Brace, San Francisco. Brace hard. The city is preparing itself for this weekend's Bay to Breakers 7k "run"— Rincon Hill SF reports that a crew of city workers are gussying up the nabe: "I believe today may be the day - the one time a year that the main sidewalks in the Rincon Hill neighborhood get a sparkly fresh makeover from the city" writes nabe ambassador Jamie Whitaker. Of course, it's the outer Richmond and Sunset that should really bunker down, as that's where the race turns sloppy— at least folks start out sober in Rincon Hill. [Rincon Hill SF]
The Under 500 Club is Curbed SF's exclusive members-only support group for those shoddy, poorly-staged homes (if at all!) languishing on the market for under $500,000. It's a sad state of affairs out there, San Francisco. All sad sacks and shitboxes should appeal to the Curbed SF inbox.
What:Although listed as a "contractor's special," 190 Edinburgh Streetmight be ready for a young upstart of a homeowner to move in (pending inspection of course). Nice built-in cabinetry, a western view, and a small yard are all perks, but everything needs a little TLC, of course. Where: Excelsior How Much:$399,000 Note: Search through the listing photos to find the hidden vintage stove. Get this as part of the deal and you're well on your way to a new kitchen!
What: Believe it or not, this is the good picture of 1827 Jennings Street. A contractors special in every sense of the word — the exterior is unfinished (stucco ready!), the interior has been stripped down to studs, and there is neither a kitchen nor a bath. Oh, and conventional financing isn't available ... so uh, act now? Where: Bayview How Much:$234,000 Note: Free plywood hurricane shutters with every purchase!
The numbers are in, and as if there were ever a question in the first place, it's now official: The U.S. housing crisis has, in fact, caused some serious damage to the mortgage industry. As of yesterday, major companies reported major losses in the first quarter of 2008 due to defaults, a crumbling market, an increased number of write-downs, decline in new biz— you name it. [AP]
Left to wander through a post 9/11 afterlife, San Francisco Airport's long-lost "Ghost Terminal" will soon be brought back to life in an unholy ceremony involving seismic retrofits and Latin incantations. Spurred back by increased air travel and competition among the new "hip" airlines, Jetblue and SFO newcomer Virgin America, the new terminal will serve as a domestic hub with a hott redesign described as "distinctly San Francisco." This of course means it will be a "green design" (come on now— how green can an airport really be?) with expensive coffee, expensive food, and expensive retail shopping. The cost to update the original 1954 building? $383 million. Seismic retrofits will start in a few weeks, with exterior renovations soon to follow. SFO is planning for Terminal 2 to be fulling operational by the end of 2010 but has yet to release plans detailing how ghosts, specters, and poltergeists will travel once the new terminal is complete.
· SFO brings ghost terminal back from the dead [Inside Bay Area]
Snapped SF is a collaborative photo essay of sorts— we love to see what you're seeing. New twist: Friday brings the round up, generally culled from the photos our Curbed SF Flickr pool members have uploaded throughout the preceding week. So join our ranks— we're welcoming new photogs every week. All photos are credited by name, always, and those who prefer not the Flickr can always submit their snaps to us directly.
"Transformers take over SF." Where in San Francisco did Curbed SF Flickr pool photog bats1234 snap this shot? (No cheating!)
Another day, another carbon emissions voucher: San Francisco design firm Walker-Warner Architects done gone and partnered with Village Green Energy to launch a "streamlined" process that enables green builders to earn credit toward the LEED certification by purchasing off-site renewable energy credits from the Sunnyvale Power Generation Facility. Hmmm. Is this rule kinda-sorta akin to the teensy-weensy loophole that allows developers can buy their way out of building affordable housing by paying a per-unit fee? Not quite, we suppose, but still ... Thom Mayne, there is hope for you yet, old boy.
· Village Green Energy Supports Green Building Development with Renewable Energy [PR Web]
Storefronting is Curbed's regular look at the changing retail scene, with an emphasis on how it impacts neighborhoods. Opening a store? See a store that's opening? Send the deets. We have a special place in our hearts for those who also include digital photos.
The ply is down, and G.Q.'s 2007 "Designer of the Year" John Varvatos' 6,500 square foot store at 152 Geary Street is up; its recent opening market the second in a week, as a New York outpost also took over the former CBGB's, in the Bowery. (Sob.) The building opens on to both Maiden Lane and Geary Street— a very, hmmm ... Baroque-sounding press release describes it as having an "unmistakable and artfully calibrated balance between industrial and handcrafted, American and International, rock
& roll and refinement." Says the Varvatos: “We want
our new store in San Francisco to feel as if it has been on Geary Street for
ages. I always think about the community when I am designing a boutique.
It is important to me that the aesthetic of the neighborhood is respected by
new businesses coming into the area.” Someone did his homework on the San Francisco NIMBY aesthetic now, didn't he?
· Storefronting: Union Square Mega Retail Edition [Curbed SF]
Greener Than Thou is our report on San Francisco’s obsession with all things green, giving credit where credit is due and calling bullshit when the need arises. Feeling morally superior on the green front? Testify!
Wow. Gavin schooled staff writer Dana Goodyear's ass on San Francisco's green initiatives at the 2008 New Yorker conference, “Stories from the Near Future," in a rambling filibuster that had us wondering if he was even aware of her presence on stage. Highlights!:
GAVIN ON RECYCLING— Goodyear ended her introduction of Gavin by noting that his recycling initiative nets 70 percent. Gavin's opener: "70 percent isn't good enough," followed moments later by "that wasn't just a throwaway line."
GAVIN ON BOTTLED WATER— After waxing on the evils of bottled water, Gavin thanked Goodman for having a glass of water, not a bottle, at the ready next to his chair. Strategic.
GAVIN ON COMPOSTING— Quickly corrected self after transposing the words "cobustables" and "compostables." Waxed on schoolchildren "scraping their little pasta and beans" into compost bins, then returning the mix back to the school for use in gardens. Brief tangent on the slow food movement lifted verbatim from Alice.
Rumblings & Bumblings: the Curbed SF construction watch for readers, by readers. You ask, we pass. Got an answer to one of these queries? To the comments or the tipline! Wondering about some urban carnage? Let us know. (As always, bonus points for digital photos.)
"Hey Curbed: Noticed a shuttered building on the corner of Columbus and Vallejo— it's covered in plywood, and there's a sign on the front some mural company called "Lush Art," or something like that, which makes me nervous. Not so sure North Beach needs another mural. Renovation? New business? Anyone?"
Friday's imaginary rendering of the proposed George W. Bush Sewage Treatment Plantstirred up quite a ruckus over the weekend; readers were alternately heartened and horrified by the ad-hoc citizen group Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco's plan to re-name the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant after our fine leader. Our favorite gem from the ensuing comment war, from an anonymous reader: "Not only don't I want to be reminded of G.W. EVER AGAIN, but I also think that a wastewater treatment plant is an an inappropriate choice : after all, it is something that cleans up your sh*t. What G.W. is doing is more like the opposite."
About Curbed SF
From the Golden Gate to The Mission, in San Francisco, it all comes back to our neighborhoods: where we live, where we work, where we eat, and where we play. Covering real estate sales, rental prices, and news-making deals and much more, it's all on Curbed SF. More about Curbed SF...
Brace, San Francisco. Brace hard. The city is preparing itself for this weekend's Bay to Breakers 7k "run"— Rincon Hill SF 
What:Although listed as a "contractor's special," 190 Edinburgh Street might be ready for a young upstart of a homeowner to move in (pending inspection of course). Nice built-in cabinetry, a western view, and a small yard are all perks, but everything needs a little TLC, of course.
What: Believe it or not, this is the good picture of 1827 Jennings Street. A contractors special in every sense of the word — the exterior is unfinished (stucco ready!), the interior has been stripped down to studs, and there is neither a kitchen nor a bath. Oh, and conventional financing isn't available ... so uh, act now?
Left to wander through a post 9/11 afterlife, San Francisco Airport's long-lost "Ghost Terminal" will soon be brought back to life in an unholy ceremony involving seismic retrofits and Latin incantations. Spurred back by increased air travel and competition among the new "hip" airlines, Jetblue and SFO newcomer Virgin America, the new terminal will serve as a domestic hub with a hott redesign described as "distinctly San Francisco." This of course means it will be a "green design" (come on now— how green can an airport really be?) with expensive coffee, expensive food, and expensive retail shopping. The cost to update the original 1954 building? $383 million. Seismic retrofits will start in a few weeks, with exterior renovations soon to follow. SFO is planning for Terminal 2 to be fulling operational by the end of 2010 but has yet to release plans detailing how ghosts, specters, and poltergeists will travel once the new terminal is complete.
Another day, another carbon emissions voucher: San Francisco design firm 
The ply is down, and G.Q.'s 2007 "Designer of the Year" John Varvatos' 6,500 square foot store at 152 Geary Street is up; its recent opening market the second in a week, as a New York outpost also took over the former CBGB's, in the Bowery. (Sob.) The building opens on to both Maiden Lane and Geary Street— a very, hmmm ... Baroque-sounding press release describes it as having an "unmistakable and artfully calibrated balance between industrial and handcrafted, American and International, rock
Wow. Gavin schooled staff writer Dana Goodyear's ass on San Francisco's green initiatives at the 2008 New Yorker conference, “Stories from the Near Future," in a rambling filibuster that had us wondering if he was even aware of her presence on stage. Highlights!: 
Friday's imaginary rendering of the proposed George W. Bush Sewage Treatment Plant 
