It's Spring in San Francisco (Again)
[March 15, 2025]
Recognize this magnolia? It's currently in full bloom in our beloved Panhandle, where I was out walking this morning. Okay, so it's a little chilly (was that "feels like 39 F" on the weather app yesterday legit? - um, yeah). But the magnolias are in bloom and we have already had three springs this winter, so enjoy the local color while you can.
In case you've missed any of the Divisadero Corridor posts on Instagram, here's a quick recap of what's been going on since the beginning of the year:
It looks like there is another new proposal for housing at 400 Divisadero (aka the long-dormant Touchless Car Wash space). As always, we like to say "watch this space" - because we've been watching it for the past 7 or 8 years. (Read more.)
Maybe our new mayor Daniel Lurie and/or our new D5 supervisor Bilal Mahmood will be able to fast track the above housing, which includes about 30 more units than a previous proposal, with fewer "affordable" units. While neither the reduced service on the Muni's 24 Divisadero, which went into effect on February 1, or the closing of "our" Walgreens at Divis and O'Farrell on February 24 can be attributed to them, both are bringing a "can do" sensibility to the City. We shall see what that will ultimately translate to.
In some of the best news, the building at the corner of Divisadero & McAllister (in the 900-block) that was gutted by fire in 2022 is showing signs of rebirth. I've heard directly from some tenants who were displaced that they are now back in their refurbished units. And, work is ongoing inside both first-floor businesses - the Kava Lounge and Oasis Cafe. Could we be sipping kava again and watching satellite-beamed soccer games while sampling Ethiopian food (or bagels and strong coffee) by the next update?
Sadly, we also shared the news of the untimely (yet peaceful) passing of local artist Pete Doolittle. If you were a regular at any of the Divisadero or Lower Haight art walks, you most likely encountered Pete and his colorful and quirky art, often rendered on discarded Victorian windows. Pete's art was truly a hyperlocal, one-of-kind specialty. Here's a great photo of Pete in the Panhandle (courtesy of 48 Hills) with some of his art. R.I.P., dear talented one.
I'm continuing to share photos by local photographers - so, if you - or someone you know - enjoys roaming around the neighborhood with any type of camera, please tag those photos @divisaderocorridor. I love to feature what we're all seeing out there and try to share every image either on the feed or in our popular stories.
Special sharing shoutout goes to one of my favorite IG accounts, @RetroBayArea. I was doing my typical morning scroll when I saw none other than a rather young, very fly Curtis "CB" Bryant cheering on the Niners so long ago Joe Montana was throwing a pass to Dwight Clark. And, he caught it! Now, for most of the City, this clip from 1981 is known as "the catch". But, for us Divisaderians, seeing the man we came to know as "the Mayor of Divisadero" in that white suit right behind the goalpost was pure magic. Continue to rest easy, CB. Check him out at 0:24.
