It's impossible to walk past the northwest corner of Irving Street and 6th Avenue without noticing that things are a little different.

Until recently, a yellow swing hung from a tree. On a nearby lamp post, there's a mural of a simple astral design with the message, “Reach for the Stars.” Colorfully-painted benches are available to sit on while you ponder the animal figurines in the planter boxes, whimsical signs and other decorative artwork. 

This quirky corner was created and placed by a woman named Barbara, who wishes to be identified only by her first name. Barbara has lived in the neighborhood for over eight years and owns the house right on the corner. The whole thing began seven years ago, when she got permits from the city to install some planter boxes. 

After realizing that her gardening skills were not nearly as good as her artistic abilities, she started adding colorful details to liven up the drab planters. The swing and the mural were added about three years ago.

In addition to the art, Barbara maintains public bulletin boards on her fence as an analog means of keeping the neighbors in touch with each other and hosts neighborhood events in her backyard. Well known in the community, one neighbor referred to Barbara on NextDoor as "basically the mayor of the Inner Sunset."

Many neighbors appreciate the character that the corner lends to an otherwise quiet part of Irving that lies between UCSF to the east, and the busier commercial corridor to the west. At least one neighbor, however, is not a fan and complained to the city.

The Department of Public Works responded to the complaint, and while some of the decorations had been properly permitted and could remain, the swing and the mural had to go. The swing has already been removed, and the mural, which is on city property, will need to be painted over by April 12th in order to comply with the DPW directive.

There's has been a strong reaction by neighbors who would prefer to see the swing return and the mural preserved. Dozens of comments on NextDoor offer support of the artwork, and a Change.org petition has been created in order to get Supervisor London Breed involved. We contacted Supervisor Breed’s office, but were unable to get a comment on this issue in time for this article. The petition currently has more than 150 signatures.

According to Barbara, she painted the mural to add a bit of "sparkly optimism” to the neighborhood and is deeply moved by the neighborhood's support. “There is so much sadness in life that I look for joy and whimsy and color."