San Francisco Neighborhoods

Looking for Love (More Outer Sunset Street Art)

April 12, 2011 By Luba

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It’s a beautiful day outside. But I’m sick, indoors, cranky and trying to stuff myself full of Vitamin C and Zinc.

But life outside continues. Sunday I brought you a shark, today it’s a mouse. And it’s looking for love.

I’m not sure who this artist is, but I wish I had more info. I do notice that I it’s changed my life in a little itty bitty way.

Until I noticed this street art sprouting up in the Outer Sunset, I found myself overly-focused on what I was doing, looking down and hurrying through life.

But the last few weeks have been a little different. I am constantly looking up. Constantly searching for little bits of treasure hidden on SF’s utility poles. And it’s actually made life more interesting.

So whoever you are, please don’t stop. I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s intrigued, interested and grateful for the little smiles you’re adding to life through these carved wood surprises. 🙂

Watching Out for Sharks in the Outer Sunset

April 11, 2011 By Luba

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I know I should be blogging about San Francisco real estate, but instead, I’m running around trying to keep up with active buyers, both in and out of escrow, and getting some listings up and running! (In fact, check out this 1BR steal of a condo in Diamond Heights and this 2BR 2BA 2PK condo in NoPa for some AWESOME opportunities!)

So when things calm down, I’ll have some more real estate posts for you soon – but in the meantime, I thought I’d share some more rogue Outer Sunset art with you.

And you know what, readers? If you’re stopping by to check out my posts, you are sweet. 😉 But I promise, I won’t bite. 😉

Tulips and Nervous Virgins in the Outer Sunset

March 27, 2011 By Luba

First, out here on the Great Highway, we had to SURRENDER!
Now, there’s Tulips and Nervous Virgins.
Our utility poles in the Outer Sunset are just getting more and more interesting…………

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San Francisco Real Estate Fast Facts – February 2011

March 16, 2011 By Luba

San Francisco Association of Realtors District Map

For those of you that like your San Francisco real estate market data without commentary, here ya go. Take a look, check it out, come to your own conclusions.
Or – you can always ask me questions.
Fast Facts
(Editor’s Note: Set forth below are Unit Sales/DOM/Monthly Supply charts for the month of February for single-family homes, condominiums and 2-4 units, as well as Supply/Demand, Sales Rate and Median Price charts for the same month.)
Single-Family Homes

Condos

2-4 Units

Median_Price_Co…	Median_Price_Co…	Median_Price_SF…	Median_Price_SF…	Median_Price_SF…
Median_Price_SF…	Sales_Rate_Cond…	Sales_Rate_Cond…	Sales_Rate_SFR_…	Sales_Rate_SFR_…
Sales_Rate_SFR_…	Sales_Rate_SFR_…	Supply_and_Dema…	Supply_and_Dema…	Supply_and_Dema…
Supply_and_Dema…	Supply_and_Dema…	Supply_and_Dema…	Units_UC_Condo_…	Units_UC_Condo_…
Units_UC_SFR_an…	Units_UC_SFR_an…	Units_UC_SFR_Be…	Units_UC_SFR_Ti…

NUMBER OF UNITS is the equivalent of number of sales/transactions. For condominiums, each unit is treated as a sale. For 2- t 4-unit buildings, the “building” is treated as a sale.
NUMBER SOLD is the number of properties in the market segment that closed escrow during the month.
NUMBER FOR SALE is the number of active properties on the market for one day or more during the month.
MEDIAN PRICE (SOLD) reflects the “middle” price point of a group of properties that have successfully closed escrow on a monthly basis, i.e. half sold for more and half sold for less than the median price. Tracking the movement of median prices over time provides a good indicator of the direction market forces are moving.
If the percentage change is positive between the two periods then there is upward pressure on prices in that market segment. If the percentage change is negative between the two periods then there is downward pressure on prices in that market segment.
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET (DOM) reflects how long it has been taking (on average) to draw an offer on a reasonably priced property exposed to the market. The AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET is defined as: The average number of days it took all of the properties that went under contract during the period to accept a first position offer.
MONTH’S SUPPLY OF INVENTORY (MSI) is a measure of how long it would take, in months, to sell the existing inventory at the current sales rate for the specific neighborhood and property type. The MONTH’S SUPPLY OF INVENTORY is defined as: The number of active properties on the market for one day or more during the month, less the number of properties that have been withdrawn or expired, divided by the number of properties that have gone under contract during the month.

San Francisco Sunday Streets Schedule Announced for 2011!

March 14, 2011 By Luba

Sunday Streets is back for 2011! The kick off event is coming up THIS weekend and runs along the Embarcadero. As of now, the outlook looks to be a little rainy, but really, if all you got it a little sprinkle, I know you’ll still have a good time!
And the events usually run till just about 2pm, so you still have plenty of time to visit all of those Open Houses in SF too! 😉
Visit Sunday Streets for more info!

Sunday Streets 2011 Season Schedule (subject to change):

March 20: kick off event along the Embarcadero from Fisherman’s Wharf to Mission Bay;
April 10: Great Highway and Golden Gate Park; ‘Penguins to Penguins’:
May 8: Mission route, including the popular route along 24th and Valencia Streets;
June 12: Bayview route, 3rd Street from Mission Bay, Dogpatch to the Bayview Opera House;
July 10: Great Highway route #2;
August 14: Civic Center/Tenderloin route;
September 11: Western Addition route, including North of Panhandle, Alamo Square and Fillmore and Japantown neighborhoods;
October TBD; Mission route #2

This year’s event calendar features monthly events from March 20 through October of 2011, with events occurring on the 2nd Sunday of each month starting in April.

Sunday Streets 2011 Season continues the tradition of visiting diverse communities throughout the City with a variety of routes in different neighborhoods. While returning to popular areas along established routes, 2011 events will extend into new neighborhoods and include more diverse program elements that highlight each neighborhood’s unique character and often overlooked community attractions and institutions.

Returning activities include the ever-popular bike programming: free bike rentals offered by Bike & Roll, Bay City Bike Rentals and Tours and Blazing Saddles, bike safety courses presented by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Presidio YMCA’s Y Bike Program, as well as bike maintenance programs and adult bike education. The CA Outdoor Rollersports Assoc and David Miles, aka ‘The Godfather of Skate’ will bring out a mobile roller disco with free skate rentals, and the YMCA of San Francisco will coordinate activities for children and families through local YMCA branches near each route.

It's Fun to Stay at the YMCA! (And to Help Raise $$$!)

March 9, 2011 By Luba

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Well – it’s not so much at staying at the YMCA as it is raising money for the sake of the YMCA!
It’s that time of year again, when the Richmond District YMCA throws their annual silent auction/fundraiser event!
In case you didn’t know, I was a Richmond YMCA kid! I spent my summers at YMCA Day Camp at Star of the Sea. In fact, I knocked a front tooth out there while playing a game of cat and mouse (always check to make sure your shoes are tied, kids!) I made my first homemade pizza there, and it was the YMCA that took me to my first Giants game at Candlestick Park. I don’t remember the game, but I do remember the Carnation Chocolate Malts they used to sell. (I guess you can see where my priorities were and frankly, still are.)
And speaking of priorities, this silent auction will feature food, drinks and lots of goodies for you to bid on! I’ve gone home in the past with chocolate covered strawberries, Go-Kart Racing certificates and a certificate for a Facial from the Blue Turtle Spa. And that’s just what I could carry out of there in one trip! 😉
The event invite:

You are cordially invited to the YMCA Richmond District 5th Annual Silent Auction!
Join us for amazing auction prizes, a raffle, live music, and of course delicious food and wine!

When: Thursday, April 7
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Where: Congregation Beth Sholom,
301 14th Ave., San Francisco 94118

Tickets are $25 presale and $30 at the door

Please purchase tickets online at Brown Paper Tickets!

Feel free to invite your friends, co-workers, family, clients, your significant other, whomever!
Buy tickets and then give them away at the door if you want! (It’ll earn you good kharma! :-))
Hope to see you there! And I’ll be there so stop by and say “hi!” if you come!
Get ready to spend some money and win some fun stuff for a good cause! (Just don’t try to outbid me – I take my silent auctions seriously!) 😉

Second Annual "Tastes of Taraval" Coming to the Outer Sunset

March 6, 2011 By Luba

Want more proof that there is life in the Western half of San Francisco? Well, the restaurants in SF’s Parkside district are here to show you we KNOW how to eat. From classic delicious Italian (waiters in tuxedos!) at Gold Mirror and Ristorante Marcello, fresh sushi at Ninki to Shepherd’s Pie and karaoke (Friday nights!) at Parkside Tavern – we Sunset/Parkside dwellers are never at a loss for yummy treats.
The Second Annual “Tastes of Taraval” will take place March 11 through 17. This is a wonderful opportunity to check out our neighborhood restaurants, many who will be offering discounts and raffle prizes to patrons who mention “Tastes of Taraval”.
Last year’s first “Tastes of Taraval” event was a surprising success, with over 200 new customers trying out restaurants on Taraval Street. This year there are eight participating restaurants, each offering a special deal. Not only do the customers get a discount offered by the restaurant, they also are given a raffle ticket to fill out for a grand prize given at the end of the week by each restaurant.
Participating restaurants include:

Gold Mirror
Parkside Tavern
Shimo II
Ninki Sushi
Tennessee Grill
Brown Owl Coffee
Eagle Pizzeria
Kingdom of Dumpling
Ristorante Marcello

“Tastes of Taraval” is sponsored by the Taraval Parkside Merchants Association. For more information, visit
http://taravalmerchants.blogspot.com/

Surrendering in the Outer Sunset

March 3, 2011 By Luba

This, seen on a telephone pole in the Outer Sunset today.
$10 Java Beach coffee card to the first person that can REALLY tell me to what or to whom I should be surrendering. Another $10 Java Beach coffee card to the first person that can tell me if there’s more of these around, and where. (And yes, I’ll be confirming their location.)
For now, I’ll take it to mean “surrender to the sunshine.”
And you people think that the Mission is the only place where “interesting” things happen. Hmph. 😉

Coyotes in San Francisco – Not a Figment of Your Imagination

March 3, 2011 By Luba

San Francisco has it’s fair share of Wildlife. From foxes, to hawks to feral cats and more, one often overlooked, but in my eyes, majestic, species, is the coyote.
The good folks at Baghdad by the Bay have an awesome blog, and it just happened to take a little look at the primitive dogs recently.
From Glen Park Canyon, to Golden Gate Park, to Park Presidio and beyond – SF’s coyotes are making a comeback.
Here’s a clip from the blog post:

I had one walk by my car when I was driving through the Presidio and I stopped thinking it might be a lost dog. Luckily I realized when it was a couple feet from my window that it wasn’t a dog. We stopped and looked at it safely from inside the car until it got bored with us and started to walk away. Coyotes are seen by the Native Americans as tricksters and I wanted him to leave first. If I decided to drive he might have done something stupid like jump in front of my car since they’re fast and having to explain to my friends in SF that I hit a coyote with my car in San Francisco is just something that might be a little difficult for some people to understand.

If you know me, you know I’m just as likely to have stopped for that coyote, and before realizing it was wild, probably would have gone out and tried to rescue it. Luckily, it was these folks and not me that ran across the K-9.
Meanwhile – check out Baghdad by the Bay’s blog to check out all sorts of other San Francisco awesomeness.

San Francisco Girl Scouts Attack!!!

March 2, 2011 By Luba

I was minding my own business. I was. Walking down 24th Street at Castro in ~~Stroller~~ Noe Valley. By myself. On my way to an appointment.

And out of NOWHERE! On the corner, with her mother, is the cutest little Girl Scout I’ve seen!

“Would you like some cookies?” she says.

“They’re BERRY good!” she says, smiling.

I try to resist. There’s so much good food in SF, why would I get Girl Scout cookies?

I mean, Noe Valley Bakery is right there if I really wanted a sweet treat, right?

Oh, wait! What’s THAT? Is that a box of SAMOAS? You mean they got rid of those horrific Carmel De-Lites and brought back the SAMOAS?

Hmmmm….. I guess I could take one box of those, right?

But oh wait, that Berry Munch box, are those new?

“Um, yes…. they are new. They’re made with, um, berries!” She smiles.

Um, ok, I guess I’ll take a box of those too.

Yes, I was attacked by a 6 year old Girl Scout cookie peddler. Be on the lookout for them at a corner near you. I’m warning you, you’ll be weak against the power of the SAMOAS!!!!