As August comes to an end, I hope everyone had a great and relaxing summer. School is back in session, so please remember to slow down while driving and be especially careful at crosswalks.
City Hall – Sandra Lee Fewer
San Francisco Richmond ReView
NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION
The Richmond District is located in the northwest corner of San Francisco, nestled in between Presidio National Park and the city’s Golden Gate Park. The neighborhood, which includes Sea Cliff and Laurel and Presidio Heights, is home to about 80,000 people. About half of Richmond residents are of Asian ancestry, primarily of Chinese and Korean descent. There is also a large Irish population and many recently arrived Russian immigrants.
Several vibrant commercial areas, including California Street, Clement Street and Geary Boulevard, serve the neighborhood. The 1,400 merchants and small offices in the Richmond District offer a wide range of goods and services.
Local landmarks include the Cliff House and the Beach Chalet at Ocean Beach, the V.A. Hospital at Fort Miley, University of San Francisco and numerous holy houses, including Temple Emanuel, St. John’s Orthodox Church and St. John’s Presbyterian Church. There are numerous attractions in Golden Gate Park, including an American Bison pen, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Strybing Arboretum, the oldest children’s playground west of the Mississippi River and a 9-hole golf course.
NEWSPAPER INFORMATION
Distribution by Neighborhood: Presidio and Masonic Avenues to the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park to the Presidio, Sea Cliff
Distribution by Zip Code: 94118 and 94121
Circulation: 25,000
Looking Back – GG Park’s Hidden History Treasure Quietly Turns 125
The Prayerbook Cross in Golden Gate Park is quietly celebrating its 125th birthday this year. The mostly hidden concrete cross is located in the heart of the park surrounded by trees, above Rainbow Falls alongside John F. Kennedy Drive, just east of the Crossover Drive overpass.
New Names Proposed for Julius Kahn Playground
Efforts to rename the Julius Kahn Playground on the southern edge of the Presidio have produced two contenders for the new name, but at least one person thinks there should be more input from local residents before a final decision is made.
School Board Reverses Course on Washington Murals
The San Francisco School Board’s abrupt change to its decision to cover some controversial murals with panels instead of paint has satisfied almost no one, but has also left opponents of the painting option scrambling to respond.
Letter to the Editor: A Native’s View of the Richmond District
The Richmond continues to hold onto its identity not out of nostalgia, like much of the rest of the city, but out of necessity.
Press Release: School Board Votes to Cover Washington H.S. Mural
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Board of Education voted to remove the “Life of Washington” mural from view by covering it without destroying it, amending its June 25 vote to paint over the mural unless doing so would result in undue delay.
School Board President Proposes Solution to GWHS Mural Dispute
“Life of Washington” mural could be preserved by covering it to make way for new, positive artwork
Richmond District Resident Releases a Collection of Short Fiction
Written in first-person narratives that move between both male and female voices, Gelade’s stories center around issues that are timely and relevant: desire, divorce, nostalgia for the past, and consolation, with several of the stories interfacing with another story in the collection.
Presidio Begins Milestone Watershed Restoration Project
In September, the Presidio Trust breaks ground on one of its most transformative environmental restoration projects to date—replacing seven acres of asphalt and highway construction debris adjacent to Crissy Field with beautiful new marshland.
Real Estate – John M. Lee
I have been asked this questions several times this past month: “Should I put more towards my monthly payment to pay off my mortgage earlier?” That is a great question and the answer depends on your personal financial picture.
Poison Proposed to Fight Rodent Infestation on the Farallon Islands
Part of the Richmond District is overrun with mice and the federal government has offered a plan to eliminate the rodent infestation by dumping more than a ton of grain laced with poison out of a helicopter on the rodents’ environment.
Police Blotter – Richmond District
Police activity in the Richmond District in July, 2019.
125 Years Ago: Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park
When visitors stroll around the Golden Gate Park Concourse, containing the de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, California Academy of Sciences and the Spreckels Temple of Music (better known as “the Bandshell”), they might be surprised to learn that all of it was once part of a Midwinter International Exposition 125 years ago.
City Hall – Sandra Lee Fewer
Richmond District updates from from SF Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer.
Car, Bicycle, Scooter Sharing Coming to the Richmond
Richmond District residents are going to have more transportation choices in the next few years, including car, bicycle, electric moped and scooter-sharing services. In a district with so many senior citizens this has some worried.
