Carmen Chu’s office just released the June/July 2008 newsletter. In it, you will find information on: 

- Improving Sunset Boulevard

- Cleaning West Sunset Playground

- City budget update

- Legislative update (Improving construction contracting with the City; Calling for change in school admission policy; Sharing water costs; Repairing City’s aging underground pipes; Monitoring City’s level of debt; Examining city tree safety)

- Featured Sunset artist Anna Conti

- Upcoming events

Previous editions of her newsletter are also available online at www.sfgov.org/chu. 

Click Here for the Newsletter

It’s that time of year for me again. It’s time for summer vacation. And as I do most years, I am heading up to Lake County for some fishing, boating, kayaking and general relaxation. This year, I’ll add smoke inhalation to the list thanks to all the fires that are burning, but I digress.

I’ll be back in town on the 12th Of July, and will resume the usual semi-frequent blog posting schedule when I return.

If you really miss me, you can follow me on Twitter where I might pop in occasionally to say “hi.”

When I come back, I’ll be ready to jump back into The Avenues Blog (and back to wrestling the San Francisco real estate market), so if you have things you want to talk about when I get back, holler!

Just a little blurb to let you know that I’ve just addes a new market report feature to the blog.

If you just can’t get enough San Francsco real estate market updates between this blog, my San Francisco Real Estate Blog and <a href=”http://www.thecityupdate.com” target=”_blank”>The City Update(TM)</a>, you now have one more option when it comes to getting the latest deets on what the market is doing.

You can narrow down your reports by zip code or property type, and you can sign up for as few or as many zip codes as you like (you just have to reenter your info for each new zip code/property type).

You can sign up in the sidebar on the right or at the bottom of this post!

Go ahead, get your SF real estate data fix on!

Oh - and as always, your info will not be sold, rented, shared, abused, danced on, or in any other way misused.  In fact, you’ll never hear from me unless you contact me directly.  Just thought you’d like to know.

I consider The Avenues Blog to be a community forum in addition to being my own personal soapbox from which I can spew information that interests me. 

I’ve tried to adopt a fair stance about sharing information about events in the Sunset District, whether or not they are something that I’d be interested in attending.

So, when I posted an event a few days ago that involved a campaign kick-off for Eric Mar for District 1, I apparently put folks under the impression that I support the guy (even though I mentioned in the post that I knew nothing about him.) 

So, to set the record straight - Eric Mar gets no support and no endorsement from my end, period.  In fact, so far, what I do know about the guy is that he is anti-TIC, and that’s like being anti-SF real estate ownership in my book.  Being that San Francisco real estate is my passion and my livelihood, he’s not on my “nice” list.  (Yes, like Santa, I have a naughty & nice list - it’s just much shorter.)  He’s also a little too far left for my taste (and yes, there is such a thing as TOO far left).

So - that being said, if you have something happening in The Avenues, I’d like to hear about it.  Hell, I’d like to post it for others to read, even if I disagree with the purpose of the event or fundamentally disagree with the cause or candidate. 

Why? 

Because I’m not running a dictatorship, and even though I like my own opinions and deep down know that they are right *wink*, everyone has a right to make up their own mind about the issues that surround San Francisco and The Avenues.

So there.  Hope that clears things up a bit.  Now keep those local events coming my way - and I’ll keep posting them!

I might be a REALTOR, but I care about more than just SF home sales!  I dig community stuff too.  So on that note, The Avenues Blog has another community event to share in the Sunset District.

This time, it’s from Carmen Chu’s Office:

Please join our office in improving West Sunset Playground this Saturday, June 28th as we work to repaint structures, clean and sift sand and pick up litter in the surrounding areas so that children who use the playground have a safe environment to play in!

We are working in conjunction with the Friends of West Sunset Playground, the Neighborhood Parks Council and Recreation and Parks Department to help improve this playground.

Materials and supplies will be provided, and refreshments will be served.  Please dress comfortably.

To RSVP, contact our office - (415) 554-7460 or email us at chustaff@sfgov.org

WEST SUNSET PLAYGROUND CLEAN-UP
SATURDAY, JUNE 28
9AM - 12PM
39TH AVE & ORTEGA STREET

Hope to see you out there!

You like food. 
You like movies. 
You like drinks. 
You like art. 
You LOVE San Francisco.

Then you’re probably interested in the Cinema Supper Club’s summer movie series.

From the press release (and yes, we here at The Avenues Blog are beggining to receive press releases, and yes, it is making us feel pretty important!) :-)

CINEMA SUPPER CLUB OPENS WITH SPECIAL SCREENING OF

HITCHCOCK’S VERTIGO

AT THE LEGION OF HONOR ON JULY 10

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Cinema Supper Club kicks off its summer series, “From the Golden Gate to the Silver Screen,” on Thursday, July 10, with a special 50th anniversary screening of Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Vertigo, at the Legion of Honor, one of the key locations in the film. The screening will be preceded by a talk by the authors of Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco and other Vertigo-themed activities.

The festivities begin at 6 pm at the Legion when visitors will notice a classic Jaguar similar to Madeline’s parked in front of the entry. Inside, an artist will paint the infamous “Carlotta” portrait that hung in the galleries overhead. A series of “then and now” photos reveal what happened to key locations around San Francisco that were used in the film. The Legion Café will present a menu of mid-century modern classics and the “Carlotta-tini” cocktail. Period dress is encouraged.

From 6:45 – 7:15 pm, authors Aaron Leventhal and Jeff Kraft will conduct a signing of their book, Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco in the Museum Store. At 7:30, they will present an illustrated talk on San Francisco’s importance as a “character” in Vertigo. Our 50th anniversary screening of Vertigo begins at 8 pm in the Florence Gould Theater.

About Cinema Supper Club

Cinema Supper Club is a quarterly movie series put on by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco at the Legion of Honor on Thursday evenings. These evenings offer visitors a unique opportunity to view the special exhibitions at the Legion during uncrowded, evening hours, see a themed, classic film and have a drink or a relaxed dinner at the museum Café. The summer series, “From the Golden Gate to the Silver Screen,” features movies filmed in San Francisco. This summer’s series presents:

July 10     Vertigo

July 17     The Conversation

July 24     What’s Up Doc?

July 31     So I Married an Axe Murderer

Aug 7      Harold and Maude

Aug 14    The Game

Aug 21    Bullitt

Tickets are available through www.museumtix.com and are $20 ($10 Members) for the movie and the special exhibition. For the special exhibition only, admission is $15 (Members are free). Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis and do not include reservations or the price of dinner. Dinner reservations are available by calling 415-750-7633.

About the Special Exhibition, Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond

For many decades, the four artists celebrated in Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, Marie Bracquemond were treated with critical ambivalence and lacked major public exhibitions. It is only now that their innovative styles and contributions to Impressionism are showcased in a groundbreaking exhibition this summer at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, the exclusive U.S. venue. Women Impressionists is on view from June 21 to September 21, 2008. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to directly compare the work of these women artists by bringing 140 pieces together for the first time.

Eric Mar is running for City Supervisor in District 1, and he contacted The Avenues Blog to help spread the word about his campaign.  While I’m not throwing my support behind Eric just yet, especially since I haven’t been able to find his opinions on the issues I care about, I’m happy to spread the word about events in The Avenues - and so am sharing the event info with all of you.

So, here we go:

What: Fundraiser/dinner for Eric Mar, candidate for Supervisor in District One.
When: Friday, June 27, 2008 from 5:30 to 8:30pm
Where:Jane Morrison home, 44 Woodland Avenue, San Francisco
Information: 415-564-1482 www.ericmar.com

Donor’s Choice: $35, $50., $75. Friend $100, Sponsor $250, Patron $500
To reserve, send check to “Eric Mar for Supervisor” to Jane Morrison, 44 Woodland Ave. San Francisco, Ca. 94117

What: Campaign kick-off celebration for Eric Mar. Food, entertainment, children’s activities
When: Saturday, June 28, 2008 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Where: Argonne Elementary School, 680 18th Avenue (at Cabrillo) Richmond District, San Francisco
Information: 415-505-2961 ericmar08@gmail.com www.ericmar.com

The Richmond District Neighborhood Center is inviting everyone in the community to their 3^rd Annual Hawaiian BBQ this Saturday!

Food!  Drinks!  Music!  Raffles!  Entertainment! & More!

Saturday, June 21st

3pm-6pm

The event will be held at the Richmond District Neighborhood Center at 741 30th Avenues, San Francisco, CA 94121 (between Balboa and Cabrillo.)

The rumors where true!  I was driving by today (thus the sort of whacked cameraphone photo) and saw the sign!

Java Beach is opening a new location at Sloat Blvd and 45th Avenue! 

Hmmm… I’m probably still closer to the one on Judah Street - but having a second option across the street from the San Francisco Zoo is nice too!

Three cheers for the upcoming caffeine fix!

The other day, The Avenues Blog got a little love from the San Francisco Chronicle.  (Thank you… hold the applause please.) 

A lot of you took the time to write in and say “hello” after reading the little blurb.  I got email from friends, past colleagues, Sunset and Richmond district residents, fellow REALTORS and other local bloggers too! 

One of the readers that contacted me, Grace Cunnane, is also a Sunset District resident, and has started her own blog, In My Hood SF. She focuses on the Inner Sunset district of The Avenues.

Grace writes:

I am writing a series of articles, highlighting the merchants and employees of my neighborhood. My column, “In My Hood SF.”is a 52 week community based project. My stories, are their stories and together we engage in conversation and something special illuminates. “In My Hood SF” will be updated weekly.

I will interview a different merchant or employee from the Inner Sunset and bring their story to life. I want you to see their work, their value and their dignity.

And Grace does it well. 

One of the things that I love about the City is that everybody has a story, if you just take the time to listen.  And while Grace is able to highlight local businesses in her blog, her main strength is really highlighting the people behind that make these business what they are. 

From her acupunturist, Liling, to her cobbler, Glen, Grace takes the time to introduce you to the people that make up the Inner Sunset.  Swing by In My Hood SF.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy the read!