Duboce Triangle

Castro neighborhood bar Pilsner Inn (225 Church St.) reopened last week after a nearly one-year hiatus caused by shelter-in-place restrictions. The Pilsner's first day of outdoor drinks and food was February 5, much to the delight of customers, employees, and the bar's owners.

On Thursday, the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District (Castro CBD) launched its new unarmed Public Safety Ambassadors program, part of its new public safety initiative.

Three personal services businesses, Great Tan, Salon Six, and Face It Salon & Spa, have all announced permanent closures in recent weeks, nine months after their businesses were hobbled by shelter-in-place restrictions.

Over the weekend, the Castro's newest Mexican restaurant and margarita bar Santeria (2251 Market St.) softly opened in the former Finn Town space — and it's the sister restaurant to Tacorgasmico a block away.

The Castro's newest cannabis retailer Flore Store (258 Noe St.) has announced its grand opening on 4/20 — across the street from Flore a.k.a. Cafe Flore.

The Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District (Castro CBD) has extended the deadline on its security camera survey and delayed an upcoming virtual town hall.

Castro barbershop Healing Cuts (3903 18th St.) has shuttered after just one year in the Castro. The barbershop's last day in this space will be December 1.

Longtime Western Addition resident and gay-Latino designer Miguel Gutierrez was recently profiled in a new documentary film about his life in San Francisco, and his art, design, and costume creations. The film was released last week in commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1.

It's a sad day for fans of Castro/Duboce Triangle dive Lucky 13 (2140 Market St.), which is giving up the ghost after five years of limbo with the property slated for development. 

SFMTA approved the Castro Merchants' request to close Noe Street between 16th and Market Streets and Beaver Street. Castro residents will be familiar with the footprint as it's the same one used for Castro Farmers' Market on Wednesdays.

Hoodline has learned that the construction of a new glass elevator at Castro Muni station and Harvey Milk Plaza (Market and Castro Streets) has been delayed until fall 2021.

In some rare good news about an upcoming restaurant opening the Castro, Hoodline has learned that Santería, a new Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar, is headed to the former Finn Town Tavern space at 2251 Market Street.

Over the weekend, three-year-old Castro art gallery Art Attack SF (2358 Market St.) announced it would be closing its doors for the foreseeable future.

Castro residents walking around the neighborhood may have noticed that murals are continuing to proliferate on storefronts and buildings.

French bistro and wine bar Aquitaine has opened at 216 Church St. after a months-long delay due to shelter-in-place restrictions. Aquitaine's first day of business was on Election Day Tuesday, November 3.

On Saturday, a group of community members gathered at the Castro's Harvey Milk Plaza in honor of Tom Taylor, gay activist and 'keeper of the Rainbow Flag' at Harvey Milk Plaza. Taylor and husband Dr. Jerome 'Jerry' Goldstein were known for their annual Christmas display.

"We made the tough decision to shift The Detour into hibernation mode for the next few months until a vaccine is released," said co-owner Shawn Vergara.

"Surveillance technology has been used repeatedly in the Castro to target and harass the LGBTQ community," wrote the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club in a letter opposing the proposal.

Male Image barbers Philip Stover and David Hone have partnered with Jim Bolton to reopen the barbershop.

Castro's Bank of America is currently undergoing a $1.3 million renovation.

The closure comes as Mayor London Breed announced that restaurants can reopen indoors with limited capacity

Restaurants say they've lost business from the closure, which was intended to promote safety for Muni's now-pulled train service.

No one was injured, but it's unclear how extensive the damage to the two businesses will be.

The neighborhood has now lost 20 businesses since the start of shelter-in-place.

The cameras could help stanch the neighborhood's epidemic of petty crime, but they also raise privacy concerns.