Tag: glen park

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

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:

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.