SAN FRANCISCO | Projects: Under Construction, Approved, and Proposed

[migol24]

Originally Posted by CyberEric

A chain moving into that (historic) building in the Mission is likely going to incite some interesting reactions.

have you been to alamo drafthouse? this would be good for san francisco and this area. alamo would very likely cooperate with the locals. alamo drafthouse isn't some cheesy chain like starbucks or walmart. alamo is legit dude.

[peanut gallery]

Originally Posted by 1977

More good news! I like this building - simple, clean, and one less vacant lot in Rincon Hill.

I agree, it's a great little project. And another sign of increased construction activity around town. I'm becoming cautiously optimistic that we're entering another busy construction cycle that will see at least a few of our long-awaited highrise proposals get off the ground.

There are several smaller projects (like this one) getting built all over the place and two large rental projects, 10th and Market and Trinity, are already underway. With strong demand for office space, I can envision at least two office towers starting construction within the year as well. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if that's the case, anyway.

Then we might top it off with 201 Folsom getting started sometime next year. I'm not up on the strength of the overall condo market, but there are certainly lots of smaller condo developments getting funded, and even a couple of larger ones in Mission Bay (though not very tall). Demand for condos would really push things forward, especially on Rincon Hill. ORH desperately needs company up there!

Anyway, that's a long-winded way to say I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about proposed projects actually getting started than I have in several years.

[Zapatan]

Originally Posted by coyotetrickster

Zapatan, there are so many market variables with the Transbay Tower, most SF forumers are focused on those actual buildings funded and under construction. The costs for the high speed rail have gone through the roof. The rail terminal for the SF terminus of the rail line was going to purpose the building. And while the SOMA market where the tower would be located has finally eclipsed the financial district as the most desirable office submarket, the types of offices preferred will not be the types of spaces built out or even available in an 85 story building.

That said, when there is an actual construction crane on the site, then you'll see some excitement and interest.

The rail terminal sounds unlikely so it looks like the tower will be scrapped then.

It's great there are plently of small projects (under 500') but it would be nice if SF could get an actual skyscraper or two. The fact that the transbay tower was supposed to be 1375 feet is just beyond dissapointing. But an 1070 foot tower would also do.

Hopefully America will boom again someday.

[migol24]

It's happening! Woohoo!!
http://www.slashfilm.com/alamo-draft...panys-origins/

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by migol24

It's happening! Woohoo!!
http://www.slashfilm.com/alamo-draft...panys-origins/

Cool, I will be visiting SF later this year and will definitely be checking out Alamo.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Cool, I will be visiting SF later this year and will definitely be checking out Alamo.

When do you plan visiting? I wonder if it will be built by then.

Here is the facebook fanpage.
https://www.facebook.com/AlamoMission

And the blog on the Alamo Drafthouse website...
http://drafthouse.com/blog/entry/an_..._san_francisco

For those of you unaware of this theater... folks, this theater gears towards having an awesome movie experience. This has been repeatedly named by different media outlets as one of, if not, the best theater in America. Just google it. Alamo Drafthouse is also geared towards showing movies that are more under appreciated such as independent and foreign films. So take it as the Lumiere Theater (my fave in SF) combined with the Castro and AMC (without the cookie cutter bland feel) that serve Beer (not named Budweiser or Coors Light), good wine and food.

Another thing I like about the place is that it doesn't even bother to show ads. There are literally 0 ads in the theater. What they show you before a movie are youtube videos and rare footage that is somehow related to the movie that you are going to watch. So you can come in well ahead before the movie starts and still be entertained all the while ordering your food. They are also very strict about talking and texting. And if you're not familiar with it, here's the famous youtube video that became viral.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L3eeC2lJZs

This is, to say the least, THE PERFECT movie theater for a city that caters to creative people like San Francisco does. In the article I posted, Tim League said that they were going to hire locals to run the theater. So that being said, maybe this Alamo will not have the Rolling Roadshow, or Weird Wednesdays but they in fact can come up with events entirely unique to San Francisco.

They're also going to model it after the Ritz location in Austin, which is their original one. And you can count on it that it will also create a bit of a vibrancy to this part of town. I walked by earlier tonight and it was dead. It will change if it gets built and it will also help preserve this building as opposed to how crappy it actually is as of now. This is going to be great for San Francisco and I'm so excited and all of you should be too, despite the fact that it is a chain.

As my friend said earlier, when I told him that people were complaining because it's a chain, he said, "give me a break! It doesn't function at all like a chain. It's like the coolest chain ever." And I couldn't have said that better. Any film buff should be excited. Any city development buff should also be just as excited. It's like the equivalence of getting a 1200' skyscraper... only except in terms of movie theaters.

[CyberEric]

I am not saying I am against it, in fact it sounds great.
What I am saying is this neighborhood already rallied and denied an American Apparel (another "cool" chain) and I was simply wondering if this would incite any similar reactions. That's all, I am not trying to rain on the parade, it souinds like they want to do it right.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by CyberEric

I am not saying I am against it, in fact it sounds great.
What I am saying is this neighborhood already rallied and denied an American Apparel (another "cool" chain) and I was simply wondering if this would incite any similar reactions. That's all, I am not trying to rain on the parade, it souinds like they want to do it right.

dude i am so flippin excited about this that anyone who would not welcome it probably wouldn't even deserve it. i honestly feel that the theater is doing the mission and the people who live here a favor by moving here. everyone wants it here and i'm glad it's seems to gaining a positive response by a large margin. i understand how some people wouldn't wanna welcome it, but i don't think those people truly understand how this theater functions. but as already mentioned, even the committee who approves places that build into historical landmarks seem to be accepting of it. what does that say? well, it's such a cool idea that not even american apparel could compete!

[coyotetrickster]

Originally Posted by Zapatan

The rail terminal sounds unlikely so it looks like the tower will be scrapped then.

It's great there are plently of small projects (under 500') but it would be nice if SF could get an actual skyscraper or two. The fact that the transbay tower was supposed to be 1375 feet is just beyond dissapointing. But an 1070 foot tower would also do.

Hopefully America will boom again someday.

The rail terminal is actually under construction Zapantan, it's the extra billion to build the tunnel from the 4th St. Caltrain yard without the high speed line that is up in the air. Governor Brown is now behind the high speed rail build out, so, as I said earlier, there are lots of variables.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by migol24

When do you plan visiting? I wonder if it will be built by then.

I planning on visiting in November, San Francisco is one of the few cities I really want to visit.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I planning on visiting in November, San Francisco is one of the few cities I really want to visit.

Awesome! I recommend visiting the Mission. If there is anything remotely comparable to Austin, the Mission offers a lot of things that many Austinites would find close to home. Needless to say, I can see why Tim League decided to build Alamo Drafthouse in that neighborhood. Plus, there is great coffee there... Rituals and Four Barrel are both on Valencia. (for the record, I really really wish a coffee shop in Austin would decide serving their coffee)

It's nice to check out the touristy parts but there's not that many great places to eat, except maybe in North Beach and China Town. But check out the neighborhoods (Castro, Haight, Noe Valley, Mission, Potrero, Russian Hill, Bernal Heights, etc there's so many) as I feel the neighborhoods are where most of the cool local things are.

I work in Union Square at a coffee shop... you're welcome to stop by when you decide to visit. But either way... I'm heading out to Austin in a month so maybe I'll run into you.

[mt_climber13]

Originally Posted by migol24

Awesome! I recommend visiting the Mission. If there is anything remotely comparable to Austin, the Mission offers a lot of things that many Austinites would find close to home. Needless to say, I can see why Tim League decided to build Alamo Drafthouse in that neighborhood. Plus, there is great coffee there... Rituals and Four Barrel are both on Valencia. (for the record, I really really wish a coffee shop in Austin would decide serving their coffee)

It's nice to check out the touristy parts but there's not that many great places to eat, except maybe in North Beach and China Town. But check out the neighborhoods (Castro, Haight, Noe Valley, Mission, Potrero, Russian Hill, Bernal Heights, etc there's so many) as I feel the neighborhoods are where most of the cool local things are.

I work in Union Square at a coffee shop... you're welcome to stop by when you decide to visit. But either way... I'm heading out to Austin in a month so maybe I'll run into you.

The Mission is tired.

De Young, Legion of Honor, Dim Sum on Clement st., hiking on land's end trails with views of Pacific Ocean and GG Bridge, Stow Lake, Botanical Gardens, Conservatory of Flowers, Museum of Modern Art, walking through the financial district, Treasure Island/ Yerba Buena Island with views of the city, AT&T Park (if you like baseball). These are truly urban experiences that really define San Francisco.
The Mission has coffee shops (what neighborhood doesn't?) and a few good restaurants (though most of the genuinely good restaurants are located in the "local" areas like the Richmond and Sunset- Kappou Gomi is one of my faves if you like authentic, fresh Japanese food) but it is entirely overrated and full of very unfriendly, almost anti- social people. And has some of the highest crime in the city. No thanks.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by wakamesalad

The Mission is tired.

De Young, Legion of Honor, Dim Sum on Clement st., hiking on land's end trails with views of Pacific Ocean and GG Bridge, Stow Lake, Botanical Gardens, Conservatory of Flowers, Museum of Modern Art, walking through the financial district, Treasure Island/ Yerba Buena Island with views of the city, AT&T Park (if you like baseball). These are truly urban experiences that really define San Francisco.
The Mission has coffee shops (what neighborhood doesn't?) and a few good restaurants (though most of the genuinely good restaurants are located in the "local" areas like the Richmond and Sunset- Kappou Gomi is one of my faves if you like authentic, fresh Japanese food) but it is entirely overrated and full of very unfriendly, almost anti- social people. And has some of the highest crime in the city. No thanks.

Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion but I'm just suggesting not just sticking to the touristy parts of San Francisco like all the areas you recommended. San Francisco has more to offer than just all the touristy parts. I've had a lot of people approach me suggesting a good place to eat, and relax with a more neighborhood feel. I always point them out to the neighborhoods and I deal with tourists every single day that I'm at work.

So for all that's being said, there's something for everyone and the Mission may not be for you, but it is for a lot of people. Plus, the Mission has Four Barrel, Rituals and Philz Coffee. So yes, there may be coffee shops in every neighborhood but they're not this good. These coffee shops are after all some of the best in the nation, Blue Bottle included (and some other I can't think of the name which is in Soma). And also, I'm not the only one who thinks that the Mission is the best neighborhood with the best night life. But to each their own, I guess. Tenderloin comes a close 2nd in my book despite being even more gritty and crime-ridden.

[northbay]

Japantown is a nice neighborhood, has great food and is safe. But then again being part Japanese I could be biased.

[mt_climber13]

The Richmond District (Clement St.), Sunset (Irving/ 9th corridor), Glen Park (Chenery St.), Japantown (Laguna and Post sts.), and, I agree, the Tenderloin (Stick to north of O'Farrell st.) are great places where locals live, work, and eat, if you really want to get a good local vibe.
The Mission, however, is very touristy, but, rather than the typical tourists coming from the Midwest and east coast, they are coming from Marin, Danville, and the peninsula. It is very rare to find a native or local San Franciscan living in the Mission (Valencia, Dolores Park areas) as most of them are software/ internet employees that are transient (I work with a lot of landlords and this is who they are marketing and renting to).
And I don't like coffee at all, but I do like tea, so maybe that's why I like the western half so much better (If you like tea tasting I recommend Aroma Tea Shop on 6th ave./ Clement- free tasting and very exotic flavors)

[tech12]

Originally Posted by wakamesalad

The Richmond District (Clement St.), Sunset (Irving/ 9th corridor), Glen Park (Chenery St.), Japantown (Laguna and Post sts.), and, I agree, the Tenderloin (Stick to north of O'Farrell st.) are great places where locals live, work, and eat, if you really want to get a good local vibe.
The Mission, however, is very touristy, but, rather than the typical tourists coming from the Midwest and east coast, they are coming from Marin, Danville, and the peninsula. It is very rare to find a native or local San Franciscan living in the Mission (Valencia, Dolores Park areas) as most of them are software/ internet employees that are transient (I work with a lot of landlords and this is who they are marketing and renting to).
And I don't like coffee at all, but I do like tea, so maybe that's why I like the western half so much better (If you like tea tasting I recommend Aroma Tea Shop on 6th ave./ Clement- free tasting and very exotic flavors)

You might want to make it more clear that you're only talking about part of the Mission District (the heavily yuppie/hipster/gentrified western part, which everyone suddenly knows about and which some people apparently think is the only part of the mission). Calling the Mission "very touristy" while acting like the Richmond, Tenderloin, or Japantown aren't is kind of funny too. Though i find none of the neighborhoods you mentioned to be touristy...you can find tourists in most SF neighborhoods, but the truly "touristy" ones are in the northeast part of the city.

[viewguysf]

As much as I love the City, this isn't a travelogue column guys!

[CyberEric]

^Agreed, we don't need everyone's thoughts on SF neighborhood hierarchy in this thread.

[mt_climber13]

^Agreed

[NOPA]

Agreed guys, lets keep the discussion away from a neighborhood contest (cause we all know mine is the best--jk)

Any photo updates?