Mission Mission

Dolores Park Works reports that the playground renovations are 85% complete and it may open as soon as March. Planning is in progress for the opening party. I’m a little sad to see the Dolores Park pool go, but I think this will be a safer place for kiddos to observe adults engaging in casual drug use and public alcohol consumption.

The new Helen Diller Playground will feature a super slide, a natural climbing stone, and a “sound garden” (an anonymous donation from Chris Cornell?). It will also have designated areas for age groups 2-5 and 5-12. In fact, there will be a boat for younger kids, and a separate shipwrecked boat for the older ones–no doubt a metaphor for their soon-to-be broken hopes and dreams.

Agism? Maybe. I’ll never forget the first time I approached by a kid in a playground and told, “you’re too old to be playing here!” I was heartbroken, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it during the entire drive back to my apartment.

[photo and scoop via Dolores Park Works]

SFist just published the complete schedule:

• March 11: Embarcadero- Season kick off
• April 15: Great Highway/Golden Gate park- new route through the park
• May 6: Mission
• June 3: Mission
• July 1: Mission
• July 22: Bayview
• August 5: Mission
• August TBA: Chinatown
• September 9: Western Addition/N. Panhandle Alamo Square
• October 21: Outer Mission/Excelsior

Read on.

[Photo by Bhautik Joshi]

[via Storts]

There finally appears to be a battle for neighborhood domination brewing that will settle the score once and for all, and it’s taking place at a local high school this Saturday. I have a feeling that “the Border Patrol” is going to get his ass kicked by either Hijo de la Parka or Hijo del Misterioso, and that’s only if El Mariachi doesn’t get to him first. Of course, you can probably count on the Notorious Famous B to bring his A game (or in this case, B game) to the ring as well.

I’m still trying to figure out which side Kafu is on though.

(Thanks Anthony!)

It was a drunken bash, and the photos, by our own Lizzy Courtois, look appropriately drunken as well. Thanks for coming, everybody! And a major thanks to Dear Mom for having us!

View the whole album here.

So now you can’t sit on the edge of it when there’s a street fair happening and people-watch. Bummer.

AHSAH explains:

Car just lost control and crashed into the side of a house. The senior citizen fell asleep at the wheel and woke up in that massive hole he created. He’s doing alright however the resident who resides in that basement will be rather cold tonight. [link]

Left behind at Dear Mom last night. Nice, Andy. Real nice.

Maybe he’s in town working on another collab with Metallica? Or making street art about his pal David Bowie? Or maybe he’s trying to scope Ty Segall’s butt crack?

[Caroline has been writing this weekly column about being vegan in the Mission for a few weeks now, and as of today we decided to officially call it "Mission Vegan." Look forward to it every Wednesday!]

Can you tell the difference between the vegan bran muffins at Mission Beach Café and the ones at Four Barrel?

They’re the same shape, size and color; they both contain dried cranberries and yellow raisins, but no nuts. Both are sweet and toothsome, crunchy on top and chewy on the bottom, substantial but not dense. In other words, I consider myself a muffin connoisseur and I don’t think I could tell the difference if you paid me. I tried to do a side-by-side comparison for you, but 4B didn’t get any muffins delivered this morning (!) so you’ll have to trust me I guess.

The nice girl who works the coffee counter at MBC on weekday mornings says the muffins are made for them at a nearby bakery. Hmmm… if it was in the direction she was pointing, it was also near Four Barrel.

Well, Mission detectives, what do you know that I don’t? Same baker or just same recipe?