Mission Mission

SF native and hip hop artist Dregs One just started a series of videos called “The Wake Up Report“. The first subject? Mission and Fillmore gentrification. Oh boy, here we go again.

Nothing too new here: he drops the H-Bomb a couple of times, there is a cameo by the Bay Area Derailleurs, and some extremely awkward interviews with inarticulate folks in Dolores Park. He doesn’t get too nasty towards transplants, but it seems like his big beef is that the new folks don’t really make an effort to integrate into the community or learn it’s history. I assume opening your fancy restaurant on Valencia street doesn’t count as integrating and debating which Taqueria invented the Mission burrito doesn’t count as history.

Mission Loc@l posted a video (well, audio slideshow, really) behind the scenes at Arinell.

If you’re still on Windows 95, here’s the gist: employee Neil Aviles talks about eating “tons” of pizza (“like 3 slices… in 4 hours”… I’m pretty sure Andrew Sarkarati has broken that record), dudes passing out in the store, failed crank deals, mission gentrification, and yuppies.

Oh no he didn’t just drop the Y-bomb! Careful Neil… I got in trouble for that this week.

I’ve been watching Union SF building project lately because it seems like this building in particular attracts people that don’t get the neighborhood.  Reader Mission Mistaken once described prospective buyers as “the most vapid, frazzled and unfriendly looking group of Marina moms one could imagine.”  Well, looks like she was right.  On Friday, Curbed SF mentioned that 29 “homes” units have been sold over the last 3 weeks.  Best of all, one buyer said they moved in because it’s the “right location in an up-and-coming neighborhood.” Really?  Didn’t the Mission up-and-come years ago?

Mission Mistaken filled us in a couple of days ago about the latest in Mission gentrification:

I would like to take this opportunity (opportunity in this case taking the tepid form of yet another genuflecting photo-fest to wheat paste) to pass along my experience last night at what might be charitably referred to as the topsy-turvy Alice in Wonderland opening party for the former Bryan Square, then former Coach House lofts and Bryant Commons…  now Union, at Bryant and 20th Streets.

7×7 certainly did their homework [7x7, oddly, co-hosted the opening party - Kevin], if by homework one is referring to attracting the most vapid, frazzled and unfriendly looking group of Marina moms one could imagine.  There were two DJ’s forlornly spinning to an empty room, servers trying to convince the uuber-skinny to try uuber-tiny snack foods, and some of the most ghastly staging imaginable.

So in order to get approval to build what are certainly better-than-average and more expensive than average condo’s in the hallowed ground that birthed the howling mobs of MAC, the builders agreed to a family friendly approach, meaning little in terms of smaller units for gay couples, singles and hipsters.  Instead there are lots of bathrooms and lots of (tiny) bedrooms.

But the units are nice.

But the upper floor with view units were not open for inspection.

But I only live a few blocks away so I plan on inspecting those shortly.

I came away with this sense of dread, that this corner of the Mission is about to go from being genuinely hip, to “Marina chick notions of hip” in short order.

For those of you who do not believe Brolores Park is real life, this just popped up on Craigslist:

All cuddlers welcome, cute cuddlers only though. – 25 (mission district)

Date: 2009-10-04, 10:49PM PDT

Hello, we are four handsome young gentlemen who are looking for some lovely young ladies to come over and keep us company. We have a spectacular entertainment set up. Let me walk you through it:

An Xbox 360: We can play video games, watch dvds, talk to our friends over the headset, WIRELESS controller.

Netfix streaming: Yup, thats right. Over 500 movies at our fingertips ladies. Anytime. All day with that shit.

A Flat screen TV: Say what??

Dolby surround sound speakers: We cans hear all kinds of shit.

Airtunes: My fucking laptop WIRELESSLY connects to the surround sound speakers. Music all day ladies, all day.

So much more: couches, table, dvds, hallway, kitchen, bathrooms, backyard, cherry tomatoes.

Our ages vary from 24 to 25, we live in the mission.

One of us has a queen size bed with 400 thread count sheets, in case you get tired from all the FUN!

Family Circus lovers a must.

I always knew that art galleries were evil because artists are hippies that vote for democrats, but I never knew that they are one of the reasons the Mission is being gentrified:

Editor – I celebrate the representation of art in all its forms, whether it be in museums, on public walls or in galleries (“Artists take it to the street (Valencia),” Aug. 22). However, it should be noted that it is often the artists and gallery owners who move into low-rent neighborhoods who plant the seeds of gentrification. While the growing number of galleries in the Mission District may be engaging a new audience, high-rent condominiums are being built only blocks away, where bakeries, grocery stores and community centers used to stand. I fear the day when the Mission will have to take a new name because the Latino residents and businesses can no longer afford to stay in the neighborhood they worked so hard to build.

- Rachel Rosenberg, San Francisco

(link)

Maybe people disagree with me, but I think the neighborhood could still keep the name “Mission” even if there were no Latinos, given that it was the Mission back when it was mostly Irish and German.  Oh, and Ohlone slaves initially built the Mission.  Sorry, Rachel.

(hat tip Mission Loc@l)

Plug1 was talking about the “vertical earthquake” problem recently, and while it’s most apparent closer to downtown, the Mission gets its share of little tremors. The latest is a 50-foot luxury condo complex planned for the corner of 18th and Valencia. When the thing goes up, views of the above mural will be obstructed forever. Tomorrow is the final appeal. If you’d care to voice your opposition, aLittleDisplay’sBlog has all the deets. Link. (Via Curbed SF)

Photo by Kari Orvik (part of a series commemorating the threatened view).

Reaction to yesturday’s post regarding Zeitgeist turning into a Borders calls to mind the decades-old gentrification question in the Mission. One of my favorite places to take visiting family and friends who are not used to the grittiness of Valencia Street is Ramblas. The drinks and tapas and atmosphere here impart the attitude of the Mission (conversations, drunkenness, vitality) while the upscale nature of the restaurant provides respite from puke-stained streets and bathroom stink.

This morning, SFGate‘s The Inside Scoop reported that Ramblas owner Ron Silberstein (who also owns SoMa restaurant-brewery Thirsty Bear) acquired Cortez, a restaurant with a Michelin star (!!!). I can’t wait to see how it goes — hopefully some family will find their way into San Francisco sometime soon so I can have some organic Thirsty Bear ESB with my lamb cheek.

Link to SFGate story.