The City Promised Balance. Closures Delivered the Opposite.
Hayes Valley vs. the Market & Octavia Plan When the Central Freeway finally came down in the early 2000s, Hayes Valley felt like it had won. The teardown was celebrated as a turning point, a chance to reclaim land and reconnect the neighborhood (Hoodline, 2015). But the replacement street, Octavia Boulevard, didn’t live up to the promise. Instead of being … Read post
A 20 Year Hayes Valley Merchant Forced Out
This month, Hayes Valley will lose one of its most cherished small businesses. After 20 years at the corner of Hayes and Octavia, Miette is relocating to the Fillmore. While their story continues elsewhere, Hayes Valley is losing a piece of its heart. For many, Miette was more than a candy shop — it was a place of celebration, of … Read post
49 Reasons the Hayes Street Closure Needs to End
The Hayes Street closure was supposed to be temporary. Instead, it’s become a politicized experiment with no accountability one that hurts small businesses, fuels division, and defies logic. Here’s why it’s time to reopen Hayes: 1. It was never meant to be permanent.The closure began as a short-term pandemic response. Those conditions no longer exist. 2. Use of the space … Read post
The Human Cost of Divisiveness Created by the Hayes Street Closure
What breaks our heart isn’t just the policy failures. It’s the way real people have been dismissed, week after week, through the Hayes Street closure. Take Viktor. For years, he’s poured everything into his Hayes Valley shop, Cotton Sheep, one of those rare places that gives a neighborhood its soul. When he spoke up in the early days about how … Read post
Why an “Impact/Feasibility Study” on Hayes Street Can’t Be Trusted
At first glance, an “impact” or “feasibility” study sounds responsible. But here’s the problem: if the street closure was pushed from the beginning without transparency or broad consent, the study can’t correct that bias. It just papers over it. And whether it’s branded as an impact study (measuring consequences) or a feasibility study (judging if permanence is possible), the purpose … Read post
The Truth About the “New” Police Ambassador Program
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood has been promoting what he calls a “first-time” SFPD Police Ambassador pilot in Hayes Valley and the Fillmore — retired police officers walking the beat as the “eyes and ears” for both the department and the community. The problem? This program isn’t new. Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Dean Preston rolled out the same initiative in 2023, … Read post
The “Abbot-Kinnification” of Hayes Valley — A Neighborhood Takeover in Real Time
There’s been a quiet but calculated effort underway to turn Hayes Valley into the next Abbot Kinney. If that reference doesn’t hit right away, let us explain. Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach was once a quirky, eclectic strip filled with independent shops, creatives, and community culture. But over time thanks to a toxic mix of real estate speculation, political … Read post
Spring Roundup 2025
A Neighborhood at a Crossroads It’s been a busy fall, winter, and spring. With summer upon us, we thought it best to take a pause and share some updates, especially as we’ve been fielding many questions in our ongoing conversations with neighbors. Had you asked us in 2020 what our community work would look like five years down the road, … Read post