Some of the hottest stories in the neighborhood this week surrounded new developments that could bring major changes to the diverse, sprawling neighborhood that is SoMa.
Members of Bay Club SF Tennis weren't pleased to hear that new plans to turn the site into an office complex have been submitted to Planning. Clarifying the company's long-term plans in San Francisco, Bay Club's CEO told the San Francisco Business Times this week that, in addition to working with the developer on plans for a new fitness club at 645 Fifth St., the company has submitted an RFP to turn the Palace of Fine Arts into a recreation and social club with space for tennis, basketball, yoga and many other recreational activities. SF Tennis will close its SoMa doors in July 2017 at the earliest, but "when everything comes out in 2017, 2018, we’ll have increased the amount of recreation in San Francisco,” he said.
Another heavily debated development in the neighborhood: Eagle Plaza. Many Hoodline readers sounded off on Build Inc.'s plans to create a public plaza celebrating the neighborhood's leather community at 12th and Harrison. Read the details and share your $0.02 on the project here.
Meanwhile, the fierce debate over the four-acre 5M Project continues. Dylan Ruiz, a member of the South of Market Community Action Network, published an op-ed in the Examiner this week detailing how the development will displace the existing Filipino and working-class communities in the area.
Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, also spoke out on the topic, arguing that 5M is a direct result of the 32-story Intercontinental Hotel being allowed at the corner of Fifth and Howard Streets, which he says neighborhood activists did not oppose. "SOMA’s experience confirms my longtime adamant opposition to any upzoning of the Tenderloin, regardless of how meritorious the specific project. Once the door is opened—as it was for the InterContinental a decade ago—there is no turning back."
On a lighter note, let's talk food. The Chronicle reported today that 981 Mission St., which has stood empty for years, is bring transformed into a co-working space with a public cafe and wine/beer bar. The owners of the co-working company NextSpace are teaming up with Matt Semmelhack of Mercer Restaurant Group (AQ, Bon Marché) on the venture.
In other restaurant news, Eater reports that Bluestem Brasserie on Yerba Buena Lane has launched new lunch and dinner menus, packed with farmer’s market-inspired fare for fall.
Now that you're up to speed, here's a look at what's happening in the neighborhood this weekend — from Folsom Street fair pre- and post-parties to free cultural events in Yerba Buena Gardens.
Thursday, September 24th
ArtSpan's 'Get the Guide' Party
Blick Art Materials, 979 Market St.
5:30pm
Host Description: "Celebrate the release of the SF Open Studios 2015 Guide Magazine with ArtSpan staff and artist members. Join us for food, refreshments, and interactive activities provided by Blick Art Materials and Dr. Sketchy!"
Deli Board, 1058 Folsom St.
6-9pm
It's Gyro Night at Deli Board. Grab a Greek salad, gyro platter, or your favorite salad or sandwich from the regular Deli Board menu. BYOB.
TechShop, 926 Howard St.
7pm
Host Description: "Join TechShop SF for our September Ladies' Night. Enjoy wine and cheese while building your very own Arduino project. This is a 21+ event. No experience necessary."
Local Sirens: Fely Tchaco and Diana Gameros
Bindlestiff Studio, 185 6th St.
8pm
Host Description: "Local Sirens: Women in Music Series is a free, quarterly performance series curated by Women’s Audio Mission, with support from California Arts Council that features Bay Area women composers and musicians. The series promotes local women artists and provides high-quality, accessible music events to Bay Area residents and the SOMA/Central Market neighborhoods. In September, Local Sirens will feature performances and artist talks by two exceptional female artists: singer and songwriter Diana Gameros and Fely Tchaco, a songwriter, visual artist, fashion designer, and model from the Ivory Coast."
Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman: Time
Exploratorium, Pier 15, Kanbar Forum
8pm
Host Description: "Everyone knows what time is, based on the constant ticking of seconds, minutes, hours, and days. But our measured experiences of duration reveal only part of the picture. In 1905, Albert Einstein threw a monkey wrench into our perceptions of time and space. Explore his insights on a conceptual, non-mathematical level, and find out how you can age slower than your twin."
Next Level Thursdays with DJ Scene
Temple Nightclub, 540 Howard St.
10pm
Host Description: "Next Level Thursdays happens every week, featuring open format music on the main room, and some of the most in-demand performers weekly! With a futuristic new main room, unrivaled Void sound system, state of the art lights and visuals, and top-tier DJ talent, #TheNewTemple is the place to be if you’re looking for an unmatched nightlife experience."
Friday, September 25th
Pier 48
5pm
Host Description: "Fill your beer stein and get ready for nonstop drinking and dancing with revelers from across the Bay Area, while enjoying live music by the world-renowned, 21-piece Chico Bavarian Band."
Deli Board, 1058 Folsom St.
6-9pm
Description: It's Newish Night at Deli Board, featuring grilled rye sandwiches and other favorites from the Rye Project menu. BYOB.
Indie Music and Movies, Curated by Goh Nakamura
McCoppin Hub, Valencia & McCoppin Streets
6-10pm
Host Description: "Goh Nakamura is a singer, songwriter, musician, composer and actor. His music has been featured in films directed by Ridley Scott, such as A Good Year, American Gangster and Body of Lies. His track “Daylight Savings” also appears in the film Feast of Love. Nakamura made his acting debut in Dave Boyle’s award-winning film, Surrogate Valentine, where he played a fictionalized version of himself. The film screened at a number of festivals, including the SXSW Film Festival, and Nakamura won a Special Jury Prize for Acting from the Dallas International Film Festival for his performance."
SF Punk Renaissance: The Wild, Beautiful, and Eclectic Side of Punk
111 Minna
6:45pm
Host Description: "Dramatic, mesmerizing and mysterious, these legendary early era punk artists and bands never disappoint. The Toiling Midgets return with their swirling guitar sounds after a two-year hiatus. LA based The Deadbeats w/ Geza X unleash a night of stunning visual and sonic contrasts, Enigmatic genius Winston Tong with Lx Rudis mesmerize in a rare appearance and the iconic Alice Bag provides a stunning reading and musical performance. Marc Zegans premiers his book of poetry 'The Underwater Typewriter.' Performance Artist Jeorgia Anderson and Spoken Word artist Jennifer Blowdryer enthrall while L’Egregore rivets with their multimedia performance art. Many are returning to the stage after extended absences; this evening provides a rare opportunity to hear icons of the first era."
BeatBox, 314 11th St.
7pm
Host Description: "Come with your sense of humor, get ready to hoot and holler, because Red Hots Burlesque brings you the city’s best bump-and-grind at the happiest hour!"
Verso Soft Opening with DJ Enferno
1525 Mission St.
9pm-2am
Host Description: "Come party and turn up the heat at San Francisco's newest nightclub, VERSO!"
Harlot, 46 Minna St.
9pm
Host Description: "Matador is one of Richie Hawtin's top guys. His set at this year's Movement festival in Detroit really inspired us to bring him to SF. He has been playing the top parties in Ibiza from being a regular at Richie's ENTER party and playing with Jamie Jones at Paradise at DC10. Not to mention at festivals like Time Warp. Come hear why Matador has been voted to the Resident Advisor top 20 Live Acts poll 3 years in a row."
Public Works, 161 Erie St.
9pm
Host Description: "It's Bearracuda's largest party in the WORLD. With 1200+ furry faces at Public Works in San Francisco! Bearracuda Folsom Friday is back and we've got THE party to kick off Folsom Street Weekend. In the main room, is our special guest DJ, playing exclusively for Bearracuda - TONY MORAN."
The Factory, 525 Harrison St.
10pm
Host Description: "The 'MEN ONLY' official Friday Night Play Party of the Folsom Street Fair Weekend. Recon expands on their sleazy, Euro-style playroom, cruising maze and dungeon to build the atmosphere for what is sure to be one of the hottest fetish, kink and underground play parties during Folsom."
BeatBox, 314 11th St.
10pm
Host Description: "Be a part of this Folsom at Beatbox and help raise the heat as your Brüt Masters Dan Darlington and Peter Napoli once again deliver some of the worlds deepest, darkest yet fun and uplifting music experiences."
Saturday, September 26th
Market Street Railway Museum, 77 Steuart St
10am-5pm
Host Description: "Vintage buses will serve double duty as pop-up galleries featuring photos from the SFMTA Photo Archive. Climb aboard these free rolling galleries for a ride through time and around town. For Muni Heritage Weekend only, the vintage buses will run special, free exhibition rides leaving from Market Street Railway approximately every 15 minutes."
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. (Hoodline advertiser)
11am
Host Description: "It’s time to celebrate community with a free, day-long festival of music, dance, film and interactive artistic and cultural activations from Bay Area Bold partners and festival participants. Featured performers include: Alliance for California Traditional Arts, AXIS Dance Company, Dance Brigade, Destiny Arts Center, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, Embodiment Project, Handful Players, Imagine Bus Project, Krista DeNio & CounterPULSE, Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble, Los Cenzontles, Sean Dorsey Dance, Youth Radio, Youth Speaks and more!"
Pier 48
11am
Host Description: "Fill your beer stein, and get ready for nonstop drinking and dancing with revelers from across the Bay Area, while enjoying live music by the world-renowned, 21-piece Chico Bavarian Band."
Valencia Street Collective Artisan Fair and Flea
McCoppin Hub, Valencia & McCoppin Streets
12-4:30pm
Host Description: "A special happening this Saturday featuring a live model. Artists of all walks are invited to take part in this event. Model Sonia Belliveau will don a series of costumes to enhance the imagination from 1-4pm."
1AM Gallery, 1000 Howard St.
12:30pm
Host Description: "This class thoroughly covers all the fundamentals you'll need to make your mark on the graffiti world through the study of stencils and wheat pasting. Whether you use your newfound knowledge for illicit activities or for decorating your apartment is up to you."
12th St & Harrison St.
2-10pm
Host Description: "DJs and dancing with the BAAAHS in the parking lot across the street from the SF Eagle, the day before Folsom."
Sushi-Making Class & Competition
Intersection for the Arts, 925 Mission St.
6pm
Host Description: "Team up with your friends for this one-of-a-kind sushi extravaganza, which begins with a traditional sushi-making class and ends with an Iron Chef-style sushi-making competition against other teams."
Slim's, 333 11th St.
8pm
Host Description: "The Dear Hunter are thrilled to announce the release details of their new album Act IV: Rebirth In Reprise, out September 4 on Cave & Canary Goods / Equal Vision Records. The release of Act IV marks the long-awaited continuation of the band’s six-album concept series chronicling the story of a boy at the turn of the century, only referred to as 'The Dear Hunter.'"
Sunday, September 27th
City Nights, 715 Harrison St.
4am-10am
Host Description: "Bring your friends and join the sexiest men from around the world at San Francisco’s epic afterhours dance party AFTERSHOCK. DJ ABEL returns to spin at his favorite party of the year joined by New York’s finest lights and visual artists, GUY SMITH and ROB MONTENEGRO with lasers by LASERONICS. The party starts at 4am, so set your alarm clock and get ready for AFTERSHOCK to take you on a magical journey of light and sound. AFTERSHOCK is the Official After Hours of Folsom Street Fair and our 20TH Anniversary."
Market Street Railway Museum, 77 Steuart St
10am-5pm
Host Description: "Vintage buses will serve double duty as pop-up galleries featuring photos from the SFMTA Photo Archive. Climb aboard these free rolling galleries for a ride through time and around town. For Muni Heritage Weekend only, the vintage buses will run special, free exhibition rides leaving from Market Street Railway approximately every 15 minutes."
Mission Rock Farmers Market Pop-Up
The Yard, 3rd St & Terry A Francois Blvd.
10am-2pm
Host Description: "Among the 25+ farmers, food crafters, and restaurants, we’ll be featuring 12 familiar faces from our 22-year-old Ferry Plaza Farmers Market community (Eatwell Farm, Tierra Vegetables, and Dirty Girl Produce, to name a few), and welcoming 15 new vendors, including a number of innovative first-generation farmers and women-owned businesses."
Fiery Yoga Flow to Hip-Hop Legends
District, 586 Sixth St.
10am
Host Description: "During this 50-minute, all-levels series, indulge in a fun, upbeat, fast-paced vinyasa flow. Your instructor turns up the heat and the music to offer an immersive mind-body-soul experience. The theme of this class is Hip Hop Legends: music from Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and more amp up the intensity and ensure a physically challenging and phenomenally fun practice."
Pier 48
11am
Host Description: "Fill your beer stein, and get ready for nonstop drinking and dancing with revelers from across the Bay Area, while enjoying live music by the world-renowned, 21-piece Chico Bavarian Band."
Folsom Street (8th-13th Streets)
11am-6pm
Host Description: "Located on historic Folsom Street, leather and fetish players from all over the world converge. With over 200 exhibitor booths showcasing fetish gear and toys, it’s a pig’s dream. Check out our massive live stage with top-name indie, electronic and alternative acts, our two huge dance areas spinning underground EDM, public play stations, and an erotic artists’ area with a sick and twisted performance stage. And, yes, you can still be naked, so avail yourself of our coat and clothes check areas as well!"
Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio
Esplanade, Yerba Buena Gardens, 773 Mission St.
1-2:30pm
Host Description: "American history turns into propulsive grooves and thrilling improvisation in the hands of Bay Area bassist/composer Marcus Shelby, a jazz master who knows that the past isn’t past. Commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio is his latest work for the powerhouse Marcus Shelby Orchestra (augmented by narrator and vocal ensemble: Tiffany Austin, Joe Bagale, Mujahid Abdul-Rashid, and Kennedy Shelby). Exploring the troubling persistence of the prison industrial complex and its baleful impact on communities of color, Prison Oratorio is Shelby’s latest musical meditation on contemporary American culture."
'Stirred, Not Shaken': Cocktail-Making Class with Forgery & PlumpJack
Forgery, 1525 Mission St.
3-5pm
Host Description: "James Bond may be a cool guy, but he doesn't know how to prepare a proper martini. In this first installment of our bartending demo series, we'll show you how to make perfectly crafted cocktails and send you home with your very own set of premium Japanese bar tools!"
W San Francisco, 181 3rd St.
3pm
Host Description: "Sultry Sundays is a series of day parties at the W San Francisco. The room is sexy, the people are beautiful and the music will keep you moving from 3-8pm."
Harlot, 46 Minna St.
5pm-11pm
Host Description: "Join us for a HOT Sunday dance party with hundreds of your favorite women! Live DJs spinning. Sexy venue. Fabulous cocktails."
UHAUL SF's Leather & Lace Folsom Street Fair After Party
Drake SF, 508 4th St.
6-10pm
Host Description: "It's that time of year, girls! The biggest leather event in the WORLD and it takes place in San Francisco! Feel free to explore all the different fetishes on the streets but save a few spankings for us at Drake Lounge, where you can be free in a safe space amongst women."
Deviants Adult Arcade ft. DJ Harvey
Mezzanine, 444 Jessie St.
6-10pm
Host Description: "The Official Closing Party of Folsom Street Fair®. Join us for an amazing spectacle of debauchery just blocks from the fairgrounds. Pups, ponies, and leather folks of all persuasions will be present."
