Author: Jeff Diehl

Lonely Planet Writer Talks San Francisco vs. New York

One Mr. Robert Reid has posted a brief article and video on the Lonely Planet website comparing “USA’s great two cities.”

I’ve never lived in NYC, so I can’t weigh in on this definitively (I’ll leave it to broke-ass stuart), although I’ve done my share of visiting and have always had a great time there. (Also, I’m afraid to say anything bad because NYC will probably overhear me, jump out of an alleyway, and punch me in the face.)

But that won’t stop me from making snarky comments about Reid’s San Francisco analysis. He makes it a little too easy with this summary of his video:

I identified four key ways that the scale of goodness tips to the West Bay, including better coffee, airport transfers and subway maps — plus a far healthier connection to preserving the past.

In the video, he mentions BART’s “cute map.” Man, really? I hope he’s being sarcastic here, but I fear he’s serious. BART can afford to have a cute map because it’s such a sorry excuse for a subway that it hardly even requires one. This empty praise serves only to make BART feel better about itself than it should, prolonging any kind of meaningful improvement. So, thanks LP.

He says “Mission burritos” are “much better” because they have “more foil.” I’m not sure what he’s comparing these to, because, do people eat burritos in NYC? I’m sure they do, but I’ve never heard a New Yorker try to claim theirs are better.

In the end, Reid does what a writer for a travel site predictably must do when comparing two major destination cities: hedges. While spending all his time talking about “positive” SF stuff, his final words are, “but is San Francisco BETTER than New York City? No.”

Maybe I’m not the only one intimidated by NYC’s tough-guy status.

The Week on Twitter, 2010-04-02

San Francisco Streetcars Rusting in Missouri

San Francisco Streetcars Rusting in Missouri
Photo by Scott Tiek

This is a twisted tale of sequential tragedies ending in this snow-bound cemetery for historic San Francisco light rail cars. Well, the cars supposedly originated in St. Louis back in 1946 before coming to SF in 1950s, so they’ve sort of come home to die (though the shot above was taken in St. Charles, MO).

Along the way, the streetcars did a stint in South Lake Tahoe.

I’ll let the reader navigate the ins and outs of this story, but it involves lots of snow, streetcars as sushi bars, pre-recession business deals, and oxidized metals.

The one upside: the photography.

(Spotted @)

“Nuthin’ Eva Move But Da Money”

Street hustler “DaVinci” raps his lament about the degradation of his turf in Western Addition/Fillmore. Use headphones, there’s naughty language (the video is SFW).

Before you dismiss the lifestyle when you hear, “Used to sell ice, weed, coke all night there / now they got cameras and the po-po right there” – learn a little about the history of West Addy. It won’t kill you.

I moved from the Divis/Grove area of the neighborhood in 2005 and it was still one of the rare San Francisco spots where middle-class African-Americans owned homes alongside non-black yuppies. But even then, dopenomics and gang turf disputes generated gun deaths and regular high-speed police chases.

What’s it like these days? Current residents speak up in the comments.

(Spotted @)

Dorothy Erskine Park Exists

Dorothy Erskine Park Exists, San Francisco

If you’ve ever walked up Bosworth from the Glen Park BART station, you’ve probably glanced at the little cliffside pictured above. You see that strip of greenery on top? It marks the edge of one of the city’s lesser-known parks, named after an early advocate of open urban spaces.


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The number one reason to peel off on your way to Glen Canyon Park, or slip over from the Sunnyside Conservatory and visit this little perch is for the South-facing view at the top amidst the charming miniature forest.

Coming in a close second, is bragging rights. I guarantee less than one percent of your local friends have ever heard of it. (My friend Steve gave me his Erskine “virginity” there on Saturday, and he lives just a few streets over.)

Oh, and there’s a tire swing:

Tire Swing, Dorothy Erskine Park, San Francisco

Name That Spot

Name That Spot, water tower of McLaren Park, San Francisco

So, it’s pretty obvious what the subject of this photo is. But can you guess where I shot it from? Do it in the comments. (Hi-res version)

UPDATE: This was maybe a bit unfair since it was taken from a spot that’s not a landmark of any kind. The fence that frames it runs along the South side of Monterey and I was, of course, facing South.


View Spots Unknown Map in a larger map

So Long, Saucy Joe

Saucy Joe, Glen Park, San Francisco

I’m sorry I happened across Saucy Joe on Saturday in Glen Park. Not because he’s anything other than friendly and knowledgeable, but because the day I’m publishing this is the last day you could’ve hired his roadside blade-sharpening services here in San Francisco.

And that’s a shame.

Food carts are a dime-a-dozen, but a guy in the back of a truck who will give your cutting implements a professionally-sharpened edge, while you wait? That’s worth carrying a jangly box of stainless steel outside on a sunny day.

Well, don’t go yanking your cutlery drawer out of its grooves just yet, cuz Saucy Joe’s leaving town, headed North towards Grass Valley. His plans were serenely vague as he answered my questions (such as the origins of the name – his kitchen language from his days as a chef), but it seems he will stay in the knife-sharpening biz in some way or another. Maybe.

Keep up with Joe on his website or his Twitter feed.

Oh, and as a final parting gift, Joe leaves you with some free sharpening tips:

Koko’s Kittens

Koko's Kittens

Koko the gorilla was born in the San Francisco Zoo, and is famous for learning sign language. The other thing she’s famous for is keeping pets – namely, kittens.

Below is video of Koko choosing a new pet kitten, donated by the San Francisco Humane Society, on March 10th. But while viewing this sweet scene, I noticed something that has me confused and a little bit concerned.

On YouTube alone, I see reference to at least 3 different kittens (All Ball, Moe, and Tigger), with zero videos of any adult cats.

Kittens are cuter than adult cats, I admit. But if Koko is ruthlessly going through these adorable little fuzzballs like so many living toys, I think that suggests something a lot of us might not be comfortable with.

Like, maybe kittens are as tasty as they are cute?

UPDATE: Eve at SF Appeal informs me of this:

Koko was very gentle with all of her cat friends.. She cared for her
kittens as she would her own tiny gorilla baby, cradling them gently
in her arms and carrying them on her back. She has never harmed them,
even when they scratch or bite, as kittens sometimes do.

Still, that quote reminds me of this:

Hillapalooza – an Urban Hike

Hillapalooza, Twin Peaks, San Francisco

If you’ve got half a day some weekend or holiday, and you like a moderately challenging hike, this easily-accessed, 4.5-mile route with a 900 ft. elevation means you don’t have to leave the city of San Francisco. Details after the jump…
Continue reading Hillapalooza – an Urban Hike

Hot, Adults Only Taxidermy Action

Adults Only Taxidermy Action, San Francisco

So this happened while in line for the rain forest at the California Academy of Sciences a few weeks back. It was a Thursday “adults only” Night Life event. I guess they’re “treating” a crow and some sort of falcon or small hawk. Video after the jump…
Continue reading Hot, Adults Only Taxidermy Action

Spot the Urban Coyote

Urban Coyote, San Francisco
Urban Coyote close up, San Francisco

I don’t usually have a need for a telephoto lens, but on Saturday while hiking across some of San Francisco’s biggest hilltops, I spotted a coyote in a park. It made me think more seriously about moving beyond my digital point and shoot camera, to SLR, with at least one good telephoto lens.

So, with tax refund season upon us, I guess I’m in the market for a <$1k rig. I've been looking at the Canon T1i and the Nikon D5000. Anyone have opinions on one or both of these? Are there other competitors in this class I should be tracking? Let me have it in the comments.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-13