EZ Is the New Formula Retail

How San Francisco’s “Activation” Agenda Is Gutting the Neighborhood Economy Again Hayes Valley once set the bar for protecting small business. Its 2004 formula retail ban was designed to block chain stores and preserve a local-serving economy. But over the years, City Hall has quietly chipped away at those protections first by making exceptions, then by ignoring them outright. Now, … Read post

Why the Entertainment Zone fight in Hayes Valley reveals a deeper failure in San Francisco politics

In the past, San Francisco mayors made space for constituents and neighborhood groups through the Office of Neighborhood Services. That office was closed under Mayor London Breed, and with it, a key conduit to City Hall disappeared. There was once a relationship however imperfect between residents and the people elected to serve them. Today, that relationship has all but vanished. … Read post

The Country Club Influence in Hayes Valley

How HVNA Skirts Democracy to Push Its AgendaThe Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) has been around for over 30 years. But today, what once billed itself as a neighborhood voice now acts more like a gatekeeping institution…one that leverages its nonprofit status and cozy ties to City Hall to push policies most residents never agreed to. Locals have a nickname … Read post

Who Gets to Speak for Hayes Valley?

The small business perspective on the gatekeeping, intimidation, and broken politics behind the Hayes Street road block. When speaking up comes with consequences, staying quiet becomes a form of protection. That’s the reality for many small business owners in Hayes Valley who have been navigating the fallout of the prolonged Hayes Street closure. In Part 1, we explored the operational … Read post

Who Does a Supervisor Really Serve? Hayes Valley Deserves an Answer

In light of recent developments regarding the closure on Hayes Street, we’re answering the two top questions we ask and have been asked as of late:Who does a Supervisor really serve?And have you even talked to Bilal about the closure?Yes, we did. Once. It was a meeting that left the room stunned and the community even more demoralized. What follows … Read post

Petition to Reopen Hayes Street gets removed from HVNA controlled facebook page

April 8, 2025 This post after being up for 24 hours was removed today.No surprise, this private group is controlled and moderated by HVNA board members. HVNA is the permit holder of the Hayes Street Closure. This type of censorship and oppression by the HVNA is nothing new which is why we are highlighting this unjust behavior. This act exemplifies … Read post

Summer Roundup

With election day a few weeks away we wanted to share a few updates on initiatives that we’ve been busy advocating for which inevitably will drive our post election efforts. We believe it’s critical to share our discoveries and takeaways on issues that continue to shape our neighborhood — these matters impact both our quality of life and conditions to … Read post

Advocacy in the Cracks: What Hayes Valley Reveals about the System

It starts small. A closed street here. A community board there. An event permit that seems innocuous on its face. But step by step, a pattern emerges and if you’re not paying attention, you might miss how fast the foundation shifts beneath your neighborhood. Over the past five years, we’ve engaged in what should have been straightforward advocacy: asking for … Read post

Hayes Valley Traffic Sunday June 22, 2025

Grove Street Traffic from Fillmore to Gough Streetat 12 noon.Hayes was open … so this proposed overflow street is already over swamped … can’t handle normal traffic and to close Hayes Street permanently would make Grove St traffic problematic.

Our Statement

The Hayes Valley Entertainment Zone: The Story is Unraveling San Franciscans deserve transparent governance, not a backroom deal disguised as community policy. To those of you who have stood with us – thank you. Please keep sharing this with neighbors, small business owners, and public safety and good governance advocates. Over the past several weeks, we have uncovered internal emails, … Read post

Operation Booze Zone: The Power Play Behind the Closure

Since news broke about the proposed “Entertainment Zone” in Hayes Valley aka the Booze Zone we’ve been fielding a lot of questions. So here’s a straight-up explanation of what’s going on, and who’s behind it. This didn’t come from the neighborhood. It came from HVNA leadership and a first-term Supervisor who seems more interested in celebrating with the street closure … Read post

From Public Space to Political Tool: The Parcel K Board Scandal

How a locked bulletin board reveals a long-standing pattern of exclusion in Hayes Valley. It was billed as a public resource: a new bulletin board installed on Parcel K in the heart of Hayes Valley, just steps from the now-controversial 400 block street closure. But like many recent “community” initiatives in the neighborhood, what was framed as public and inclusive … Read post