Mission Mission

Says SF Appeal:

A community that came together to solve the problem of persistent graffiti at a neighborhood park celebrated the unveiling of a mural painted in the hope of staving off vandalism.

Potrero del Sol Park, which is a favorite among skaters and schoolchildren, is bordered by Buena Vista Elementary School and a building maintained by San Francisco General Hospital.

Taggers constantly targeted a wall of the hospital building, according to the city’s Recreation and Park Department. After hospital painters’ efforts to efface the wall were thwarted time and time again, the community rallied.

They rallied and came up with this pretty mural idea and got it funded and here it is. Buuut don’t those big, wide, bright white block letters look like they might be pretty inviting to taggers? Or is that the point? They’re daring neighborhood taggers to be complete and total dicks? So that when they take the bait, tougher measures later on will be perfectly justified? Or am I thinking too hard?

Read on.

[via Curbed SF]

[Photo by Mission Local]

SFist was there:

[I]f the scene we observed Tuesday evening was any indication, even the mothers with small children who frequent the park solely for wholesome jungle-gym purposes share something in common with the rowdy PBR-swilling, fixie-stacking folks to the north, who are fond of anarchist graffiti. They totally cut a hole in the fence within like 24 hours (not visible, at right), and then just went ahead and mowed down a section of the fence so they could get back in!

The question is, when they fence off hipster hill to fix the drainage later in the year, will us rowdy PBR-swilling, fixie-stacking folks trample the fence in order to sit in mucky grass like we usually do? Read on.

Cute, right? Oh, and look, it’s also an advertisement for an art opening! By local hero Kelly Malone! Here go some details:

Something Old, Something New, Kelly Malone’s first large solo show, consisting of one of a kind art pieces created from recycled woods, stencils, screen prints and moss. All pieces were created using recycled materials and inspired by photos, fabrics, stories and pieces from her grandparents and parents. Kelly used unique materials, as well trades/ crafts that have been taught from her family. Each piece has a personalized story, memory or item that gives homage to the art of handmade, 3 generations of makers in her family and how it has inspired her.

RSVP and invite your friends here.

(Thanks, Scum!)

Apparently this ended with the cabbie being arrested. Nice one, dude.

[via Lindsey]

Reader sinkstuart spotted this NY-inspired burrito at Taqueria Vallarta. The “Manhattan” features carrots, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini. Zing! This is clearly a subtle jab at New York. Well played, Vallarta.

If this menu is a bit too experimental for you don’t worry, head over to their taco corner for tripas, lengua, and cabeza stewing in their juices. Best damn tacos in town, even if they are $1.75 now.

Our man Dex has the whole story here. Be sure to click through for the full image, which reveals a third participant and the answer to the question, “Where the fuck are that dude’s shoes?”

Right? Brains or like a really gross giant-size molecule of cellulite or something?

Nope. Find out the truth after the jump:

(more…)

It’s been just about exactly two years since we first heard about this girl Natalie baking handheld pies and delivering them by bike. Soon after, these pies were winning awards (and hearts and minds), and Bike Basket Pies became a beloved SF institution.

And at the end of June it’ll all be over for good. Natalie explains:

The short: the hours are rough, I have very little free time, and I have a bit of trouble paying rent despite working seven days a week.

The long: Bike Basket Pies started as something really small – another job when I already had two, but something fun, something inspiring, and something to call my own. I never expected it to much more than a creative summer project and a few extra bucks, but it quickly grew and kept getting just slightly bigger and bigger. It turned into a legitimate business and I always treated it with an intense work ethic, and initially it was a helluva lot of fun. But at it’s current state, it consumes my time and life, and I don’t get to exercise the same creativity I did at its inception.

Bummer!

Read all about this heartbreaking decision here, and then place a standing order quick so’s next week and the week after and the week after you’ll have Natalie knocking on your door with a box of heaven in her hands:

[Pie photo by Natalie]

If you’re one of the cool kids who DVR’s Jeopardy, you may have noticed the category “Streets of San Francisco” on Saturday’s episode. If you’re not one of the cool kids, you missed out on watching the Mission get a shout out not once, but twice. Remember, you must answer in the form of a question:

And for $2000, Alex:

They wrap their burritos in gold foil! It’s shiny! That’s gotta count for something, right?