Urbanstreet Films

Logoman to the rescue

2012-03-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jeffrey Whitten AKA Logoman for our new logo. He does really great work and a pleasure to work with. Check out some of his other clients here. Or if you need a new logo....

Mid Riff Highlights Arts Revival in Central Market

2012-02-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

The Bold Italic sponsored Mid Riff event last week highlighted the arts revival in Central Market. Co-sponsored by the San Francisco Arts Commission, Hospitality House Community Arts Program, The Luggage Store Gallery and SF Camerawork... it seemed that a good time was had by all.

Coming to a dinner party near you

2012-02-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

Cartoon by Sue Clancy

Meet A Microhood: Mid Riff

2012-01-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hosted by:

We will be filming the event - come down for a cameo in the movie.

The Bold Italic has made a habit of noticing little pocket neighborhoods all over the city worthy of individual celebration. We named them “microhoods” without realizing the parties we throw on their behalf would become a new SF tradition. To date, thousands of you have came out to celebrate FolSoMa, Mint Slope, Valencia Bottoms, 3rd Base, ClemenTime, and other microhoods with us.

Mid Riff is our latest microhood party. It's happening Thursday, February 9th from 6 to 8 p.m. and will focus on Market Street between 6th and 7th. The area is home to impressive art spaces, one of the most beloved music venues on the West Coat, and great restaurants, bars, and shops. Co-presented by The Luggage Store, Hospitality House Community Arts Program, and the San Francisco Arts Commission, Mid Riff is an evening of discounted eats, complimentary libations, special deals, art openings, and live performances.
Lots more info here at the Bold Italic

What a week for Central Market Street!

2012-01-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

They cheered , they cried , they booed, they sighed, the week that was...

Mid-Market pioneer files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

San Francisco Business Times by J.K. Dineen, Reporter

Date: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 2:44pm PST - Last Modified: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 3:35pm PST

J.K. Dineen: Reporter - San Francisco Business Times

Full story here at the San Francisco Business Times

IDENTIFYING

'IDLE' SPACES

ON MARKET STREET

The MMAP team, as well as the artist Louise Mackie, from Warmbaby, and the artist Linda Trunzo walked along Market Street on Monday morning identifying possible 'idle' spaces in which to stage our projects in March. As the number of vacant storefronts in mid-market is quite high, it gave us many exciting possibilities. Take a look at our pictures below
Which site(s) would you want to use for an art installation?

For the full article and to vote for your favorite Mid-Market site here's the link to the Mid-Market Art Project

Congratulations and Good Luck to The Burning Man Project , GAFFTA and the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development

PRESS RELEASE: Burning Man Project,partners named ArtPlace Grant Finalists

Central Market Arts Groups Named as Finalists for Creative Placemaking Grants

San Francisco, CA, January 24, 2012: “Central Market Arts Activation,” a collaboration between the Burning Man Project, Black Rock Arts Foundation, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts and the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development has been named as a finalist for support from ArtPlace, an unprecedented private-public collaboration of nine of the nation’s top foundations, eight federal agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, and six of the nation’s largest banks. ArtPlace supports creative placemaking with grants and loans, research and advocacy. Central Market Arts Acitivation joins 128 other projects in 68 cities working to transform their communities by driving vibrancy through investments in the arts.

Full story here

SF's 6th Street struggles amid Mid-Market revival

Stephanie M. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, January 27, 2012

Michael Short / SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Dottie's True Blue Cafe, at Sixth and Stevenson streets, replaces a French bistro that closed after a violent theft.

Around Mid-Market, signs of life are sprouting. The smell of fries emanates from Pearl's Deluxe Burgers. Huckleberry Bicycles sells gears and tires. Hundreds of workers will soon flow into Twitter's headquarters.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?

Urban Solutions Two-Blocks of Art Video Release

On the passing of Bingham Ray

2012-01-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Like many in our community we were shocked and saddened by this news. As many of you know, the San Francisco Film Society is our Fiscal Sponsor and so we have a rather close attachment to the organization. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Mr. Ray's family and close friends at SFFS.

Indie Film Veteran Bingham Ray Dies At Sundance

By Brock Keeling on Jan 23, 2012

(Source: The Wrap)

Sigh. San Francisco Film Society just announced that beloved Executive Director Bingham Ray died today, January 23, while attending the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. In addition to manning the notedSF Film Society, Ray cofounded October Films. October, billed as "one of the foremost independent film companies of the 1990s," snagged two Oscars and scored 13 Oscar nominations and other cinema prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Some of October Films' credits include Secrets & Lies, The Apostle, Cookie's Fortune, The Celebration, Lost Highway, The Last Seduction, and Breaking the Waves.

"The board of directors and staff of the Film Society are stunned and deeply saddened by the untimely death of our executive director Bingham Ray. We at the Film Society and the entire film community have lost far too early an energetic and visionary impact player who has helped shape the independent film industry for decades in so many important and valuable ways," said Pat McBaine, SFFS board president. "He shall be dearly missed. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Bingham's family and his legions of friends and colleagues all over the world who loved and respected him."

Ray was hospitalized over the weekend following a series of strokes. He is survived by his wife Nancy, and their children Nick, Annabel and Becca. He was 57.

http://mobile.sfist.com/2012/01/23/san_francisco_film_society_executiv.php

Dottie's Day 2 - Line around the corner

2012-01-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

from our friends at Bluoz.

I was hoping for a little grace period to sneak in and get a table.... clearly, I've been out-hipstered here

Saturday, January 21. 2012

DOTTIE'S FIRST LINE ON 6TH STREET

Dottie's True Blue cafe reopened yesterday at the former location of Passion Cafe at 28 6th Street and and this morning Dottie's has it's very first line out the door

there was never a line like this at the previous Passion cafe

Dottie's Opens Friday!!

2012-01-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe unveils new Sixth Street location this week

Posted on 01/17/2012 at 11:44 am

byPaolo Lucchesi in What's New

As of today, Friday is the day that Dottie’s True Blue Cafe expects to reopen in its South of Market location.

The classic diner closed its Tenderloin location on Christmas Eve following nearly two decades on Jones Street, opting to take over Sixth Street’s shuttered Passion Cafe.

In terms of square footage, new location is over five times as big, but at least to start, chef-owner Kurt Abney will plan to embrace the original menu and vibe, from the jalapeno jelly and fresh-baked pastries to the color scheme. After a few weeks, he hopes to expand the lunch menu and possibly hours. Dinner service isn’t in the initial plan, though they’re flirting with doing special events in the evening.

Already, the coffee cups are waiting, and the signature blue is evident throughout, even on the rooftop patio (see photo below). However, Dottie’s won’t open the roof to start, with the goal of getting downstairs under control first. A peek inside reveals the space itself — a beautiful old building with lots of exposed brick — hasn’t changed much from its Passion Cafe days, though it seems homier and fuller than its predecessor.

Hours to start: Open Wednesday through Monday from 7:30am to 3pm. Closed Tuesdays. On weekends, it will be open until 4pm. Potential lines: TBD.

from SFGate

What do you want to see on Mid-Market Street?

2012-01-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

Reposting from the art collective warmbaby

wouldn't it be nice.. a mid market street proposal

We want to know what you think should be build in the derelict spaces in San Francisco's mid Market Street. No holds barred. All (clean) fantasies accepted.

JAN15

answer the question and check out their blog here

New content and new voices

2012-01-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

Feeling like the energizer bunny and just going and going and going. So many great things happening for us this week. Great new partners! Great new collaborators! Great new content!

Here is quick production shot of David Addington, of The Warfield and ShowDogs fame, getting ready to share his passion about some of the exciting changes, hopes and dreams for the Central Market Street area. More details soon... stay with us.

Call for Mid-Market Artists

2012-01-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

Mid-Market Artists, Art Groups, Community Groups... we want your voices

We been researching the film for a little over 9 months now and when we looked around, we found that a lot of the revitalization efforts were focused (appropriately) on the buildings or the street or the SRO's or the businesses. We wondered how this revitalization is going to effect the thousands of people who live, work and play in the area. We wanted to know who they are. Do they have an opinion about what happens to their home? What would they like to have changed? We wanted to meet them, give them a voice, hear their stories and let them tell us about about their hopes and dreams. But, how do you add so many voices to a 60/90 minute doc?

So, in order to effectively include more folks then what would normally be allotted for film “characters”, we will be adding an augmented reality component to the traditional film through the use of a dedicated channel on a mobile phone app. This dedicated channel will allow users to virtually interact with the "five blocks" by pointing their mobile devices at a location within the area that has been previously geo-tagged with community created content (videos, photos, audio, art, technology etc) and thereby become a part of a walking, living documentary. The community will be invited to develop content through the use of “tag teams” composed of residents, photographers, artists, and neighborhood groups who will potentially add hundreds and hundreds of voices to the project - voices that may never have been heard. Joining together with the community, we will be able to produce and curate a crowd-sourced, immersive, non-linear documentary on a mobile platform.

The response, in our very recent and limited outreach, has been beyond our wildest assumptions. In addition to some of our already filmed footage including interviews with San Francisco Mayor Lee and other SF notables (Darryl Smith from the Luggage Store, David Addington at the Warfield, Larry Harvey from Burning Man etc) , we have secured commitments from non-profit community organizations. We have been granted free access to one of the most complete private archives of photos and videos of the central Market Street area and have been offered new material from a Eugene Smith and Getty award winning photographer. Also included will be art compilations from groups of 6th Street artists and confirmed participation from San Francisco Art Institute's documentary studies program.

We would like to invite you to participate in the project.

Email us for more info or comment below

Central Market Mixer

2012-01-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Central Market Mixer

The Central Market Community Benefit District (CMCBD) and KUNST-STOFF arts invite you to meet and mingle with your Central Market neighbors on Thursday, January 26, 2012, beginning at 4:30 p.m., at KUNST-STOFF arts, One Grove Street, 2nd Floor. Find out what's new in the neighborhood, reconnect with the community, and join us in kicking off an exciting new year in Central Market.

Where:
KUNST-STOFF arts, One Grove Street, 2nd Floor
When:
01/26/2012 4:30pm
Contact:
Office: 415.957.5985
Email: info@central-market.org

Private sector funding for redevelopment?

2012-01-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

Ed Lee seeks to preserve affordable housing without redevelopment

The city is posed to absorb the functions and projects of its to-be-dissolved redevelopment agency, including affordable housing, according to a plan announced by Mayor Ed Lee Tuesday.

The plan was presented at the Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of 2012, weeks after the California State Supreme Court ruled that the state has the right to abolish redevelopment programs across the state. That decision sent agencies, including San Francisco’s, scrambling before they are officially set to disband Feb. 1.

Introducing his resolution Tuesday, Lee urged the supervisors to “approve it before February 1 so we can assure these critical functions continue.”

From SFGate's City Insider... Read the rest of the story here

E-ticket!

2012-01-09T23:28:00.000-08:00

One of the great advantages of a deadline (at least for me) is that things get done. One may have to jump through hoops and sacrifice some sleep, but the end result is usually worth it.

We're aiming for the (self-imposed) deadline of February 1st for a fundraising trailer / work sample to be done. It's taking a lot of work (and patience) from the team.

However, some incredibly exciting developments are coming our way and they're beyond our (or at least my) most vivid imaginings ... (you'll have to follow along for at least a month or so to find out what I mean)

Some great interviews and b-roll today... truly cosmic how some of it came together. Some production stills below. Stay tuned.... it's going to be an amazing ride. E-ticket!

Erin and Dan getting it perfect on a chilly San Francisco morning

Interviewing Mark Ellinger. Mark is a local historian, photographer and author of upfromthedeep.com

GAFFTA's founder talks about building community

2012-01-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Interview: Peter Hirshberg And San Francisco's Innovative Gray Area Foundation For The Arts

Posted by Tom Foremski - January 6, 2012

I'm a big fan of the Gray Area Foundation For The Arts (GAFFTA), a unique non-profit organization that has a fascinating approach to the arts and technology and it's efforts to bridge the culture gap between the geek world and the arts, allied with a very strong civic focus.

It's situated in the historic Warfield building in the heart of the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco's poorest neighborhoods. Its innovative art exhibitions and educational programs are rooted firmly in the deep cultural traditions of San Francisco, an area that has consistently contributed to leading edge arts, literature, and ideas, nationally and globally.

Read the full article here

Source: Silicon Valley Watcher (http://s.tt/1578j)

Oh, the Places You'll Go at Burning Man!

2012-01-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

a brilliant, brilliant piece...and since Burning Man is part of the Central Market Street revival, I'm compelled to re-post it!

just click here to launch

Police substation funding up in the air

2012-01-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

.... and the fallout from the possible defunding of Redevelopment begins.

Mid-Market police substation funding up in the air

By: Joshua Sabatini | 01/04/12 5:19 PM
SF Examiner Staff Writer

SF EXAMINER FILE PHOTO

A long-planned police substation in the mid-Market Street area hit a financial snag after the California Supreme Court recently upheld Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies statewide.

The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency was set to provide $500,000 for upgrades to the Baldwin House at 72 Sixth St., where the substation would be located in June when microblogging service Twitter is expected to move to 10th and Market streets.

“That really is called into question now,” Tiffany Bohee, executive director of the Redevelopment Agency, said of the substation project.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/01/mid-market-police-substation-funding-air#ixzz1ie0Co0zH

Chris Daly back on Board of Supes?

2012-01-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it would certainly add an interesting twist...
Controversial ex-supervisor Chris Daly considers another board run

By: Joshua Sabatini | 01/02/12 8:12 PM
SF Examiner Staff Writer

GETTY IMAGES FILE PHOTO

Former Supervisor Chris Daly, shown here in 2003, may be considering another run for office.

One of San Francisco’s most notorious political firebrands could shake up City Hall this year if he tries to return to the Board of Supervisors, and he might not be alone.

Chris Daly — along with ex-supervisors Aaron Peskin and Tony Hall — is rumored to be considering another run.

He has said he will seek District 5 if Mayor Ed Lee fails to appoint a progressive to the seat being vacated Sunday by Sheriff-elect Ross Mirkarimi. Lee is expected to announce his pick this week.

Daly, who was termed out of office last year, said he would run if there is no “homegrown” progressive candidate able to fight for the seat in November to represent the Fillmore and Western Addition neighborhoods. He would have to move into the district to be eligible — he currently lives in District 6, which he used to represent.

CA Supreme Court Kills Revelopment

2011-12-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

The fate of the SF Redevelopment Agency has been part of our discussion ever since we started this project. It will be really interesting to see how creative the city can be in it's attempt to make up the shortfalls in the now (I'm assuming) non-existent redevelopment funding for the Central Market project. We'll keep you posted.

State wins right to abolish redevelopment agencies

Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Tomas Ovalle / Special to The Chronicle

View Larger Image

(12-29) 10:31 PST San Francisco -- The California Supreme Court dealt a death blow to the state's decades-old redevelopment program, ruling today that state lawmakers did have the authority to eliminate the economic development program, but striking down a law that would have allowed the agencies to exist in a smaller form.

Welcome to San Francisco Mr. Ray

2011-12-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Nice article from SFGate about the San Francisco Film Society's new Executive Director Bingham Ray. SFFS is our Fiscal Sponsor and we're honored to be a part of the Society's Project Development program.

Bingham Ray brings indie force to SF Film Society

Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Russell Yip / The Chronicle

Among the films Bingham Ray has helped promote, distribute and produce are "Hotel Rwanda" and "Bowling for Columbine."

View Larger Image

It's a familiar story. An out-of-work actor with a movie star name like Bingham Ray gets by trading stocks on Wall Street during the day and waiting tables at night, hoping for his lucky break.
It never comes, so he quits, spends his days at the movies, and gets a job selecting obscure samurai films for the artsy Bleecker Street Cinema.

Central Market @ Work For You

2011-12-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

Nice promo piece from the Central Market CBD and our friend Rick Bacigalupi at www.bacipix.com

Above the Street

2011-12-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

Part of our project is to introduce the people who live in the area. In the film we hope to bring to focus a central Market Street that is more than a collection of SRO's and boarded-up buildings. We will be highlighting those affected by the revitalization whether business owner, tenant resident or homeless. In the following piece from KQED radio, Augustus Vargus tells his story...

Above the Street
Augustus Vargas hustled life on the streets until he decided it was time to get a life.

By Augustus Vargas

I started selling pot at 7th and Market when I was jobless and behind on rent. The plan was to sell in the morning, take a break, fill out job applications, sell some more in the evening, and call it a night. My goal: make enough money to breathe and then fly straight.

It didn't work out that way.

Listen to his whole story here

Curbed Mid-Market vs Russian Hill

2011-12-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

Looks like mid-market could use some serious vote getting!

CURBED CUP 2011

Curbed Cup First Round: (2) Mid-Market vs. (15) Russian Hill

Thursday, December 15, 2011, by Sally Kuchar

The Curbed Cup, our award to the San Francisco neighborhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 'hoods competing for a glorious JPEG of an illustrated trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and full tournament bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends in the wee hours the next morning. Let the eliminations commence!...

Read more and vote here

[Market Street Blooms via Sergio/russian hill via Jason Rosete]

Illegal Hotel Conversions Sweep San Francisco

2011-12-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

BEYONDCHRON SPECIAL REPORT: Illegal Hotel Conversions Sweep San Francisco
by Randy Shaw‚ Dec. 12‚ 2011

Residential hotels across San Francisco are openly operating as illegal tourist lodgings, depriving legitimate tourist hotels of business and removing nearly one thousand units from the rental market as demand for housing skyrockets. Lawbreakers increasingly rely on Internet web sites to steer illegal business to their hotels, flagrantly and brazenly violating restrictions on tourist rentals that have been in effect since 1979. In 1990, the Tenderloin Housing Clinic (THC) sued and obtained preliminary injunctions against over two dozen hotels engaged in illegal tourist rentals. Hotel after hotel then filed lawsuits to challenge restrictions on tourist rentals, a process culminating in a decisive victory for San Francisco in the California Supreme Court. The ruling, combined with a declining tourist economy, largely eliminated illegal conversions, but the situation has dramatically changed. A THC investigation (THC publishes Beyond Chron) in recent weeks has found that hotels across the city are operating as if no restrictions on tourist rentals existed. THC has filed suits against four hotels in the past two weeks, with many others being prepared. But civil lawsuits have their limitations. The District Attorney’s office must prosecute blatant violators for unfair business practices, and activists should initiate ongoing protests in front of hotels with a long history of illegal conversions to deter tourist business.

Read full article here

SF gets low marks for homeless care

2011-12-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

Legal advocates give San Francisco low marks for penalizing homeless people

T.J. Johnston SF Public Press

— Dec 8 2011 - 4:34pm

A national homeless advocacy organization says San Francisco continues to make criminals out its homeless population. The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty reported recently that the city and several other communities across the country penalize homeless people for behaviors related to their lack of housing.

The Washington, D.C.-based group studied 234 U.S. jurisdictions, finding that San Francisco places prohibitions on 10 of 14 behaviors. Another local advocacy group recently graded San Francisco with a “D” for its policing efforts.

The report, released in November, listed some of the most often cited prohibitions: sitting and lying on sidewalks, loitering, camping, sleeping, bathing and begging for money in public places.

In response to the law center’s report, a representative of the city-run court that specializes in diverting homeless people who are cite for so-called quality-of-life violations said the city is providing alternatives to punishment.

But not all organizations who work with homeless populations say the city’s efforts are sufficient. The San Francisco-based Coalition on Homelessness said the city is getting lower marks than two years ago in using law enforcement on its unhoused San Franciscans.

A.C.T. Opens New Performance Space in Mid-Market Neighborhood

2011-12-11T15:14:00.001-08:00

A.C.T. Opens New Performance Space in Mid-Market Neighborhood

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is proud to open a new performance space, The Costume Shop. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee helped celebrate this momentous occasion at the opening celebration event, which took place today from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and was attended by A.C.T.’s family of artists and supporters, as well as representatives from numerous arts organizations around the Bay Area. Located at 1117 Market Street (at 7th Street) in the heart of San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood in the space below A.C.T.’s longtime costume shop, this flexible, 49-seat venue will be home to an eclectic lineup of professional and A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program productions. Solidifying A.C.T.’s presence in the rapidly developing and artistically vibrant Mid-Market neighborhood, The Costume Shop will connect A.C.T. to a community with a long, rich history as a center for the arts in San Francisco. Also available for rent, The Costume Shop will enable A.C.T. to partner with exciting local artists and performing arts companies, propelling the creation of transformative new work for years to come. With approximately 2,400 square feet, including a lobby space, backstage area, and dressing rooms, and located only steps from the Civic Center BART and MUNI stations, The Costume Shop is an ideal black-box theater and a very exciting addition to A.C.T.’s performance venues. The Costume Shop is made possible by a generous grant from The James Irvine Foundation. For more information on The Costume Shop and for a list of upcoming productions, please visit www.act-sf.org/costumeshop.

Read more: http://sanfrancisco.broadwayworld.com/article/ACT-Opens-New-Performance-Space-in-Mid-Market-Neighborhood-20111207#ixzz1gGrE6W6I

Multicultural Holiday Celebration and Finale Bash

2011-12-02T17:45:00.001-08:00

Re-posting from the San Francisco Arts Commission:

Arts Market SF: Multicultural Holiday Celebration and Finale Bash

Where: U.N. Plaza, Market Street between 7th and 8th streets
When: Thursday, December 15, 11 – 4 p.m.
Cost: FREE

: Clagnin & Bagnin

: Fogo Na Roupa

The day will commemorate the San Francisco Arts Market 2011 season and welcome the holidays with tremendous music and dance performances. Powerful music will represent the cultural diversity that surrounds United Nations Plaza, and celebrate all the participants and supporters of this year’s market.

Performance line up and details:

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. : Clangin & Bangin – Two guys armed with an upright piano and a drum kit playing the blues, boogie-woogie and honky-tonk.

12 – 1 p.m. : Fogo na Roupa (Afro-Brazilian Carnaval DaDance and Percussion) is an award-winning Brazilian Carnaval dance and percussion company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fogo na Roupa encompasses a diverse community of dancers, musicians and carnavalescos rooted in the study of Afro-Brazilian dance and percussion. Mestre Aceituno developed one of the largest carnaval contingents (up to 200 dancers and drummers) that won multiple San Francisco Carnaval Grand Championships.

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. : TBD

2:45 – 3:45 p.m. : Adelante! (Salsa band) is a Mission-based band featuring salsa and other Latin rhythms. The band is led by Suzanne Cortez.

Busy day for Central Market News

2011-12-01T19:08:00.001-08:00

today around the blogs...

From SFGate:

Mayor Ed Lee offers Mid-Market revival strategy

San Francisco's struggling Mid-Market area, plagued by rampant crime, soaring unemployment and empty storefronts and offices, will be the focus of a plan designed to revitalize one of the city's most visible commercial districts.
Read more:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/30/RVD21M6AJ3.DTL#ixzz1fLM9qRVx

From Central Market Partnership :

The new Economic Strategy Plan

http://centralmarketpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CentralMarketEconomicStrategy.pdf

From the SF ARTS Commission:

“Lights on Market Street” report released

In partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission, nonprofit Public Architecture has released a beautifully designed report titled, Lights on Market Street: A Case Study on Arts and Cultural Revitalization Initiatives. The report chronicles and contextualizes the Arts Commission’s 2010 “Lights on Market Street” initiative–a temporary public art installation aimed at revitalizing a blighted section of a prominent artery through downtown San Francisco. Edited by Amy Ress, the report was designed by Cynthia Garcia and is now available for free download as an illustrated PDF, here.

http://www.publicinterestdesign.org/2011/11/30/lights-on-market-street-report-released/

From SF Weekly:

Urban Solutions Hopes to Bring More

Restaurants to Mid-Market

The ~~somewhat~~ beleaguered Mid-Market is attempting a culinary comeback. Or so we've been told for quite some time. However, with the recent additions of AQ at 7th street and Mission and Pearl's Deluxe Burgers at Market and Golden Gate, it looks like it just might be possible, and Urban Solutions is the non-profit behind much of this. Urban Solutions works to get business up and running in the area, and receives funding from city agencies, banks, and local corporations. Working with similar agencies, they help secure leases, construction, and financing for business looking to call the the Mid-Market area home.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2011/11/urban_solutions_hopes_to_bring.php

Mayor Lee and the Central Market Holiday Party

2011-11-30T22:25:00.001-08:00

We had a great shoot today with Amy Cohen from the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development and then we were off to the Central Market Partnership's holiday party. What a cool surprise when San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee used this opportunity to announce the new Central Market Economic Strategy. We were the only video camera on-site and our film will include this exclusive footage (and through the generosity of the Mayor and his press secretary, we also recorded a personal interview just for the film!)

Dan's exclusive interview with Mayor Lee

Alexander Quinn

Darryl Smith (left) of the Luggage Store Gallery

JD Beltran from the SF Arts Commission with Mayor Ed Lee

Mayor Lee announcing the Central Market Economic Strategy

Our cameraperson Erin filming the Mayor as JD Beltran looks on

Mayor Lee with Jordan Klein from the Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development

Shannon Amitin (left) from farm:table announcing his new central Market Street location, Carolyn Diamond, Executive Director of the Market Street Association, David Addington of the Warfield (right)

Phil Jaber of Philz Coffee chatting with the Mayor and also announcing a new location in central Market Street

James Hanusa (left) of Burning Man

The Bold Italic Spends 24 Hours at 6th and Market

2011-11-23T17:00:00.001-08:00

This was done last year (June2010) and shows how quickly things are changing in the area (or not?). Either way it's a great piece and we are grateful to have these folks at "the Bold Italic " around....

most infamous intersections and one of its least understood. People from all walks of life cross paths here, but most don’t intermingle. The neighborhood is mostly known for its gritty liquor stores, strip clubs, and SROs, but the landscape is changing dramatically with pioneering restaurants, cutting edge galleries, and revitilization efforts taking hold. On Saturday, June 5th, to get a better sense of what the intersection is really like, locals from The Bold Italic decided to stay a while – for 24 hours in fact. They captured their experiences on video and in the vignettes below.... read the entire article here

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe moving to Sixth Street

2011-11-22T17:42:00.001-08:00

This is great news for the revival efforts!! Dottie's is an institution...

...and maybe I can actually get a table before everyone knows where they are.

From SFGATE

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe moving to Sixth Street

Posted on 11/22/2011 at 4:32 pm by Paolo Lucchesi in Closures

Passion Cafe. Photo: The Chronicle

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe has remained one of the city’s most popular destinations for people who like to wait in line for brunch, due in part to its cozy environs and tourist-friendly proximity to Union Square hotels. Now owner Kurt Abney is rolling the dice by eliminating both of those assets.

According to Tablehopper, Abney — who has been looking for a new location since summertime — is taking his famous pancakes to Sixth Street. He’s moving Dottie’s to Passion Cafe, the ill-fated French bistro that opened in February 2010 in a beautifully restored building on Sixth Street between Mission and Market. C.W. Nevius has chronicled the difficulties of Passion Cafe in its year on the troubled block.

No definitive word on when the Dottie’s move or Passion Cafe closure will take place, but it looks like the first half of December. The new space is (at least) twice as big, which in theory should be very good news for Dottie’s line-waiters. But the key issue, as with all restaurant moves, is how well it translates. Stay tuned.

Scoop’s calls to Mr. Abney over the last few weeks have gone unreturned; sadface.

Mid-Market Art Project Open Call for Artists

2011-11-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

More Information on their Facebook Event Page

Mid-Market mogul: How Urban Realty quietly cornered San Francisco’s troubled main drag

2011-11-21T08:53:00.001-08:00

Reposting from SF Public Press

Mid-Market mogul: How Urban Realty quietly cornered San Francisco’s troubled main drag

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Angela Hart

SF Public Press

— Jul 7 2010 - 5:16pm

Update: Urban Realty is currently taking bids from prospective tenants for CityPlace, the mid-level retail mall that will be located on Market Street between Fifth and Sixth streets — after the San Francisco Planning Commission voted 5-2 in favor of the project late last week.

The vote came after a seven-year saga of garnering public approval from neighborhood groups, area businesses and citywide activists by the project’s developer, Urban Realty.

The two dissenting votes came from Commissioners Kathrin Moore and Hisashi Sugaya.

David Rhoades surveys his 2,500-square-foot retail space behind the boarded-up storefront at 925 Market St., on the mostly abandoned block just west of Fifth. The property’s interior is beautifully restored. The smell of fresh paint wafts through the air. Its walls are all exposed brick; the third-story floor-to-ceiling windows overlook Market Street. Outside, it’s barren. Rhoades acknowledges that the street scene is “derelict,” a haven for crime and homelessness.

Full article here

CityPlace: Urban Realty plans to complete construction of 250,000 square feet of retail space on Market Street by 2010. Rendering courtesy of Urban Realty Co., Inc.

2011-11-18T08:06:00.001-08:00

Today's SFGate is reporting that:
Hearst plans major development around Chronicle

The San Francisco city block that houses The Chronicle's headquarters would be transformed with new offices, housing and small public plazas under plans that the Hearst Corp. and developer Forest City filed with the city on Thursday.

The historic Chronicle building at the corner of Fifth and Mission streets would stay, and the paper's newsroom would probably remain there. But the adjacent former Examiner building on Fifth Street, which is not considered historic, would be replaced with an office tower slightly higher than the InterContinental hotel across the street.

Forest City wants to turn the site into a home for the young tech companies that San Francisco is trying hard to attract and keep. They would share the space with arts organizations - some of which are already housed in the Chronicle building - and small retail shops. A public space on the Chronicle rooftop and a small plaza on the block's interior would give residents and workers spots to relax and meet.

Read the full article here

6th Street Photo Workshop

2011-11-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

Dan and I spent some time today meeting with Tom Ferentz and Renee Jones at the 6th Street Photography Workshop. What an amazing project and such beautiful photography. They started out in the early 90's and are still bringing great art instruction to the people of the Tenderloin area. We may use some of their work from the early days of 6th and Market in the film. Watch this space for more info about that...

...but in the meantime, they have a show coming up on December 1st at 49 Geary that is not to be missed. Click on the Corden Potts Gallery image below for details.

Will three be a crowd in San Francisco's Mid-Market?

2011-11-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

Angelo Sangiacomo’s Trinity Properties wasted no time in kicking off phase two of his 1,900-unit Trinity Place project. And it’s a good thing, because if he had, he might feel Crescent Heights and AvalonBay breathing down his neck.

Sangiacomo’s next phase of Trinity Place, 417 units, is currently a rather profound hole at 1169 Mission St. “We are down to the bottom of our hole and starting with out test pile program,” said Walter Schmidt, the chief financial officer of Trinity Properties.

Read the entire article from SF BusinessTimes

Galvanize

2011-11-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Looks like this could be a great event!

Click on the image for details

Mint Condition

2011-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

MINT CONDITION
IS THE PREMIER ART EXHIBIT
FOR THE FINE ARTISTS OF THE MIDMA DISTRICT ON THE SLOT (AKA MARKET STREET)
AT THE
OLD SAN FRANCISCO MINT
88 5TH STREET
ON
NOVEMBER 5TH AND 6TH 2011
11AM TO 4PM

MINT CONDITION
IS AN EXHIBIT OF ART
GARNISHED WITH NON-STOP
WONDERFUL LIVE PERFORMANCES OF MUSIC, POETRY AND DANCE

Ma’Velous Coffee and Wine Bar San Francisco Toasts Zendesk’s Arrival to Area

2011-10-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) October 20, 2011

Zendesk is on the move. The rapidly growing cloud-based helpdesk software company has prepared to nearly double its San Francisco workforce this year by moving to a much larger office space at 989 Market Street. Ma’Velous, the fashionable San Francisco wine bar, is offering its employees a warm welcome with 20% off their tabs until the end of 2011.

Read the full article here

Artist Open Call - Art Can Feed

2011-10-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

Ramon's Tailor is one of the arts organizations that are contributing to the restoration efforts of mid-market. (which of-course is the subject of our film) This looks like a great opportunity for artists to represent and feed the hungry as well.

Have your work showcased in the “Art Can Feed” installation at Ramon’s Tailor in November and help feed the 197,000 people in San Francisco who struggle each day to feed themselves and their families. After the show the art will be deconstructed and all of the food will be donated to the St. Anthony’s Foundation.

Things to know:

Proposal must use at least one nonperishable food can or package which will be donated to St. Anthony’s after the show.
Any can/package labels must be unaltered/legible in order for donated items to be placed on pantry shelves within the St. Anthony’s, Social Work Center Pantry.
Email a PDF of your idea (including dimensions and media) to hello@ramonstailor.com.
Top foods in need are canned meats like tuna, chicken, ham and spam; peanut butter; canned soups; canned fruits; and top ramen.
Entry fee: None

Deadline for Proposals: Friday, October 21, 2011, 5:30pm.

Selected entrants will be announced on Tuesday, October 25th.
Proposal/Artwork selected for exhibition is to be dropped off Sunday, October 30 from 3-5pm (site-specific installations may be given special days and times)
Show opens Thursday, November 3rd and runs through Sunday, November 27.

Reference:
The St. Anthony’s Foundation is celebrating 60 years of feeding, healing, sheltering and clothing San Franciscans in need. Their supplemental pantry is unique in that it is set up like grocery store and eligible residents of the Tenderloin and South of Market can pick items directly from the shelves versus getting a pre-packed bag of food. Those eligible include families with at least 1 child under 18 living with them; individuals with a nutritionally related illness (diabetes, cancer, HIV, AIDS, etc.) pregnant women, and seniors 60+. If eligible, clients are able to shop 6 times a year. Learn more about the St. Anthony’s Foundation at:www.stanthonysf.org

Some ideas to get you going click here

ABOUT Ramon's Tailor (from their site)

Ramon’s Tailor is an art storefront dedicated to promoting visual art through salons, installations, artist-in-residence programs, and workshops. Our programs make the creative process approachable and fun and provide an environment that embraces nontraditional, multi-disciplinary work by up-and-coming artists. At Ramon’s Tailor we encourage the community to gather and see, critique and create, and learn and explore.

Ramon’s Tailor is a former tailor shop that was transformed in July 2011 into a small, volunteer-run artists’ clubhouse in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. The space exists where Union Square and a dense, low-rent district converge—a socially and economically diverse neighborhood, where for the next two years we will be another anchor in an emerging arts’ district.

Ramon’s Tailor creates an unintentional community of creative people. We are a resource to artists living within the 50-block Tenderloin neighborhood, but our offerings reach much farther into the Bay Area. Our salons and workshops bring together creatives from diverse backgrounds to collaborate, cross-pollinate, and learn. This space provides artists with a public venue to experiment and showcase their work without commercial restrictions. Our uniquely, intimate, subterranean studio is always open to interaction through a large vitrine window—stop by and see what we are up to.

At Ramon’s Tailor, we are inspired and motivated by underrepresented and nontraditional art forms. We aim to encourage those making art by providing criticism and inspiration along with a physical space to create work with atypical parameters.

2011-10-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Noontime Dance Series starts October 25th at UN Plaza!

The San Francisco Arts Commission’s ARTery Project presents a lively series of interactive dance and musical performances created in partnership with Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.

For three consecutive Tuesdays this fall, the public is encouraged to head down to U.N. Plaza where everyone can enjoy delicious bites courtesy of Off the Grid and shake a tail feather to Latin and Caribbean beats. Tuesday, October 25 features high-energy Brazilian dance and live percussion by Fogo na Roupa; onTuesday, November 1, former Carnaval SF Queen Elizabeth Soberanes will teach her popular Latin Dance Grooves class, featuring a variety of Latin rhythms; and on Tuesday, November 8, folks can enjoy live Haitian drumming and dance with the Afoutayi Dance Company. All performances will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Audience participation is strongly encouraged

Reposted from: Central Market Partnership

Dance on Market

2011-10-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

World Music Night with Julia Chigamba and the Chinyakare Ensemble

And Special Guest Performance…

Thursday, October 13th 5pm to 8pm

Free African dance class & live musical performances in UN Plaza, with special guest performance by Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program!

5pm: Pre-reception with free appetizers and refreshments from neighborhood restaurants! The Beach, UC-Hastings Law School, 200 McAllister St (at Hyde).

(Mention Dance on Market at entrance, show UC-Hastings student ID or RSVP below for entry. $5 donations will be accepted.)

6pm: FREE Traditional Zimbabwean Dance Class and Musical Performance with Julia Chigamba and the Chinyakare Ensemble.

*Special guest performance by Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program!

(Have your hand-stamped at UN Plaza during the show for a free drink at the post-reception!)

7pm: Post-reception and Central Market Mixer at Market Street Grill. 1231 Market Street (8th and Market).

2 Blocks of Art - Art Walk

2011-10-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 14
4–8 p.m.
Sixth Street between Market and Howard

Urban Solutions’ 2 Blocks of Art takes place on Sixth Street between Market and Howard. The art walk showcases a neighborhood rich in culture and well known for its cutting edge arts community. The event draws a record number of people to the Sixth Street corridor; features, like musicians playing in a Laundromat and a fashion designer exhibiting in an optometry office, make this event truly unique!

2 Blocks of Art is bookended by well-known Luggage Store gallery at one end, and 1st Amendment gallery (1:AM) at the other. Over 50 artists exhibit in 25 locations – all within 2 blocks!

More info here

2011-10-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

24 Days of Central Market Arts Continues!

Posted on Monday, October 10th, 2011 on SF ARTS MARKET

Thursday, October 13th (11am-4pm) – 24 Days of Central Market Arts, SF Arts Market and The Songbird Fall Music Series Present ~

Mid-Market Music Affair in the Plaza

SF Arts Market is excited to partner with The Songbird Festival, hosting another performance day as a satellite venue for the 24 Days of Central Market Arts Festival in United Nations Plaza (Market@7th) this week. The day will pack in live music performance from 11am-4pm with a superb line-up of local talent. This event is FREE to the public, so don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy live, local artists in the heart of the city! For details... click on the image

Reclaiming Market Street

2011-10-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video (shot on my Android phone) of one of the "art interventions" along Market Street on Oct. 8, 2011, part of the "Reclaim Market Street" project.

Donate

2011-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

We will most likely hold a formal fundraising period and marketing event but since the Film Society was so kind to create a "donate" page and as our fiscal sponsor will administer the funds - feel free to jump in. Just click the logo to start

Reclaim Market Street! Sidewalk Intervention

2011-10-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

This looks like a very cool artist intervention. It's free. Go play!

Saturday, October 8, 2011
1:00 pm

Image credit: Colleen McHugh, SPUR

How can we redefine the social life of the sidewalk? Amid the hustle and bustle of commerce and business, how do we slow to the pace of conversation, interaction or reflection? Can we create places to sit, make or play? This free one-day event will explore these questions through a series of artists interventions along Market Street.

more details here:

Reclaim Market Street! Sidewalk Intervention

Central Market Economic Strategy

2011-10-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Got some time on your hands? Want to feel like your voice is being heard?

The Office of Economic & Workforce Development, in partnership with Supervisor Jane Kim, is currently conducting extensive research and community engagement that will result in the creation of an economic strategy for the Central Market district. OEWD’s goal is to identify which economic development programs and policies would be most effective for revitalizing the Central Market district while supporting the neighborhood’s current residents and communities. The strategy will help to guide economic development investments and efforts by the City as well as its nonprofit- and private-sector partners.

Here is a quick survey ...or not so quick if you answer all the questions - but they come in blocks six so while you're waiting for the MUNI bus that never comes.... Central Market Survey

Beginnings of a Transformation in Mid-Market

2011-10-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

As arts organizations move in, a cultural flavor has begun to emanate from the neighborhood

By REYHAN HARMANCI on October 6, 2011 - 9:45 p.m. PDT

Source: The Bay Citizen (http://s.tt/13rSf)

While Hal Fischer, interim director of S.F. Camerawork, pondered his organization’s move to the Mid-Market district, he conducted an experiment. About three months ago, he went to an 11 p.m. event at the nearby Luggage Store gallery and intentionally parked his car on Sixth and Market, a notoriously troubled block in the midst of one of the city’s most crime-ridden areas.

“It did not feel dangerous,” Fischer said. “It didn’t even feel unsavory. More than anything, it seemed eccentric. And I noticed a lot of tourists.”

Read the rest of the article here Beginnings of a Transformation in Mid-Ma rket - The Bay CitizenSource: The Bay Citizen (http://s.tt/13rSf)

Urbanstreet Films

Logoman to the rescue

Mid Riff Highlights Arts Revival in Central Market

Coming to a dinner party near you

Meet A Microhood: Mid Riff

What a week for Central Market Street!

Mid-Market pioneer files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

San Francisco Business Times by J.K. Dineen, Reporter

IDENTIFYING'IDLE' SPACES ON MARKET STREET

On the passing of Bingham Ray

Like many in our community we were shocked and saddened by this news. As many of you know, the San Francisco Film Society is our Fiscal Sponsor and so we have a rather close attachment to the organization. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Mr. Ray's family and close friends at SFFS.

Indie Film Veteran Bingham Ray Dies At Sundance

Dottie's Day 2 - Line around the corner

Saturday, January 21. 2012

DOTTIE'S FIRST LINE ON 6TH STREET

Dottie's Opens Friday!!

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe unveils new Sixth Street location this week

What do you want to see on Mid-Market Street?

Reposting from the art collective warmbaby

wouldn't it be nice.. a mid market street proposal

We want to know what you think should be build in the derelict spaces in San Francisco's mid Market Street. No holds barred. All (clean) fantasies accepted.

New content and new voices

Call for Mid-Market Artists

Central Market Mixer

Central Market Mixer

Private sector funding for redevelopment?

Ed Lee seeks to preserve affordable housing without redevelopment

E-ticket!

GAFFTA's founder talks about building community

Interview: Peter Hirshberg And San Francisco's Innovative Gray Area Foundation For The Arts

Oh, the Places You'll Go at Burning Man!

Police substation funding up in the air

Mid-Market police substation funding up in the air

Chris Daly back on Board of Supes?

CA Supreme Court Kills Revelopment

State wins right to abolish redevelopment agencies

Welcome to San Francisco Mr. Ray

Bingham Ray brings indie force to SF Film Society

Central Market @ Work For You

Above the Street

Curbed Mid-Market vs Russian Hill

Curbed Cup First Round: (2) Mid-Market vs. (15) Russian Hill

Illegal Hotel Conversions Sweep San Francisco

SF gets low marks for homeless care

Legal advocates give San Francisco low marks for penalizing homeless people

A.C.T. Opens New Performance Space in Mid-Market Neighborhood

A.C.T. Opens New Performance Space in Mid-Market Neighborhood

Multicultural Holiday Celebration and Finale Bash

Re-posting from the San Francisco Arts Commission:

Busy day for Central Market News

Mayor Ed Lee offers Mid-Market revival strategy

Urban Solutions Hopes to Bring More

Mayor Lee and the Central Market Holiday Party

The Bold Italic Spends 24 Hours at 6th and Market

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe moving to Sixth Street

Dottie’s True Blue Cafe moving to Sixth Street

Mid-Market Art Project Open Call for Artists

Mid-Market mogul: How Urban Realty quietly cornered San Francisco’s troubled main drag

Reposting from SF Public Press

Mid-Market mogul: How Urban Realty quietly cornered San Francisco’s troubled main drag

6th Street Photo Workshop

Will three be a crowd in San Francisco's Mid-Market?

Galvanize

Mint Condition

Ma’Velous Coffee and Wine Bar San Francisco Toasts Zendesk’s Arrival to Area

Artist Open Call - Art Can Feed

Tuesday Noontime Dance Series starts October 25th at UN Plaza!

Dance on Market

2 Blocks of Art - Art Walk

24 Days of Central Market Arts Continues!

Reclaiming Market Street

Donate

Reclaim Market Street! Sidewalk Intervention

Reclaim Market Street! Sidewalk Intervention

Central Market Economic Strategy

Beginnings of a Transformation in Mid-Market

IDENTIFYING

'IDLE' SPACES

ON MARKET STREET