The Red, the White, and the Blues.

The whiskey burns going down, as Karl poured Jack and I another round.

We exchanged stories in the empty pub as I shook with the thought the come 2:00 a.m. the uncomfortable bar stools at Murphy’s will no longer be for my use and until sunrise my only safe haven will be the alleys and doorways that are speckled with the steam of warm bodies pouring into the Financial District streets.

The California sunset paints a Technicolor dream to the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge each evening in San Francisco. Here, the skyline can be seen for miles all around, with the speckled canopy of lights that glow high above the bay. From chic designer boutiques and swanky jazz clubs, fifty stories up; to a round-the-clock nightlife and more restaurants than meals in a lifetime; San Francisco has it all.

San Francisco’s Financial District has been dubbed “Wall Street of the West” and as Northern California quickly becomes the seat of the technological revolution following Apple, Google and Facebook, the wealth continues to pour in.

Truly a spectacle, the term “working 9 to 5” is far less of a joke in the Financial District, and each weeknight with the sunset comes the mass exodus to the suburbs and San Francisco becomes a ghost town. Just blocks from Union Square, it is not uncommon to hear the sad music from an untraceable saxophone slowly drift through the air, as if carried by the fog. But all is not still.

The deepest bowels of the Financial District are the first stakes to be claimed. Camps are set up from door-to-door, down entire streets, filling alley ways, and seeping out from behind dumpsters. San Francisco’s poor and destitute claim the downtown area nightly, before 9:00 p.m.

 When the lights have all turned dim downtown, and those with a home have long gone to it, the city changes into a face that is hardly recognizable.

When I chose the Financial District as my beat, I really chose it because I work in Union Square, and the Financial District is just a short walk away. There I expected stories of wealth, business ventures, interesting people living out of extravagance, high above the bay. And they were there, all of them in their glory, but this was not the Financial District I was allowed to see. This Financial District cast me out, denied me entry, ignored all of my advances, and from the lofts high above the bay where they all reside, looked down on me.

So I changed my game plan. I ditched the idea of what I thought my work in the Financial District was going to be, and instead of looking for people to ask, I looked for people who would tell. I sought out the others, like me, who had been turned away, cast out, and ignored by the seat of West Coast wealth.

Jack is scarred by his tour in Vietnam. He has a few war stories, all with no beginning, nor end, but are instead a glimpse of memories Jack was able to keep after his return and the following seventeen year heroin addiction that left him in poverty and poor health.

I used to bring Jack a sandwich every night. I have given him jackets, art supplies, cigarettes, and even a few bucks from time to time. But everyday, without fail, if I saw Jack, I brought him a sandwich. His favorite was the whole wheat BLT, partly because it was soft, and Jack only had a few teeth so that made sense.

When Jack left the service, he came back to The States with a developing heroin addiction, PTSD, and only 8 and a half fingers, give or take a knuckle.

When Jack tells me about his life, especially things that happened after he returned from Vietnam, the stories don’t really have a beginning, an end, or really even a premise. They are, for the most part, just blips and blurbs; broken pieces of memories that he has held onto. Piecing the story together based on information Jack gives me becomes my job, as is the puzzle of journalism.

Things looked up for Jack after, with a little help, he was able to subside his addiction to heroin. “I always figured,” he said, reminiscing about his redemption, “if I could go out every night to find a hit, then I could go out every night and find a piece of chocolate instead.” And so he did, and as Jack explains.

The last few times I’ve seen Jack, he is making a toy. He always offers to give them to me, but I always tell him I want him to perfect them first and that he can’t give me his old ones, because he has to use them to make his inventions better. He has offered to give me everything from candy, cigarettes, a beer, a sweatshirt, a pair of boxing gloves and a place to sleep for the night. I never intend on taking anything from him, but he often insists, so I oblige.

This has largely been my experience of being in, and reporting from the Financial District. In a city famous for its wealth disparity, the Financial District and Union Square show the violent opposition between the extremely wealthy and those living in extreme poverty. No where else in the city, or in most of the U.S. is this sharp contrast so easily seen. From my first moments on the scene, it was obviously the theme of this neighborhood, and everything I had written from then on portrayed that, largely at no fault of my own.

Young girl.. panhandling for mom.

Cindy and Chris Smith moved to San Francisco from Riverside, and being from Riverside myself, this commonality gave me a connection with them, much like how I had with Jack. To this day I still see either Chris, Cindy, or both of them regularly.

I spent most of a night with them once when I was leaving Murphy’s pub very late, and saw them on my way home. I sat and had a cigarette and a beer with Chris, but Cindy seemed very much in pain. I asked Chris what was wrong, and that’s when I learned of Cindy’s congestive heart failure, and Chris told me about how he had to buy her medication illegally in the Tenderloin every night with the money they scrounged together panhandling that day. Of course, Chris still found a few bucks to buy a beer and a pack of cigarettes pretty regularly, so I knew his priorities weren’t always straight, but that never came as much of a surprise, despite my belief that somewhere in him, behind the addiction, the lying, and the jail tattoos, was a good person. I still choose to believe that.

That night I walked with Chris for a few hours, around the city, just talking. It was amazing to me, to see that when I was in circumstances where if I was alone, I surely would have been jumped, robbed, or both, but having Chris with me, and using his street smarts kept me safe, at least in a few occasions.

That night he told me about how at one point Cindy was a teacher in Los Angeles, after they got married in Las Vegas. Chris went to jail for a few years before getting out on parole. Chris did not really want to talk about the things that happened between the time he got out of jail and he and Cindy wound up on the streets of San Francisco, but my best guess was that the combination of his addiction and her health issues led to a downward spiral and somehow they wound up here.

Things are looking better for them too. Cindy has begun to receive SSI checks from the government because of her health condition, which amount to about $1300 a month. The Cable Car Hotel on California and Larkin, an SRO hotel, has agreed to take them in and they have big plans of slowly getting off the streets and getting their lives together again.

While in the Financial District, I am exposed to the same old cliché: wealth is not equivalent to happiness. And I can say that part of the time that is definitely true. I have seen happier faces on Jack when he makes a toy that whistles, or on Cindy when I have coffee with her in the morning, or on Chris when he shaves and gets a new pair of shoes and  moves towards getting his life back together. I have seen happier faces in dark alleys than I see at the coffee shops early in the morning, or the cafés during lunch time because those smiles are forced and artificial. When someone who has nothing and suffers every day, finds the strength to pull a smile; that is true joy.

When I spent the night with Jack, or the night with Cindy and Chris, I was scared, but I always had that option of going back home in my head. In the back of my mind I always knew that there was a safe place open to me at all times.

At the latest parts of the night, it’s not hard to believe stories of robberies, like I saw during writing my crime story. Incidents like Chris getting robbed after getting his teeth kicked in become all the more real when shady figures lurk around every corner. The echo of schizophrenic screams bellows through the buildings. Closer to Market Street, once an hour there seems to be some sort of confrontation that lasts about fifteen minutes.

More south on Market, past Powell, is where the drug dealers hang out. Interestingly though, they don’t usually walk all the way up to the Financial District. Because of this it seems, that the people who choose to live in the Financial District, rather than the Mission, Hunters Point, or the Tenderloin, tend to be older, or have severe mental or physical health problems that leave them vulnerable. Although the Financial District may be safer than other places in San Francisco with high concentrations of homelessness, it doesn’t make the stories heard here any less sad.

Stories of homelessness cannot be told without considering addiction. But where most people fail to understand is when they attribute homelessness and addiction to personal choice. The rationale is that someone has to make a personal choice at some point to take a drink, or a hit, and therefore their addiction is a personal choice, and that’s what makes them homeless. The reality of the situation is that no one chooses to be homeless, the fact is no one is given a choice.

And as the early morning sun begins to shine a light on only the highest building tops, the streets at the bottom of the concrete canyons slowly become awake and begin to pulse with movement and noise. The desolation of those in need is pushed to the curbs, to hold out an open hat and beg at the mercy of the much more fortunate. The sound of taxis, busses, cars and cellphones sing in a cappella as the sidewalks slowly fill with the smell of freshly brewed Starbucks and nine-to-fivers, and slowly empty the lost souls of a broken city back into the darkness where most of us never care to look. San Francisco’s Financial district has awoken.

It’s been a semester.

As the last week of the journalism 300 class draws to a close, I can’t help but think back on the beginning of the semester–namely the stress I felt and anxiety about reporting.

I came into this course and into the Castro with absolutely no clue as to what I was doing and a bit nervous. However, I’ve learned so much, including how to manage my reporting skills, and I learned a few little quirks about the neighborhood.

To be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about the Castro, beyond what I had been told. What people told me definitely didn’t live up to what I found out on my own. Yes, the neighborhood is primarily male, but it’s essentially just like any other one in San Francisco, complete with its own sense of community, little things that make it unique, and a personality all its own.

Now that the semester is over, I can’t wait to go into the neighborhood to explore it and enjoy without having to constantly be on the lookout for news.

The reporting class has been a learning experience for me on so many levels. I’ve learned to work past my anxiety with approaching people and how to plan accordingly to meet a deadline (alternately, how to effectively do everything last minute and succeed.) This class has also helped to direct me on choosing the path I’d like to take with journalism–magazine, here I come. Overall, I’m happy that I took this course and stuck it out.

Until next time,

Dani Hutton

Until Next Time…

Final Blog: Until Next Time by Elizabeth Orozco

 

The South of Market district is home to people from all walks of life, the homeless, the affluent and everyone in between. Market Street is literally a marketplace although dominated by the retail industry with a season of independent vendors, live music and entertainment which happens practically on every corner. People sell beaded jewelry, knitted character beanies, artwork, and sometimes flowers – selling goods is its trademark.

I can say I have gained a lot from my experience in exploring the district and getting to know all about the politics concerning the area.The top priorities of the district is public housing, safety and transportation, which I hope with the cooperation of city officials that it all progresses. It was really interesting to figure out that the area is victim to gentrification or for instance that the SRO’s that line Sixth Street is the hub for the disenfranchised members of society. Quite frankly, I didn’t know what to expect out of the neighborhood at first I was overwhelmed by the attractions.

This neighborhood is under great development and I can’t wait to see what it will become 10 to 15 years from now.  Home to the Giants (soon to welcome the Warriors), galleries, night clubs, museums and theatres, the South of Market presents great opportunities for a night out on the town.

Each day in the neighborhood was so different and some might dismiss it and say “Well, it’s San Francisco,” but I can’t mix it up with just another cliché. There’s more to it than the upscale shops and restaurants. Thousands of people gather within the downtown area every day and I think it is what makes SoMA so special– the huge crowds of different people.

I’ve wondered how many pair of eyes I’ve had eye contact with or where are all these people walking to in a hurry with coffee’s in hand especially during the afternoon rush when the construction is heavy and it leaves a ringing in your ears.

As the muni buses, taxis and trolleys make their way in and out of the busy downtown streets you can’t help but get the feeling of “go wherever your heart desires.” I loved walking everywhere and taking pictures of the happenings or whatever I found interesting because there is so much to see, here, or in any district of San Francisco and that’s what’s so enchanting.

Taking this course proved to me just how important it is to step from behind the camera and that it’s ok to step out of your comfort zone. Approaching people with authority and confidence was one of my early struggles, but I’m glad that was over with quick.  After all the late nights, deadlines and stress– I would do it all over again.

Best,

Elizabeth Orozco

Final Post

By Madison Rutherford

“It will become like a part-time job.”

“It will consume your life.”

“It is the boot camp of the journalism program.”

These were just some of the things I heard about Reporting. I had also heard that, if you took it seriously, it would be one of the most rewarding classes of your college career. I can honestly say that all of the above are true.

I also have to admit that I was extremely intimidated when I read through the syllabus. I remember thinking, this class is totally going to chew me up and spit me out, and stressing out about talking to strangers on the street and how I was going to be able to devote so much time to one class. It definitely took awhile, but once I got the hang of everything, I really started to enjoy the class.

I chose a neighborhood that I honestly knew nothing about. Before this class, I had never even stepped foot in Noe Valley. I’m really glad I made this decision, because I got to learn about a new place within a city that I was so convinced I knew like the back of my hand. Each time I went to Noe Valley to report was like an adventure. I discovered new places, talked to new people, and over time, I started to build connections with the residents and establish my favorite go-to spots. I also gained more confidence  as a reporter and really feel like I found my own style as a journalist.

I can’t say it was easy, but it was definitely rewarding. If this class was meant to determine if we are really in the right major, I’m more sure than ever. This class served as a great foundation to help me prepare for my career as a journalist and although I am a little anxious, I’m also incredibly excited and inspired.

Behind the Windows of Noe Valley

The suspended shelf in Global Exchange’s window

A feeling of creativity, warmth, culture and community emanates from 24^th Street in Noe Valley, and it is visible in the many shops that line this lively thoroughfare. Although each shop offers something unique, nearly every store shares something in common: an ornate and eye-catching window display. Trendy boutiques with mannequins poised in bright outfits are mixed among various specialty, jewelry and housewares stores that offer a diverse twist to the whimsical, contemporary appearance of the neighborhood.

Paola Heines, along with her brother Alessandro Bifulco, own Xela Imports, a store that is filled from floor to ceiling with exotic trinkets from all over the world.  Besides displaying various pieces of turquoise, amber and silver jewelry and striking dresses and scarves with exotic patterns in her window, she also includes statues of different deities from across the globe. Hanging from the ceiling is a large dream catcher with an intricate pattern weaved among beads and feathers. To the left of that is a long strand of rosary beads. She always keeps the religious statues, dream catcher and rosary in her window because she believes they bring good luck to her business, as well as certain charms and statues because they remind her of her home in Italy. Other than that, she is constantly changing and perfecting the display, adding new things multiple times a week.

“It depends on my mood sometimes,” she said. “I like bright colors and pieces that are striking.”

She says the merchandise in her store is “kind of unusual”, at least compared to some of the other trendy, up-to-the-minute stores in the neighborhood, and she likes her window to reflect that (no pun intended).

“I don’t like empty space,” she said. There is certainly very little of that in her window, piquing the curiosity of passerby into perusing the myriad of unique trinkets that Xela Imports has to offer.

The window display at Xela Imports

Sway’s circus-themed window

Nicole Dobarro contributes to the window displays at Sway, a local boutique that sells trendy, contemporary clothing and accessories. When she changes the window display, she considers what will draw in customers but also tries to stay “ahead of the curve” and attempts to make the display different than the rest of the windows in the neighborhood.  She tries to keep it diverse, incorporating different styles every time. Sway often uses props to convey a different theme. Today it’s a circus theme; red striped pennant flags drape across the window behind the mannequins and vintage circus-style popcorn bags adorn the windowpane. Dobarro’s favorite past display was last Fall, in which dream catchers of various sizes hung in the window. They generally change the clothing in the window every week.

“We try to keep it new and fresh,” she said. “It’s an ongoing process.”

Global Exchange, a fair trade store on 24^th and Noe , has a creative display in which they suspend a small wooden shelf from the ceiling and hang jewelry from each individual ledge. Jocelyn Boreta, who designs the window displays, says it was a painstaking process to set up, but well worth it. She changes the displays once a month, and tends to go with the season. She creates special displays for most major holidays such as Christmas, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Boreta has had six years of experience designing the window displays, so she has learned what works and what doesn’t.

She draws some of her inspiration from other windows that she has seen. Her favorite past display was one in which she used blankets as curtains, an idea she got from a window display at another fair trade store.

Pascale Elsair designs the windows for Loft 1513, which mostly sells one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories from local designers. Elsair has a lot of experience designing windows after working in several boutiques in Paris.

“San Francisco is like a different planet,” she said. But she hopes to bring her sense of European creativity to the streets of Noe Valley. She puts a lot of thought into her window displays, paying attention to small details and thinking about what will draw people in.

“The window is the first feeling and the first communication of what’s in the shop,” she said. “It determines whether a customer will come in or not.”

She explains that in France, every piece displayed in a window must have a price tag, which often deters people from coming into a store if the merchandise is out of their price range. Presentation is very important in America, she said, it makes people curious to see what else is in the store.

Even St Clair’s Liquor, on the corner of 24^th and Sanchez, always has an innovative display. This week it’s a garden theme, welcoming summer by placing bottles of wine among a meadow of artificial flowers. Eye Q Optometry is also known for its contemporary and creative windows, part of its appeal as one of Noe Valley’s most well-received business, currently featuring a multi-colored display of paper cranes suspended with clear wire in the shape of a pair of eye glasses. “[The frames] are as stylish as the window displays Eye Q is known for,” reads one Yelp review.

Designing the windows for Isso, a small boutique on Church and 24^th, is Josie Lazo’s favorite part of her job. It requires a lot of creativity and innovation.

“We don’t get a budget for props, so I work with what I have in and around the store,” she said.

It takes her about an hour to change the window display, which she does about every two weeks.

“I have to do a color story,” she explained. She starts with a certain piece and works around it, adding other things around the store that she thinks will look good together. Sometimes she does themed windows. Lazo’s favorite was a Star Wars window in 2011 that was developed around a Darth Vader piñata that she found on her bike ride to work. She incorporated pieces from the store that seemed futuristic and brought Star Wars memorabilia from home, including a towel that she sold to a customer because they liked it so much!

“I don’t think people realize how important the windows are,” she said. “It’s your billboard. It’s what brings people in.”

Isso’s current window display

San Francisco State University Dormitory Evacuation

By Tony Santos

BREAKING NEWS: More than 20 police cars, multiple firetrucks, an ambulance and countless students and officials, evacuated from the San Francisco State University dormitories, flooded the northwest end of Font Boulevard around 8:30 this evening after non-students caused a disturbance in one of the dormitory buildings.

Students surrounded the designated smoking area and recently opened west campus green trying to get a glimpse of the police action shutting down a section of the street.

Multiple rumors about the cause of the evacuation circulated the area including a report of a fight, a suspect with a weapon and a theory about an Occupy protest according to students. But no statement has been given by officials about the real reason for the disturbance, evacuation or the vast amount of officers needed.

The suspects were clearly disorderly and it took multiple police officers to subdue the assailants. One of the accused men was restrained to a chair and covered with a spit mask before being taken away.

More details to come.

Parkmerced Renovation

Nearly a year after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a $1.2 billion plan for Parkmerced renovation, the overseeing organizations await the denial of resident appeals in court to begin construction.

The renovation will nearly triple Parkmerced’s density, demolish the two-story townhouses and create high-rise residences available for sale. The redevelopment will also increase SFSU student population and possibly reroute the M Muni line from 19th Avenue to underground, inside Parkmerced.

The 152-acre World War II-era neighborhood, built in the 1940s by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for returning servicemen, contains approximately 3,221 residences with over 9,000 residents living in “garden apartments” and 11 13-story high-rise towers, which will remain throughout the renovation, according to the developer, Stellar Management’s spokesperson, PJ Johnston.

The 20 to 30 year plan, approved by the Board of Supervisors in May 2011, will destroy about 1,500 existing rent-controlled low-rise apartments, and replace them with approximately 7,200 new three to six story “energy-efficient”, “eco-friendly” buildings, according to Johnston. The project has brought mixed reactions from neighborhood occupants.

“I think it would be great for the area considering it’s not too attractive of a neighborhood right now in my opinion,” said Parkmerced townhome resident and fourth year business management major at San Francisco State University, Stephen Burt.

Kylie Cagle, senior marketing major at SFSU and former Parkmerced resident, said, “I actually think its a really good idea just because the living capacity would increase so much that it would really help the demand for housing.”

Eoin Doherty, a carpenter and former SF State student said, “I like it because there’s going to be a lot of work. As a carpenter, I know how hard it is to get work around here.” Johnston said the project will create hundreds of construction jobs and thousands more once businesses are opened.

Although San Francisco State University has separate development plans, the increase in capacity will also impact the school.

“At least when I was at SF State, it seemed like they were dropping more classes than adding, so its going to be hard to get all those people in [Parkmerced] and not have any classes for them. It’s a little bit ridiculous,” said Doherty.

But because the two organizations are distinguished yet cooperating entities, students are not particularly concerned with the rise of students. “I think that if SF State is going to allow more students in, they are accommodating for that already,” said Kylie Cagle, a senior marketing major at SFSU and former Parkmerced Resident.

Many students are more excited about the expansion of a local community. Matthew Jones, a freshman criminal justice major and business minor said, “I think it would be interesting to be able to have more peers at the school that you can actually come into contact with and make friends with.”

“It’s a commuter school already but if you have a lot of people located in one spot like Parkmerced, I think that people will come together more and be more of a community,” said Jones. “But of course you’re not going to get the classes you want as easily.”

“It sounds like a good plan in terms of making SF State less of a commuter school and more of an on-campus presence with the student body,” said Ian Hopps, a senior theatre major. “I know a lot of people think it’s nice that you can just come from far away and have this community here,” said Hopps.

The developer has also been working with San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to create more accessible transportation in the neighborhood and the southwest corner of the city. According to Johnston, the current street layouts, built during the automobile boom, are not viable for the 21^st century. Besides the Muni reroute, the companies are focused on creating walking and bike paths to grow the community.

Multiple plans have been drafted but the most popular of which would move the M line stop at Stonestown underground near Mercy High School and the stop on 19^th Avenue underground inside Parkmerced.

“The underground Muni line sounds really cool,” said Hopps. “It’ll make getting to campus a lot easier for people coming from downtown and living in Parkmerced, for them to get out to the city.”

“It definitely saves all the traffic, I mean driving through 19th [Avenue] and getting stuck behind a Muni is terrible or having to pull back so the Muni can cross,” said Doherty. Along with clearing congestion on Highway 1, the underground subway plan is continuing an effort to increase pedestrian safety in San Francisco.

“If they’re going to add a Muni line, I hope they make a reason to take the Muni for more than just housing, just more variety of stuff to do around the area,” said Hopps

The renovation plan also inserts businesses and storefronts scattered throughout the neighborhood, in addition to the current shopping center. “I think that it would be cool if they had more shops in Parkmerced, so more of a student living quarters, just to kind of create a cool community,” said Cagle.

“I just hope that they use the money wisely because I know that there are a lot of other programs that need money right now and need help,” said Hopps.

Emily Gladders, a former Parkmerced resident and SF State senior marketing major, received a notice when she was living in a townhome in Parkmerced in 2010-2011 about the reconstruction but has since moved. Graduating this semester, Gladders is impartial to the redevelopment “if it betters the community and it’s better for students, as long as SF State doesn’t get drowned in the chaos.”

“I would like the population to be more student oriented, and it’s more families, so I’m not sure if high-rises will help with that because families usually tend to go toward the townhouses. So hopefully students will still be able to afford to live there,” said Gladders.

Aware of the need for housing, being in the rental market herself, Gladders said, “I don’t know if it’s fair to tell people who have been living there forever that they have to move and take over the entire neighborhood but there is demand for it.”

The modernizing project has received resistance from some occupants who do not want to relocate, are apprehensive about changing the historic landscape and are concerned about rent control.

Although Burt encourages the renovation, he is wary about the demolition of functioning garden apartments and increase of high-rises. “I live in a townhouse now and prefer it over a high-rise because you can have kind of a communal backyard,” said Burt.

Melissa Hohl, current Parkmerced resident and senior creative writing major at SFSU thinks the plan “seems really weird. I’m not sure how I feel about lots of high-rises in that area.”

However, she is not totally against a restoration. “I think there are so many ways it could get better, just in general. But that’s so idealistic,” said Hohl.

Some occupants are upset that they will be displaced during the remodel, although they will be offered replacement housing.

Kelsey Love, 15-year Parkmerced resident and freshman political science major at University of Colorado, Boulder, has lived in Parkmerced townhomes since she was four-years-old.

Her father, Michael Russom, an artist and part-time teacher, has been fighting the urban planners in court since the formation of the demolition plans, and both strongly oppose their plans.

“My family and I would not be happy relocating at all, especially because living in a high-rise has very little appeal considering the garden and backyard were the most alluring parts of Parkmerced,” said Love.

Johnston assures that new buildings for replacement housing will be constructed before any demolition takes place.

The renovation plan has been met with skepticism and controversy by some residents who argue that changing the scenery of a landmark-eligible neighborhood will destroy the historic community.

Tenants are interested in preserving nature, the open spaces and the Thomas Dolliver Church designed courtyards rather than increasing capacity with no family aspect or natural greenery.

“They will ruin the best parts about Parkmerced and inherently turn it into a dark and possibly dangerous neighborhood,” said Love. “They will destroy all the parks, cut down all the trees, and relocate tons of species of birds just to increase population.”

Residents, especially long-term tenants, are also worried about the owner and developer keeping their promises on rent control on the proposed dwellings, which is what is allowing many families to continue to live in the region.

“The planners may promise rent control but I have a very hard time believing that the tenants would be paying the same rent as they were before,” Love said. “In the case that rent control was taken away, we wouldn’t be able to afford to live in the city and would have to move out of San Francisco.”

Some tenants believe the rent is already too high. Tyler Miyamoto, current Parkmerced garden apartment resident and SFSU senior economics major said, “I wouldn’t suggest living here. I just know we are paying two grand for a one bedroom so it’s really a rip off.”

But this price point maybe acceptable for others. “For students it’s pricey but for adults it’s not a bad deal. But being next to the university, it’s a student’s go-to housing,” said Miyamoto.

Celeste Bogle, a former Parkmerced resident and SFSU senior English education major said, “Parkmerced should just probably treat their tenants a little better. It’s pretty expensive for the amount of theft that happens there and how small the apartments are.”

Various locals question whether the developer’s intentions are actually to better the community or if it is purely a capital-driven endeavor. “I wonder what the motivation is behind it,” said Hohl, “besides just making more money.”

According to Johnston, the reason for the demolition of the low-level apartments is due to their simultaneous disintegration. Because of their construction with wartime materials during wartime conditions, the apartments are rotting and not insulated. Also these housing units are not accessible to handicapped residents.

“I understand the pros to the renovation but I truly don’t believe it’s an investment for anyone but the planners,” explains Love. “It’s a subject close to home, literally.”

The renovation has not begun due to legal challenges, but Johnston believes the court appeals should be denied in the next few months, allowing for construction to take place later this year or early next year.

The Parkmerced office on 19th Avenue has photos of the project-phasing plan or more detailed versions be viewed online at http://www.parkmercedvision.com.

Reporting Wrap-up

By  Tony Santos

Having lived in the dorms prior to this reporting class, I was aware of the student community that surrounded the neighborhood. Although I barely explored the area, because of the surrounding schools and residential housing, it was easy to recognize the family-oriented community.

I learned that this district is a historic community that is undergoing modernizing renovations because of issues with housing, transportation, and natural resources. Although some residents are voicing their concerns about the changes, the community in general is quite quaint; But remodeling may soon change this aspect.

As a photographer with very little reporting experience I knew coming into this class that it would be a challenge.  I am a reserved person and this course forced me out of my comfort zone by throwing me into the field to report. It developed my interviewing and writing skills and gave me experience in reporting. I need to improve my reporting and writing all around, as well as my note taking in the field. I still get nervous whenever I have to talk to a stranger. Overall, I enjoyed the experiences and lessons of this class and the neighborhood.

 

Final Post

Coming in this class I kind of knew what to expect. I expected it to be hard but I come to learn first hand how hard this class really is.

My previous experience with the Inner Sunset was little to none. I knew there was a pretty tea shop there and I was kinda familiar with the Misdirections Magic Shop. But other than that I knew nothing of the area.

My main concerns for choosing a neighborhood for this class was safety. I wanted to choose a place where I wouldn’t get mugged or worse. I read that the Inner Sunset was a safe area so i choose to go with that.

I expected the Inner Sunset to be a safe and quiet neighborhood. However, as weeks went on I noticed a lot of opposites. The housing area is quiet with an almost suburb-ly feel to it but the noisy commercial street was just a few blocks down. Families walk down the street while the young people walk to find the nearest bar. There a lot of high-end places next to low-end place. And that’s what makes this place so interesting.

I did have some difficult time looking for stories since not a lot goes on in the neighborhood. The crime story was especially difficult. However, the people I talked to were very nice and I was able to produce my stories. I also found a lot of cool places. I would go back when I can.

I definitely learned by doing in this class. At first I was scared to talk to strangers but I realized if I am going to become a journalist, I have to get over that fear right away. I also learn that telling  a story requires more than telling your reader who did what,when where and why. You have engage your readers. Bring out scenes and emotions on top of the facts. Another thing I learn is to always be on your toes. You never know when something happens and it’s up you either report it or ignore it.

Doelger Receives Landmark Approval. Undergoes reconstruction.

 

(Photo taken by April Halog)

What you see here is the Doelger currently undergoing restoration.

Around late March the Doelger on 320 Judah St. received unanimous approval for landmark status by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors making the city’s 265th historical landmark.

The building was originally a white art-deco building that severed as a headquarters, warehouse and sale office for Henry Doelger.

Doelger constructed more then 10,000 homes between the 1920s and the 1940s. Doelger transformed the barren land in the Sunset District into housing that working class families can afford.

The building was bought in September 2012 for $1,450,000 and will be home to Mission: Cats, a family-owned cat hotel.