More congrats to Johnny0 (aka Burrito Justice), who single-handedly named a neighborhood using only his imagination and a series of tubes. This takes some serious chops. I should know, as I was totally unsuccessful in my attempts to coin “Civic Valley“.
In the latest installment of this saga, the SF Examiner took an interest in this story and wrote it up. They declare:
So welcome to La Lengua, the Mission district-Bernal Heights microhood that needed a name. Yes, that’s right, it’s Spanish for “the Tongue,” a reference to the district’s shape, its preponderance of eateries serving tongue meat and the active imagination of the dude behind the Burrito Justice blog.
Perhaps most chilling, to me at least, was the closing line:
“I wouldn’t say it’s a hipster thing,” Johnny0 said. “I think it’s what happens when hipsters grow up and have kids … they come and live in La Lengua.”
The first time I met Johnny0, I invited him to brunch the next day. He said he was busy doing dad stuff. Then he said sorta waved his fingers in front of me and said in a spooky voice, “I am your fuuuuuture!”
This has haunted me ever since.
[via the Examiner]
, who single-handedly named a neighborhood using only his imagination and a series of tubes. This takes some serious chops. I should know, as I was totally unsuccessful in my attempts to coin “Civic Valley“. In the latest installment of this saga, the SF Examiner took an interest in […]</p>
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My hero!
Hey, I disagree! La Lengua has tons of personality. El Rio, the Knockout, Front Porch, Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack — all great, non-kid-friendly places. Don’t let its proximity to the unofficial SF stroller capital of Noe Valley give it a bad name!
im not sure a nod from the examiner actually qualifies as validation, but this does remind us that print media is better than blogging, right?
for proof of Johnny’s success, just type “San Francisco, CA” into Google Maps. then take note of what neighborhoods appear in that widest of views. Mission? nope. La Lengua? why, yes!
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=san+francisco,+ca&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=44.47475,81.914062&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=San+Francisco,+California&z=12
GG – Emmies and Front Porch both are very kid friendly. I wouldn’t have thought until I had a kid. They both go out of their way to serve families. Sorry!
Emmy’s has juice boxes. Unless hipsters are now drinking out of… omg… 4Loko juice boxes. I will now be rich.
Vic, we are your fuuuuuuuuuttuuuure!
What does kid friendly mean, btw? You have a play space like McDonalds?
It means the locals don’t make sarcastic remarks about “breeders” while they edge past your double-wide stroller, as they do in The Mission.
The “La Lengua” name seems to conflict with Pierre Valley’s turf.
I’m with TBone. I’ve known this area to be considered Pierre Valley (pronounced pyair-ee) for quite some time. Sounds a lot better than “the tongue”. Here’s an article about it: http://sfist.com/2007/11/14/pierre_valley_a.php
But do a Google search and see for yourself.
P’shaw. That area is half “The Bernal Flood Plains” and half “Pierre Valley”
…and all La Lengua, baby.
Zzzzzhuhwhat?
I think the Pierre Valley website says it all:
Not Found
Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn’t here.
A screenshot if it mysteriously reappears.
I’m really not into all the micro-neighborhood renaming – it reeks of what the realtors do. But I don’t really care, except that Johnny0 has annexed where I live in THE MISSION (24th and Valencia) into La Lengua.
Outer La Lengua!
I hope you enjoy your new home on the edge of La Lenguan territory!
I’ve considered your request and have deemed it to have merit. Outer La Lengua is in fact a sliding scale — Valencia & CC is 100% La Lengua while Valencia & 24th is less so.
For simplicity’s sake I’m considering defining the northern border of La Lengua to be the old SPRR line.
As someone who has lived in the precise heart outer mission/lower bernal/whatever for the last three years and love the hell out of it, let me say that LA LENGUA IS A FUCKING STUPID NAME.
Precise heart OF. Obviously this is bugging me, as I’m dropping articles all over the place.
(FWIW, I live right where Mission and Valencia come together – I was right across the street from the recent scary fire.)
Sorry you feel that way. Do feel free to call it whatever you want.
The fact that you have to call it “precise heart outer mission/lower bernal/whatever” is telling, however.
In the old days (80s!) this neighborhood was known as SOAR (south of Army).