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NOPNANews
A Publication of the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
2018 : issue 3
ANDOUT
ABOUT
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UPCOMING EVENTS
NOPNA GENERAL MEETING
Oasis Cafe • 901 Divisadero
Thursday, Sept 20th, 2018 - 7pm
Thursday, Nov 15th, 2018 - 7pm
WESTERN ADDITION
SUNDAY STREETS AND SIDEWALK SALE - Sept 9th
The face of Divisadero continues
As its name implies, The Loving Cup is
to evolve, with multiple new
a decent spot for a cup of fro-yo, with
establishments of both the culinary and
a construct-your-own approach. You
retail variety — and a few mysteries in
start with chocolate or vanilla then add
the works. The new offerings are almost
a variety of additions and toppings to
all second or third locations for the
complete a tasty creation in either a cup
HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY - Oct 31st
NOPNA HOLIDAY PARTY - stay tuned for details!
business, which represents a notable
or a waffle cone. You can proudly strut
shift in the vibe of NOPA.
your creation about as you continue
SFPD PARK STATION COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Park Station Community Room
Second Tuesday each month, 6pm
DIVISADERO FARMERS MARKET
Grove@Divisadero, Sundays, 10am–2pm
PANHANDLE PARK STEWARDS
Second Saturday each month, 9am-12pm
Bulletin Board near Panhandle Playground
Contact us:
board@nopna.org or www.nopna.org
Some months back we introduced you
to The Emporium, a 1980s style arcade
carved out of the historic Harding
Theatre. Completing that long vacant
stretch of the street, the two storefronts
flanking the Emporium have now filled
up. On the right is the latest location of
a local chain called Loving Cup Frozen
Yogurt. On the left, the second location
of Fillmore-founded Asmbly Hall has
opened its doors.
your Divisadero adventure. The Loving
Cup may not be worth a special trip,
but for those looking for a (slightly) less
fattening alternative to a Bi-Rite cone,
it’s a good bet.
Asmbly Hall is a reasonably priced
boutique with a street smart aesthetic
that is working hard to favor local San
Francisco designers and artists in their
offerings.
(continued on page 3)
North OfPanhandleNeighborhoodAssociation
2 | NOPNANews
FROM THE BOARD
Are you as involved as you want to be?
We’re half way through 2018, and it’s been a
busy year so far. NOPNA chose five areas of
focus for 2018: Great Events, Pedestrian Safety,
Financial Stability, Growing the Board, and Promoting and
Communicating what we do. We also added three new board
Jason Cauthen
Editor of the
NOPNA News, and
recently became Vice
President, focusing
on volunteer
outreach.
members, enjoyed beautiful weather at a bustling block party, endorsed the
city’s plan to remove parking spaces to increase visibility on Fell Street, and
have taken great steps on getting the word out about our events and activities,
and on balancing our books as well. Lastly, in keeping with our historic focus
on housing, we’ve coordinated a community forum with the developers of 400
Divisadero.
So, as you can tell, we’ve been busy! We are a volunteer organization, and
the only way this works is when we all get involved and pitch in alongside our
neighbors. We all have families, demanding jobs, and other obligations — and
we know you do too. Everyone should have the opportunity to be as involved
in their community as they want, even if there’s only room for a small amount of
time. So, are you as involved as you’d like to be?
As we kick off a volunteer drive in the second half of the year, let me share
a few different ways to get involved, whether you want to be Informed, a
Supporter, an Active Participant, or Leadership:
INVOLVEMENT LEVEL
INFORMED
WHY DO IT?
Stay on top
of what’s going on.
SUPPORTER
Contribute in
bite-size amounts.
ACTIVE
PARTICIPANT
Enhance and
improve our
community.
LEADERSHIP
Build the community you
want to live in.
WHAT TO DO?
You’re doing it!
Read the NOPNA News. Join the
email list. Follow us on Facebook,
Instagram, and Nextdoor.
Attend our general meetings.
Take a shift as a traffic monitor for
our Halloween event or deliver the
News. No time? Consider a small
monetary donation to NOPNA!
Help coordinate or lead events
(e.g., Halloween, Block Party,
etc.); bring your writing, editing,
graphical or photography talents to
the NOPNA News!
Join the board! Take ownership for a
key initiative, event, neighborhood
topic (e.g. housing), or functional
responsibility (e.g., web).
If you’d like to get more involved, send an email to volunteer@nopna.org. We’d
love your help in whatever way works best for you.
The NOPNA News is published by the North
of Panhandle Neighborhood Association for
the residents, businesses, and friends of
our neighborhood, which is bounded by
Masonic Avenue and Turk, Divisadero and
Fell Streets.
PUBLISHER
NOPNA Board of Directors
EDITOR
Jason Cauthen
LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
Brian Donovan
BUSINESS OUTREACH/ADVERTISING
Carmen Chan
COPY EDITORS
Nathan Lovejoy
Erika Alexander
Ann Kim
DISTRIBUTION
Will Valentine
PRINTING
Image Printing, San Francisco
NOPNA’s mission: The purpose of this
association shall be to establish neigh-
borhood unity, maintain multi-ethnic and
multi-cultural diversity, foster a sense of
neighborhood pride, promote a safe and
clean community, and improve the quality
of life for all residents of the neighbor-
hood.
Your financial support allows NOPNA
to cover the costs of our newsletters,
community building events like our block
party and holiday party, public art projects
in the neighborhood, and other activities
that enrich our dynamic neighborhood. It
also supports this site.
Make a difference on our streets and
become a member today!
Contact NOPNA
North OfPanhandleNeighborhoodAssociation
OUT AND ABOUT
(continued)
issue 3 : 2018 | 3
Cover image, Che Fico (left) on Divisadero. Above from left, Asmbly Hall, a cup from Loving Cup, and Zaytoon. PHOTOS: Joseph Wilinski
The art on the wall is for sale and a
teas are served both cold and hot,
you get in. (I’ve been trying to get a
good selection of men’s and women’s
with tapioca balls — sweet little
reservation for a month and have yet
apparel is for sale. They also have a
globs of goodness — dropped into
to get lucky.)
cute selection of toddler outfits to
the tea. You drink the tea through
In the all-original category, occupying
compliment your look, if you’re the
an oversized straw which also sucks
the former site of MoJo Cafe,
kind of person who likes to match
the tapioca balls through one by one
your baby.
resulting in a tasty drink with a rather
pleasing aesthetic.
comes a new wine and beer bar
called “Fool’s Errand”. The space
is so named because, well, how
many wine bars can the city hold?
Next door to the ageless Bean Bag
Cafe, the new “Mediterranean”
eatery Zaytoon has opened its doors.
Another second location (the first is
on Valencia), Zaytoon offers a casual
vibe and very reasonably priced
Upstairs from Boba Guys, and
Evidently at least one more. Fool’s
sporting the coolest sign on the
Errand will be open late (midnight!)
block, you can’t miss the rise of
Che Fico, the hottest ticket on
Divisadero since the opening of
looking to fill both the “pre-dinner”
and the “post-show” crowd. Right
now, the bar is offering a basic but
wraps and other delights. It’s a solid
Nopa. A self described “Italian
solid set of cheese and charcuterie
offering on a stretch of street that
Taverna”, Che Fico offers southern
plates along with a small and well
has long lacked a good shwarma.
Boba Guys has also expanded with
a new location at 836 Divisadero.
Italian classics with plenty of
curated selection of beer and wine.
California twists. Thoughtful,
More small plate offerings are in the
sustainable, and definitely on the
works and we can all look forward to
If you haven’t tried boba tea, it’s a
pricey side, make your reservations
reoccupying the parklet.
truly unique concept. A variety of
now as it might be a while before
Nick Aster is a 20 year San Francisco resident
and media architect with a strong interest in
sustainability and city life.
4 | NOPNANews
FORD GOBIKE - WE ASKED AND YOU ANSWERED
NOPNA first reported on the proposed Bay Area Bike
Motivate’s primary claims on behalf of GoBike is that it
Share expansion into the North Panhandle in the January/
reduces car ownership, but in our survey, we found that
February Newsletter of 2017. Following installation of
GoBikes were instead most often used as a substitute for
Motivate’s Ford GoBikes on August 11, 2017, NOPNA
ride-sharing services.
requested an evaluation from Motivate and also planned
a survey to obtain feedback from neighbors regarding the
bikes. NOPNA invited a Motivate representative to two
general meetings,1 in September 2017 and March 2018,
to discuss progress of the program and take questions
from neighbors. To solicit additional feedback from the
community, NOPNA launched a survey this May to garner
further feedback. Here are some of the results.
The survey results also speak to neighborhood residents’
mixed feelings about the number, size, and locations of the
GoBike stations. When asked if the placement of existing
locations were suitable, 54% said “yes”, 26% said no, with
many comments requesting additional locations be added
west of Masonic. With regard to the continued increase in
the number of GoBike stations, 48% of respondents were
in favor of continued expansion, 31% favored moratorium
Over seven weeks, a total of 262 responses were collected,
for the remainder of 2018,15% of respondents chose
of which 84% were North Panhandle residents. Through
other, with frequent commentary about the amount of
it, we see some disparity between Motivate’s data and the
space taken up by the docks. On the question of whether
experience of survey respondants. For instance, though
the existing docks at each station should be permitted
Ford GoBike’s data show ridership growing rapidly from
to expand capacity, the neighborhood was somewhat
4,700 rides in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 7,710 in the
split: with 25% seeking to expand number of docks at the
second quarter of 2018, 60% of survey respondents had
existing stations, 36% preferred to keep them the same
not used a Motivate Ford GoBike. Additionally, one of
size, and 20% who would like the removal of bike stations.
Neighbors have diverse views on what should happen
with Ford GoBike stations in the neighborhood.
Reduce number of bikes/docks
Relocate bike stations
Remove bike stations
Keep number bikes/docks as is
Increase numbers (add more bikes/docks)
SOURCE: NOPNA
FORD GOBIKE (continued)
issue 3 : 2018 | 5
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Types of transportation that Ford GoBike most substitutes
for...
Ride sharing services
(Lyft, Uber, taxi)
Personal bike
Bus or Shuttle
Personal car
Walking
Other
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
SOURCE: NOPNA
Given the different viewpoints of the neighborhood, NOPNA will have a lot to consider on the presence and effect of
GoBike stations in NOPA. NOPNA wants to thank the members of the community who took time to complete the Ford
GoBike survey. We received more than 140 comments and, in the coming months, plan to review each comment and
the survey results in further depth, then make a decision on NOPNA’s position with respect to the Ford GoBikes in our
neighborhood. If you would like to see the full survey results, they are currently available on the NOPNA website at www.
NOPNA.org. We will provide an update in coming issues of the NOPNA Newsletter. Stay tuned . . .
Charles Dupigny and Jennifer Brandl. Charles Dupigny is the President of the NOPNA Board and focuses on sustainability and quality issues in our
neighborhood. Jennifer Brandl is a neighborhood resident since 2013, NOPNA News aficionado, and NOPA business patron. She is passionate about
volunteering and being a contribution to communities.
NOW SERVING
LUNCH AND DINNER
Open 6 am – 9:30 am
everyday
Authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes,
prepared with natural ingredients and
served with special “injera” bread
Meat and vegetarian options • Beer and wine
Cafe specialties (pastries, sandwiches, and
“one-cup-at-a-time” coffee) available all day
Great selection of Ethiopian coffee blends for sale
Wheelchair accessible • No reservations required
Keep number bikes/docks as is
6 | NOPNANews
NOPA BLOCK PARTY
Thank you to all of the 2018 Block Party Supporters!
GOLD
Mollie Poe/Declan Hickey with Compass
SILVER
Emporium
BRONZE
Pota Perimenis, Jennifer Rosdail, Topo Designs
PARTICIPANTS
Souvla, Central Coffee & Tea, Home Sweet Om, The Native Daughters of
the Golden West, Kathy McCarthy-The Heights Chiropractic, Bi-Rite, The
Jenny Kerr Band, Randall Museum, NERT, ALERT, SFPD-Park Station, Kid’s
bake sale, Dylan Lemonade, Katie Klingensmith & Family, Neighbors on
Baker street (between Fulton & Grove)
PHOTOS: Joseph Wilinski
Sunshine and warm temperatures welcomed the
A second feature hosted by the Native Daughters of the
neighborhood to summer during this year’s annual NOPA
Golden West, was a historical photographic journey of
Block Party. Neighborhood participation and attendance,
our neighborhood researched by long-time resident Doug
by both residents and businesses, were impressive.
Diboll with contemporary photographs contributed by
Everyone had a great time with new and long-time
Joseph Wilinski (who also photographs for the NOPNA
neighbors, enjoying music, family yoga, a fire truck, a
News). The photos, each in black and white, brought
bounce house, games, and food from local vendors.
the viewer back in time with a sense of awe that some
neighborhood features still exist today and leaving viewers
In particular, there were two notable features this year:
with a sense of hope and tradition.
a lemonade and baked goods stand in honor of Dylan
Leeder and the History Corner. A young inspiration to all
None of this would have happened without the support
of us in NOPA, Dylan, age 9, and his family were raising
of our incredible neighbors. We owe a big “thank you”
money and awareness for leukemia research as he himself
to the families on Baker, between Fulton and Central, the
battles it. The support from the neighborhood was
volunteers who came out to help set up and break down
astounding, with 13 families providing the lemonade and
baked goods that raised over $2,000 as part of their larger
the event, our local businesses that hosted tables, and
our sponsors. We look forward to seeing everyone at the
fundraising efforts.
NOPA Block Party again next year!
issue 2 : 2017 | 7
8 | NOPNANews
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVES ON FELL ST.
NOPNA recently endorsed an SFMTA proposal to
implement daylighting measures on Fell Street, between
Baker and Masonic. The final proposal, approved at a
May 15th pubic hearing, will include the removal of 9 – 10
parking spots on the on both the North and South side
of Fell Street. The original proposal, presented during
the NOPNA general meeting early this year, would have
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likely removed around 30 spots but feedback from the
complement the recently reduced speed limit along Fell
community led the SFMTA to pursue a plan that reduced
which was introduced earlier this year.
the impact to parking.
NOPNA and the SFMTA both have vowed to continue
Fell Street has been a high injury corridor for many years
and residents have long called for traffic calming measures.
monitoring pedestrian safety along the Fell corridor and to
respond with additional safety measures as needed. After
The danger became tragically obvious last October, when
choosing pedestrian safety as a priority for 2018, NOPNA
David Grinberg, a Mercy Manor resident, was struck and
formed the Vision Zero subcommittee in order to identify
killed at the intersection of Fell and Baker. The daylighting
and address this issue proactively. The SFMTA plans to
measures proposed by the SFMTA have proven to
implement the daylighting changes after completion of the
promote pedestrian safety by providing improved
current utility repairs, likely in the fourth quarter of 2018.
visibility of pedestrians at intersections. These changes
Julian Mackie has lived in the neighborhood for two years. When he isn’t
working, he’s focused on housing and pedestrian safety.
issue 3 : 2018 | 9
LARRY GRIFFIN, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST:
50 YEARS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Let’s go back in time for a moment, through the
recollection of Larry Griffin: Western Addition, 1962.
The booming jazz scene on Divisadero Street was in full
swing. To the west on McAllister Street, the block between
Central and Lyon alone was home to two grocery stores,
two laundromats, a barber shop, a scaffolding yard, two
funk/blues bars, and an auto body shop.
Larry was born in San Francisco and his grandparents
bought a place for the family on McAllister Street near
Lyon in 1962 when he was eight years old. Fast forward 52
years — after a couple brief stints in other San Francisco
neighborhoods over the years — Larry is back in the
building he grew up in. He is a well-known friendly face in
NOPA and a visible, active member of the San Francisco
Photo: Larry Griffin.
community.
Larry’s deep involvement in the community stems from
his politically and socially active upbringing. Larry’s father,
Herman Griffin, started a police community relations
program for Western Addition neighbors back in the
1970s. Herman and his wife, Estelle Klein, were also one of
the first interracial couples to be married in San Francisco
after the California law banning interracial marriages was
rescinded on January 1, 1949. Larry’s parents were open
about the hostility they faced, but countered adversity with
unwavering service to the community.
Herman also volunteered coaching youth basketball at
the Booker T. Washington Community Center when Larry
was a kid. Now, Larry serves as the President of the Board
for that same organization, which provides a broad range
of programs for children. Additionally, Larry has been
involved in local politics since 1975 and has since served in
a number of roles with the city government. In addition to
the four organizations in which he’s currently involved, he
also works as a Compliance Officer enforcing labor laws.
“I’m trying to make people’s lives better; that’s what I’m
doing at City Hall, trying to recover stolen wages,” said
Larry. “I couldn’t sit back and do nothing.”
While Larry participates in the city community at large, he’s
also an inspiration for our smaller community of NOPA.
Larry’s the neighbor who makes your day a little brighter
with a simple hello when you pass on the street; the
neighbor who walks into a local establishment and makes
a point to get to know and joke around with the servers;
and the neighbor who brings a smile to your face with
his gentle spirit and kind demeanor. His words serve as a
reminder that we each must strive to positively impact our
community and city, lest we all sit back and do nothing.
Meg Rahner is a Pennsylvania native who has lived in NOPA since she moved
to San Francisco in 2010. She works for a public relations agency downtown and
recently joined the NOPNA board.
10 | NOPNANews
MICRO HISTORY
NOPA TROLLEY
PHOTO: McAllister St. Car House 1948, looking NE from Fulton and
Masonic. Western Neighborhoods Project - wnp27.3834
San Francisco’s earliest public transportation was a hodge-
podge of privately owned street railway companies. In
1857, Thomas Hayes, who owned a tract that included
NOPA, plus a great deal more land, received the franchise
to operate the city’s first street railway. By 1868 Hayes
had sold his franchise to the Market Street Railway, which
extended the horse-drawn railway coach service to Hayes
and Divisadero and McAllister and Laguna streets.
According to a June 7, 1948 Chronicle article, the trolley
was a leisurely way to travel. When a car slipped off the
track, passengers disembarked to help lift it back on.
Conductors waited for regulars to finish breakfast and
helped drunks to their front doors.
Cable cars replaced horses on the Hayes and McAllister
lines between 1883 and 1885. Then, after the 1906
earthquake, electric trolleys succeeded the cable
cars, although their unsightly overhead wires were
controversial. In 1944, the Market Street Railway (owned
by the Southern Pacific Railroad robber barons) merged
with the city-owned Municipal Railway. Muni made the
switch to the electric buses that still run today on Hayes
and Fulton/McAllister streets in 1946.
Linda Ackerman leads free City Guides tours of NOPA. For the next
tour see http://sfcityguides.org/current_schedule.html.
issue 3 : 2018 | 11
ANNOUNCING:
THE NOPNA YOUTH ADVOCACY BOARD
I've lived in the neighborhood all 17 years of my life and
from NOPNA board (i.e., separate meetings and
I’ve decided I wanted to give back by being a more active
events) although we are often assisted and directed by
member of my community and forming the NOPNA Youth
experienced NOPNA board members. We are always
Advocacy Board. The NOPNA Youth Advocacy Board is
seeking membership from any members of the youth
a collective of youth members of the NOPA community
community, ages 13 to 19. We meet once a month and
who are eager to serve a larger role in improving the
we are preparing to have multiple teen/youth community
neighborhood and connecting with others.
events over the course of the year. For example, we are
organizing a “teen night” that will bring young members
The goals of the Youth Advocacy Board are: to provide
of the community together.
insight into the youth perspective of the issues and events
in the neighborhood; to connect members of the youth
If you are a young person interested in getting involved
community with one another; to create a strong body of
with the NOPNA Youth Advocacy Board, or a parent who
volunteers to assist throughout the neighborhood; and
would like to hear about the high school experience and
finally, to serve as a resource for parents with information
college preparation, please contact Trevor Higgins at
about anything from high school experiences to college
preparation.
The Youth Advocacy Board operates independently
Trevor Higgins is 17 years old and had lived in the neighborhood all his
life. He is beginning his senior year at Lowell High School.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOPNA GENERAL MEETING
Oasis Cafe • 901 Divisadero
Thursday, Sept 20th, 2018 - 7pm
Thursday, Nov 15th, 2018 - 7pm
SUNDAY STREETS AND SIDEWALK SALE - Sept 9th
WESTERN ADDITION
HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY - Oct 31st
NOPNA HOLIDAY PARTY - stay tuned for details!
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