Mission Mission

Why no Apple love in the Mission? You’d think this is something even Chicken John could get behind.

The only question is where? On Mission? Or Valencia? A few proposals:

The Social Security Building / old Hibernia Bank on Valencia and 22nd and Valencia:

Pros: Apple-eqsue architecture
Cons: even longer Boogaloo lines

Dolores Park Castle:

Pros: empty building finally used; good WiFi coverage for the park; nice park to rest in while awaiting Genius Bar appointments
Cons: dark wood beams may conflict with Steve Jobs beech aethsetic; Pottery Barn may attempt to move into Christian Science Church next door

Dolores Park Bathrooms:

Pros: Even better WiFi coverage in DP; safe refuge for Blue Bottle; clean bathrooms
Cons: white Apple logo easily tagged

Please add your suggestions in the comments.

(top photo by Chris Carlsson; Apple logo via Wikipedia)

Goodbye Levi's signage

It was only here for a few months, but in that short amount of time it managed to garner all sorts of polarizing opinions regarding its legitimacy and goals.  It also played host to a bunch of neat events, from rock shows and hands-on print screening sessions to talks by noted designers such as Stefan Sagmeister.

So, now that it’s moving to NYC and another Charles Phan restaurant is on the way to take its spot on Valencia, how do you feel about the Levi’s Workshop in retrospect?  Still convinced it was some nefarious plot by a huge business entity to infiltrate our “culture”?  Or were you impressed that a company like Levi’s would take the time to engage the locals?

Please tell us about your experiences there, whether they were good or bad, so the next multinational corporation with indie aspirations won’t make the same perceived missteps.  Most importantly, did anyone manage to create some cool shit there?  Please share!

Previously:

What Do You Think About the Levi’s Workshop on Valencia?

Inside the Levi’s Workshop

A Saturday at the Levi’s Pop-Up

Ran into these little guys on the Valencia leg of my commute home this evening.  Gotta say, the kids around here are getting cooler by the week!  Good to see they still stop at red lights though.

[between 14th and Duboce]

Previously:

Support Mission Skater Kids By Buying The Right To Take Photos With Them And Their Inflated Condom

SFPD Officer Threatens to Break a Skateboarder’s Arm, Allegedly Kicks Him Into Cruiser

Some shots from this Sunday.  (As usual, click to zoom.)

Watching the World Cup final in the Valencia Street garage of the Mission tricycle stereo guy — thanks! (Sorry, Orange.)

The Ferocious Few on Valencia:

The lead singer telekinetically tuning his guitar:

Another rockin’ band on 24th…

…so rocking, in fact, that their house was doing that Flight of the Conchords wiggle:

Hey, look, another bike band Fossil Fool!

And my personal favorite: French Tacos! The Croque Monsieur (Croque Señor?) was particularly l’awesome.

All and all, a good day (but we really need it to go until at least 4 or 5 PM).  We can do this once a month, no?

On the downside, there was a curious lack of food vendors.  And while I’m sure it’s a permitting nightmare, I’d like to see the city help our favorite food carts get in on this.

Just posted: the route map for the (first of two) Mission Sunday Streets on June 20th. Biggest difference — this year, Harrison gets carless, and it runs to 3pm instead of 2pm.

Not yet on their web site, but some details on Facebook.

As a reminder, here’s 24th St last year:

Don’t forget to move your cars this time around, OK?

Valencia and 22nd. I know it was a nice this weekend, but have some pride people.

(Unless there’s a keg in the center of that thing. Then that’s a different story entirely.)

Are they slaves chained to it like a greek trireme, prowling the Mission for targets to ram?

Or tourists that were told “hey, everyone in the Mission rides like this.”

Is Muni’s new cost savings plan?

MrEricSir saw another group of victims on 18th.

I simply do not think my brain could handle pedaling in a direction different than my velocity.

Tablehopper reports that Valencia Street’s Zaytoon (the restaurant with a gestational period resembling that of an elephant) is set to open next Tuesday.

Groundhog Day

What will we see in this former Rub’ al Khali?

This casual Mediterranean place from owner Christopher Totah will serve falafel wrapped in lavash ($6.95, or $7.95 with potatoes and eggplant); chicken or lamb shwarma ($7.95)—the meat will reportedly be “natural” but not organic…

Er, halal?

It’s due to open on Tuesday June 1st but call first before heading over—delays could still occur.

Any bets?

“And like that, poof, he’s gone.”  I am inclined to think that Otter was not in fact behind it this time.  It’s a good thing that everybody and their brother already photographed this to death, because now it’s really dead.  Alas, no one had the foresight to put up a sign in Cantonese warning that this art is “very hard to get it.”

Anyone know the story behind this Banksy whitewashing?  Any of the other Bansky pieces throughout the city suffer a similar fate?

UPDATE!!!  An anonymous commenter seems to have the scoop:

The building owner lives in Texas and received a notice from the city. Not knowing the significance of the piece, or what it was, he had it painted over. The owners of The Curiosity Shoppe live in the building and were obviously unable to convince him to keep it.

Yikes!  However, this is the kind of thing that happens when you have an out of state absentee property owner who doesn’t seem to know or care about the culture of the area in which his property resides.

Also, I was able to get a free Chinese language lesson out of this too.  Apparently, Cantonese and Mandarin refer only to spoken language, whereas written language is always known vaguely as Chinese.  So, even though most of the residents of Chinatown happen to be Cantonese speakers, that sign was nonetheless written in Chinese.  Case closed! 

Previously:

San Francisco Has Banksy Fever!

Banksy Fever Continues!

Enough Banksy for Chu?

Discovered by MrEricSir on Valencia near 16th.

But MrEricSir suspects Ivan Reitman’s involvement, and I concur — note the proximity to the Slimer Tree that Ariel discovered on 15th St.

If only the meters were a series of pastel colors, then we could blame Warhol’s ghost.

UPDATE: Perhaps someone is protesting, as Chicago saw last year?

Maybe it’s the shut-down-Valencia-to-cars movement embodying Burnham’s ghost — his 1905 plan for SF had two long, giant parks, one down Capp and the other along 23rd: