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
With his signature inches-high slicked back pompadour (like a cool modern-day cassowary bird), classic angular, black-rimmed Wayfarer glasses, punk rock high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers and vibrantly colored tattoos peeking out from cuffed pants and rolled up sleeves, Clam Lynch is one such person.
Muni bus service is slowly rolling away from the disaster of a recent pandemic and, judging by the information shared at a Jan. 18 meeting at the Richmond Recreation Center, all eyes now look toward its near and distant future.
The blade sign on the venerable Alexandria Theatre – a fixture on Geary Boulevard and 18th Avenue for nearly a century – was damaged to the point that the property owners had to have it taken down.
Free concerts: Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids 50th Anniversary at the Presidio Theatre, Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18, at 8 p.m.
During the same period of time, five victims were found murdered in the Ocean Beach/Golden Gate Park area. As a result of a new investigation, it is believed that Warren Andrews may be the sixth victim of the “Doodler.” On April 27, 1975, Andrews was a victim of an assault at Lands End. Andrews was found unconscious and never regained consciousness dying several weeks later. All six victims are believed to be gay Caucasian males.
Despite a recent court order banning them, city workers swept homeless settlements during some of the worst weather in recent San Francisco history. At the time, Mayor London Breed was out of town, first in Napa partying with wealthy political donors before jetting off to Las Vegas to watch a 49ers game in a private box on the 50-yard line.
A pretext stop is when an officer stops a person for a low-level violation, but uses the stop as an excuse to detain and search the person, looking for evidence of a more serious offense. Multiple studies, including a recent analysis of data by the San Francisco Chronicle, show that pretext stops disproportionately effect people of color.
“Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles,” made in 1975 and written and directed by Chantel Ackerman “has become required viewing for informed cineastes, after topping the most recent Sight and Sound poll of the greatest movies of all time,” according to Mick LaSalle, film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle’s (Sunday Datebook, Jan. 8, 2023).
The Richmond District single-family median home prices finally took a dip after rising 10 years in a row, with prices declining by 8.9% and the number of sales by 9.3% in 2022. But these numbers do not tell the whole story as the market was a tale of two halves.
On Jan. 3 and 4, a series of bank robberies occurred in the City of San Francisco. In each incident, the suspect was reported to enter the bank, approach an employee, and demand money. One incident occurred in the Richmond District.
Ben Davis, who is responsible for bringing us the Bay Lights, is looking for more money. $11 million is needed to keep the lights on and he’s out there trying to raise it. Davis and his organization, Illuminate, put lights up all over the place, especially in Golden Gate Park.
It’s not well known but during the early 20th century dozens of neighborhoods were planned with picturesque streets, landscaping, detached houses and setbacks to convey the feeling of living in a park – rare in San Francisco.
Photos of the gates and gardens of the Richmond District, by David Romano.
Photos of the results of flooding on Crossover Drive and Park Presidio Bypass on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.
Recent police activity in the Richmond District.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 