-up, Delivery or Reserve a table.

69 West Portal • 415 661-8900 • WebsiteE-mailOrder • Hours: Mon – Fri: 11 am – 9:30 pm | Sat & Sun: 11 am – 9:30 pm


Bursa Mediterranean Cuisine

Bursa

Bursa takes you on a culinary trip around the Eastern Mediterranean, with dishes like smoky baba ghanouj, rich musakka, and succulent lamb kebabs — all served with homemade flat bread & your choice of french fries or salad. Some limited indoor dining is available & for outdoor streetside dining. Call or Stop by to order for pickup.

60 West Portal • 415 564-4006 • WebsiteE-mail• Hours: Open Daily 11 am to 9 pm

 


Roti Indian Bistro

Roti Indian Bistro

Roti Indian Bistro marries fresh, contemporary styling to classic Indian cooking methods creating a truly modern Indian cuisine. The chefs take diners on a culinary tour of India, offering a taste of the north in the charcoal tandoori meat specialties and hints of South India in the vegetarian dishes.Indoor and Streetside Dining, instore pick-up and delivery (order or reserve an indoor table online) or call Roti. Free Delivery from 5 pm .

53 West Portal Ave. • 415 665-7684 • WebsiteE-MailFacebook • Hours: Mon: 5 pm - 8:30 pm / Tue - Sun: 11:30 am - 8:30 pm


Peets Coffee

Peets

Alfred Peet thought Americans deserved a real cup of coffee when he set up shop in Berkeley back in 1966. Five decades later, his vision continues — sourcing from the finest estates, handroased in small batches, and making sure every cup is brewed as fresh and full-flavored as possible. Peet's knows coffee so you can know a great cup.

54 West Portal • 415 731-0375 • Order/Delivery • Delivery: DoordashWebsite • Hours: Open Daily 5 am to 6 pm

 


 

McCarthy's Irish Bar

McCarthys Irish Pub

Looking for an unpretentious evening out? Stop by for a pint, who knows where the night might lead? We are so excited to announce our partnership with Franco's Table! Check out our McCarthy's Bar Bites menu and stop by. We are all sitting outside. Make sure you bring your jackets and masks!

46 West Portal Ave. • 415 702-6227 • WebsiteFacebook • Hours: Open Daily Noon - 10 pm / Sat-Sun 2 am - 10 pm

 


Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt

Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt, custard and vegan soft-serve — all are the speciality of this West Portal mainstay. Dine-in cafe, or enjoy the outdoor seating. serving up our delicious breakfast and lunch menu in addition to our classic pastries, cookies and cakes. We have everything you need for a perfect catch-up, from delicious sliders to creamy soups (and foamy cappuccinos too!)..

44 West Portal Ave. • 415 653-7067 • WebsiteFacebook • Hours: Open Daily Noon - 9 pm

 


Franco's Latin Table

Franco's Latin Table

Franco's Latin Table is a classic, family owned restaurant with a lively and vibrant atmosphere to go along with its focus on modern Peruvian cuisine with influences from both Mexico and Central America. You can always count on a good meal and feel like part of the family. Dine-in, Dine Outdoors, Curbside pickup, No-contact delivery, Delivery or Takeout.

24 West Portal Ave. • 415 759-8087 • WebsiteFacebook • Hours: Open Daily 11 am - 9 pm

 


Spiazzo Ristorante Italian

Spiazzo Ristorante

Cucina Italiano lives up to its name.Casual spot serving a Northern & Southern Italian menu, including fresh fish & wood-fired pizzas. Gluten-free and vegetarian options. Indoor (Reserve a table online) and outdoor seating (in our heated streetside piaza) pick-up and delivery options.

33 West Portal Ave. • 415 664-9511 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 11 am - 10 pm | Fri-Sat until 10:30.

 


Lemonade

Lemonade Ristorante

Lemonade wants to make real food the standard in fast food. It is a California based cafeteria-style chain serving a seasonal comfort-food menu paired with many types of lemonade. Sandwiches, bowls, salads, braises, desserts and juices are all available for indoor dining, and outdoor seating in our heated sidewalk lounge or pick-up and delivery options available on the website.

16 West Portal Ave. • 415 329-5111 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 10:30 am – 9 pm

 


Squat & Gobble Crêperie

Squat & Gobble

Savory Crepes Served with Rosemary Garlic Potatoes and House Mixed Green Salad — sounds like my kind of breakfast .. maybe lunch or dinner? Gluten Free Crepes Available Upon Request. Just want pancakes, crab benedict or steak and eggs? They got 'em. Salads, sandwiches, burgers, pastas soups and beer or wine.

1 West Portal Ave. • 415 665-9900 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 8 am – 9 pm

 


Burrito Loco

burrito Loco

Everybody's favorite Mexican spot to grab a taco or burrito on the go, but they also have great nachos and quesadillas and taco salads — really hungry? Grilled Steak and/or Grilled Shrimp, Rice, Beans, Salsa Fresca, Guacamole and Sour Cream. Order online for quick pick-up or delivery options available online.

850 Ulloa St. • 415 665-4677 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 11 am – 9 pm

 

 


Bullshead Restaurant

Bullshead Restaurant

No-frills American joint focused on buffalo-meat steaks & burgers "I eat at this place because I love the food but mainly because I can get a quick healthy meal ... grilled salmon, a pretty solid pick. Most meals come with steamed veggies and rice or fries. Soup and salad bar and they sell fresh meat to take home and prepare yourself." A customer Yelps. Indoor or streetside dining, or order online for pick-up or delivery options.

840 Ulloa St. • 415 665-4350 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 11 am – 8 pm

 


Submarine Center Gourmet Sandwiches

Submarine Center

If you want a delicious toasted sandwich, Submarine Center is the place to go. Handmade subs, hot & cold, in a no-frills storefront spot especially known for its hot pastrami. They also have Pizza and their famous 25 inch Subs that make a party. Dine-in, Takeout, No-contact delivery Indoor seating is limited.

820 Ulloa St. • 415 564-1455 • Website • Hours: Open Daily 10 am – 6 pm

 

 


New Tsing Tao

New Tsing Tao

Farewell to New Tsing Tao. Mandarin, Hunan and Schzchuen authentic Chinese cuisine for lunch, dinner, or delivery was made to order. From Hot and Sour Soup and our House Special Chow Mein to Mongolian Beef and Honey-Glazed Walnut Prawns, New Tsing Tao will be missed.

811 Ulloa St. • Closed Permanently

 

 


Chaiya Thai Restaurant

Chaiya Thai Restaurant

Chef Chainan's creative mind is at your service. He has introduceed a contemporary new take on Thai cuisine. Call or go online to order for pick-up, to reserve a table or for delivery.

272 Claremont Blvd. • 415 999-0345 • WebsiteFacebook • Hours: Open Tue-Fri: 11 am - 3 pm | 5 pm - 9 pm | Sat-Sun: 5 pm - 9 pm | Mon: Closed

 

 


April 2021

Walking West Portal

A photographer goes in search of life on the Avenue

Under the Shared Spaces Program, dining and browsing are available on sidewalks, parking spaces and in some stores inside within strict limitations.   Some merchants are taking advantage of the warm weather to set up tables and cases outside as well. We only feature stores that appear to be open (generally). This is only the first block, watch this space as we cover more blocks.

August 2020

Merchants Get Creative to Inspire Shoppers
Bookshop West Portal ready shoppers
Bookshop West Portal is expanding to the courtyard to attract shoppers.

"Still no entry to shops but businesses are coming out of the woodwork.

West Portal Antiques
Enjoy the sunshine and shopping as you support local bookstores

Bookshop West Portal is turning itself inside out to get shoppers to stop in – or at least browse their great book selection. They were one of the first to take to the streets, but this week they have taken to the courtyard as well, with aisles of books as well as tables.

“We are very lucky because of our neighborhood and have so many supportive customers and friends who want to support their local bookstore,” Katarina Argyres, a manager and buyer at the bookstore said. “People are thinking of how they are spending money and how they can support local businesses. Though sales are “not what they were before the virus,” she is heartened by “long-time customers who are encouraging their friends to buy.”

West Portal Antiques
Outdoors as long as it stays sunny

There are more things than books on display. Games, puzzles and kits because “you still have to keep kids busy during stay-at-home and non-book items are very popular just now,” she said.

And if it rains? They haven’t encountered it yet – so they are playing it day-by-day to see how it goes. They are hoping that it stays sunny.

Other businesses in the district are also getting creative, and people are going to coffee shops, ordering foods to take out. “People are looking for places to walk around, and they like to go to small neighborhoods to support businesses there.”

One indicator is that parking is not as vacant as it was, and while weekdays are slower, weekends can be very busy. “Definitely not back to what it was before, but more people are coming out.

West Portal Antiques
Bring the kids too - special areas of kids books are popular

Online remains a main source of sales, “but people often walk up – tell us what they are looking for – we’ll get it for you, gift wrap it or send it to a friend. Of course online, is a great way to place orders, then you can pick them up  - website or email – and we get tons of phone orders.

“We are planning to get through this the best way we can,” she added, “for our customers and neighbors. The holidays are coming up – we’ll be here – we’ll be open for anything our customers need.”

July 23, 2020

Signs of Life Reappear on West Portal
Bookshop West Portal ready for pick-ups
Bookshop West Portal owner, Anna Bullard is open for passers-by and pick-up orders.

"Non-essential" businesses are curbside ready — no entry for now

People are beginning to return to West Portal's small businesses—and other Westside businesses are ready to make sales.

West Portal Antiques
West Portal Antiques instituted a "one customer at a time" protocol, and was open only from 1-4 pm
people on Ulloa St.
On Ulloa Street, several people were seen browsing from time to time

While restaurants, coffeehouses, and grocers that have been deemed "essential" have been operating on this curbside plan for months, the other businesses have been waiting out the corona virus.

"We are thrilled that the Mayor had decided that it is now safe to open for curbside pick up. We will be following all guidelines and look forward to welcoming our customers back." Anna Bullard, owner of Bookshop West Portal said.

A generic square placeholder image with rounded corners in a figure.
A sunny day brought out mask-clad shoppers, and competition for parking appeared brisk

Many stores and businesses have maintained an online presence during the pandemic, and offered ordering and shipping to customers, but most have been anxious to start street sales again.

The Health Department released guidelines on May 14th for retail stores not already open the public to be instituted beginning today, May 18th. Curbside pickup, DPH said, would be allowed if the location:
• Has clear access to a sidewalk, street, parking lot, or alley to use for pickup • Has no more than 10 employees on site at once, to handle curbside pickup • Is not in an enclosed shopping center, unless the business has its own exterior door • Implements a Health and Safety Plan for curbside businesses (fillable MS Word) DPH estimated that this would include more than 90% of retailers in San Francisco.

Businesses may also request a free temporary loading zone for their business from SFMTA.

Businesses are also allowed, temporarily to use part of the sidewalk for curbside pickup without a permit according to the Department of Public Works.

Photos: Kathy Howard

May 2020

San Francisco, NOT the country’s greenest city

Stephen Martin-Pinto, Supervisor Norman Yee
Stephen Martin-Pinto with Supervisor Norman Yee at neighborhood clean-up.

San Francisco is at the forefront of the environmental movement. We have banned plastic bags, plastic straws, made efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and pioneered the use of separate bins for compost and recycling. We have made pledges to reduce waste to zero by 2021. We started a program, Clean Power SF, in which at least 40% of our power will come from renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind power. When cities across the US think of a prime example of a green city, surely San Francisco is the shining example, right?

Wrong.

Take a look at our streets. Litter, human waste, and needles pollute our sidewalks. Streets choked with vehicles at a standstill, emitting carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides, all of which have adverse health effects. We have a second rate transit system that is slow, unreliable, sometimes unsafe, and nowhere near as extensive as it needs to be.

The city’s stance has long been to discourage car use by eliminating parking and traffic lanes. The board of supervisors recently signed legislation to eliminate parking minimums for new construction4. But what transportation alternative have they given us? None. So, ride-sharing becomes more popular. But this creates even more traffic, which uses more fossil fuels and creates more pollutants. Furthermore, ride-sharing services lure people away from public transit, especially if their public transit system is clunky, like let’s say, oh…MUNI and BART.5 This added congestion slows down vehicles and any MUNI line which uses surface routes. Congratulations SFMTA, through poor planning, you’ve made traffic even worse, which has a negative effect on the environment.

If we truly want to be green, we need to focus on the basics. Clean streets, clean waterways, clean beaches, and clean parks. We do this by enforcing the law. We must have zero tolerance for litter, for open air drug use and discarded needles. Zero tolerance for human waste on the sidewalks. Enforce the law unequivocally and absolutely every time. Think that’s too tough? Being permissive invites more litter blowing the ocean. All this simply because there’s no moral fortitude to deal with it.

We need to expand our MUNI. Fast efficient people-movers are the best way to get people out of cars and onto public transportation. And wouldn’t that make for a greener city?

Yet nobody is talking about this. They are overlooking the basics such as litter pickup and enforcing anti-dumping laws which would have a more noticeable, immediate, and real positive effect on the environment. They are not thinking long-term, but rather are being extremely short-sighted when reducing parking minimums, which will only drive people into ride-sharing which has a worse negative effect on the environment. They are not making realistic assumptions about people’s behaviors, thinking if they make driving torturous, then that will get people out of cars, not realizing that traffic slows down MUNI buses also, and that some people actually NEED to drive, because that is essential for their job, and that traffic that flows is traffic that pollutes less.

If our city were truly green, it would make those hard choices for the future. It would take real steps to change what it can and accept what it cannot. It would plan for a future city that minimizes impacts on the environment. Is our city up to the task? I hope so.

Stephen Martin-Pinto, President of Sunnyside Neighborhood Assn. and Commissioner, SF Veteran’s Affairs Commission

MAY 2019

Michael Walton Gonzalez

Family and friends gathered on February 7 at The Olympic club - Lakeside near Lake Merced, to celebrate the life and grieve the loss of Michael Walton Gonzalez, who died suddenly at age 40.

Readers of the Westside Observer will remember him as the chef/entrepreneur who took over the Manor Cafe Diner on West Portal Ave back in 2016.

Gonzalez breathed new life into the establishment with passion and dedication. He was a native San Franciscan who grew up in the neighborhood attending local schools, Stuart Hall and Saint Ignatius College preparatory high school, graduating in 1997. After earning his bachelors in English at the University of California Davis in 2001, he had the opportunity to go off to Paris to begin the adventure of a lifetime.

He attended the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, graduating the first in his class. This led him to a job at the Restaurant Taillevent at Rue Lamennais in Paris, before returning home to San Francisco.

Before his venture as chef and new owner of the Manor Cafe, he spent over 11 years traveling and cooking as a private chef. While his ownership of the Manor Cafe was brief, he was honored to have had the opportunity.

He sold the Manor Cafe last year, taking a much needed sabbatical. He was engaged to be married to fiancé Sarah Friedkin, and they were eagerly making plans for a life together with more adventures and opportunities. All who knew him said, “Michael left us too soon.”

Those who spoke at his memorial service were Bob Skinner, Jim Murphy, Shahab Fatouhi, and Maria Murray-Chavez.

Gonzalez leaves behind his mother Karen, fiancé Sarah, godmother Arlene Cohen, and many family members and friends.

March 2019

West Portal Business Outlook Calm—for Now

vacant store

While Hayes Valley, parts of Divisadero, and Valencia Street have become hot destinations for new businesses regardless of rent increases, West Portal remains an undiscovered gem. Many businesses along the three-block shopping strip have seen a loyal customer base for decades. Residents have also seen other businesses come and go. Though few storefronts remain empty, a transportation innovation threatens to disrupt the entire solemn, familial corridor.

"We are thrilled with the recently opened businesses that are not only new, but are appreciated by a cross-section of the neighborhood" says West Portal Merchants Association President Deidre Von Rock-Ricci.

quote marks

… the possibility of the M streetcar going underground is still getting into gear. While the end result would benefit street traffic and commuters, disrupting noises, fumes and dust during construction would hurt businesses.”

Recent openings include Noe Valley Bakery (28 West Portal), Lemonade (16 West Portal), Pilates Story (183 West Portal), the Coder School (231 West Portal) and Tutu School (239 West Portal). vacant store

Mary Gassen of Noe Valley Bakery says West Portal is a neighborhood where she has spent a lot of time and loves the "vibe."

"It feels like a genuine San Francisco original neighborhood and the people here are friendly and welcoming," says Gassen, adding that many of Noe Valley Bakery's West Portal neighbors have patronized the original Noe Valley Bakery on 24th Street.

While West Portal has been successful at filling vacancies, some storefronts have been vacant for years. The former Radio Shack at 123 West Portal, a 2400 square-foot space, has been vacant since 2015. According to Frosch's Yelp page, the travel company formerly occupying 314 West Portal, is "very much in business, but their West Portal office has closed and the empty space is up for lease."

Recently, fragrance boutique Scent Pack covered its windows before clearing all merchandise and fixtures from 201 West Portal Ave. The interior is under construction.

construction

In the window of the former AT&T Authorized Retailer at 244West Portal, a Duffin Construction sign hangs next to a Notice of Nonresponsibility dated June 14, 2017. Fashion boutique The Art of Style at 260 West Portal has closed as well.

But empty retail spaces aren't the only opportunities for construction.

"The bigger concern has been the Twin Peaks Tunnel project, which SFMTA starts and stops in fits," says Von Rock-Ricci.

As reported in our June issue, the possibility of the M streetcar going underground is still getting into gear. While the end result would benefit street traffic and commuters, disrupting noises, fumes and dust during construction could hurt businesses. Reduced and detoured street traffic could present hardships for merchants. And with the possibility of eliminated stops post-construction, slower foot traffic wouldcreate a fiscal decrease in revenue for business.

"This project would literally stop the trains for at least two weeks at a time, in multiple intervals, over the course of a year," Von Rock-Ricci continues. "We just learned that this project is now going to be delayed yet another year. I can't imagine an underground M actually being accomplished anytime soon."

She says West Portal would welcome a hip new coffee shop, retail boutique, or artisanal cocktail bar. Those businesses would be part of a long established corridor focused on providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere for all.

"West Portal won't be gentrified," she adds, "it will just continue to evolve with our community."

Tony Taylor is a San Francisco Journalist

July/August 2017

meeting pic
Supervisor Norman Yee's community safety forum included District Attorney George Gascón, Chief William Scott, Captain Denise Flaherty and other inforcement officers

Exasperated Residents Impatient with Crime Spree

San Francisco is #1—in property crime, according to recent FBI data. We are the top of the crop when it comes to per-capita property crimes among the country's biggest 50 cities. If anyone doubts that safety is foremost on the minds of local residents, they would be surprised that Supervisor Norman Yee's community/police meeting filled the classic Art Deco auditorium at West Portal Elementary school, where they were still setting up more seats at 6 pm as the meeting began.

Even though Chief Scott was detained by a meeting in the Mission, Supervisor Yee proceeded with the caveat that the Chief would join the group soon.

quotes

…who do you call when you see something suspicious? 553-0123? You get an answering machine. Or do we call 911? Many felt that their attempts to reach police were futile.”

"I think with the recent attempted kidnapping of a thirteen year-old girl on Taraval Street, and the bravery of the young lady in defending herself, as well as the good Samaritans who came to her rescue, and the police officers who made the arrest, this was an example of when the community and the Police Department come together. It is important for the community to meet with law enforcement to find better ways that we can work together to create safer neighborhoods together," Yee told the well behaved crowd.

people at the meeting

Less appreciated were the remarks from District Attorney George Gascón, who spent a lot of time defending Prop 47, which "doesn't control felonies like burglaries." Less clear, or at least less popular, if groaning and shaking heads are interpreted correctly, was the explanation about why individual crimes were not prosecuted, in favor of "bundling" because the chances of getting a conviction were greater. "If we don't bunch these felonies together, we know they will not result in significant convictions," the DA explained. And it is the "10% of people who commit 80% of the crimes," at which the DA's office is aiming. Law enforcement "can't be the solution to the homeless problem," he added.

town hall crowd

Captain Denise Flaherty was more appreciated by the anxious crowd. "As Captain, I deploy my officers by looking at how the district is impacted by the crime trends, and the feedback I get from you, the community. The Taraval is the biggest district in the City. It takes up about 28.2% of the city's map. That's a lot of residents and they pretty much want the same thing. They want us to stop home burglaries, they want us to stop auto break-ins. Every single neighborhood wants high visibility from officers. They also want us to address traffic concerns, which is a high priority for the City along with quality of life and homeless issues. Every day when I come into the office I review the data from the day before, to determine what will be my mission for the day and how to deploy the forces across the board. We are down this year to date about 13% in burglaries, about 21% for auto burglaries, but we are up for robberies."

quotes

Captain Joe McFadden from the Ingleside district, who encouraged everyone to call the police whenever they see anything suspicious. "Even the smallest detail, a broken antenna or taillight," he said, "could be just the detail we are looking for.”

Sitting in for Chief Scott, was Commander Ann Mannix, who set the theme for the day, "get to know your neighbors is the take-away message from this meeting."

George GasconThe introductory round, before the community questions began, ended with Captain Joe McFadden from the Ingleside district, who encouraged everyone to call the police whenever they see anything suspicious. "Even the smallest detail, a broken antenna or taillight," he said, "could be just the detail we are looking for." About half the cases here are thefts from vehicles, smash-and-grabs.

When Chief Scott arrived, he stressed the need to concentrate on violent and property crimes and the need to avoid flooding our jails. Quality of life crimes, especially those involving the homeless, require cooperation among the police, DA, DPW (homeless services) and DPH (mental health issues). He has established a unit at SFPD with the sole responsibility to address homeless issues, and to coordinate the services available, with a view to long range solutions.

"District 7 is a heavy property crime area," Chief Scott said, "so more resources are committed to that than any other."

When public question time came up, the first question out of the gate was submitted on several cards: "who do you call when you see something suspicious? 553-0123? You get an answering machine. Or do we call 911? Many felt that their attempts to reach police were futile."

quotes

District Attorney Gascón suggested that anyone who has a security camera protection system should register it with the DA's office so that enforcement can establish a network of cameras around the city to track down criminals.”

Chief Scott replied, "We recognize that it is a problem—but the volume of calls is huge, and we need to give priority to victims of crimes." But he acknowledged that the department needs to do better to follow with reports and tips from the community. He stressed that 911 should be reserved for crimes in progress, and non-emergency calls go to 553-0123, while things like garbage dumped on the street should go to 311. And the Taraval District Tip line is 242-9753.

Another question was "How do we keep people off the street when they get released right after they are arrested?"

The panel members stressed that Prop 47 does not control felonies like burglaries. "We ask for community victims to appear at sentencing and court procedures to impress on the courts the serious nature of the crimes." Another panelist suggested that "convictions for non-violent crime are often for 90 days, which in real terms means 45 days, and if the time served is already 30 days—yes, they will be out again in a few days."

District Attorney Gascón reiterated that we need to "bunch felonies together in order for there to be significant convictions because 10% of the people commit 80% of the crimes."

"There aren't enough officers to keep us all safe," Chief Scott said, "we are still operation with the same 1,971 officers we have been for years, even though our population has grown."

Another questioner wanted to know it there could be a beat cop on Ocean Avenue, to which Captain Flaherty replied that, "we are nine officers short at the Taraval station." She mentioned the challenges of finding the right person to walk the beat with a short staff, especially when Irving, West Portal and Ocean Avenue all want beat cops. "I want a beat officer who wants to do it, that always works best."

"Can they be bilingual in Chinese," another attendee asked? "Our Ocean Avenue beat cop, Ricky Guerrero, is bilingual in Spanish, but he can always get a Chinese speaking resource in a short time."

Another questioner asked about the recent sophisticated burglaries that do not involve broken windows or doors, "we had 8 last week" that showed no signs of entry.

Captain Flaherty said that some recent thieves have shown significant technological knowledge. "Don't leave your keys near your front of your house — savvy thieves can access the chip in your keys." She suggested that they should be left in the bedroom, preferably in your purse or a drawer where the chip is less accessible.

Another panelist suggested that residents use "the Club" on their steering wheels. While it may not stop professionals, most criminals know that someone who uses "the Club" has probably already been hit, and knows better than to leave valuables in the car.

If your car alarm goes off, make sure that you don't turn it off and go back to bed, thieves often will hide and come back when the alarm is off.

Dogs are one of the best deterrents, another suggested, and even a recording of a dog that barks when the doorbell rings would work.

District Attorney Gascón suggested that anyone who has a security camera protection system should register it with the DA's office so that enforcement can establish a network of cameras around the city to track down criminals.

As Supervisor closed the meeting, many people still had questions, and were encouraged to meet with the panelists after the meeting.

May 2017

Bock’s Jewelers Calls It Quits

Though they probably don’t know it, Ernest and Susanne Bock’s West Portal jewelry boutique has great reviews on Yelp.

“This guy has talent,” Brian P. said in his five-star review. “I don’t normally write reviews, but this company is definitely worth it.

“As I do with all my watches, I take them to the nearest mall and have the battery replaced,” Brian P. continued in his review. “The last repairer damaged the watch case making it nearly impossible to fix. Mr. Bock said he could fix anything [and he] replaced my battery in 15 minutes.”

quotes

There is no website for the boutique and chances are they haven’t used Yelp. But, they don’t need Yelp. 49 years of customer loyalty is enough. March 31 will be the Bock’s last day in business before a new jeweler takes over.”

In an age when craftsmen are being replaced with machines and skilled artisans are retiring without anyone to carry the legacy, Bock’s Jewelers is a rarity. And, unfortunately, within a few weeks, the talented duo will pack up their watchmaker tools. It’s time to retire.

This particular Thursday afternoon in West Portal is sunny with a gentle bay breeze. To the west, over rooftops, the ocean is visible from Junipero Serra Boulevard. An outbound two-car M train rumbles through the confusing 12-way intersection that connects West Portal to St. Francis Wood, Ingleside and Sloat Boulevard.

The subtle hum of traffic sounds distant behind the quiet neighborhood. A block of multi-level single-family homes line West Portal Avenue before an enclave of shops begin at 15th Street. West Portal Antiques, a trove of collectables from bygone eras, is across the street from Manor Coffee Shop, a dining destination since 1967.

A shiny electric teal BMW is parked nearby the post office as a parking meter maid slowly drives behind the cars parked perpendicular to the sidewalks. A woman inserts coins to the newsstand then pulls out a newspaper. Business turnovers aside, the neighborhood’s visual landscape is mostly unchanged in the past few decades.

One of the larger boutiques on the block is SF Gold Buyers, an accessory pawn and loan shop. Across the street, two customers pick through kiwis and yellow apples outside of West Portal Produce Market. And immediately next door, under the bright blue awning of 226 West Portal Avenue, Bock’s Jewelers has bedazzled the community since 1968.

Through the window, pendulums swing on wooden cuckoo clocks that hang on the walls. The window displays white jewelry fixtures that prop up delicate gold necklaces, jade rings and diamond earrings. The iron security gate is propped open and inside, a few customers move about the intimate, carpeted space.

“Susanne, can you get out some pearls for me?” Ellen Fishman says, eyeing a byzantium beaded necklace secured inside a glass jewelry case. Mrs. Fishman has been a loyal Bocks customer for “close to 15 years” and has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years.

Mrs. Bock unlocks the case for Mrs. Fishman and a girlfriend to browse while their patient husbands linger near the front door. The phone rings as two more customers enter the boutique for a brief walk around. It is a busy afternoon for the jewelers.

Under a fluorescent light strip behind the counter, Mr. Bock squints one eye into a magnifying loupe while working on an intricate jewelry piece.

Photos of a smiling young girl and Kobenhaven postcards stick to the wall next to the antique, wooden cash register. Next to the register, Mrs. Bock is on the phone with a customer.

“Are you still interested in the rubies? We have two left,” she says softly into the phone, making a note onto paper. She knows her products and customers well. Over the faint sound of jazz music, some chiming clocks strike noon while others read 10:15 and 3:45.

Mrs. Bock moves quickly, ending the phone call to ring up a male customer for a watch repair.

“It’s $15,” Mr. Bock tells his wife from behind his work desk.

After a few deliberate strikes on the antique register keys and a pause for mental math, the bell jingles as the wooden cash drawer slides open. The man collects his change from Mrs. Bock and slides a small white envelope into his jacket pocket before maneuvering through the small crowd of customers to exit.

Mrs. Fishman takes this opportunity to bid adieu as well. She and her friend have decided against the pearls, but promise the Bocks they will return soon.

“Mr. Bock has always done excellent repair work,” says Mrs. Fishman outside of the boutique. “They have fair pricing and there’s no hard selling. They’re an old fashioned type of jeweler.”

“It’s sad that there’s another family business leaving West Portal,” Mr. Fishman adds. “It’s the last real jewelry shop here.”

In 1968, the Bocks lived in Daly City. The then-shop owner of 226 West Portal was also a jeweler, and like the Bocks, was from Denmark. They were connected through a mutual friend who knew the shop was for sale.

“Ernest was a watchmaker who learned to repair jewelry,” Mrs. Bock says of her husband of over 50 years. “It’s what he had to do to take care of the customers.”

In the 49 years they have been in business, Mrs. Bock says West Portal seems to be the same and they still have the same customers. “We never imagined owning this business and it has been very gratifying,” she says.

Their rent was $135 per month when they took over the shop and she declined to share the current rate. When asked what is their secret to so many years in business, Mrs. Bock says they didn’t give up, “though the beginning was hard.”

A customer enters the boutique, slow moving with the aid of a walking cane. Louise Tschudi, a friend of the Bocks, has been living in San Francisco for almost 60 years and used to own a restaurant for 27 years in the neighborhood. Today she needs a necklace fixed and the Bocks do not charge her for the quick repair.

“It’s sad to see them leave,” Mrs. Tschudi says, “but in life you have to know when to call it quits.”

The Bocks now live in Burlingame. After closing the shop, Mr. Bock says they will visit Copenhagen with their daughter and grandchildren.

“We want to close [the shop] while we can do it ourselves,” says Mrs. Bock. “We want to enjoy some good years together.” Mr. Bock turned 82 at the end of February and Mrs. Bock says, “it’s time.”

Mrs. Bock admits with the advancement of technology they have had to keep up. “We go on the computer for inventory and taxes and we have an accountant,” she says. And though they have braved the world of Facebook, they don’t have a profile picture.

“We don’t even know how to use it,” she says with a laugh. There is no website for the boutique and chances are they haven’t used Yelp. But, they don’t need Yelp. 49 years of customer loyalty is enough.

March 31 will be the Bock’s last day in business before a new jeweler takes over.

Tony Taylor is a local reporter. Photos: Tony Taylor

March 2017

A Taste of What’s Possible

Taste Logo

Last month’s first-ever event “ A Taste of West Portal” drew residents and visitors to West Portal Avenue for food and entertainment, and to the West Portal Playground for canine contests.

a tightrope walker

“Our goal was accomplished,” said Tammi Scott-Wigens, an organizer of the event and owner of West Portal’s S. Marco Fine Leather. The goal was to triple foot traffic along the avenue.

“People were having a lot of fun,” she said. Anyone walking along the avenue would probably agree. Along with food, sponsors brought out the brass band and the circus.

St. Gabriel’s Celestial Brass Band played a variety of tunes, stopping at various locations, and circus performers walked a tight wire in front of 345 West Portal Avenue, a property owned by Mary Ravetti. Earlier, in front of the library, a man juggled to a captive crowd.

“This is so wonderful,” Ravetti said of the event. “It’s a long time coming.” Besides bringing visitors to the neighborhood, Ravetti said it’s a great way for merchants to meet and get galvanized. Merchants won’t stop talking about ways to bring more business to the commercial district and make little-known West Portal a destination. Ravetti says visitors can experience all of San Francisco on the West Portal corridor.

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Merchants won’t stop talking about ways to bring more business to the commercial district and make little-known West Portal
a destination.

a band on West Portal

“We call it [West Portal] the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.

The canine events drew about 50 people, about half of which live in other neighborhoods. Dogs and their owners participated in contests for cutest dog, best costume and best trick. Alan Berezin’s 10-year-old Chow Chow won the cutest dog contest. The Chow Chow’s purple tongue held sway over one judge’s opinion.

Judges included District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu and District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee. Chu is a former District 4 supervisor.

booksales

“Hopefully it [the Taste] will be bigger next year,” said Cynthia Pereira, who’s 11-year-old Samoyed, named Miss Zuree, walked the red carpet in the cutest dog contest. Pereira grew up in West Portal, and currently has family in the neighborhood.

balloonSculptor

On the avenue before the canine contests, Jose Calvo-Perez was serving visitors samples of nouveau Peruvian cuisine outside Fresca, his restaurant at 24 West Portal Avenue. “It’s good,” the chef and owner said of the Taste of West Portal. “Not bad for the first time.” Calvo-Perez thinks the event will have its intended effect of improving business on the corridor.

“I couldn’t ask for more,” said Maryo Mogannam, president, West Portal Merchants Association, the event’s main sponsor. The avenue was as busy as he’s ever seen. The weather cooperated. “It’s the buzz and the vibe you see,” he said, reflecting on the feelings people seemed to be sharing during the day.

Keith Burbank is a local journalist.

July/August 2014

Take A Taste of West Portal June 14–15th

West Portal's Merchants Association is bringing what organizers say is the first street fair in decades to the neighborhood. The fair, called the Taste of West Portal, will take place Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., along West Portal Avenue from Ulloa to 15th Avenue. Activities will take place at the West Portal Playground on Lenox Way too.

quotes

It's probably the biggest thing the Avenue has had in decades," said Tammy Scott-Wigens, owner of S. Marco Fine Leather, 201 West Portal Avenue. Scott-Wigens has been taking the lead organizing the event. The goal of the event is to triple foot traffic along the avenue.”

It's "probably the biggest thing the Avenue has had in decades," said Tammy Scott-Wigens, owner of S. Marco Fine Leather, 201 West Portal Avenue. Scott-Wigens has been taking the lead organizing the event. The goal of the event is to triple foot traffic along the avenue.

logo and map

Participating restaurants will be offering visitors free samples throughout the day, a fixed-price menu and their regular menu. This year visitors will dine inside, but in following years organizers hope to get restaurants to set up booths outside.

Participating merchants will be selling items at a special sale price, and merchants selling services will be offering coupons to visitors. Some may offer free services.

Activities include music along each block, circus performers, dog contests, lectures, caricatures, photographs and free treats and giveaways. West Portal Avenue, from 14th to 15th Avenue, will be dedicated as a family and kids block.

Residents interested in entering their canine in a dog contest can sign up on the Taste of West Portal's website, www.tasteofwestportal.com. District 7's Supervisor Norman Yee will be one of the judges.

Kids can participate in arts and crafts, see demonstrations, check out San Francisco Fire Department trucks, have their face painted and see magicians perform, among other activities. Organizers are hoping offer rides on vintage MUNI trains or cable cars.

"It's meant to be a fun, interactive day," Scott-Wigens said.

The City's Invest in Neighborhoods program is providing money for the event through a grant to the merchant's association. The grant is a one-time amount of $10,000, which is meant to help the neighborhood establish funding for the event next year. Organizers hope to establish the Taste of West Portal as an annual event.

"Mayor Lee's Invest in Neighborhoods initiative is thrilled to support projects like "Taste of West Portal" that promote, beautify, and activate neighborhoods across our city," said Joaquín Torres, deputy director, Office of Economic and Workforce Development. "It's just one great example of the partnerships we are building to revitalize our commercial districts and ensure that neighborhoods, such as West Portal, continue to thrive for years to come."

Organizers are encouraging visitors to take MUNI to the event. This year, West Portal Avenue will be open to cars and MUNI trains. In the future, the street may close.

"It's designed to be a fun Saturday outing where people can engage with local merchants and neighbors," Scott-Wigens said. "It is … an opportunity for people attending to experience the flavor or essence of our special neighborhood."

Keith Burbank is a local journalist.

Guest Editorial:

Neighborhood Businesses Need to Play by the Rules

West Portal is a one-of-a-kind village, highlighted by fantastic restaurants, neighborhood-serving retailers, and a sense of community that is truly unique in San Francisco. West Portal Avenue is not just any commercial corridor in San Francisco. location for Gold Buyers

While I have not supported every single business looking to open on West Portal Avenue, I have appreciated that every business that has opened on the Avenue has followed the City’s rules, including the required planning and permitting processes.

Following the rules set by the City shows our community that a business is in it for the long haul and is not trying to “pull a fast one.” This is why I am extremely concerned about the proposed opening of the Bay Area Gold Buyers at 162 West Portal Avenue. They seem to be trying to skirt every rule and regulation that applies to them. What are they hiding?

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I had assumed that the business would fall under the formula retail conditions set forth by the Planning Code, but because the store will be doing business as Bay Area Gold Buyer and not as their parent company Gold and Silver Buyers, the Planning Code views the store as a “small business” and not as a chain store, despite its clear and direct ties to the 200 plus businesses nationwide.”

The proposed store is owned by Gold and Silver Buyers (www.goldandsilverbuyers.com), a gold buying/pawn shop chain based in Houston, Texas with more than 100 stores in Texas alone. Their website boasts that they own and operate more than 200 nationwide.

In addition to the chain store mentality of the Bay Area Gold Buyers, after a quick search on the Internet, I encountered numerous articles detailing allegations of fraud and an alleged history of deceptive business practices.

I had assumed that the business would fall under the formula retail conditions set forth by the Planning Code, but because the store will be doing business as Bay Area Gold Buyer and not as their parent company Gold and Silver Buyers, the Planning Code views the store as a “small business” and not as a chain store, despite its clear and direct ties to the 200 plus businesses nationwide.

While the Bay Area Gold Buyer was able to skirt the Planning Departments process of permitting a chain store, they are required to follow rules set by the Police Department for opening a pawnshop. These rules require a 10-day noticing period in which the applicant must place a sign in the proposed space to allow for members of the public to comment and provide feedback.

The Bay Area Gold Buyers didn’t even follow that straightforward rule. The Bay Area Gold Buyers posted their sign for less than a week. By attempting to avoid yet another rule, the Bay Area Gold Buyer did not want residents and businesses of the West Portal Community to comment on their proposed opening, and after reviewing their past operations and claims against the company, it is clear why they sought to avoid engaging with our community.

As we know, West Portal Avenue is a special place and that is why I am proud to support the West Portal Merchants in their appeal of the Bay Area Gold Buyers. Given the history of complaints and claims against the owners of the Bay Area Gold Buyers, I am not inclined to “hope for the best.”

The Bay Area Gold Buyers should have posted their notice for 10 days and would have been wise to reach out to our neighborhood and merchants associations. Not only did this corporation of more than 200 businesses choose not to engage with our neighborhood, they chose to ignore the clearly-stated police rules.

I strongly believe that West Portal Avenue does not need a business that ignores the rules set by our City’s Planning and Police Code.

Please join me and dozens of your neighbors and West Portal merchants in supporting the appeal filed by the West Portal Merchants Association. Our appeal is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19th at 5:00 pm at City Hall in room 416. The appeal will be heard by the Board of Appeals and to win, we will need to convince 4 of the 5 members, so your support through letters, emails and public testimony is crucial. Please contact me via email (followtherulesgp@gmail.com) if you can support the appeal.

Avrum Shepard is President of the Greater West Portal
Neighborhood Association

June 2013

Fire Destroys Squat & Gobble, Vin Debut, Neighboring Buildings Damaged

A fire burned Squat & Gobble, 1 West Portal Avenue, as well as Vin Debut, 9 West Portal Avenue, the West Portal Medical-Dental Building, 15 West Portal Avenue, and 823 Ulloa Street, a mixed use, residential and commercial building next to 1 West Portal Avenue, said Mindy Talmadge, public information officer, San Francisco Fire Department. The West Portal Medical-Dental Building is home to Warren Orthodontics.

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Four days after the fire, with plywood removed from at least two windows on the north side of 1 West Portal Avenue, a passerby could see the fire burned the inside of the building and the roof. Little of the roof appeared to be intact.”

The Fire Department reported two minor firefighter injuries in the blaze. No civilians sustained injuries, nor was anyone displaced from a residence, Talmadge said.

A passerby reported the fire to the San Francisco Fire Department at 4:40 a.m. Friday, October 12, 2012, according to information released by the fire department.

The fire department estimates Squat & Gobble suffered property damage of $900,000 and content damages of $1 million. For Vin Debut and Warren Orthodontics, the fire department estimates property damages total $1.1 million and contents damages total $3.5 million. At 823 Ulloa Street, the fire department estimates $750,000 in property damages and $100,000 in content damages.

Squat & Gobble has been able to absorb the employees from the West Portal store into its other establishments in San Francisco. “Yes, we’ve already done that,” said J.J., the manager at the store on Fillmore Street in the Lower Haight. “We did that last week.” J.J. said he is aware of the fund to help employees of the West Portal store, and he said employees will be able to take advantage of the fund. But he said he doesn’t yet know how the fund works.

The San Francisco Fire Department’s media relations office has said the fire is still under investigation and the point of origin and cause may not be known.

Four days after the fire, with plywood removed from at least two windows on the north side of 1 West Portal Avenue, a passerby could see the fire burned the inside of the building and the roof. Little of the roof appeared to be intact. At 823 Ulloa, the City and County of San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection had posted a notice on the window that said “enter the top floor with caution” and only “brief entry allowed for access to contents.” At 9 and 15 West Portal Avenue, metal gates surrounded the entrances, and little could be seen from the street.

A fire inspector was on the scene October 16.

Fund established to help employees

The West Portal Merchants Association has established an account with Bank of America to help employees of the businesses that burned in the fire at the southeast corner of West Portal Avenue and Ulloa Street.

“We’re not trying to sustain them, but trying to show them that we care,” said West Portal Merchants Association president, Maryo Mogannam, owner of The Postal Chase on West Portal Avenue. The name of the fund is West Portal Avenue Association Fire Fund. “Any teller can look it up,” Mogannam said. Donations can be made at any Bank of America branch; all the branches in Northern California received notice of the fund.

All of the employees have insurance and will be getting unemployment, but the donations are for gaps and surprises, Mogannam said. Mogannam said 60 to 70 employees have been affected by the fire; he is hoping each employee can receive a gift certificate of $25, $50, or $100.

The manager of the Bank of America branch in West Portal was unavailable before press time, so the number of donations made and the total amount donated is unknown at this time.

Keith Burbank is a free-lance San Francisco reporter.

November 2012

food truckOfftheGrid Reconsiders Food Truck Event for West Portal

In a surprise move, OfftheGrid has withdrawn its application to hold an event this fall in West Portal—the company will think about a permit for February or March 2013. “If you don’t want us here, then we won’t be here,” said Matthew Cohen, owner of OfftheGrid San Francisco, at a West Portal Merchants Association meeting in October. Cohen came to the meeting to hear merchants’ concerns about a proposed food truck event for this fall in West Portal. While some merchants see the event as a way to boost business, other merchants are afraid it will take away their business.

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text”

“People my age don’t know where West Portal is,” said Michelle Eichelberger, 27, owner of the Pawber Shop, a pet grooming store at 323 West Portal Avenue. “Those are people that will come” [to the food truck event].”

“We want to be respectful of everyone,” Cohen said a few days later by telephone. At the meeting Cohen said OfftheGrid is trying to take the least aggressive approach toward establishing an event in West Portal, and said OfftheGrid will be doing more to hear the concerns of West Portal shopkeepers.

Alison (Al) Werger, co-owner of Citipets on West Portal Avenue, said that people don’t know West Portal exists (see the September 2012 issue of the Westside Observer). Werger said the food truck event will help people discover the neighborhood. Another merchant seemed to agree.

“People my age don’t know where West Portal is,” said Michelle Eichelberger, 27, owner of the Pawber Shop, a pet grooming store at 323 West Portal Avenue. “Those are people that will come” [to the food truck event].

But Pankaj Shah, owner of Roti Indian Bistro at 53 West Portal Avenue, told Cohen, “You’re looking at your bottom line and not our bottom line.” Shah is concerned that a food truck event will reduce available parking in the area, driving his customers away. Shah said many of his customers come by car. If they cannot find a parking spot within a block or two, Shah said, they will turn around and go home.

Shah added that Cohen does not have any objective evidence the event will benefit the neighborhood’s merchants. “All I have is subjective evidence,” Cohen admitted.

One or two groups, including OfftheGrid, were planning to place sensors to count foot traffic in a few West Portal businesses. It is unclear if the sensors would count foot traffic before a food truck event, after, or during. But perhaps the sensors will indicate how the event will affect West Portal businesses.

Before the meeting OfftheGrid had modified its proposal to the West Portal neighborhood, including the location of the event. Rather than 14th Street, OfftheGrid proposed the parking lot located at 174 West Portal Avenue, plus sections of the street on either side of the lot.

“I’m sitting here in total shock,” said Linda Kapnick, owner of Ambassador Toys at 186 West Portal Avenue. Kapnick said her customers use that parking lot, and parking is a problem for customers of her West Portal store. Ambassador Toys is open until 6 p.m. Tuesdays, the night OfftheGrid considered hosting the event, and Cohen had planned to have the lot closed by 4 p.m.

Kapnick said that parents frequently tell their children to hurry up because the parents fear getting a parking ticket. Or customers ask Kapnick to leave the package at the door. “Parking is one issue that is so critical,” Kapnick told Cohen and merchants in the meeting.

An important consideration for Ambassador Toys and Roti may be the kind of customer each shop serves. OfftheGrid’s clientele are typically single professionals 20 to 40 years or age, or young couples 25 to 45 years old, with children.

“Seniors, are they your best spenders?” Maryo Mogannam, president of the West Portal Merchants Association asked merchants at the meeting. “Yes,” Kapnick said. “They’re the grandmothers....”

But some merchants at the meeting think that customers of an OfftheGrid food truck event will be good spenders, too.

In another neighborhood hungry for better business, Craig Becker, owner of Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley, said some restaurants lost business when OfftheGrid established a food truck event near his cafe on Telegraph Avenue.

Becker said business at Caffe Mediterraneum improved, but he said he doesn’t serve standard lunches and dinners as some restaurants do. Becker said business at Caffe Mediterraneum picked up after the food truck event closed for the night, as event customers stopped by for coffee. Caffe Mediterraneum is open until midnight.

So, the food truck event has gotten “a little bit of mixed reviews” on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, Becker said.

Cohen said OfftheGrid wants to take everybody’s views into consideration. Thus OfftheGrid has withdrawn its application to hold an event this fall in West Portal. OfftheGrid has said it is sensitive to concerns about the event’s impact on holiday traffic. The company will think about a permit for February or March 2013. If the neighborhood had decided to host an event this fall, the event may have started November 6 and run for six weeks. Then OfftheGrid would have given West Portal the option of continuing the event.

Keith Burbank is a freelance San Francisco reporter.

November 2012

Food Trucks are Coming and May Help More Discover West Portal

Food trucks, which may be bringing more business to merchants and restaurants alike, are coming to West Portal. The event will be hosted by OfftheGrid, which brings together food trucks for events in Hayes Valley in San Francisco and in North Berkeley, near the Gourmet Ghetto, among other Bay Area locations.

Supporters of the food truck event in West Portal, such as Alison (Al) Werger, co-owner of Citipets on West Portal Avenue, want to achieve at least two things by bringing food trucks to the neighborhood. One, improve business for all merchants, and two, make West Portal a destination neighborhood, similar to the Castro in terms of sales for merchants in the neighborhood.

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…West Portal is not now a destination neighborhood, but everyone that lives here loves it. “What we want is for people to discover West Portal,” Werger said. That is the purpose of the food truck event. So that when they want to shop and dine they will think of West Portal and come here…”

Werger said that West Portal is not now a destination neighborhood, but everyone that lives here loves it. “What we want is for people to discover West Portal,” Werger said. That is the purpose of the food truck event. So that when they [people] want to shop and dine they will think of West Portal and come here, as people do in the Castro or other busy shopping neighborhoods.

Werger told The Westside Observer that OfftheGrid will not be bringing trucks with the same kind of food as that sold by West Portal restaurants, so as to avoid competition with restaurants in West Portal. Werger said that there are really great restaurants here [in West Portal], but people do not know they are here. “And I want people to know about them and how great they are, Werger said. For example, “I have asked people if they have eaten at Bursa,” Werger said. “And people reply, Where is Bursa? I want people to know where Bursa is.”

Evidence from other food truck events in San Francisco suggest the event is a success for food trucks and other merchants, restaurant or otherwise. For example, the food truck events are popular at other locations, such as the McCoppin Hub and Hayes Valley. In Oakland, near City Center, shiny green trucks glow as people from the State of California building choose which item to indulge in. And despite some initial reluctance, at least some restaurants in the North Berkeley neighborhood have reversed course and are welcoming the event.

For example, Saul’s, an established delicatessen on Shattuck Avenue, is welcoming the publicity it gets when the food truck event is happening, its manager said. And Gregoire, a gourmet takeout shop in North Berkeley, said it’s sales may have fallen a bit, but not considerably, when the food truck event in the Gourmet Ghetto first started. But now its sales have leveled off or improved, owner, Gregoire Jacquet said. “It does bring people,” Jacquet said of the food truck event. Jacquet called The westside Observer after the August issue was delivered to newstands last month.

Feedback: Keith Burbank

September 2012

Hollywired for a Day

West Portal is the local for Woody Allen’s new, but yet unnamed, San Francisco movie starring Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins and many others. There are also a lot of local extras who will be seen in the film.

Cate Blanchett arrives for a scene
Cate Blanchett arrives for a scene

The plot involves a formerly wealthy New York woman who moves in with her San Francisco sister after losing her fortune. She loses her heart to a new lover as well as San Francisco.

The finished movie is expected to begin running at the end of 2013.

Sally Hawkins.
Golden-Globe Best Actress, Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky, Persuasion, Fingersmith) gets a last-minute review before the scene is filmed inside the nondescript building

Our intrepid paparazzi (Mitch Bull) caught these rare glimpses of Cate Blanchett arriving on the scene at around 8:30 am. Despite the warm and beautiful day the actress was well protected

Film Crew
Crowds of onlookers milled about as trucks clogged the streets at Ulloa & Claremont but neighbors — even chronic parking complainers — were happy to relinquish the territory for the opportunity to see the nitty-gritty of how Hollywood films are made

(More: Around Town)

September 2012

Will a Food Truck Event Benefit West Portal Restaurants?

“No, absolutely not,” said John Bedroussin, owner of the Submarine Center in West Portal for 32 years. “This neighborhood is clean. We have cleaned it up. One hundred percent not.”

Bedroussin was responding to a question about the possibility of a food truck event coming to West Portal one night a week.

The idea has West Portal merchants asking if the event will hurt or help restaurants in the neighborhood recover from the recession.

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Off the Grid would bring six trucks to about one half of 14th Avenue, between the RE/MAX office and West Portal Avenue. Centered among the trucks will be some chairs, but not tables, and a quiet trio of musicians. Fourteenth Avenue would be closed during the event, except for the half closest to Portola, so a resident can park his car in the garage.”

Some West Portal merchants are in favor of the event because they think it will bring new people to the neighborhood. Supporters, such as local retailers, say these new people may drink or finish dinner at West Portal restaurants during the event or drink or dine at a West Portal restaurant at a night in the near future. Also, they say, the event will give people a reason to visit the neighborhood, reinvigorating the neighborhood business district.

But broker associate Art Belenson of Century 21 in West Portal, said business — at least among restaurants in the neighborhood — is down 30%, which is why the restaurants are opposed. They’re afraid the food trucks will draw customers away from them.

Robbie Connolly, co-owner of The Village Grill in West Portal, said the food trucks have an unfair advantage compared with West Portal restaurants, due to higher operating costs than the cost of operating a mobile food truck. food truck

“We pay taxes galore,” said Esperanza Mahan, owner of El Toreador, a restaurant serving Mexican food on West Portal Avenue for 50 years.

The event would be set up by Off the Grid San Francisco, a company that groups mobile food vendors. Off the Grid owner Matthew Cohen said the West Portal Merchants Association approached him about the event. Off the Grid’s website says the goal of its events is to “allow neighbors to connect with friends and families to reconnect with each other.”

One supporter described the proposed event. Off the Grid would bring six trucks to about one half of 14th Avenue, between the RE/MAX office and West Portal Avenue. Centered among the trucks will be some chairs, but not tables, and a quiet trio of musicians. Fourteenth Avenue would be closed during the event, except for the half closest to Portola, so a resident can park his car in the garage.

Cohen said a similar Off the Grid event has been successful in North Berkeley, a neighborhood known for restaurants. The area nearby the food truck event has more than a few frequently-visited restaurants and is nick-named the Gourmet Ghetto.

Bedroussin is concerned the event will leave trash in the streets, and bring people who are homeless to the neighborhood. Also, people opposed are concerned about an increase in traffic congestion because residents will be arriving home from work as the event begins and there could be a lack of parking for the combination of visitors and residents.

Off the Grid has proposed the event for a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., for one year. Cohen said perhaps 1,000 to 1,500 people will come to the event each week.

Another concern is restrooms. If the city does not provide portable toilets, some have asked what restrooms the visitors will use. Also, some people opposed asked if it will be too cold outside in the winter to draw any people to the event.

Mahan said 15 to 20 people from the neighborhood met at a community meeting about the proposal.

Connolly said, “Pretty much all of the food establishments are not in favor [of the food trucks], from whom I have talked to and what I understand. All the other attendees were in favor of the event.”

Mahan said she thinks the event will only benefit retail establishments. “We don’t know how expensive their dishes are. They don’t pay rent. These are the concerns we are facing,” Mahan added.

Past president of the West Portal Merchants Association, Marc Troy, said he thinks “selfish interests” are behind the idea. If a mobile truck to wrap and ship packages came to West Portal, do you think the local package shipper would be in favor of the proposal? Troy asked.

But Matthew Rogers, owner, Papenhausen Hardware said, “I think it would be very positive for the street. It would bring a lot of people to the neighborhood who are unfamiliar with West Portal. It gives them a reason to come here. In all likelihood, the food trucks will have no effect on my business. But in general, it would improve business along the street,” Rogers said. The food trucks would pull people from other parts of the city, besides the immediate surrounding neighborhoods. “It would be a shame if we missed that.”

“I’m totally for it” said Rachel Lopez Metzger, owner, The Desk Set, at 3252 Sacramento Street and 207 West Portal Avenue in San Francisco. “I support it. It will be a very family-friendly event. It will probably help all the small businesses that are there [in West Portal],” she said by phone from the Sacramento Street location. “I want it to happen.”

Keith Burbank is a free lance journalist

July-Aug 2012

 

Sidewalk Arts and Crafts Show Returns West Portal Arts and Crafts Show

The Fine Arts and Crafts Show takes place in the heart of San Francisco’s well-known West Portal Avenue – an area bustling with activity, quaint retail stores, restaurants, bookshops and coffeehouses. The event will run Friday - Sunday, April 13-15, from 10 am to 5 pm on West Portal Avenue between 15th and Ulloa.

Local residents and tourists alike flock to admire the works of more than 60 artists displaying everything from photography, paintings, ceramics, jewelry and much more. The show is free to the public and sponsored by the West Portal Avenue Association.

Among the artists presenting at this year’s festival is Zenon Hipolito of Lathrop, California—a first class weaver specializing in Zapotec Native Art. Zapotec natives originated in Oaxaca of Teotitalan Del Valle and are one of the country’s largest indigenous groups, dating as far back as the sixteenth century. Zenon will be weaving rugs during the show, where he will be offering many styles, colors and sizes of rugs and pillows. He will also betaking orders for special designs or sizes.

Jeweler John Osterhaug of San Francisco creates all of his work from start to finish. He begins the process by cutting, sanding, drilling and kiln-firing multi-colored pieces of glass and then crafts them into earrings, pendants, rings, necklaces and bracelets. “The method that I use to create my jewelry results in a unique set of work exhibiting a luminescent quality that glistens and glows as you move it,” said John.

Contact the West Portal Avenue Association at 566-3500 or Pacific Fine Arts at (209) 267-4394 or visit www.pacificfinearts.com.

April 2012

 



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