Being Green

Zipcar's Bold Stand On Bike Parking

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

When it was announced last month that Avis was buying Zipcar for half an Instagram, I couldn't help but (briefly) wonder what their contribution to the ride-sharing service would be.  Now we have a little bit of a hint: a nice, light sprinkling of “no bike parking” signage around the Mission!

While it instinctively seems 'pretty fucking dick' to be down on bikes in one of the most bike-friendly neighborhoods in a remarkably bike-friendly city, it does make pretty sound marketing sense.  After all, it's pretty rude to remind their customer's that their business will be obsolete once we run out of oil.  Or something.

[Photo by Zaius]

Mission Pawn's Signage Ripped Right Out of the Wall During Weekend Storm

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

In addition to all the flooding that deprived us of morning buns for 4 hours and forced us to wear “definitely not cute” boots until, like, noon, the supports of Mission Pawn's historic (?) signage were ripped right out of their brick wall and are now dangling over the street.

With damage like this, it's a miracle we all survived The Great #superfrankenstormageddonocalypse of 2012.

Recycled Denim Gardening

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

I'm not quite sure where these shit-filled jeans are (in fact, I don't want to know), but Ice Tubes has some thoughts on how who's behind these pant planters:

Steve’s been a cool guy to live with. He’s got a PlayStation 3 and better than decent DVD collection, but now he’s trying to grow tomatoes in old jeans on your front steps.

But it’s not a renters market, so you’re cool with it and who knows maybe Steve’s new project ends up on a blog or something.

Weird, for sure.  But I suppose this is probably a good way to keep gutter punks from shitting on your stoop. (I mean, would you go near those things? Even if you had a take a number two, like, real bad?)

SF's "First Environmental Justice Park" Headed for 17th and Folsom

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

We've been hearing about the plans to convert a dumb parking lot at 17th & Folsom into a luscious park for a few years now.  For a while, it didn't sound like it would happen, but all that opposition has been dealt with and plans are moving forward.  SF Examiner reports:

A 31,850-square-foot parking lot at the northwest corner 17th and Folsom streets will be ripped out and replaced with a park featuring native plants, a greenhouse, butterfly gardens, 50 fruit-bearing trees, an amphitheater, a grassy area, and an interactive exercise and play area. The park also will feature bilingual and trilingual signs telling the history of the indigenous people who once inhabited the area.

…“What stands out most to me is that the community wanted not just someplace to play, but someplace to learn,” said Sarah Dennis Phillips, a planner for the project. “It also includes a focus on sustainability, with a demonstration garden to demonstrate water conservation and offer native habitat.”

…“We are looking at this as The City’s first environmental justice park,” [Oscar Grande, a community organizer] added. “We can’t just focus on bettering the environment in our surrounding community. The focus is making this a community space where environmental justice can happen in a fun and educational way.”

Read on.

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Business Casual Giraffe

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Calm, cool and collected business casual giraffe has completed her interview skills workshop and is excited to speak with you about employment opportunities and how she may contribute to your team by reaching for the top shelf of the supply closet.

As seen on Valencia, next to some high-priced green restaurant.

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