Mission District

Finally, Valet Parking Arrives at the Mission's Veterinary Hospital

I noticed something curious the other day: the vet on corner of 18th and Alabama now provides valet parking services!  Which is great; next time Seamus gets a touch sick, I can just strap him to the roof of my station wagon and pay some guy in a vest to hopelessly circle the neighborhood until I'm done.

Groger's Western Store Selling Off Stock of Old Cowboy Boots

Groger's Western Store, the old horse barn across from Pi Bar that apparently used to sell clothes and what not to Texas expats, reopened this weekend to sell-off their leftover stock of ancient (read: vintage) footware.  As you can see, the building is in a disrepair of sorts, and the 'retail area' looked more like garage sale than an actual store.  But there you have it: the barn doors are wide open once again.

(Also, the woman manning the shoebox of money said the building is still up for rent, and they have a few different people interested in paying the $18k/month price to open up in there.  So look forward to something big happening soon.)

Guys, Flavor Flav is Homeless and Needs Our Help

I still can't believe: there I was walking down 22nd last night and Flavor Flav came up and asked me to “spare 31¢ for Muni.”  Poor guy is so broke that all he can afford is some weird alarm clock that isn't an iPhone.  Sadly, I don't carry change, so after turning down his simple request, he went on screaming semi-incoherently at his friend discussing politics.

Behold: Bender's New Donut Bacon Cheeseburger

Because there is no Wendy's within San Francisco city limits and thus no easy way for the citizenry to discretely murder themselves, Bender's has added this frightening thing to their menu: Donut Bacon Cheeseburger.  With tots.

I didn't personally sample the new fare, as my arteries were already clogged with a burrito, but my friend remarked it was “real fucking good” before sketching off to find a quite place to be gassy.

Anyway, it's only on the menu for a reportedly “limited time only,” so if you have been fiending for some digestive stupidity in the land of arugula and avocado, you best get over there soon.

Haus Coffee Laptop Thief Caught and Put on Display

UA tipster Mike was on the scene at Haus on 24th earlier today when a laptop theft victim caught the thief and reclaimed what was rightfully hers:

Check out the attached photo to see what expression a low level Mission thug makes while he's being held down by regular neighborhood folks on the sidewalk after stealing a laptop from Haus Coffee.  This chump made it about 5 feet before being tripped by the victim then pinned up against the car in the photo while everyone else on the sidewalk called the cops.  He was arrested a few minutes later and the DA will likely be looking at charges.  This all happened about 2:10 pm today.

I saw the whole thing go down as I was sitting right next to the table the laptop was on which was right next to the door.  Absolutely zero chance this knob is not the guy who did it.

We should note that there has been an uptick in these thefts lately, with (according to the Valencia Merchant's Association) criminals looting employee's personal belongings (and cash and merch) at Harrington's, Public Bikes, the gallery at 973 Valencia, BelJar, Serendipity, and Dema over the past few weeks.  Not necessarily related, but be sure to keep your head up.

What Happened to All the Brush Art in Clarion Alley?

Clarion Alley, July 2007.

What's up with Clarion Alley?  Up until recently, it remained one of the few alleys in the city dedicated to brush art (or, as older, crankier generations call it, “art”).  Sure, there were always a few graffiti pieces in the mix, but the focus was unmistakable—just look at how the place looked in the summer of 2007. But now, it seems like focus has inadvertently switched, with nearly every surface of alley covered in spray pant pieces, much of it less political, complex, or frankly interesting as what it covered up:

An email to a member of the Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) went unreturned, so there's no official word as to what's happening.  But someone familiar with the project says the transition is partly due to vandalism and partly a demise of the CAMP organization itself.  We're told that many of the core members of CAMP have moved away, and the ones that are left are unable to dedicate the time to maintain the alley adequately.  And because of this lack of maintenance, the organization has supposedly started offering up legitimate space to “prominent” local taggers, such as The Fog Bender, Euro, and Pez, hoping that it will deter them from further vandalizing the alley's murals, but the effort has failed.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not hear to say I dislike spray paint/graffiti/street art/tags/whatever (because I clearly enjoy it).  And I'm sure everyone understands the transitional, fluid nature of street art.  However, Clarion Alley was always an oasis of brush murals in a city of can, and it's a bummer to see that exceptionalism slipping.

[First photo by auweia]

Weird Muni Ad Tries to Understand Diagram Understanding of the Mission (Maybe?)

Some dumb iPhone case manufacturer figured out that graphs and the Mission are cool and thus plastered this bizarre piece of marketing all over Muni shelters.  I don't really get it, but local wit TK attempts to break it down:

So we have three groups of people represented here: (1) People who think “hipsters” (ugh) “rule the Mission” (ugh); (2) People who do not think hipsters rule the Mission; and (3) People who are just looking for the best taqueria. The overlapping areas between (1) and (2), (2) and (3), and (1) and (3) are not labelled. I guess the overlap between People who think hipsters rule the Mission and People who don't is “People who are aware of the existence of the Mission” or “People who believe there is an identifiable subgroup called 'hipsters' and that term still has some kind of meaning”. People who are just looking for the best taqueria, I don't know where you fit in. If you don't think hipsters rule the Mission and are just looking for the best taqueria, you're probably just a Normal Person or a Norteno or something.

Somehow, what all 3 groups have in common is that, apparently, they want or need or have a Speck thing. I'm not sure about this; the ad isn't really clear. Do you want a Speck now? I don't. Ad fail.

I still don't get it.

[40 going on 28]

The Armory Club, a New Bar From Kink.com, Opens Friday

They open for real next Tuesday, but you can catch a sneak peak this Friday for $15.

Here's how they're describing the new bar:

The Armory Club is a social escape from the normalcy of everyday life. A chic and edgy barroom invites you to wind down at the amber lit bar or melt into a vintage sofa for a long night of revelry and excess! Our talented bartenders offer a creative, handcrafted cocktail menu alongside award-winning local beers and an exciting wine list. Ultimately, The Armory Club is your San Francisco destination for all the best a bar should offer: thoughtful drinks, attentive service and comfortable design with the right amount of kink to make a night of it!

And what they have to say about the drinks:

Weekly cocktail menus marry small batch spirits with handcrafted ingredients to produce delicious and thoughtful drinks for your enjoyment.  House-made bitters, fresh squeezed juices, natural sweeteners, clear ice and a general abhorrence of prefab mixers are standards we apply to every drink.  Our beer menu combines small batch, local brews with imported selections that are well-loved examples of their specific styles.  Wine is not to be forgotten with a smart selection that leans towards crisp whites, softer reds and a bevy of bubbles.

Sounds fancy! (And what a departure from the old Ace Cafe…)

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