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
Ever since I wrote about the mortgage interest rates going up from 3% to 4.5% a couple of months ago and how that translates to the amount of real estate a buyer can purchase, I have been getting many questions on how that looks now that the interest rate is around 6.5 to 7%.
Your readers may be interested in a lecture about San Francisco’s Residence Parks on Nov. 30, 2022, 4:30 p.m. in the Department of Art + Architecture, University of San Francisco, Maraschi Room, Fromm Hall, 2130 Fulton St. Free to the public.
I really enjoy talking with readers of the Richmond Review and look forward to meeting new people at the event. Unfortunately, I needed to cancel the October meeting. I caught COVID!
Recent police activity in the Richmond District.
The two homes and the gas station on the corner of Second Avenue and Balboa Street have all been demolished for apartment buildings. In 1951, the basement of 26 Balboa St., center, housed the Helene Hardin Theatrical Talent Agency.
Cartoon by Paul Kilduff.
A lot of issues on the ballot are being driven by political ideologues and organizations that have a narrow point of view. There is betrayal, the violation of ethical and moral standards, public giveaways and poison pills.
With the cost of living increasing month after month, it’s hard to see relief in sight. And for many San Franciscans who rent or even own their homes, the possibility of falling behind on a monthly rent or mortgage payment means they could lose their housing.
America’s participation in World War I spurred the creation of memorials not just honoring a hometown’s fallen soldiers, but a memorial could be dedicated to deceased members of a connected organization.
JFK Promenade and The Great Walkway, less than three miles, are two places where pedestrians, cyclists, runners, people who are blind, people who use wheelchairs, children, and pets can feel safe and breathe in clean air.
Things to do and things to know in the Richmond and Sunset districts in November, 2022.
After reading the October issues of the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers and seeing multiple columnists sharing their voting recommendations that seem to skew to the right, I asked the editor if I could submit a progressive’s point of view of the issues. Thankfully, he was open to sharing my perspective.
It has been observed: “How do you know when a politician is lying?” The answer is: “When he (or she) opens his (or her) mouth!”
The four-weekend-long San Francisco Open Studios (SFOS), presented by ArtSpan, is celebrating its 48th year with a welcomed return to in-person showcases after a couple of years of SFOS events were truncated due to the pandemic. The final weekend, Nov. 12-13, will be centered in the Richmond District with more than a dozen artists participating, each with a unique approach to creating and presenting their art to the public with no buffers.
In June, Proposition A, the Muni Reliability and Street Safety Bond, lost by just one and a half percentage points. As former San Francisco District 1 Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer wrote in these pages back in July, it was a “wake up call” for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). I agree with her. Moments like this are a good time to reflect on and adjust our approach.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 