-
NOPNANews
nopna.org A Publication of the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
Winter 2020
SILENT & STATELY
Before the shutdown, I used to drive by rows of
Victorians, hardly noticing them. Since the shutdown,
THEY STAND
After a bit of research, I found that the literature
doesn’t always agree about the names or dates for
though, I’ve been walking the neighborhood like so many
the styles, but I was able to combine a few sources to
other NOPA residents and slowing down has helped me
develop a consolidated, simplified list: Gothic Revival
to see these silent, stately beauties with fresh eyes.
(1830–1860), Italianate (1840–1870), Second Empire
I realized that NOPA has far more Victorians than I had
(1850–1880), Stick (1860–1890), and Queen Anne (1875–
imagined and while I am not an expert in architecture of
1910). To further complicate things, some of these
any kind, I was inspired to learn more and to write about
styles can be broken down into substyles (Italianate, for
my exciting discoveries!
So, what is a Victorian? This seemingly simple question
is more complicated than I initially thought. If you say
“Victorian house in San Francisco,” most people conjure
example, includes Flat Front, Slant-Front Bays, and the
Freestanding Villa) and when you go hunting, you will
ind many houses of all Victorian styles were built outside
their “official” time frames.
up an image of the Painted Ladies on Steiner Street, facing
With a list of styles and classification characteristics in
Alamo Square. However, that style is “Queen Anne,” only
one of the six or more styles referred to as “Victorian.”
hand, I sallied out to confirm how the houses around me fit
the descriptions. Before long, I was a bit discombobulated.
(continued on page 4)
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2 | NOPNANews
FROM THE BOARD
WHAT A YEAR.
Neighbors -
Though not without some silver linings, this year has presented challenges
and hardships at a scale that is unprecedented in many of our lifetimes.
In the face of all this year has thrown at us, our community has shown who
it is in its response. Neighbors have organized to help support local businesses;
we’ve found (or rediscovered) the value of parks and new Slow Streets for
getting some fresh air or visiting with friends (at a safe distance); and we’ve
made mask-wearing and social-distancing a norm — without becoming distant
socially. We’ve seen local eateries survive temporary closures and re-open
outdoor seating to an eager group of diners, while local retailers reshape their
businesses through walk-up windows.
The NOPNA Board has created new outlets for our neighborhood to express
its community spirit. Events like Hopscotch Your Block and the Halloween
Decorating contest helped provide reminders of the steady optimism, gritty
resolve, and irrepressible whimsy of our neighbors — even when we couldn’t
gather in person.
As 2021 approaches, we want to continue to find creative, safe, engaging
ways to foster this community spirit. We need your help. If you are interested
in getting more involved with NOPNA, there are many ways which can scale
to your availability. It can be as small as volunteering for a “paper route” for
the NOPNA News or as large as helping to organize events or joining the
NOPNA Board. We want the work of NOPNA to reflect the best attributes
of this eclectic, vibrant community — the only way it will is if you help put
your own mark on it.
The neighborhood we live in is the neighborhood we build. If you’d
like to help us build community in NOPA, please send an email today
to board@nopna.org.
We hope to see you all in person soon.
Jason Cauthen is a San Francisco native who has lived in the
neighborhood for ten years with his wife and two kids. He has been on the
NOPNA Board and served as Editor of the NOPNA News for four years.
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 IN CHIEF
Jason Cauthen
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Emeline Minor
COPY EDITORS
Nathan Lovejoy
Myrtis Mixon
Erika Alexander
LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
Brenda Drake Lesch
BUSINESS OUTREACH/ADVERTISING
Carmen Chan
PHOTOGRAPHY
Joseph Wilinski
DISTRIBUTION
Will Valentine
PRINTING
Image Printing, San Francisco
NOPNA’s Mission: The purpose of
this association shall be to estab-
lish neighborhood unity, maintain
multi-ethnic and multi-cultural
diversity, foster a sense of neigh-
borhood pride, promote a safe and
clean community, and improve the
quality of life for all residents of
the neighborhood.
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 sup-
ports this site.
Make a difference on our streets and
become a member today!
Contact NOPNA
issue 3 : 2020 | 3
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOPNA General Meeting [NOPNA.org]
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Check www.nopna.org for 2021 dates
Farmers Market
DMV Parking Lot - Broderick@Fell
Sundays - 10am-2pm
Stay tuned for updates on other events in 2021 - follow us
on facebook, Instagram, twitter, or sign up for our mailing list
at www.nopna.org.
VOLUNTEER
FOR NOPNA NEWS
NOPNA News is a volunteer-
driven publication created by
and for our neighbors. If you’d
like to get involved we’d love for
you to be a part of it - whether by
contributing your skills, your voice,
or your time.
There are several areas where
we are always looking for more
support.
LAYOUT AND DESIGN - if you
have InDesign skills (or would like
to learn), we can always use help
pulling together each issue. Our
designers are responsible for the
clean, professional, and stylish look
and feel of each issue.
COPY EDITING - if you are good
with words, have an eye for detail,
and like early sneak peaks we’d
love your help with the process of
getting the articles from submis-
sion to print.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR - iif you are
interested in helping to identify
and select articles, recruit and
engage with writers and photog-
raphers, and learn more about the
process of publication,I am looking
for someone who’s interested in
helping edit the paper.
WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY,
OR DELIVERY - we can always use
more folks interested in
writing articles, taking pictures, or
delivering the news. Time com-
mitment is minimal and very flexi-
ble, and you will see the impact of
your work in real life.
If any of these are interesting to
you, or if you have other ideas
for how you would like to be
involved, I’d love to hear from you
at jason@nopna.org.
4 | NOPNANews
SILENT & STATELY THEY STAND (continued from page 1)
Most houses did not fit neatly into the described
and had no trees on the street. If you have not feasted your
characteristics. Our city must have been home to a
eyes on that block, go there today!
number of creative architects, carpenters, and contractors,
additionally, renovations over the course of time have often
changed details of the styles.
One of the best parts of writing this piece is that I’ve had
an excuse to talk to people on the street, without letting
masks and a six-feet mandate separate me from people.
Let’s start with the earliest style: Gothic Revival. To create
One person I particularly enjoyed meeting was Brian
a benchmark, I had to go a few blocks east of NOPA to the
Huntley, an artist and carpenter who has been restoring
Westerfield House (1889) at the corner of Scott and Fulton.
Victorians for more than 20 years. He was working on a
It is widely acclaimed as the super grand-daddy of Gothic
particularly delicious Queen Anne on the 700 block of
Revival Victorians (or, depending on your perspective,
Broderick described above and his excitement about his
perhaps she is the grand-dame). I am still hunting for
work on our city’s treasures is inspiring.
other examples of Gothic Revival homes in the 30-block
radius of NoPA. If you’re aware of any, please email me at
This is just a taste — “un petit gout” as my Cajun ancestors
would say — of what I am discovering about beautiful
Victorians in our own neighborhood. I hope this whets your
Down the hill, on Broderick between Fulton and McAllister,
appetite to make acquaintance with these amazing ladies
is a street rich with Queen Annes and is where I take
who surround you. Stay tuned for more styles and sites to
visiting friends to see some of the most extraordinary
check out in future editions of NOPNA News!
Victorians in San Francisco. These two rows of homes
would be the city’s most famous if they were on a square
Myrtis Mixon is a long-time NOPA resident with a passion for our glorious
local architecture.
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STRIDE, GLIDE, RIDE:
SLOW STREETS ARE SAFE AND WIDE
issue 3 : 2020 | 5
All it takes is some simple signage
that reads “no through traffic,”
accompanied by symbols of a
pedestrian and a bicycle to create a
wonderful concept in street design:
Slow Streets. They are a haven
for neighbors to play and stretch
their legs and a safe transportation
route for essential workers who
commute by foot or bike. According
to Director of the San Francisco
Municipal Transportation Agency,
Jeffrey Tumlin, Slow Streets is San
Francisco’s most “bang for our
buck” traffic engineering initiative
and also boasts some of the
highest approval ratings, with 86%
of on-street residents and 92%
of visitors in support. For many
residents and visitors, Slow Streets
whas been a silver lining during the
COVID-19 crisis.
NOPA is fortunate to have access
within our borders to a Slow Street
on Golden Gate Avenue. A bit
further afield is a Slow Street on
Page. Starting from our Panhandle,
we can string together a very long
“Slow Street” through Golden Gate
Park (continuously on JFK Drive,
Overlook Drive, Middle Drive,
and the western terminus of MLK
Drive) all the way down the Great
Highway.
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inscribes therapeutic messages in
appeared next to Slow Street barriers,
the asphalt. There are “tiny living
greening the streets.
rooms” set up on Golden Gate
Avenue, showing that
urban dwellers are
indeed using the
street for the public
good. Kids have
enhanced the
street with hand-
drawn messages:
one sign affixed to
a barricade reminds
Streets are a public good
and funded by taxes we
Neighbors
have come together
— while remaining
several feet apart —
to form some beautiful
community experiences
as a result of Slow
Streets.
all pay. It is refreshing
to see that the city
has widened its
perspective of who
belongs on streets
and what streets are
for. Next time you’re
craving a walk, leave
drivers to “please slow
down,” and another inscribed
Neighbors have come together
on the street in chalk implores us to
— while remaining several feet
“be excellent to each other.” Each is
apart — to form some beautiful
a reminder that wisdom accompanies
community experiences as a result
youth. Artists have created
of Slow Streets: There is a concert
cellist who performs on Page
installations on Slow Streets with
civic messages. Potted plants have
Street. A self-titled “Chalk Fairy”
your headphones at home
and check out a Slow Street. No
matter what good, clean fun is going
on in the street, you’ll be in for a treat.
Robin Kutner is the Corresponding Secretary
on the NOPNA Board. She is extremely con-
cerned about climate change and Vision Zero
street safety and she makes transportation mode
decisions accordingly.
6 | NOPNANews
NOPA SAN FRANCISCO NEIGHBORHOOD
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (NERT) UPDATE
The Neighborhood Emergency
children to go under a table and hold on if one is near,
Response Team (NERT) is a
and find an earthquake-safe location in every room of
disaster preparedness organization
your house or apartment.
sponsored by the San Francisco
Fire Department (SFFD).
NERT recently marked a number of
If you’d like to learn more, check out www.shakeout.
org/california/index.html or join one of NERT’s
free training programs to hone your emergency
significant milestones, including the celebration of NERT
preparedness skills. NERT offers both basic and
Day on October 17th — you may have noticed the green
advanced training throughout the year to those who
lights illuminating City Hall! It was on this day 30 years
live and work in San Francisco, and sessions are
ago, in the wake of the Loma Prieta earthquake, that San
taught in Spanish and Cantonese. In NERT’s 30-year
Francisco residents organized with the SFFD to improve
history, approximately 30,762 civilians have been
the city’s ability to prepare for and respond to disasters.
trained valuable skills to assist the San Francisco Fire
October also marked an occasion to practice our
Department after a major disaster by taking care of
themselves, their families, and their neighbors. For
earthquake readiness
skills with International
ShakeOut Day, an event
that has been conducted
on every third Thursday
of October, since
2009. The main goal of
The main goal of ShakeOut
Day is to get the world prepared
for earthquakes here in
the Bay Area.
more information on upcoming
training check the NERT
website, www.sfgov.org/sfnert.
NOPA’s NERT is currently
coordinated by Taran Ramage
and Nathan Karkoski. The
ShakeOut Day is to get the world prepared
team collaborates closely with the Cole Valley/
for earthquakes and here in the Bay Area, given our
Parnassus Heights NERT, coordinated by Jon Wurfl.
history, we should use ShakeOut Day as an opportunity
Our neighborhood leaders gather teams after a disaster
to learn what to do before, during, and after an
to survey our neighborhoods, provide information to
earthquake. Even during COVID, we should all know
the SFFD, conduct light search and rescue, medical
how to be quake ready!
The key theme of ShakeOut Day and the current
recommendation for the safest thing to do during an
earthquake is Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Remember
that the old practice of getting into a doorway or
running outside a building is no longer recommended.
Participants in ShakeOut Day practiced this drill, staying
in position for one minute or more, as if there were
a major earthquake occurring at that moment. It’s a
good idea to practice this drill at home too. Teach your
triage, and help transport victims to medical treatment
facilities. If you know or meet these folks, please thank
them for their service!
Follow us on Twitter:
@SFFDNERT or twitter.com/SFFDNERT
Follow us on Facebook:
People can sign up for the next NERT class:
sf-fire.org/index.aspx?page=879
Elisabeth Kvitashvili has lived with her husband in Nopa for 4 years having arrived from Washington DC upon her retirement from an international
career. A regular volunteer at the Botanical Garden in GGP, Elisabeth also volunteers, pre-COVID at the Senior Citizens Home at the corner of
Baker and Fell. She is a regular at Oasis Cafe and tries to stay away from Hahdough because she loves their cherry turnover and jam filled donuts!
issue 3 : 2020 | 7
LOCAL BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT
YAHYA AND WAFA OF JANNAH
In 2009, Yahya Salih
and his wife, Wafa,
rice, almonds, cinnamon, and ginger underneath
a pomegranate-rosemary sauce) and the baba
opened Jannah
and it quickly
became known
as a hidden
gem tucked
inconspicuously
on Fulton
Street. Jannah is
Yahya’s second
restaurant; in 1998
Yahya opened Yaya Cuisine (in SOMA) which earned
him attention for his culinary prowess. In the early 90s,
the SF Chronicle’s food critics rated Yahya one of the
top five chefs in the city and he received rave reviews
in national magazines like Travel and Leisure. NOPA
neighbors are certainly lucky to have Yahya and his
delightful blend of Mesopotamian and Californian
cuisine right down the street.
ganoush, a classic that’s been artfully transformed
into many variations: mama ghanoush (eggplant and
pomegranate), hudhud ganoush (turnip with date
syrup), and zuzu ganoush (carrot with tamarind).
A true family establishment, Jannah is run by not
only Yahya and Wafa, but also their three children —
two sons in their twenties and a teenage daughter
— who help with the restaurant where they can.
Before the pandemic broke out, the restaurant
had several employees. Now the family is working
closely together to keep the business afloat, relying
on takeout orders to get them through July. They
are extremely focused on safety, cleanliness, and
continuing to delight their customers with soul-
warming cuisine as we all navigate this pandemic
together. “We greatly appreciate and thank all
of the neighbors who have been helping and
ordering from the restaurant,” said Wafa. She thinks
Take it from me — I have lived in the neighborhood for
about other neighborhood establishments, asking
ten years and hadn’t tried Jannah until I had already
“please support as many small businesses and
been here a few years. “You have to try their falafel
pizza,” a neighbor enthusiastically told me. How could
I resist? The Safeehat falafel pizza is a flattened, baked
garbanzo patty topped with pesto, roasted eggplant,
mushrooms, tomatoes and feta —
and it’s well worth the hype. Other favorites include
the kuzi (phyllo dough filled with shredded lamb,
The Safeehat falafel pizza
is a flattened, baked garbanzo
patty topped with pesto,
roasted eggplant, mushrooms,
tomatoes and feta — and it’s
well worth the hype.
restaurants as you
can during this time.”
Jannah is open for outdoor
dining on its beautifful
and spacious back patio
on Tuesday-Sundays from
4-9 p.m at 1775 Fulton (at
Masonic), you can also call
for takeout at (415) 567-4400.
Gift carts are also available.
Meg Rahner has lived in NOPA for 10 years and currently serves as
the Vice President of the NOPNA board.
8 | NOPNANews
HALLOWEEN FUN!
Though we were all very sad when we realized we wouldn’t be able to
have our annual Halloween block party on Grove Street this year — it was
heartening to see people show their holiday spirit and put a little extra into
decorating their homes. Whether by carving elaborate pumpkins, stringing
fake cobwebs everywhere, or mounting
skeletons spookily crawling up the side of a
house, decorations were popping up all over
the neighborhood.
Kids and adults alike delighted in checking
out the creativity, ingenuity, and indomitable
holiday spirit displayed by our neighbors.
Neighbors also showed their spirit by
contributing photos of costumes to compete
in our annual costume contest! Hopefully
things return closer to normal over the next
several months, and we’ll be able to (safely)
see everyone again in their great costumes
at next year’s Halloween event!
Our virtual
Halloween
costume contest
winner, Harvey
Bennett, 2.
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issue 3 : 2020 | 9
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10 | NOPNANews
LOCAL BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT
ADAPTING TO REOPENING
they can build a
Nearby, Jannah will continue
parklet like
many other
their outdoor patio dining option.
Other businesses such as Central
businesses in the
Coffee Tea & Spice and Amiti’s
city have. Ivan
Cafe have no immediate plans for
explains that
indoor dining but will continue to
the brief indoor
operate through to-go windows.
dining reopening
was not easy:
the notification
came as a
surprise and
On September 30, 2020, San
did not provide them with any
Francisco reopened for indoor dining
time to prepare their partners and
requiring a limited capacity at 25
vendors. As with the earlier phase of
percent and compliance to guidelines
reopening, they will continue to learn
provided by the Department of Public
from mistakes and adapt accordingly.
Though no one can say when things
will return to “normal” or when indoor
dining will again be an option for San
Francisco restaurants, please continue
to do your part and be safe, wear a
mask, and keep supporting our local
businesses in whatever way you can.
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Health. This was a major milestone
for local businesses, even with limited
capacity and an experience that is at
times quite different to pre-pandemic
dining. Businesses have adapted to
the reopening phased approach since
June, with limited hours and social
distancing protocols (e.g., 6ft apart
lines, mask requirements, plexiglass
separations between counters and
customers); this new requirement is
one more consideration. Of course,
this brief window of indoor dining
has again closed as COVID-19 cases
are rising and our local businesses
have re-adapted their plans for this
dynamic reality.
Owner Ivan Hopkinson says Barrel
Head Brewhouse is continuing
to operate their to-go window
for food and drinks. They await an
SFMTA response for their request
to temporarily move the bus stop so
Carmen Chan sis a San Francisco native who has lived in NOPA for the past 8+ years. She is passionate
about neighborhood businesses and leads NOPNA’s outreach to our local merchants.
issue 2 : 2020 | 11
WELCOME CAPTAIN PEDRINI,
SF PARK STATION
A new Captain
recently arrived at
our neighborhood
Park Station.
Captain Pedrini is
a San Francisco
Bay Area native
who was raised in
a large family that
includes current
and retired law
enforcement
officers. After
earning a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State
University, he went on to complete a master’s
degree in security studies from the Naval
Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Since beginning his career in 1990, Pedrini
served in a few other Bay Area jurisdictions
before transferring to the SFPD in 1994. In San
Francisco he worked across several neighborhoods
(Tenderloin, Market, and Mission) and policing
functions (uniformed patrol, foot beat, plainclothes,
Investigation Crime Unit, homicide, and risk
management). In 2012 he was promoted to Captain
and worked in the Homeland Security Department
just prior to his current post at
Park Station.
Captain Pedrini’s top priority is reducing violent
crime. In this neighborhood, property crime is a
frequent problem, so he has also stepped up efforts
to prevent auto theft and garage break-ins. The
captain has increased the number of high-visibility
patrols in order to try to catch people in the act and
has also partnered with SAFE to educate neighbors
about steps they can take to deter crime (e.g.,
automatic lights or garage door locking systems).
To address the challenges of the unhoused, the
Park Station police are also working closely with
health street professional teams. Captain Pedrini
tells NOPNA News that Park Station officers do
engage with people who have set up tents, but
there is little they can do unless the person is
committing a crime.
With regard to Vision Zero — Park Station has
positioned traffic cars to focus on the areas in the
neighborhood for which they receive the most calls.
Captain Pedrini’s goal is to focus on enforcement
in those locations. The city has done a lot of work
behind the scenes to improve safety in these
corridors and Park Station assures NOPNA News
that they are there to support and enforce as much
as possible.
If neighbors are interested in getting on the email
list of the weekly Park Station newsletter, they can
email sfpdparkstation@sfgov.org. The newsletter
starts out with general safety awareness and advice
and recommendations and recognizes specific
officers for their exceptional performance. You can
also follow Park station on twitter
at @SFPDPark.
>>> The Park Police station covers the North Panhandle
neighborhood, Haight Ashbury, the Castro, and eastern
edge of Golden Gate Park areas and is located at 1899
Waller Street.
Leela Gill is married with two boys, is a NOPNA board member, and
has been active in safety and community organizing in the neighborhood
since 2000.
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