San Francisco restaurants started serving customers at outdoor tables on June 15 after three months of being restricted to take-out and delivery to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
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
San Francisco restaurants started serving customers at outdoor tables on June 15 after three months of being restricted to take-out and delivery to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
A main attraction of the Richmond District since it opened in 1896, the Sutro Baths was already in decline when this Kodachrome slide was taken circa 1957.
Last fall, I shared that CalTrans had plans to repave the west side’s major arterial road, California State Route 1, designated as 19th Avenue in the Sunset and Park Presidio Boulevard in the Richmond.
Beautiful weather helped bring out a big crowd for the inaugural Outer Sunset Farmers Market at 37th Avenue between Pacheco and Ortega streets on July 5, 2020..
Police activity in the Richmond District in June, 2020.
When the SIP started, sellers withdrew their listings from the market in droves, buyers had to shelter-in-place and real estate activity nosedived.
June has been a busy month with many events happening nationally and locally, some of historic proportions. We are experiencing a sea change, a renewed commitment to civil rights and human rights and an examination of the laws and institutions we depend on to ensure them.
When America faced healthcare challenges during the Civil War, Starr King rallied Californians to pitch in. In 1862, King made fundraising speeches and raised more than $1 million on behalf of the United States Sanitary Commission canvassing California and the whole Northwestern coast up to Vancouver Island …
Community efforts by two different organizations based in the Richmond District have shown that COVID-19 cannot and will not stop the human spirit from finding solidarity and a way to support those most vulnerable during this time of social isolation.
Roberta Mindich-Fink and Jesse Fink remember so many people who have come through the doors of Toy Boat Dessert Cafe, at the corner of Clement Street and Fifth Avenue, that it is hard to recall all of them at once.
Within a matter of months, the new community organization SOAR set up a Facebook page and a website, signed up nearly 300 members and held a couple of D1 supervisor candidate forums on Zoom.
While businesses in the Richmond District are facing tremendous challenges due to the shutdown to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, there are also glimmers of hope.
In light of the latest CDC recommendation to wear masks, and the requirement for San Francisco residents to wear masks in public, teens Michelle Song and Dalya Deuss founded Masks For All CA (MFACA) to provide free handmade face masks for all who need them most.
I encourage you to visit sf.gov/coronavirus and onerichmondsf.com for up-to-date info and ways to get involved, from doing phone check-ins or grocery shopping for isolated seniors, or volunteering for the food bank.
Addressing climate change and conserving biodiversity go hand-in-hand. Our ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change while retaining important ecosystem services, such as pollination, will depend on our ability to protect biodiversity.