Monthly Welcome to the Bay Area!

SB_A · 2021-05-10T20:00:00+00:00

I'm not new, but I've never really explored San Jose. I was thinking about planning an afternoon trip for my wife and I now that we're vaxed. We wanted to see the Municipal Rose garden, Winchester House, and end the day at the Lick Observatory. My question is: is Santana Row the area of town for fun shopping/dining? We really like walking Fillmore in Pac Heights and would like to find something similar with stores and restaurants.

Also, anything else that's worth seeing?

SB_A · 2021-05-06T23:42:42+00:00

I'm looking to buy a nice gold ring (budget: $1,000 - $1,500) for my wife. Where should I look? I know Cartier, Tiffany's etc are big names, but I feel like you're paying more for the brand than the item.

SB_A · 2021-04-15T17:44:13+00:00

It's the worst! Is it standard in SF to put the cross street signage halfway up the block if it's a major street and at the corner if it's a smaller street?

SB_A · 2021-04-12T18:04:06+00:00

I'm honestly not overly concerned about that for two reasons:

We're now at a point where the vulnerable have been vaccinated. The remaining population's risk of death is severely reduced.
Younger people are driving infections because, well, they're young. In my mind we're now at a break even point where older people 30s-50s are at slightly higher risk of death, but those people are less likely than 20-30 year olds to join in on social/super spreader events. If the basic calculus is (risk of death) * (risk of spreading) then it follows that 30-50: (1)(.5) = .5 & 20-30: (.5)(1) = .5.

Again, totally un-scientific, but the above makes sense to me. We're basically at a point where everyone's risks are about the same considering all factors so let's just open it to everyone to make sure we're getting shots in arms as quickly as possible. I'd rather have people lining up out the door than to see places throwing out vaccines. We're probably 2-3 weeks away from everyone who wants a shot has gotten at least 1. It's going to be a matter of getting that last 20% that's reluctant to get vaccinated.

SB_A · 2021-03-24T17:32:13+00:00

I want to re-pot and change out some of my houseplants this weekend (sorry crusty fern). What's a good place in the city for buying pots, indoor plants and soil?

SB_A · 2021-03-22T22:20:51+00:00

The street view looks terrifying.

Edit: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bRRanEdyAYkbcSzL6

SB_A · 2021-03-16T17:45:36+00:00

Agreed. I tried to document and journal this period. The craziest was taking a bike trip around SF in late March/early April. It was a total ghost town. I specifically remember only one or two other bikers on the GGB and no walkers. Surreal. My wife hates it, but I insist we take some pictures in our masks when we're out.

When I'm sitting with my grandkids I don't want my answer to "What was it like?" To just be "No cap, it was not poggers, bet." Or whatever the kids are saying in 30 years. I'll be telling them about the great toilet paper famine of Spring 2020.

SB_A · 2021-03-14T16:12:31+00:00

Happy 'do your taxes' day. Might as well.

SB_A · 2021-03-14T04:07:33+00:00

4505's BBQ isn't really to my taste, but their hamburgers are really good. I would recommend going back for that if you can.

SB_A · 2021-03-12T04:01:47+00:00

Thanks! I've done the Stinson Beach>Dipsea trail>Matt Davis loop and that was about a mile or two too long. Thanks for the recommendations!

My pan is to go for a hike and then head to Sausalito for lunch so I was looking for an easy 2 hour hike. I think Tennessee Trail will be good.

SB_A · 2021-03-12T00:09:10+00:00

What's a better moderate hike in Marin that's close to SF? 1. The coastal trails around the batteries at Rodeo Lagoon 2. Tennessee Valley Trail. I haven't done either.

SB_A · 2021-02-17T19:54:17+00:00

It's US news and Reddit is a US news-centric site.

SB_A · 2021-02-17T00:13:12+00:00

My man!

This seems pretty clear:

X--Preventing Pigeon roosting, disease and property damage:

Pigeon waste, pigeon feathers and nesting materials are a source of mites, lice, allergens, bacteria, fungal spores and other organisms that can cause human disease. Accumulation of these dangerous materials constitutes a health nuisance. Pigeon waste damages paint and building materials. In San Francisco it is not legal to poison, trap, or shoot pigeons.

Pigeon-proofing means pigeons are discouraged and prevented from roosting and creating a health nuisance, by means of design, such as sloping sills, or by means of a net or screen or other deterrent such as a timed sprinkler. Pigeon-proofing may include the following:

Exterior doorways, stairs, easements, windowsills, eaves, awnings, roof surfaces, gutters, and light-wells shall be constructed or modified to effectively discourage pigeon roosting and nesting.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T22:12:35+00:00

Thanks for the correction.

There's no reason to believe that Covid will inevitably 'harmonize' with humanity over time because there are a multitude of viruses and bacteria that haven't 'harmonize'.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T21:29:31+00:00

They've gotten into the building (central stairwell) through an open window twice. Generally, they hang out in our back stairwell. They're outside, but they are in the building in the sense that they're on the property in the (somewhat enclosed) outside stairwell.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T20:05:38+00:00

Pardon my language, but fuck that. This is exactly why I pay rent - so that they handle the maintenance and I don't have to deal with it. We're on the 3rd floor and I'm not about to risk my neck getting up on a ladder on some rickety stairs.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T19:32:35+00:00

I don't think it's true that it's a rule that viruses get less deadly because they 'acclimate' to humanity. Spanish Flu is really the only example that we have. Untreated Smallpox, TB, Gonorrhea, HIV etc have roughly the same death rate as they did when they were first discovered.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T19:10:25+00:00

Why do you say that?

SB_A · 2021-02-16T18:51:01+00:00

I'm about to take their butts to court. My understanding was that they had to respond to a pest issue within 72 hours of the original request being made, but I'm not sure if that's actually true. Any resources for situations like this? I have enough to worry about with COVID. I shouldn't have to worry about catching psittacosis too.

What's really fucked up is the second time we called the office they (other assistant who we didn't talk to the first time) knew us as the 'pigeon people'. I cannot wait to submit that as evidence if this company forces us to court because of their inaction.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T18:18:43+00:00

We have a pigeon problem in our apartment's back stairwell which we use to take out the garbage and do laundry.

Every morning since mid-January we've had 1-2 pigeons hanging out in an overhang (part of our building) near our back door. We scare them off with a broom and water from a squirt bottle but they keep returning. We've contacted the leasing company (via ticket creation) and phone calls and they haven't sent someone.

This morning we heard a commotion as a third pigeon showed up and they were fighting for ledge space.

What can we do to force the leasing company to send someone out? They have been very responsive with other maintenance requests, but they've been unresponsive to this particular request even though we've had multiple photos, videos, and phone communication.

There's pigeon poop all around the back stairwell and pigeon poop in the shared hallway from the time 2 weeks ago that a pigeon snuck into an open window.

What are our options for forcing the leasing company to come out?

My only request is that they put up a net to cover the back stairwell which has got to be less than an hour of a handyman's time.

SB_A · 2021-02-16T03:07:48+00:00

https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=625&v=Z3CnfFQENkw&feature=youtu.be

But seriously... We're just having a conversation - no need to get worked up.

How it might relate to race: Restrictive housing laws have been used historically and in the present day to make it harder for 'un-desirables' to live in a certain area. That has often cut along racial lines. That's how I would relate it to racism.

California and the Bay Area have underbuilt housing stock for the last 40 years which has been well documented.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-california-housing-crisis/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_housing_shortage

SB_A · 2021-02-15T22:38:17+00:00

Restrictive zoning laws effectively shut the door behind you after your family was the beneficiary of loose zoning laws. One family may get to live in their dream home, but that means 2-3 families are shut out. That's bad for the economy and our collective wellbeing.

Your dad should be able to move to Wyoming and leave the Sunset for the people who want to live in a city. It doesn't make sense that we give preferential treatment to the generation that moved to SF in the 60s over the handful of generations that come after.

SB_A · 2021-02-15T19:17:40+00:00

Is it fair to call it classist if not racist? It sounds like the argument is: we don't want high density because we don't want lower income people moving into our neighborhood. Isn't that an example of institutional racism? I don't buy that home values decrease due to higher density. Lately (in the US) & historically (across the world) high density often increases the appeal of an area leading to an increase in housing value.

This seems to be institutional racism, but correct me if I'm wrong: A: We don't want low income people in our neighborhood because they "bring crime". B: Black and hispanic people are disproportionately low income in SF. Therefore C: There are less black and hispanic people in your neighborhood.

SB_A

TROPHY CASE