Posts Tagged ‘bush’

The Secret of the N-Judah Express “Success” – Three Drivers and Two Starters Just Waiting to Serve You

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

So, I know passengers like and appreciate the N Judah Express, but why is MUNI putting so much effort into this new line?

See? There’s the 5:00 PM bus, and the 5:10 PM, and the 5:20PM, and guess what’ll be coming around the corner soon? That’s right, it must be the 5:30 PM:

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Camera right shows one of the two starters used by MUNI to make sure the 5:00 PM leaves at exactly 5:00 PM. (Count how many MUNI workers are hanging out at your bus stop today – I’ll bet it’s less than five. Probably it’s zero.)

OK.

I mean, is MUNI going to start following timetables religiously, like Japanese-style, for all its lines now?

The SFMTA has been itching to charge $3 for express rides, right? Does that mean that MUNI loses more on this line than others?

So, yes MUNI, you are trying hard here, but I don’t think you can afford it.

I think, for some reason, you are taking resources from other lines and putting them right here.

For some reason.

Sunday Streets Chinatown a Modified Success – Sunny Skies – Brought to You by PG&E, “City Family”

Sunday, September 18th, 2011

I don’t know, there were lots of people out there, so that was good.

On the other hand, this no-cars-allowed “Walking Streets” event was brought to you by PG&E, the company what just blew up eight people a year ago and then lied about the circumstances of that these past 12 months.

I’m still not sure what the point was for this “walking-oriented” Sunday Streets but oh well.

Here’s the beginning, at Bush and Grant “Avenue.” (Note Chiu-bacca and red-shirted handler spreading the word of the mayoral candidacy of Board of Supervisors President David Chiu.)

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And the middle, featuring a wealth of counterfeit goods on sale, and T-shirts for $2.88, just like any other day:

And here’s the end, with pretty much all the whimsy I could find today. (In aggravation, a NIMBY group was using this same very block to recruit more NIMBYs.)

That’s it.

Thanks, PG&E, I guess.

The Chinatown-North Beach Walking Street event is made possible by the lead sponsorship of Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) with additional support from State Farm Insurance. Other Sunday Streets sponsors include Bank of America (Lead Sponsor for the 2011 Sunday Streets Season), AT&T, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Kaiser Permanente, California Pacific Medical Center, UCSF, Shape Up, The California Endowment, Bi Rite Market, REI, Sports Basement, Mikes Bikes, Bike & Roll, Bay City Bikes, and Blazing Saddles, along with in-kind support from the American Red Cross, Bay Area, City CarShare and media sponsors SF Examiner, Clear Channel and Scoutmob.”

 

  • Ping Pong Tournament 9 to 11:30 (Waverly Place)
  • Activities for kids by Chinatown YMCA 11:30-4 (Waverly Place)
  • Chalk art, Kai Ming Head Start, Experience Corps (Commercial Alley)
  • Art in Kerouac Alley
  • Poetry readings – Grant near Vallejo
  • Freedom from Training Wheels (Grant & Green) and free Valet Bike parking by SFBC (Vallejo & Grant, and Portsmouth Square)
  • Kids arts and crafts by Emerald Tablet & North Beach Merchants (Fresno Alley)
  • Climate Change Education and Department of Environment host kids activities (Fresno Alley)
  • Bike presentation sponsored by The New Wheel (Grant & Vallejo)
  • Magician performance and childrens activities 1400 block Grant – sponsored by Carmel Blue, Schein and Schein
  • Food sampling and cooking demonstrations – 1500 block Grant – sponsored by Little Vine
  • Pet area – Grant and Lombard – sponsored by Jeffrey’s Pet Store
  • Clown show – 1500 block Grant – sponsored by Macchiarini Design
  • Zumba dance exercise – Coit Tower, 11-1
  • SF Recovery Theater  - Coit Tower 1:15-2
  • Supervisor’s Rock with DND Band at Coit Tower, 2-4

When Your Massive Building Needs Flying Buttresses to Stand Up: St. Dominic’s Church in the Western Addition on Bush

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

I’ll tell you, when I first saw these ugly flying buttresses holding up St. Dominic’s Church at 2390 Bush, I thought they were remedial, you know, like an add-on to a building in danger of falling down.

Then later on I saw images of other old-school buildings what had flying buttresses as original equipment, so then I thought, no, I was wrong, that’s just how this massive building on Bush was constructed.

But just today, I discovered that the nine concrete buttresses holding up St Dom’s are, in fact, add-ons, from back in the 1990′s, after the Loma Prieta. (Thanks, Wiki. You’re so smart!)

I still think that these things are seriously ugly, oh well.

But check it, the church has a five star average from 44 Yelpers, so this congregation must be doing something right, huh?

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Keep on keeping on, St. Dominic’s!

The Giant HAYES AUTO REPAIR Building on Bush Street is a Shrine for Global Warming or Something

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

See this giant hulking building?

Check out the old-school artwork in this 12,000 square foot structure straight outta 1916:

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Sixteen beetles, sure (why not), but what’s that coming out of the back of the car?

The Riding Public Has Discovered the Nx Judah Express – It’s Like a Bus Bridge Shuttle that Runs All the Time

Friday, June 17th, 2011

These days, there’s no need to wonder when the next Nx Judah Express is coming, as you can see them queuing up betwixt First and Second streets on Market.

Anyway, MUNI has a starter directing bus traffic on the evening drive starting at 4:00 PM, so the drivers are keeping schedule down to the minute.

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Yesterday’s Nx’es appeared to be rather full with riders, so that means that this program is more successful than the CultureBus already.

That’s the update for now…

Know Your Nx Judah Express Bus – Photos of the Debut – But Mostly Empty, By Design – Getting a CultureBus Vibe

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Well here it is, the debut of the Nx Judah Express, designed to whisk people to the fog-enshrouded West Bay, you know, to give a little more elbow room for the denizens of San Francisco Proper – the Inner Sunset and Cole Valley.

All right, Chapter I: Know Your Nx.

Anterior. Rather a bright bleu, non? Redolent of the bright orange-wrapped CultureBus one might think:

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Lateral. Rather patriotic, redolent of the 1976-era bicentennial scheme:

Posterior. Rather less blue, but that solid-colored rectangle is your visual cue to start running for the Nx before the driver takes off.

I don’t see a bunch of people clamoring to get into these things just yet. We’ll see.

All right Chapter II: Empty by Design.

After the drivers drop off passengers way out there near La Playa or 47th Aveneue or whatever, they turn around and head back to the Financh empty.

What? Really. The plan is for the drivers to “dead-head” on back downtown sans passengers.

(Wonder if you could get on at the last stop outbound with the intent of coming into the Financial without any stops at all? That would be the Nx Judah Express to the Second Power, or something. But, they’d probably kick you off, so oh well.)

Like I say, this program reminds me of the failed CultureBus, which Nat Ford still hails as a success.

Obviously, you can’t have an N Judah streetcar run an express route on the same tracks as regular N Judah service. And obviously, the SFMTA just can’t add more N’s, for whatever reason. Oh well.

And in mitigation, MUNI’s not out there cheerleading for this saying how great an idea it is, you know, the way it happened with Gavin Newsom’s CultureBus. And, when I checked the Next MUNI today, those Nx’es looked verily like rabbits, easily outpacing the N Judahs that started at about the same time.

On Time Will Tell how bad this latest SFMTA program is…

Casting Judgment on the New NX Judah Express Bus – Another SFMTA MUNI Fail Whale Already?

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Pretty much.

The thing is is that if you are going to Montgomery Street as your final destination anyway, then the Nx might be for you.

Or, if you feel guilty about sitting down on an N Judah streetcar while you’re passing by those Cole Valley suckas, then the Nx might be for you.

Otherwise not so much.

Per jallenhere:

“The N judah is racing the new N judah Express and the N judah is winning. The experiment failed.”

Ooh, harsh.

Now here’s panicpandapanic:

“Tried the N-Judah Express today. Nice not having a bunch of stops but it took about the same amount of time due to the walk from Bush St.

And here’s Madge707:

“Caught sight of the n Judah express this am. It was moving fast. Too bad it ends at Montgomery :-(

What MUNI needs to do is to get its act together.

This band-aid approach, this NX Judah Express does not constitute getting your act together, MUNI.

Just saying.

Now here’s my question for people living way out there in the West Bay – is it your patriotic duty to wait for the new Nx Judah Express instead of taking the N-Judah streetcar, you know, to free up more space for people living in the InSet, the Inner Sunset?

‘Cause if you fix on the idea of taking the bus everyday from the 48th Ave. or La Playa area, it’s going to take you longer to get to work, some of the time, anyway. Transit First

So, even though the bus line is just for you, you personally won’t benefit all that much from it. Consider taking this bus as your patriotic duty to benefit those poor devils who live in the Inner Sunset or Cole Valley and might get passed up up by a totally full N Judah streetcar.

Oh well.

In other news, the CultureBus is considered a success by the people at MUNI, still.

Oh well.

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San Francisco’s Creme Brulee Cart is Powered by Delicious Gasoline: Chugga, Chugga, Chugga, Chugga, Chugga, Chugga…

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Never seen a Yamaha generator before.

What, it costs $1000 for one of these things? (In that case, I think I’d secure it with a bike chain on the mean Streets of San Francisco…)

Chugga, Chugga, Chugga, Chugga, Chugga, Chugga…

Somebody get this man an AC hook-up, stat.

Forty Bow Ties on Sansome Street: Cable Car Clothiers Has the Monopoly on San Francisco’s Supply

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Do you think the Cable Car Clothiers want to sell you a bow tie or two?

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Bow ties tend to be associated with particular professions, such as architects, finance receipt collectors, attorneys,university professors, waiters and politicians.”

Know Your Monoliths of Market Street – The Crown-Zellerbach Building at One Bush Plaza

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

This monolith looks like it just sidled up to One Bush Plaza all of a sudden one day…

Try to control yourself as you pass by…

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Learn all about the Mad Men-era building at One Bush Street:

“One Bush Plaza also known as the Crown-Zellerbach Building is an office building on from Bush Street and Battery Street at Market Street in the Financial District of San FranciscoCalifornia. The 20 storey 94 metres (308 ft) building was completed in 1959.

The building was once the headquarters of the Crown-Zellerbach, a Fortune 500 forestry and paper products conglomerate acquired in 1986 by the James River Company, which in turn became a part of Georgia-Pacific in 2000. Later it was the headquarters of Hambrecht & Quist. The building was the first significant downtown San Francisco structure erected in the 30 years following the start of the Great Depression, and as such was the first International Style glass curtain wall building in San Francisco and second curtain wall International Style building in the United States, being built shortly after the Lever House.

It is controversial due to the decision for the building to face Bush St. instead of Market St., Market St. being in decline during the time it was built. It is notable for taking up an entire city block and being freestanding. It is directly facing the Shell Building, an iconic Art Deco skyscraper in San Francisco.

The architectural firm of this building was Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.