Oh yes oh yes, it's time for that annual spree of navel-gazing in which we count down our biggest stories of the year, measured in traffic, comments, likes and tweets.
These are the stories that garnered the most attention, caused the most fuss, or tickled your collective funnybones the most in 2013.
Today, number three.
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Back in August, cryptic messages started appearing on storefronts lining the block of Divisadero between Hayes and Grove. It turns out that Absolut Vodka had leased wall space from property owners up and down the block, and would soon unleash a week-long mural project featuring two dozen artists from SF, NY, and LA.
Many commenters took issue with the corporate takeover of the block ("Your home shouldn't be someone else's commercial") and the presence of security guards protecting the site ("They were dressed in military garb, two had guns and were acting shady"). However, others expressed appreciation for the effort ("The Harding Theater actually does not look like a dump for a couple days," "More street art = good," "At least it will be a fun event!").
When the art was unveiled on August 25th, the quality of the art itself was another topic of contention. Order was restored by September 5th, when most of the murals were removed as scheduled. But the comments kept coming for weeks thereafter.
Relive this strange, brief disturbance on Divisadero by reading our third-biggest story of 2013.
And while you're at it, check out our number threes from previous years:
2012: The Incredible Case of the Infamous Lower Haight Abortion Mill
2011: Massive Fire Above Walgreens at Haight and Fillmore
2010: Bi-Rite Coming to Divisadero
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