Mission Protesters Fight for Housing By Fighting Against It
Preliminary renderings courtesy David Baker Architects
There's a strange thing that happens at community meetings for proposed housing developments in the Mission, which is this: both developers and neighborhood activists cite a need for more housing, and more affordable housing, and proceed to talk right past each other. Before last night's preapplication outreach meeting for Axis Development Group's proposed four-story rental building at 2675 Folsom even started, neighborhood group Calle 24's Erick Arguello stood up and declared, "We just want to let Axis know that we're opposed to this 100 percent." The crowd, fueled at once by outrage and plates of gratis empanadas, waved hot pink signs reading "No more expensive Market Rate Housing! 100% Affordable Housing now!" and chanted "Give Axis the axe!" The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project's Erin McElroy brought along her drum.
Historic Cole Valley Mansion Gets Bewildering Renovation, Reappears As $21,500/Month Rental
Last February, the historic mansion at 199 Carl Street in Cole Valley came on the market sporting dated wall-to-wall carpeting, a kitchen out of the 1950s, and a shabby backyard. It went into contract for $3.15 million after just a few weeks on the market and sold last April. At the time, one commenter pleaded, "Please do not let the interior of this house become yet another sterile, white-painted cardboard condo-mansion that could be in Walnut Creek," which, sadly, seems to have given the new owners some ideas. The mansion definitely needed some updating, but the renovation that it received is bewilderingly bad. Everything—practically everything—is white. It isn't enough of a high-end renovation to be a big fancy flip, and, indeed the manse has not been put back up for sale. Instead, it's being listed on Craigslist as a five-bedroom, $21,500-per-month rental.
Weekend Open House Report: Upper Haight Edition
Location: 210 Frederick St. at Downey St.Size: 5-bed, 3.5-bath, 3,353-square-foot single-family home
Price: $3.695M
Pitch: "Beautifully Renovated/Restored Cole Valley Residence on 3 incredible living levels + 3 Car Garage. Rebuilt from the walls out w/ meticulous attention to detail. There are 5 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths over the perfect floor plan, w/ wonderful Marin Headlands views from the top level. The outdoor components-deck, balconies and lush green garden are warm and inviting. The systems: plumbing, electrical, heating, roofing and foundation have been replaced new by the current owner, while major structural steel has been added throughout. Main level boasts a triple parlor, with living room, family room, dining room and chef's kitchen. BR level features 3BR's / 2BA's w/ gorgeous master. Top level- view media room + guest bedroom/bath."
Open House: Sunday, 2 to 4pm
As the drought rolls on, Bay Area residents have been calling out their neighbors and local governments for water wastage by writing into the San Francisco Chronicle with tales of cars washed too often, overwatered lawns, and leaking fire hydrants. Other frequent complaints include streets and sidewalks being washed down and sprinklers that spray onto roads instead of grass around Golden Gate Park. One woman even reported her brother for overwatering his lawn in Woodside, saying that he was wasting water even though, as she commented, "He truly is intelligent. He reads the New Yorker every week." [SFGate]330-Square-Foot Studio with Closet-Bed Asks $379K in Nob Hill
The compact TIC studio that is unit 3 at 1155 Leavenworth Street is truly tiny, at just 330 square feet, but it is also utterly adorable. There's a main living space with plenty of room for a two-seater couch, at least when the bed is folded up into its closet. When the bed is down, it does reach well into the living room, and there's certainly no option to have a nightstand. The mini-kitchen has been remodeled with granite countertops, a half-size dishwasher, and a stainless-steel gas stove and tiny fridge. The apartment, which sits in a prime Nob Hill location at Sacramento and Leavenworth, is asking $379,000, or $1,148 per square. 
What's All the Fuss About Memphis Design?
Photo via Memphis MilanoBriefly forgotten, but by no means gone, Memphis—the 1980s phenomenon that shook the design world to its foundations—is creeping back into the mainstream. At this year's Salone del Mobile, signs of its re-emergence were widespread. Original Memphis, which peaked from 1981 to 1987, illustrates the hallmarks of postmodern 1980s design: strong geometric motifs, mixed materials often including laminate, clashing and saturated colors, and a repudiation of anything streamlined and tasteful—a veritable "shotgun wedding between Bauhaus and Fisher-Price."
From young designers issuing riffs on Memphis furniture to the reissued 1980s classics themselves, here's what we saw in Milan (also known as the city that gave birth to the movement).
Robin Williams Tunnel Advances; Drought Exposes Tahoe Trash
"Strike!" via Erik Wilson· Assembly votes to name tunnel after Robin Williams [SF Chronicle]
· There will be a 'fan village' for the Super Bowl at the foot of Market Street, but 'no room' for the homeless [SFist]
· Free citywide tenants' rights fair Saturday [Beyond Chron]
· Does tech firms' shedding space indicate a bubble? [Business Times]
· Repose Coffee spruces up lower Divis, parklet to follow [SF Weekly]
· What to expect from renovations at 50 California St [Hoodline]
· When city codes clash with state water rules, confusion reigns [KQED]
· Low water reveals decades-old Tahoe trash [KOLO]
· Please salute the most American house in America [Curbed Seattle]
Home on Super-Exclusive, Gated Presidio Terrace Wants $6.5M
From the outside, 24 Presidio Terrace sort of looks like just a modest suburban split-level. However, it happens to be one of just 36 homes that sit on one of San Francisco's most prestigious streets, inside the gates of Presidio Terrace. The house was designed by architect Charles Whittlesey, who also was responsible for three other homes on the terrace, with subtle Japanese motifs. It was purchased way back in 1952 by paper company executive Stephen Zellerbach and his wife, Merla Zellerbach. Although the couple later divorced, Merla—an accomplished writer and a close friend of former neighbor Dianne Feinstein—lived there until her death, late last year. The six-bedroom house is now on the market asking $6.5 million. 
First Look at This Year's San Francisco Decorator Showcase
The living room at the 2015 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, designed by Phillip Silver. All photos via Patricia Chang Photography.Every year for the past 36 years, a stately abode on a tony street in San Francisco has been hand-picked to play host to the annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Each year a few dozen of the West Coast's top-tier interior designers each reimagine a room in the home, from a 50-square-foot linen closet to a 2,000-square-foot music room. The designs can be outrageous and over the top, and they can also inspire and provide a platform for showcasing some of the best design work this coast's got to offer. This year's showcase—which opens to the public April 25 and runs through Memorial Day—takes place at the Julia Morgan-designed Elizabethan mansion at 3630 Jackson in Presidio Heights.
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What $2,700/Month Rents You in San Francisco
Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various San Francisco neighborhoods. Is one man's studio another man's townhouse? Let's find out! Today's price: $2,700.
↑ On budget at $2699/month, this studio in Mission Dolores certainly isn't cheap, but it's newly renovated and features some pretty sweet amenities. Parking and laundry are located on-site, and there's also a massive heated outdoor pool. Sadly, pet owners will need to look elsewhere, but did we mention there's a pool?
Introducing Alexandra Lange As Curbed Architecture Critic
We're pleased as punch to announce that as of this week, design critic Alexandra Lange is joining Curbed to write a monthly architecture column. Combining the street-friendly perspective of Ada Louise Huxtable with the critical commentary of peers like Justin Davidson and Michael Kimmelman, Lange has crafted a freelance career that combines deep research with an incisive viewpoint on all things design. "Curbed has always practiced a form of architecture criticism," Lange says, pointing out recurring features like Rendering vs. Realityand the sites' aptitude in coining nicknames "for the latest mountains, blots and ripples to descend upon our cities."
"I think I share that irreverence but add context, experience, and the dorky-but-necessary dream that architecture can make cities better for everyone," she says. "Architecture criticism has already outgrown the old model of one city-one newspaper-one critic, and I look forward to exploring what being a critic for the floating digital world can mean."
Live It Up in an Avalon Hayes Valley Two-Bedroom Townhome
Apartment living in San Francisco just got even better with the addition of Avalon Hayes Valley. The brand new apartment community offers studio, one- and two-bedroom flats and townhomes as well as Avalon's Signature Collection two-bedroom townhomes. Signature Collection amenities bring living up to a whole new level with services such as two complimentary rooftop deck rentals per year, exclusive merchandise offers, and move-in assistance. Signature Collection homes also feature gourmet kitchens with quartz stone countertops, Porcelanosa ceramic tile backsplash and GE® Café Series stainless steel appliances.
Experience the heated rooftop terraces with barbecues, fire pits, furnished lounge areas, outdoor TVs and beautiful skyline views of the golden dome of City Hall. Located in the heart of San Francisco, you'll find that Avalon Hayes Valley is surrounded by top-notch restaurants and boutiques, and is only steps away from the opera, symphony, SF Jazz, and the shops of Hayes Street. This community is also conveniently located near BART, MUNI and the 101/I-80 freeway ramp.
Avalon Hayes is offering free rent on select units—call (866) 864-5219 for details! Make Avalon Hayes Valley your new home, visit here. >>
Is the Old Lombardi Sports in Russian Hill Going to Be a Target?
Last fall, long-time Polk Street business Lombardi Sports announced that it would be closing its doors to make way for 62 new condos. Plans called for the building to be demolished and replaced by a new six-story structure. All of that may have now changed. A sign advertising the opportunity to lease the 50,000-square-foot space has been up in the window of the shuttered store for the past few months, and it looks like Target is interested. The Lombardi family sold the building for $7.5 million to Village Properties, a developer planning to build the properties. Shortly after, as the San Francisco Chronicle reports, Target approached the developer offering to lease the entire space for $1.5 million for a Target Express store. 
SF Is on Track to Be the Whitest County in the Region By 2040
Image via PolicyLinkBack in the 1980s, San Francisco was a relative bastion of diversity in an otherwise homogenous region, but in the span of two generations, all that will reverse, according to a new report from social equity group PolicyLink. While the suburbs in the five-county region—San Mateo, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco proper—have grown steadily more diverse, San Francisco is projected to decline in demographic diversity by 2040, making it the only Bay Area county on track to actually grow whiter over time. Yet on the whole, the wider Bay Area's circumstances aren't so bleak: The five-county region remains the second most diverse in the country, behind only Fairfield-Vallejo.
It's Official: Elbo Room Will Close in November; Condos Likely
Rumors about the demise of the Elbo Room have been swirling for more than a year. The owners of the building at 647 Valencia Street in the Mission announced official plans last November to build nine condos on the site, including one that they could move into themselves. Throughout all of the speculation, Elbo Room owners Matt Shapiro and Erik Cantu claimed that the bar was there to stay, but now they have posted a letter to their Facebook page announcing that their lease is up in November and that they will be looking for a new space for the Elbo Room. 
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- EditorLamar Anderson
- Associate EditorTracy Elsen
- Features EditorSara Polsky
- PhotographerPatricia Chang
- PublisherVox Media
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