The Newfillmore
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NEW NEIGHBORS BODY & SOUL BOOKS Dumplings & Buns Th e yogis have A local author and a sleek boutique taken up dance tells a local story PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 8 THE NEW FILLMORE SANSAN FRANCISCO FRANCISCO ■ SEPTEMBER■ APRIL 2010 2011 A Mural, a Billboard or Graffi ti? At Fillmore and Geary, it’s all of the above By Kellie Ell once vibrant mural on the south side of the Boom Boom Room at Fillmore and Geary is now covered Ain gold, hot pink and white spray paint and other graffi ti. Looming above, the next-door National Dollar store has painted its name and a parade of products it sells — soda, crackers, ketchup, sugar and toilet bowl cleaner — all intermixed with graffi ti. Alexander Andreas, owner of the Boom Boom Room, says the mural depict- ing jazz musicians on his building went undamaged for six years. But now it is “totally tagged,” he says, and vandals have also etched graffi ti into the glass walls and top of the new designer bus shelter and smashed its back wall. Andreas blames the rise in vandalism on the recent repositioning of the 38-Geary bus shelter. Before it was at the curb. Now it is backed up against the wall of the Boom Boom Room, providing shelter for taggers to deface property out of sight. “It’s absurd,” he says. “Th e city did a disservice. Th e move has triggered an onslaught of graffi ti hitting my mural.” ERIK ANDERSON A spokesman for the Municipal Trans- portation Agency says the shelter was moved to provide the sidewalk access required for the disabled. TO PAGE 3 X Back to the Future At 2500 Steiner, a modern garden loses out to tradition By Demi Bowles Lathrop Th en, in 2006, star landscaper Topher Delaney — who bills herself as a creator of “dynamic physical installations” — was t the crest of Steiner and Jackson Streets rises a commissioned to design a new garden. Her creation was radi- 12-story cooperative apartment building — each fl oor cally diff erent: 19 angular steel planters ranging from 30 inches a full fl at — designed in 1927 in the Mediterranean to four feet in height that marched in both directions from the AGothic Revival style by prominent San Francisco architect corner, each carefully calibrated to compensate for the slope of Conrad Meussdorff er. Crowned with a penthouse at the top the street so that every tree was planted at a uniform height. and a maisonette with a separate entrance on the ground level, Th e modern makeover became a subject of considerable CHARLES GONZALEZ the apartments overlook their neighbor, Alta Plaza Park, and discussion among the residents of 2500 Steiner. Earlier this off er sweeping views in all directions. year, they decided they’d had enough. Th e modern garden was THE PAINTER A small garden surrounds 2500 Steiner, running north toward removed and traditional evergreen trees that mimic the original & THE POLITICIAN the bay along Steiner Street, then around the corner down Jack- planting returned. son. To fi x the building to its site, a simple, traditional garden of “It was fun while it lasted,” says Michael Lazarus, president Matt Gonzalez and Theophilus Brown small trees and evergreen shrubs was installed when the tower of the building’s board of directors, “but it didn’t match the fi nd a mutual interest in collage TO PAGE 11 X was built, and it remained unchanged for nearly 80 years. architecture of the building.” PAGE 12 LETTERS NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS STERLING SILVER JEWELRY imported directly from Mexico & OTHER ADORNMENTS Whatever Happened to Sharon? Hours: fter 17 to look ahead and have to climb up there again,” he says. “My Thurs – Tues Noon – 6pm Sunday Noon – 5pm years on make some changes job is to clean it up or I get fi ned by the Wednesday Closed Fillmore in my life. city.” AStreet, I decided in My only regret Andreas says he has tried to collaborate 1904 Fillmore Street near Bush December 2010 to is that I did not with his neighbor on a more attractive 415-771-4446 | www.hihosilver.com take a six month get the chance to mural that would cover both walls, to no leave of absence share this informa- avail. [email protected] from Wells Fargo tion with all of the Th e owner of the dollar store says he Bank to spend time wonderful custom- is working with Melonie Green of Infi n8 out of the city with ers, merchants and Sync, a production company and art space my parents, who other fabulous peo- The Boom in the Fillmore, to fi nd the right artist to Boom Room’s are now in their ple I met on Fill- paint a bigger mural. mural and the 80s. Th is decision more Street. Boy, National Dollar Green says something as simple as came up pretty did those 17 years store’s parade lettering saying “Th e Fillmore” could be quickly, leaving me fl y by! of products enough to deter vandalism — and promote not much time to You have not have both been the neighborhood as well. Some murals cre- let customers or seen my face in the overtaken by ated as a way to deter graffi ti have worked, graffi ti since a even some fellow neighborhood since new bus shelter she says, but others have not. employees know Sharon Quilici spent 17 years in the I left because I’ve was installed. Green says some taggers don’t under- Don’t throw anything away what was going Wells Fargo branch on Fillmore. been out of the city stand the unwritten rules that say street – there is no away on. most of the time, but artists shouldn’t touch murals. During my leave I have been spend- I do expect to come by and visit soon. I Law enforcement offi cials are also ing the majority of the time with my miss walking up and down Fillmore rec- equivocal. Offi cer Martin Ferreira, of the parents and their new little puppy, ognizing and greeting so many familiar police department’s graffi ti abatement Lucilu, who I love very much. She is faces. Th e years I spent on Fillmore hold Art, Commerce, Th uggery Collide on Geary program, says he has noticed a decrease in adorable and follows me everywhere a special place in my heart because of vandalism on walls with murals. He admits, I go. My brother and sisters and their all the people I met, the friends I made X FROM PAGE ONE “It looks like a lot of noise at that cor- from the city directing him to clean up the however, that it’s hit and miss. children also live near Mom and Dad, and the support I got from the Fillmore Th e owner of the National Dollar store, ner,” Andreas says of what he calls the dol- side of his building or risk a fi ne. According “No matter how beautiful a piece of so I am getting to spend more time with community. who would give his name only as Freddy, lar store’s “cheap-o job” of depicting the to a 2004 graffi ti removal measure, property artwork may appear, if it’s unwanted, it can WOMEN’S CLOTHES • ACCESSORIES • ARTWORK them, too. I look forward to cruising the street says graffi ti has been “a really big problem” commercial products it sells. “Th e mural owners and landlords are required to clean cause people a lot of stress,” he says. Graf- During these months I have realized visiting with people in their places of in the fi ve years since he opened at 1633 looks so tacky. I don’t think they care about up graffi ti within 30 days or face a penalty fi ti is most eff ectively deterred, he says, by New & Consigned how much time I spent working and business and — oh yes — not having to Fillmore. He says vandals have repeatedly the beautifi cation of the Fillmore.” of up to $500. Th ose charged must remedy proper lighting, surveillance cameras and Exclusive home of DiaDia jewelry how much I have missed out with my discuss any banking needs. Th ank you climbed on the roof of the Boom Boom Noisy or not, apparently it’s legal. the problem or pay the city to do it. foot traffi c. friends and family, so in June I decided all again for 17 years that I will never Room to tag his wall, so he had it partially According to the city’s billboard ordinance, Th e dollar store owner says he has One success story — at least so far — Tuesday - Sunday Open at 11 to retire from Wells Fargo after 31 forget. painted with diff erent products he sells. murals and advertisements are allowed on repeatedly repainted the south wall of his is nearby at Les Croissants Cafe, located Closed Mondays years. It was a diffi cult decision, but I Sharon Quilici “Murals are beautiful works of art, and a store if the featured items are sold on the building, only to have it “graffi tied again behind the Boom Boom Room at 1840 told myself not to look back, but rather [email protected] people appreciate that,” he says. premises, according to John Purvis of the and again and again” by people climb- Geary. Owner Tommy Ly says his eatery 792 Arguello Blvd (next to Velo Rouge café at McAllister) But art is in the eye of the beholder, and San Francisco Planning Department.