Mission Mission

Eric Fischer brings us news that the merchants of Valencia Street are considering renaming Valencia to “South Market”.

(Wait, what’s that, Eric? I thought you said it was in the Chronicle? Ohhhh, in 1935, got it.)

Looks like there was the funeral of a gang member at the Serra Mortuary on Valencia & 26th on Friday night. (There were so many cops I initially thought it was a police funeral.)

And I can confirm the increased sightings of SFPD dirtbikes all over the place — I must have seen half a dozen while driving along Potrero this afternoon.

The esteemed Eric Fischer brings us scans of BART plans from 1962. This shot looks south down (and under) Mission from 23rd towards 24th:

The Look of Rapid Transit: 24th Street Mission station

The interesting part (outside of the fact that the BART station was to be so brilliantly lit that men wearing hats would cast stark shadows) is the street photo up top — it was taken from the NW corner of 23rd and Mission, looking south towards Bernal. (Click the image for a big-ass high resolution version.)

Particularly striking is the utter lack of trees (even on the slopes of Bernal).

Lots of donuts though:

Matching shot from today.  The trees make it hard to compare, but changes a plenty. (Click to enlargify.)

Zooming in towards 24th (above the epic car) we see the epic “Smile Awhile” bar:

A more clear view is available from the south.  It should quickly become clear what that sign represents today:

Much more on the history of 24th and Mission, both imagined and realized, over at Burrito Justice from a few months back.

We Built This City brings us this fresh Ribity at Mission & Richland:

(Any explanation for the x-eye on the left Ribity?)

We all know that Google Street View values the privacy of the luchador crowd. But it turns out Google also hides the faces of colonels with secrets whose factories convert chickens into weapons of mass destruction tasty snacks, as we see here on Duboce & Guerrero (thankfully not in the Mission).

The irony here: given their questionable meat content (and uncomfortable proximity to taquerias), Taco Bell really is the one that ought to be blurred out.  But it’s a bell, not the dog, so I am not sure how effective that would be. Or maybe it’s a witness protection program for the Colonel?

Mission Mission operatives sent us this dramatically blurry photo last night. Let us tell you its tale.

BMW parks on 24th near Valencia. BMW driver opens door without looking.

Muni is passing by. Side mirror of bus catches door of BMW. BMW door loses.

I can only imagine if it had been a bicycle and not a bus.

Sounds like the 1911 Mission had it going on for New Year’s, especially compared to those poopy Market St or Fillmore parties.

“What added to the color and the light and life and tumult was the fact that it was a genuine street carnival that reigned, most of the New Year eve merrymakers being in masquerade costume.”

“Gipsy maids and flaring Carmena, toreadors, strolling minstrels, peasant lads and highland lassies,  some of every nation under the sun, nuns and monks and saucy flower girls, in with those garbed in every day street wear, went to the making up of the throng, 30,000 strong, that turned Mission Street last night into a howling, laughing, cheering, exultant mob.”

So basically like today’s Carnaval, but at midnight. I am sure that would go well these days.

Another 1911 novelty: “Police Kept At Ease By Lack of Rowdyism”.  Unlike, say, this city winning a major sporting championship.

Click for the entire article — Mission excerpt below. Oh, for the simple days of Queen Julia.

Bernalwood has done a fine job highlighting the NIMBY, faux-science opposition to new cell and data towers in San Francisco, and the rather pathetic response by our Board of Sups, using graffiti as NIMBY cover:

All it takes to kill an effort to provide Bernal Heights and our surrounding neighborhoods with some 21st century wireless technology is a group of addled NIMBYs and a thin veneer of recently applied graffiti. But improving service requires a master plan. Which may get written. After some research. Someday. Perhaps.

And there’s a hearing today on cell phone towers and “the City’s beauty”:

The next battle will take place in the lame-duck chambers of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where progressive Supervisor John Avalos will hold public hearings today on a piece of legislation he introduced (with backing from Bernal Heights Supervisor David Campos) to “regulate the placement of [mobile antennas] in order to prevent telecommunications providers from installing wireless antennas and associated equipment in the City’s rights-of-way either in manners or in locations that will diminish the City’s beauty.”

Even if you don’t read the rest of my diatribe, at least go to Bernalwood to see what you can do.

Unsurprisingly, stupid spreads. Note this recent entertainingly hysterical petition against a proposed cell tower on 24th & Harrison:

To:  San Francisco Planning Commission
24th Street Neighborhood Against Cell Tower on 24th & Harrison

T-Mobile is trying to install an Industrial 6-Panel Facility (Antenna Tower) that is unnecessary, undesirable and not compatible with our predominantly residential neighborhood.

This type of antenna tower contains hazardous materials and equipment. This equipment is going to be installed on a residential building in this densely populated neighborhood.

The backup batteries are made with hydrogen gas, a very explosive substance, and under certain conditions can ignite and explode.

Lower 24th Street Association has done field studies in the surrounding area and has found the coverage is already “good” to “excellent” in our neighborhood, therefore this facility is unnecessary.

The Planning Commission Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, 2011 beginning at 1:30pm or later in City Hall, 1 Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400

For more information please email Beth at noantennasSF@gmail.com

ZOMG EXPLOSIVE GAS.  And SIX panels!  The end is nigh. (I suggest that you go to this petition and indicate your support for the tower.)

Uptown Almanac recently smacked their collective foreheads upon T-mobile’s spinelessness upon encountering fake-science NIMBYsistance:

Remember back when we laughed at a completely ludicrous protest of NIMBY neighbors claiming that making cellphones work in the northwest corner of the Mission would hurt the children?  Well, guess what, the protest actually fucking worked.  In spite of the fact there is no scientific proof backing their claims that the celltower would cause you to turn into a swamp monster, T-Mobile backed down and withdrew their permit application.

As for AT&T, their poor reception in the Mission is legendary.  A modern day Data Bermuda Triangle, it’s the Sargasso Sea for 3G. I created this animated map from an app that measures signal strength on the iPhone.

Note how the towers are few and far between compared to the rich electromagnetic fields of La Lengua.  (I tried this around Dolores Park and down 18th but it was pointless as I could barely get any meaningful signal.)

Here’s the deal, NIMBYs.  I know you didn’t pay any attention in high school, but it’s been well known since the 17th century that electromagnetic radiation (which has nothing to do with scary Three Mile Island radiation, you nitwits) dissipates according to the inverse square law.

• Unless you are standing right next to the tower, the “radiation” pales in comparison to the energy transmitted by your cell phone.
• The fewer cell phone towers there are, the harder your cell phone has to work to talk to them.  Which means your phone starts beaming EVEN MORE ENERGY INTO YOUR SKULL.
• More cell phone towers means your phone uses LESS energy to transmit (and your battery lasts longer too, which does me little good as I then am more likely to have to listen to whatever hypocritical conversation you happen to be having on your radiation transmission device).

And Board of Sups, be forewarned: San Francisco has 7081 bachelor and college degrees per square mile, the highest in the country. Even in your district, Mr. Campos: the 94110 holds over 18,000 residents (34%) with at least a 4 year degree that are capable of the most rudimentary critical analysis of your record and not voting for you again. (Not that you need a degree to figure this out.)

(image via Bernalwood)

As Senator Daniel Moynahan once said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

Corollary:  Science: it works, bitches. (XKCD)

As for what you can do, follow the lead of Bernalwood:

Supervisor Avalos will hold a hearing on his proposal today at 1 pm in front of the City’s Land Use Committee. If you can’t attend the meeting (because you have, you know, a job and a life) public comment can be submitted via Alisa Somera in the Clerk’s office at 415.554.4447 or Alisa.Somera@sfgov.org. (NOTE: Be kind to Alisa, please. The legislation isn’t her idea, nor her fault.)

Diatribe off. Back now to your regularly scheduled hipster news.

There’s an SFMTA hearing today at City Hall, 10 AM, Room 416, to discuss the bike lanes, traffic calming, left hand turn pockets, and eliminating some left hand turns.

Expect the typical NIMBY and you-ruin-my-commute opposition. Why not swing by and give some counter arguments?

For some historical perspective:

1874: Precita Creek, future path of Army / Cesar Chavez, via David Rumsey (West is up). Serpentine Avenue — the old northern boundary of the Bernal Rancho – had yet to be straightened out. You see reference to the sewer they are about to put in — the one that is about to be replaced over the next few years.

And some of the efforts at widening Army St over the years in conjunction with the mid century highwayfication of SF.

1940, @ Harrison:

1962, between San Jose and Guerrero

I just want to be able to ride my bike down Cesar Chavez and not think I’m going to die, OK?

As Apple hasn’t yet dropped $7.5 million, it looks like the current owners of Dolores Park Castle are looking for alternative sources of revenue:

No, sadly not an Arcade Fire show.  Uptown Almanac’s KevMo reports:

I overheard someone mention that there was an upscale open bar at Dolores Park Church.  So I took one look at my tshirt with kittens printed on it and jeans covered in mud, figured that was good enough and rolled.  Now, I’m not really sure what was going on last night, but there were a lot of people wearing suits, cocktail dresses, some bongos, and lots of free Don Julio.

Hey,  if 7500 Googlers got together, they could pool their bonuses and take this place off the market (at a roomy 2 square feet per person).