-
NOPNANews
nopna.org A Publication of the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
Summer 2024
ATHLETE CAL CALAMIA
FINDS THE PANHANDLE A RUNNER’S PARADISE
Like me, you may love a good run in the park. If so, you
may not realize that you’re sharing those trails and roads
grow in major races, Cal founded the Non-Binary Running
After watching non-binary participation and recognition
by Jason Cauthen
with Cal Calamia, who’s not only an elite runner but also
Club (NBRC). “The world can transform if we just let each
a teacher, poet, and advocate for non-binary athletes.
other be who we are, and move forward with love.”
As a trans man raised in a midwest conservative
The club meets regularly to run in Golden Gate Park and
environment, Cal was excited to land in San Francisco
extends invitations to allies for some runs as well. Cal has
with Teach for America. He quickly fell in love with
continued to build community through this club – bringing
the diversity of perspectives and identities of the city,
together experienced runners with those just starting out,
and quickly found a home in the spoken word venues
and raising visibility and acceptance for the community.
in the Mission.
But that’s not all Cal’s up to – he recently completed
Competitive running has always been a part of his life.
his MFA at University of San Francisco and as part of
Three years ago Cal moved near the Panhandle and, in
a teaching fellowship, he’s now teaching an undergrad
his words, “in terms of running, there’s no better place
class on Creative Writing. When not running or teaching,
to live”. Cal’s participation in Bay to Breakers (B2B) was
you might catch Cal at Karma Cafe or Manitas writing.
where his running first combined with advocacy. In 2022,
When I asked Cal if he had any messages for neighbors,
B2B had a non-binary category for registration, but not
his only request was to “go outside, and say hi!”
for medals. Cal wanted to do more than “check the
If you’re interested in learning more about the
box” – he wanted to compete. He rallied a community
Non-Binary Running Club or Cal, check out his website:
that eventually prevailed on organizers to recognize non-
https://calcalamia.com/non-binary-run-club
binary athletes as a competitive category in 2022. Cal
won the division that year and won it again in 2023 and
2024. He has also competed and won the non-binary
divisions of the New York City and Chicago Marathons.
Jason is a San Francisco native who loves Bay to Breakers. He moved
to this neighborhood in 2011 with his wife and kids. When not working,
coaching his kids’ sports teams, or spending time with his family, Jason
enjoys brief excursions on his bike.
s
l
i
e
k
c
S
e
r
o
d
o
e
h
T
;
i
h
s
a
y
a
b
a
r
i
H
a
y
M
i
i
;
s
n
b
b
o
R
l
e
i
r
A
i
;
s
n
b
b
o
R
l
e
i
r
A
:
t
h
g
i
r
o
t
t
f
e
l
s
o
t
o
h
P
2 | NOPNANews
FROM THE BOARD
Welcome New
Board Members
The NOPNA Board recently welcomed three new members to its roster.
Sarah Cortez, Amanda Eaken, and Anna Selina have each demonstrated their
commitment to helping the community and bringing fresh ideas and energy
to the board. In their own words:
Sarah Cortez: I moved to NOPA in 2010 and I fall
more in love with our little corner of this magical
city every day! I’m looking forward to working on
neighborhood beautification projects and bringing
neighbors together through events and the creation
of third spaces. Around the neighborhood, I enjoy
lazing in the Panhandle, reading books in bars, and
eating…lots of eating.
Amanda Eaken: At a recent NOPNA meeting, the
Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT)
rep said something that helped me understand part
of why I’d been drawn to join the Board: “Connected
communities are resilient communities.” When
people know their neighbors they can help each
other out and they tend to bounce back more quickly
after a challenge. I like to know my neighbors and
I’m happy to contribute my time to help improve our
neighborhood – whether through sidewalk gardens
or more block parties. And yes I will take the NERT
training! You can find me sprinting down McAllister
to catch the 5 Fulton or walking my dog to the littles
meet up in the Panhandle.
Anna Selina: I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 10
years and recently joined the board to get more
involved with community building and events. I’m
a regular at trivia, neighborhood eateries, and can
often be found walking in the Panhandle.
Sarah Cortez
Amanda Eaken
Anna Selina
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, and
Divisadero and Fell Streets.
PUBLISHER
NOPNA Board of Directors
MANAGING EDITOR
Chrissy Loader
COPY EDITORS
Maria Diploudis, Bronwyn Dolan,
Robin Kutner, and Reggie Young
LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
Brenda Drake Lesch
BUSINESS OUTREACH / ADVERTISING
Caitlin Stanton
DISTRIBUTION
Will Valentine
PRINTING
Image Printing, San Francisco
2024 NOPNA BOARD
PRESIDENT Tim Hickey
VICE PRESIDENT Leela Gill
TREASURER Caitlin Stanton
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Robin Kutner
RECORDING SECRETARY Jeremy Besmer
BOARD MEMBERS
Martin Almaraz, Sarah Bashford,
Ryan Booth, Jason Cauthen, Sarah Cortez
Amanda Eaken, Chrissy Loader,
Meg Rahner, Anna Selina, Shakirah Simley
NOPNA is a non-profit organization
of neighbors who care about
the community, our city, and our
world. Our mission is to establish
neighborhood unity, maintain multi-
ethnic, 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 neighborhood.
Your financial support (Venmo
@nopnatreasurer) 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.
Make a difference on our streets
and become a member today!
Sign up for our
email newsletter!
Contact NOPNA
issue 3 : 2024 | 3
OAK STREET QUICK BUILD
CREATES CONNECTIONS AND
IMPROVES SAFETY
by Sean Burgess
Stanyan Street and Baker
Street) and JFK Drive (between
Kezar and Stanyan Street) and
provide a new connection
between Golden Gate Park’s
JFK Promenade and the popular
Wiggle bike route.”
The Wiggle serves as the
main route for cyclists between
major eastern and central
neighborhoods to major western
neighborhoods, including
NOPA. JFK Promenade extends
the bike network even farther into the
western half of the city. Like the Fell
Street project, The Oak Street project
will further alleviate crowding and
conflict between cyclists and pedestrians
along this vital connection by shifting
eastbound cyclists off of the Panhandle
multi-use path and onto a safe, physically
protected route along Oak Street that
complements Fell Street. Vehicle travel
lanes will be changed from four to three
and a parking-protected bike lane will be
installed.
Safety for all road users is at the
forefront of the project’s design. Oak
Street along the Panhandle falls along
SFMTA’s “Vision Zero High Injury
Network,” which comprises just 12% of
city streets but accounts for more than
70% of severe and fatal traffic injuries.
In general, when designing streets with
safety in mind, special care must be given
to intersections, where paths for people
walking and cycling meet with paths for
people driving. As such, the designs for
the Oak Street Quick Build Project have
paid close attention to the intersections
along the route. For example, conflict
between left turning vehicles and
pedestrians at Oak and Masonic will
be alleviated by providing a dedicated
signal for cyclists and pedestrians.
When completed, Oak Street along
the Panhandle will be safer for all road
users.
It’s important to note that this is
a SFMTA’s Vision Zero Quick-Build
Program project, not a capital project.
For quick-build projects, costs are
kept low, improvements are easily
adjustable, and traffic data are collected
and reviewed within 24 months.
Accordingly, the need to minimize
capital expenditure will place limits on
the project. The long-term goal is to use
Quick-Build Program projects to study
changing travel patterns around the
project areas and to install permanent
infrastructure that improves upon any
shortcomings found in the Quick-Build
versions.
The team from SFMTA will have a
booth set up in the Panhandle this
summer (the exact date is still to be
determined) where you can provide
feedback on the proposal. The project
implementation is planned to begin
late 2024.
LEARN
MORE
Sean has lived in San Francisco for the last five
years, and spent much of his childhood in and
around the city. Moving back to San Francisco
was, in part, motivated by a desire to reduce
his dependence on cars. Now with a two-year-
old child and a second on the way, pushing for
a city where his kids can travel independently
and safely serves as a guiding light.
When you hear the words “road diet”,
what comes to mind? A smaller street?
A healthier street? An improved street?
In practice, a “road diet” typically means
converting some of the roadway space
for private motor vehicles into space
for other modes of transportation with
the goal of making streets safer and
healthier for all.
Back in 2020, with pandemic-induced
social distancing along the Panhandle
in mind, the North of the Panhandle
Neighborhood Association (NOPNA)
worked with the San Francisco Municipal
Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to give
Fell Street a “road diet”, reducing the
number of vehicle travel lanes from
four to three, and installing a parking-
protected bike lane with the newly
available space. The result was shifting
bicyclists off of the narrow Panhandle
multi-use path – creating a calmer
pedestrian experience in the park – yet
there was negligible change to vehicle
travel times along the corridor.
Now it’s Oak Street’s turn. According
to the SFMTA website, the Oak Street
Quick Build Project “aims to improve
safety and access for people walking
and bicycling on Oak Street (between
4 | NOPNANews
NOW AND THEN: NOPA’S
ARCHITECTURAL EVEOLUTION
by Martin Almaraz
One of the many delights of living
in San Francisco is exploring its rich
history and distinctive architecture.
I often find myself craning my neck
to admire the buildings of NOPA,
wondering about their backstories:
Who lived within those walls? How old
is this building? How much have they
transformed over time?
NOPA’s architecture holds a particular
allure, in part because the Great Fire of
1906 largely missed our little enclave,
leaving our homes nearly untouched
and unchanged. Recently, curiosity led
me to the San Francisco Public Library’s
History Center to research my own
home on McAllister Street. There, I
discovered a treasure-trove of vintage
photographs offering glimpses into the
lives of those who came before us, and
the homes we now inhabit.
What’s immediately evident from
these images is the varied trajectory
of NOPA’s architectural evolution.
While some buildings have undergone
dramatic changes over time – for
instance, the stucco’d exteriors, the
“rock” that decorates the “church of
rock” on the corner of Golden Gate
Avenue and Lyon, the additions of
garages to pre-automobile Victorian
and Edwardian buildings – others have
remained largely unchanged and serve
as landmarks to our rich history.
Take, for instance, the corner of
Baker and Fulton Streets, home to our
beloved Bob’s Donuts. As the above
1920’s photograph shows, the building
remains almost unchanged – save for
a few turret windows that have been
covered up above Bob’s.
On the other hand, not everything
has been untouched by time. Take
601 Baker. Over the years, this spot
and the buildings located there have
changed drastically. Baker between
Fell and Oak used to be home to
one of a few coliseums that survived
the 1906 earthquake and fire. This
coliseum served as a skating rink (from
1902 to 1907) and then a multi-use
auditorium until 1922 when, due to lack
of public interest, it was abandoned
and demolished by the city. Today, it
serves as San Francisco’s one-and-only
Department of Motor Vehicles and its
parking lot is home to NOPA’s weekly
Farmer’s Market. The space is currently a
candidate for a 100% affordable housing
and community project. In my opinion,
this is a major callback to its original use
from over 100 years ago!
It’s rare to see how your neighborhood
looked a few decades ago, let alone
over 100 years ago! This photograph
is an amazing glimpse into NOPA’s
past. In 1896, NOPA was only about
half developed – with a few blocks
completely barren or with only a single
house on a street. If you were to peer
from the top of Buena Vista Park
today, you may see a few – or several
– differences between how NOPA
issue 3 : 2024 | 5
Picturesque San
Francisco as seen
from NOPA
Landlord & Leasing Agent,
A Winning Combo.
looks today and how it looked then. It’s
interesting to see which buildings were
first to be built on their block and which
ones have been replaced by modern
apartment complexes. Can you spot
the Brahma Kumaris building in this
“Picturesque San Francisco as seen
from NOPA” photo of San Francisco?
During the 1970’s, San Francisco began
a phase of rapid redevelopment and
our district, the Western Addition, was
almost entirely bulldozed in the name
of “Urban Renewal”. At that time the
fad was to make buildings look more
“modern” by removing the ornate
detailing from building facades.
If you walk around NOPA, you’ll see
many such examples. This was not the
case for 1377 Fulton Street – in fact, the
turret on the building at its northwest
corner was added during urban renewal,
giving the building a pleasantly quaint feel
in the wake of aggressive modernization.
I haven’t lived in NOPA all that long
– only four years, a blip on the calendar
for many of our neighbors. But during
my short tenure, I’ve seen NOPA change
drastically. From my old apartment at
Oasis Cafe burning to the ground, to
the addition of Slow Streets
on Lyon and at Golden Gate,
NOPA and San Francisco are
always changing. If you have
an interesting story to tell or
live in one of our beautiful,
ornate homes and would like
to share, be sure to reach
out. I’d love to hear your
story and how it contributes
to NOPA’s rich history.
Having over 25 rental units of her own, Jackie brings first-hand experience as
a landlord to all of our Rentals In S.F. clients.
Every day, our team endeavors to find qualified tenants for our clients.
With an expert understanding of the ever changing San Francisco rental market,
we have made it our priority to fill your vacant unit quickly, effortlessly,
at market rent and with your ideal tenant!
Martin is an advocate for Vision
Zero, a member of the SF Bike
Coalition, and a regular to various
NOPA coffee shops. On any
given day, you might find him
running in the Panhandle, biking
around Ocean Beach, or taking
pictures of the beautiful neigh-
borhood Victorians and plum
blossoms.
With just one phone call, Jackie will come over to access your needs,
appraise your unit, and do all the marketing, prospecting and screening.
We then present you with a qualified tenant ready to move in.
Call Jackie at Rentals In S.F. to fill your vacancy. It will be one of the best
calls you’ll ever make. Just ask all our clients!
Former SFAA winner
* Leasing Agent of the Year
* Landlord of the Year
6 | NOPNANews
SIDEWALK GARDENS: ADD
GREENERY TO NOPA AND
MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS
Spring and summer are beautiful
times to be out and about in
our neighborhood. Whether
of the house and feel more connected
to the outside world. Neighbors would
stop by to say hello while walking their
dogs or heading to pick up food. It was
a wonderful way to meet people while
being socially distant.
you’re heading to the farmers market,
waiting in line at Early to Rise, or
chasing your kids scootering around
the block, we have a lot to love about
our walkable part of the city.
I’ve lived in NOPA for three and a half
years, but I grew up in rural England
where neighbors were few but green
fields (and cows) were abundant. One
of the things I like most about living in a
city now is the sense of community we
can create with people of all types just
because we live next to them.
When I moved to NOPA during the
pandemic, it was a strange time for
us all. It was hard to get to know the
neighbors because we were sheltering
in place and many restaurants and
shops were closed. My family and I
started sitting out on our front steps on
the weekend mornings just to be out
While we’re lucky to have some trees
on our block, our view still felt relatively
“gray” to me – I’m used to rolling green
fields and wildlife, after all! A block away,
our neighbors have a beautiful and
lush sidewalk garden that makes their
sidewalk welcoming and colorful. So I
decided to create a sidewalk garden
outside our home.
Although we hired a local company to
remove the concrete, I added the soil,
plants, and mulch. It was a lot of manual
work but very much worth it. One of
the best parts was how many people
stopped by while I was shoveling or
raking and introduced themselves. I met
more neighbors during those few days
than I had in the prior year.
by Sarah Bashford
The plot’s ongoing care doesn’t take
much time or effort, but I still meet
so many people when I’m weeding or
pruning. The garden is regularly visited
by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
as well. Occasionally, I’ll see a passerby
stop to take a photo of some flowers.
It feels great that we’ve added a little
beauty to other people’s lives.
I highly recommend creating a
sidewalk garden if you can. It can be
low maintenance and you can share
the labor together with folks on your
block. You’ll need to get a permit
from the city, but you can also share
those costs with folks on your block
who are interested. You can find useful
Sidewalk Before from Grove Street
Mulching in progress
Gardens in April
issue 3 : 2024 | 7
information on sidewalk gardens,
including how to get a permit, at
sfpublicworks.org/services/permits/
sidewalk-landscaping.
UPCOMING EVENTS
A few volunteers from the North
August 15 — NOPNA General Meeting
September 22 — Sunday Streets Western Addition
October 17 — NOPNA General Meeting
October 20 — Phoenix Day
October TBD — Alamo Scare
October 31 — NOPA Halloween Extravaganza
November TBD — NOPNA General Meeting
December 12 — Holiday Party
RECURRING EVENTS:
NOPNA General Meetings — Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center,
401 Baker Street, 7:30 p.m., 3rd Thursday of even months
SFPD Park Station Community Meeting — 1899 Waller St, 7 p.m.,
2nd Tuesday of every month
Divisadero Farmers Market — DMV Parking Lot, Broderick at Fell,
Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram at “nopna.org”,
or X at “nopna”, and get details and updates by signing up for
emails at www.nopna.org!
of the Panhandle Neighborhood
Association (NOPNA) Board and
neighbors are raising money to help
more people create sidewalk gardens
in our neighborhood. We hope to
partner with Friends of the Urban
Forest (FUF) so that concrete removal,
soil preparation, and planting doesn’t
fall entirely on the homeowner. FUF
regularly seeks volunteers to help
with this work (which is another
great way to meet people) and they
manage projects for multiple areas at
once.
You can find out more about
FUF’s work and sign up to be
considered for a sidewalk garden at
www.friendsoftheurbanforest.org/
sidewalkgardens. Unfortunately, FUF
doesn’t currently have funding to help
NOPA residents, but you can change
that! To help our NOPA fundraising
efforts, use the QR code below or
go to our NOPNA page
news/2024/5/22/beautify-
nopa-with-more-sidewalk-
gardens!
Sarah has lived in San Francisco
since 2001 and moved to the
NOPA neighborhood with her
husband, two boys, and dog in
2021. She loves creating com-
munity by getting to know her
neighbors and working together
to improve the neighborhood.
She can usually be found in her
garage with an old piece of furni-
ture and power tools.
8 | NOPNANews
MARCH PRIMARIES:
HOW DID NOPA VOTE? by Tim Hickey
U.S. SENATE
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
LEE
NOPA
PORTER
SCHIFF
GARVEY
SF
CA
Primaries are typically a quieter,
lower turnout event, and this year was
no exception. The people who live in
NOPA still vote at a higher percentage,
with 52% of NOPA neighbors heading
to the polls (versus 46% turnout in the
city overall). But this is still much lower
than the 89% turnout for the 2020
presidential election.
So how did NOPA vote this time
around? By reviewing Department of
Elections data (https://www.sf.gov/
departments/department-elections),
we can provide insight into how our
neighborhood feels about different
issues.
Why does this data matter? The
North of the Panhandle Neighborhood
Association (NOPNA) board uses this
information when determining how to
best represent our community. We aren’t
a dues-paying, membership-based
organization where a select few vote
on issues affecting the neighborhood.
Rather, we forego dues and endeavor
to make decisions that best reflect the
wishes of all residents – considering
every neighbor a member. So this voting
information is essential for the board to
help us set our goals.
Looking at the votes for presidential
candidates, President Joe Biden
garnered 2,431 votes – or 66% of the
overall vote, which is higher than the
overall San Francisco vote of 61%.
Incidentally, former President Donald
Trump garnered 70 votes, which
represented 2% of the neighborhood
vote.
For the United States Senate seat,
we really seem to like our East Bay
representative. Congressperson Barbara
Lee of Oakland didn’t advance to the
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
NOPA
SF
CA
BIDEN
TRUMP
November elections, but she hit a
home run in NOPA with 1,135 votes,
or 32% of the vote. That’s higher than
Representative Katie Porter, who had
31% of votes. It’s also higher than the
NOPA votes for the two candidates that
will advance – Representative Adam
Schiff and retired baseball player and
infomercial salesperson Steve Garvey,
who had 28% and 4% of the NOPA vote,
respectively.
In the state senate race, Scott Weiner
garnered 84% of our votes, 10 percent
higher than the city overall.
NOPA has two California State
Assembly representatives, as we’re
split with Assembly Districts (AD) 17
and 19. For the AD17 race, incumbent
Assemblymember Matt Haney
dominated the field with 87% of the
NOPA vote, which was 5% higher than
the city-wide vote. The AD19 position is
open after Assemblymember Phil Ting
terms out (after doing a phenomenal
job legislating housing and traffic safety
improvements) and District 2 Supervisor
Catherine Stefani came out as the clear
leader for the position with 64% of
by Tim Hickey
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
ASSY 17
Haney (D)
Norris/Barrera (R)
NOPA
SF
ASSY 19
Stephani (D)
Lee (R)
NOPA
SF
PROPS & MEASURES
PROP 1 Mental
Health Facilities - Yes
MEASURE A Affordable
Housing - Yes
MEASURE E
Expanded Police
Screening - Yes
MEASURE F
Homeless Drug
Screening - Yes
NOPA
SF
CA
Tim is the NOPNA Board President for 2024 and can be found walking and biking with his family
or trying to activate or beautify the Lyon and Golden Gate Slow Streets.
issue 3 : 2024 | 9
NOPA support, 5% higher than the
overall San Francisco vote.
But what about the issues? We had
a state proposition and many local
measures that were heavily debated.
Don’t worry, we’ve got those numbers,
too.
PROP 1 – the state measure to fund
mental health treatment facilities –
received tremendous support with
83% voting “yes”, surpassing San
Francisco’s overall vote of 73% and
California’s pitiable (but still passing)
50.19% vote. There were seven
local measures, but the three most
discussed were:
• Measure A – Affordable housing
bond Measure A required 2/3 support
to pass and San Franciscans came
through with 70%. In NOPA, we voted
84% in favor, 14 percent higher than
the general population. It’s almost as
if we vote like we care about people.
• Measure E – The expanded police
powers measure passed citywide
with 54%, but the people of NOPA
disagreed with 58% of the voters
saying nay to the proposed measure.
• Measure F – Drug screening
requirements for public assistance
passed citywide with 58% support,
but failed in our community with 52%
opposing the measure.
When viewed over time, our
neighborhood consistently votes
more progressively than the city by
10% or more.
Don’t forget to register to vote
for the November election – the
last day to register is Election Day!
Why do they let people wait that
long? Because we have an awesome
Department of Elections that wants
to make sure every eligible voter has
a voice!
10 | NOPNANews
RARE DEVICE OWNER
HOPES TO FIND A BUYER
TO “CONTINUE THE LEGACY”
by Chrissy Loader
businesses – I’m talking about the
Rare Device plant store that used to
be on Fell and Divisadero – and she’s
expanded her family. Giselle is looking
for a change again. “I’m ready to do
new things!” Giselle recently shared.
“I love Rare Device and all that I’ve
gained from owning this business, and
I’m excited to explore my next phase.”
Ideally, Giselle will pass the baton
to a new owner. “Rare Device is
a successful business with a solid
revenue stream, tested over the
years,” Giselle said. “It’s also a
beloved brand and store and I think
someone who’s passionate about
the same things that we stand for will
business.
“It was originally located on Market
want to continue its legacy for years
Rare Device is one shop that’s
hard to describe. Is it a gift shop, a
place to find housewares, or is it a
Street and Guerrero,” Giselle shared.
to come.”
gallery? Over the years, it’s become
“But I knew I wanted to move us
With its location so close to Alamo
a staple shopping destination in the
to a neighborhood where we’d be
Square Park, great shopping, fun
neighborhood, and a gathering place
rooted in a community with lots of
food destinations, and easy public
for neighbors a unique business that
vibrant people and activity around
transportation, it’s a highly desirable
reflects all NOPA has to offer.
us.” So Giselle brought Rare Device
spot. “We have so many regulars
But things are about to change:
to its current location in NOPA. “I felt
owner Giselle Gyalzen recently
lucky to land in this corner space on
announced she’s looking to sell Rare
Divisadero and Hayes.”
Device and make some moves of
Over the years, Rare Device
her own. This won’t be the first time
has become a cornerstone of our
Rare Device has experienced a bit of
community. “We felt welcome the
a shake up. For one, it hasn’t always
moment we arrived, by both the
had the same owner or location. In
merchants and the neighbors who
2005, then-owner Rena Tom opened
live here,” Giselle said. “We’ve relied
its doors in Brooklyn, New York.
on the support and love of this
In 2007, Rena – together with her
community for so many years!”
business partner, artist and designer
Lisa Congden – brought Rare Device
It’s also been a ton of work over the
years. During this time, Giselle grew
to SF, and in 2011, Giselle bought the
her business, ventured out into other
by Chrissy Loader
issue 3 : 2024 | 11
merchants through the years.”
”Rare Device has hosted everything
Giselle said she’s hoping to find a
from So Far Sounds music events to
buyer who’s “excited to continue and
gallery openings.
build on the success of this business
“It’s always been about providing
and everything we’ve established.”
a place for artists and makers to
And while she said she’s “excited for
showcase their work,” Giselle shared.
the next owners to infuse their own
“I was committed to that cause.” This
voice and vision and grow Rare Device
is the sort of place every community
in amazing ways” she also hopes
would want.
they’ll “support artists and makers
Here’s to hoping someone
and continue being active members
purchases this special shop, and
of the community.”
decides to ensure Rare Device
On a personal level, Rare Device
continues to bring art and community
has been my go-to gift shop and the
together in our little corner of San
perfect place to stop in for everything
Francisco for many years to come!
from music to art, and I truly
appreciate how they’ve “strived to
be a gathering place” over the years
– a place for the “community to be
inspired by each other and the space.
Chrissy has lived in NOPA since 2005 and she’s
a big fan of all Rare Device has to offer – from
its beautiful aesthetic to its wonderful staff.
Her dog also appreciates the welcoming water
bowl parked outside its front door.
who’ve shopped with us over the
years,” Giselle shared. “We’ve
gotten to know amazing artists who
live nearby. We’ve seen people get
married, adopt dogs, have kids, and
so on. We’ve also felt the support of
– and we’ve supported – our fellow
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Respect the neighborhood, be part of the community
Your Custom Text Here