In this episode:
1:28: I recently bought my wedding suit at SF Centre, making me a rare customer at the dying mall frequently cited in “doom loop” narratives about downtown
2:49: As visits to SF Centre have plunged, retailers have stampeded for the exits
4:29: Housing? College campus? Soccer stadium? Many ideas have been floated on what to do with SF Centre, but none have gotten traction. Issues over financing and control of the property make change even harder
7:40: Stonestown Galleria, like SF Centre, opened in the late ’80s, and has had its share of ups and downs
9:08: Setting Stonestown apart these days is its reputation as a “foodie paradise”—particularly for inexpensive but trendy Asian food
11:08: There are big plans for Stonestown as a solution to SF’s housing shortage, too—but the timeline that’s been proposed is disappointing
13:08: A Hayes Valley bakery that opened in fall 2022 makes my most-consumed pastry of late (but I’ll tell you where else you can find it!)
Some other things:
The CGV movie theater on Van Ness lost $54 million in just 18 months?! (I saw Dune and Top Gun 2 there, but it was always pretty empty...) | CEO says he was “chased” with a “Glock”; SFPD and security footage confirm he just heard fireworks. | Good news (except for bippers): “San Francisco car break-ins are lowest in two decades”. | The Market St. Safeway has the City’s last large neon billboard, but its days are numbered. | “40 arrests, 0 charges”—the Mayor and SFPD hyped a big drug raid, but did it have any impact? | Supe Walton: “Mayor Lurie is an oligarch… who does not care about collaboration.” | Steph Curry scraps Dogpatch HQ project. | Pacifica Taco Bell gets a glow-up.
Exhibits:
ICYMI:
Episode 4: “Tahanan” — The new mayor gets “unprecedented” powers; a novel approach to affordable housing; incredible smashburgers
Episode 3: “Homi-slide” — SF has a new mayor; a deep dive into the City’s 2024 crime statistics; a new pop-up’s modern take on pan dulce
Episode 2: “Follow the Money” — SF’s $876 million budget deficit shock; how the City gets revenue and spends money; a favorite casual Lebanese eatery
Episode 1: “The Mayor & the Supes” — An intro to SF Works; the role of the Mayor and Board of Supervisors; an incredible Mission sandwich spot
Programming note:
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