Mission Mission

Andy writes in to let us know that tomorrow (Wednesday, 8/14) is a big hearing to “call a Spade a Spade: Jack Spade/Kate Spade is one big company”.  He reiterates that he’s in for a public debate that we (Mission Mission) will run if there are any commenters who oppose the actions to block Jack Spade and are willing to publicly stand up for what they believe.

You can follow the story of the opposition here.

The press release after the jump.

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[Not actual sign design by Steven Weinberg]

There’s some healthy debate going on in the post about the movement to keep Jack Spade out of the Mission, but there’s no doubt that our buddy Leef Smith, owner of Mission: Comics & Art, is the real deal. A San Francisco native, Leef is dedicated to maintaining a community space to show art, create art and of course talk about, read, discover and buy comics. Now he’s asking for our help to raise some funds to build a new sign so people can spot the store more easily.

He’s looking good on getting his goal, but if you really want to kick this starter into gear you can sign up for your own event at the store!

You’ve probably heard that Adobe Books had to leave their 16th Street location recently, and relocated to a new location on 24th Street. You’ve probably also heard that Jack Spade, an upscale retail store that is a spin off of Kate Spade which is a subsidiary of Liz Claiborne, was planning to move into Adobe’s old location well before Adobe had even publicly conceded to leaving. (For reference, check out Kevin’s reporting here)

Well, a bunch of “Valencia Corridor” businesses are opposing Jack Spade as a formula retailer brand from a multinational company, and therefore not a part of the Mission community. The opening of a store like this will pave the way for more companies to take root in the neighborhood, and push out the local businesses. Makes sense to me.

I’d also add that they really only appeal to a certain kind of well moneyed, overly groomed young urban professional scenester, but that’s pretty much the Valencia Corridor in a nutshell.

Anyway, you can sign their petition here, and the event should be fun, with proceeds going to “support the Stop Jack Spade campaign”.

The moment that many of you have been waiting for is finally here:

Adobe Books is now Adobe Books & Arts Cooperative. We are a cooperative business owned by Andrew McKinley and thirteen other volunteers who worked hard to save Adobe.

Let’s raise a glass to Adobe’s past, present and future, as we celebrate the grand opening of Adobe at our new home on 24th St.

There’ll be beer from Speakeasy, snacks from Tartine and Rainbow, music by DJs Kevin Spaghetti & Baron Van West, and a bunch of rad art from local artists.  Check out all the details here!

Have you ever gotten your hair cut at Angie’s (the yellow sign with the lips across the street in the background)?  At around $15, it sure beats one of those $40 buzz cuts at that fancy barbershop on 18th and Valencia that everyone’s always waiting in line for.

And the best part is that she’ll give you a haircut that makes you look like a soccer player!  Or at least that’s what my housemate told me I looked like when I came back home after one.  I think she was just fucking with me, though.  Soccer players are cool, right?

The grand opening is today! The new shop is at 3491 19th Street (at Valencia) in the old Chamalyn space, and they’ll be serving up fresh tea and balls all weekend. Also, the Boba Guys are very awesomely donating all profits from this weekend to Little Brothers SF, a local non-profit that helps the elderly combat loneliness and isolation.

Did you make it to the Needles and Pens 10 Year Anniversary Show last month? (Fun fact: I arrived there in a cop car.) If you missed it, a couple of talented folks over at Inventory Magazine have produced this dreamy video with some of the highlights.

[Thanks, Adam!]

But you have to fight Chris Brennan for it first.  By the way, have you checked out his new store, Мишка San Francisco, yet?  It’s pretty fucking rad…

[Photos by Chris Brennan]

Anyone walking down Valencia over the past few days has to have noticed these posters going up on storefront windows of local merchants, and now there’s a petition being circulated to try to convince the luxury boutique that this neighborhood isn’t really a good fit for them. Unfortunately, almost all legal options to prevent Jack Spade from moving in have been exhausted, as the store just barely evades the label of “formula retail” by being only one store under the threshold.

Although Jack Spade is set to begin their lease on June 15, no one knows when they plan to move in, and the company has been ominously silent on the matter. We’ll just have to wait and see if they can take the hint, but in the meantime expect a lot more attention to this issue!

Brought to you by the fine folks at Fayes.

Who needs Facebook!
[pic by Sharon, thanks!]