COLEVALLEYSF
  • Living Here
    • History
    • Essentials
    • Restaurants and Nightlife
    • Sights and Culture
    • Family Resources
    • Property
    • City Services
    • Community Action & Safety
  • Around Town
  • Blog
  • Local Happenings
  • Links
  • About Us
    • Contact Us

Doug's Suds & Cole Garage To Close

5/27/2015

Comments

 
Two long time businesses are closing their doors in Cole Valley, quickly making Cole Valley somewhat unrecognizable. The laundromat at the corner of Carl and Cole has closed its doors after over 20 years of business. This came as a bit of surprise to residents since it seemed very sudden and without much notice. Owner, Doug Olssen, posted up a note mentioning that the business lost its lease and that his other laundromat, at 1101 Cole St, is still in business. For those that live near Carl/Cole and without an in-unit W/D, they must now venture a bit farther to clean their clothes and linens.

Cole Garage has also announced that they will be leaving because of the sale of the building. Most might recognize the building because of the colorful pet-filled mural on the front facade. The owner is currently looking for a new location for his business and possible storage location for the equipment.  The space has been rumored to become condos and businesses on the ground floor. We are hoping that the new owners will preserve the front of Cole Garage in the process. 

Once we wipe our tears away as more long-time businesses leave our hood, we always ask the daunting question, "Who will move into the space?  What do you want to see in the now vacant space? 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Content for this article was taken with permission from Hoodline.
Comments

History Behind 701 Frederick Street: PolyTechnic High School

2/25/2015

Comments

 
Picture
Have you ever taken a stroll around the hood and walked by this large Art Deco building and its twin at 639 Frederick and wondered, "What the hell did this used to be?" Also what about the housing complex that stretches the entire block on Frederick? The answer may surprise you. All these buildings were a part of Polytechnic High School. Poly was in operation from 1884 to 1973 and moved around a bunch before finding its place at 701 Frederick. 

Over those years, the school created a reputation for a ​"​cosmopolitan, diverse and talented student body, inspirational teachers and administrators, and exceptional football teams.​"

What about Kezar Stadium across the street? Well, it served as Poly's athletic facilities. One high school football game in particular, Poly vs. Lowell in 1928, was attended by over 50,000 people. This was the largest attendance for any high school football game in Northern California. 

If you want to learn more about Poly, visit The Polytechnic Memorial website here. 

Also side note, that housing complex on Frederick is actually an affordable housing complex and those qualified can apply to live there. Great way to use the old high school space and give back to the city. 

Content for this article was used with permission from Hoodline. 
Comments

GEE Whiz, Carl & Cole, 1905

7/16/2014

Comments

 
Picture
Photo originally posted on Cole Valley's Facebook Page. 
Comments

New Parklet Proposed at AMERICAN Cyclery

11/15/2013

Comments

 
Picture
American Cyclery, at Frederick and Stanyan, is rolling out plans for a parklet and adjacent green space.

American Cyclery, which makes claims to be the city’s oldest bike shop, is hosting a community meeting next Thursday, November 21 to unveil its plans for a parklet and green space next to the store’s 510 Frederick space. The meeting will be an open house in the store from 6 to 8 PM.

American Cyclery, with the blessings of Supervisor Breed and preliminary approval from the planning department, is planning to turn the odd triangle of pavement in front of the store into a parklet, and converting the adjacent paved parking lot into a green plaza..

The update, according to Bradley Woehl, of American Cyclery, would calm traffic at the intersection (presumably foot and bike). Woehl said the open house is intended to invite neighbors to provide input on the planning process and hear what the project will look like.


Article originally posted on uppercasing.

Comments

CV History: Sutro Mansion

10/22/2013

Comments

 
Picture
The Sutro Mansion: His grandson, Adolph G. Sutro, built a mansion on the hill in the 1930s and sold it in 1948 to American Broadcasting Company, for use as the transmitter site for its new television station, KGO-TV. The station premiered on May 5, 1949, producing its shows at the Sutro Mansion and transmitting via a 580-foot-high broadcast tower.









Original content can be seen on "You know you grew up in San Francisco when..." Facebook group. 

Comments

#SaveSutro

3/18/2013

Comments

 
Picture
UCSF plans to remove 60% of the non-native eucalyptus trees in Sutro Forest. The university has proposed the plan, with a detailed environmental impact report that is intended to improve the forest and decrease fire risk thinning out the trees. "We're developing a management plan to keep the forest beautiful, accessible to the community and safe for both own own campus and our neighbors," said UCSF Director of Community Relations, Barbara Bagot-Lopez.

Many neighbors, activists, and environmentalist are outraged, citing that UC's plan would cause irreparable damage to the century old grove. The forest has thrived for so many decades due to its' microclimate as being cool and moist. The forest promotes fog and blocks the wind. Dr. Mascaro, a professional ecologist stated that, "by thinning the forest and removing most of the understory vegetation, the management activity will open the canopy of the forest resulting in drier and hotter  duff on the forest floor and a greater risk of fire." If that's the case then why does UCSF think that removing trees will decrease fire risk if Dr. Mascaro has proven otherwise. 

Sutro Forest is a lovely place to just get away from the city's hustle and bustle. This past weekend I went for a walk in Sutro Forest (up to Mt. Sutro via the Stanyan Gate and out the Edgewood Gate). I noticed tons of orange blogs of paint on some of the trees. Supposedly, these trees might have been tagged because they might be in poor condition and likely to fall or drop a limb. Along with the orange blobs came hand written notes that said, "Please don't cut me down...". The notes suggested contacting UCSF Campus Planning, Attention Diane Wong before March 19th 2013. All public comments on UCSF's Draft Environmental Impact Report are due by March 19th (tomorrow). Do you have comments about UCSF's plan?! Write to them (even if it's after March 19th), UCSF needs to know our side of the story.

Address your notes to Ms. Lori Yamauchi, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning.

Let's help to #SaveSutro! Sign the petition here!

Picture
Picture
Resources:
http://sutroforest.com/
http://www.ucsf.edu/about/cgr/current-projects/mount-sutro-open-space-reserve
http://synapse.ucsf.edu/articles/2013/03/07/mt-sutro-forest-management-sparks-community-debate
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/sutro-forest_n_2729240.html
Comments

A part of San Francisco History

4/18/2011

Comments

 
Today marks the 105th Anniversary of the 1906 earthquake. Having grown up in San Francisco, ColeValleySF team members remember the periodic earthquake drills ("drop, duck and cover!") in school and the constant reminders of how important it is to practice Earthquake Safety. It has been so ingrained in our minds that something somewhat unusual, as bolting heavy bookcases to the wall, becomes common sense for any California native. But it can be so easy for us to forget the effects of a large magnitude earthquake until we see the devastation a big one can bring to an area far away. There are very few living survivors (if not only one) of the 1906 earthquake, but the March 11 earthquake in Japan has been a clear reminder for any of us who were present for the 1989 Loma Prieta.

It's actually very eye-opening. A ColeValleySF team member used to work at a university down in the South Bay. While attending a training for student leaders about emergency response, the trainer asked the audience who was present for the 1989 earthquake. Only 2 out of the 75 people in the room experienced that disaster, the trainer and the ColeValleySF team member. Something that is so fresh in many of our memories doesn't even exist in the generation that is moving into the area. What is our responsibility to pass this information on to the next generation?

Then comes another question... while doing research for this particular entry, we came across a somewhat disturbing fact. First, some background. The Marina district was one of the hardest hit areas in San Francisco during the 1989 earthquake. Mainly because of the fact that the area is build on landfill. When the earthquake hit, liquification of the land-filled soil occurred causing the waves from the earthquake to be magnified, thus causing more damage to that area than others not built on landfill. Many of the houses that were greatly damaged fell under the "soft story housing" category.  These are buildings usually built on garages or open store fronts on the 1st story and have 3-4 floors of apartments above, causing 70-80% of the buildings weight to be resting on very a very weak 'foundation' in relation to other buildings. Surprisingly, after the 1989 earthquake, only a few of these types of homes were retrofitted. Take into consideration that retrofitting a house usually incurs a cost of 1%-3% of a home's value. That usually equals about 2-4 years of earthquake insurance, however, that will greatly diminish the cost of repairs should an earthquake happen. (Keep in mind that there's usually a cap with earthquake insurance repairs.)  Whose responsibility, then, is it to make sure this happens? Without retrofitting a building, not only would you endanger those living in the building, but potentially neighbors and passersby. And although there are laws in place to require certain codes to be met for businesses, the same may not hold true for the residential side.

In anycase, today brings with it a piece of San Francisco History that will always remind us to be prepared. So take some time today to check your first aid kit and emergency supplies. No need to scrimp on safety.
Comments

    RSS Feed

    Tweets by @colevalleysf

    Archives

    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    June 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Tags

    All
    Antiques
    Arguello
    Art
    Ashbury Market
    Bacon Bacon
    Bandwagon
    Belvedere
    Billowby
    Bus Shuttle
    Car Accident
    Carl Street
    Carl Street Rail Replacement
    Cell Reception
    Cell Reception
    Chabad
    Circus Center
    Closures
    Coffee
    Cole
    Cole Garage
    Cole St
    Cole Street
    Cole Street
    Cole Valley
    Cole Valley
    Cole Valley Cardio
    Cole Valley Cardio
    Colevalleysf
    Cole Valley Sf
    Cole Valley Sf
    Construction
    Crime
    Cvia
    Discussion
    Dougs Suds
    Duboce
    Earthquakes
    Emergency
    Eos
    Farmers Market
    Fema
    Fire
    Fitness
    Grattan
    Grubstreet
    Haia
    Haight
    Halloween
    Hama
    Hama Ko
    Hama-ko
    Hanc
    Hanukkah
    Happy Hour
    History
    Hoodline
    Housing
    Ice Cream Bar
    Ice Cream Bar
    Ideas
    Improvement Plan
    Improvement Plan
    Inovino
    J Line
    Juliet Pries
    Juliet Pries
    Kezar
    Laboulange
    Lavation Studio
    Little Free Library
    Local
    Lower Haight
    Mamacita
    Masonic
    Mcdonalds
    Merchants
    Midline Studio
    Muni
    Music
    National
    Nbc
    Neighborhood
    Neighbor Relations
    Neighbor Relations
    News
    Nextdoor
    N Judah
    N Line Shutdown
    Padrecito
    Panhandle
    Papazote
    Parking
    Parklet
    Parnassus
    Parrot
    Peets
    Piecesbyviolet
    Pitch Salon
    Police
    Polytechnic High
    Preparedness
    Rail Replacement Plan
    Rail Service
    Replacements
    Restaurants
    Reverie
    Robbery
    Rob Culos
    Robinwilliams
    San Francisco
    San Francisco Bay Area
    #savesutro
    Saycheese
    Sf Eater
    SFFD
    Sfmta
    #sfmtacarl
    Sparrow
    Store
    Street Fair
    Summer Of Love
    Sutro Forest
    Tantrum
    The Ice Cream Bar And Soda Fountain
    Theothercafe
    Tully's
    Twitter
    Ucsf
    Upgrades
    Uppercasing
    Upper Haight
    Upper Haight
    Writers
    Zazie

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.