It's been a long time coming

I took this panorama on July 6, 2009.

It will be really interesting to see what ends up being constructed in time. I hope something unique ends up there. One of the things that strikes me is that, from Tunnel Avenue, the contours of the valley are becoming visible again. We need to capitalize on the sight lines through the valley in our designs. The view of the hill at the top of the Sunnydale public housing can be seen from Tunnel, and I'd like to see the two projects speak to each other somehow, with views to those natural landmarks visible from numerous vantage points.

There needs to be a living wall or some amazing feature that you see from the train, like vertical gardens, but it needs to look good from the train as much as to the people living there: let's make that a gate to San Francisco.

And why can't we have a pedestrian bridge between Little Hollywood and the new neighborhood again? It would make what happens at Schlage much more relevant to the surrounding neighborhoods.

At any, rate, it's cool to see previously blocked views open up. Now you can imagine a couple more blocks of Leland, east of the intersection with Bayshore.

Had a couple of nice days at Big Sur

R. got us tickets to see two shows by the same group, Animal Collective, one at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Tuesday night, and then again at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur on Wednesday night.  The concert in Oakland was WAY too loud in my opinion, but the one in Big Sur was delightful.  That one was for a crowd of 300, out of doors, with Redwoods all around and the fog socked in thick:  beautiful evening, all the more so because of the presence of our dear friends, J and M H who shared a couple of days down there with us.  Also here:  Loop N' Land, or Lupineland, seen from Molera State Park.  Not sure which mountain that is in the background.  Left me wanting to spend more time down there.

How green will be my Valley?

Be a lighthouse

I was impressed by these words from President Obama's speech at Notre Dame the other day:

"

 In this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you’ve been raised and educated. Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake. Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. Stand as a lighthouse."

We're writing to you from the southeastern corner of San Francisco, a neighborhood known as Visitacion Valley.  It's a small neighborhood, often overlooked by the city, but it's home and it is going to become a better place, mark my words.  Already has in the 10 years we've lived here.  You know, I've had a number of synchronous experiences in recent days, suggesting it might be time to trust the process of life, not listen to the things others might say out of fear or a need to dissuade.  We don't want to be rash, but extreme times call for extreme measures.  We're a queer couple, entering middle age, we've spent a third of our lives together, and we are your neighbors, service providers, friends, and people you think you hate--or at least diminish.  But you know, it's time to get on with our lives.  I have ideas about where this might take us, and no idea of where it might take use.  Periphery view:  we're on the edge of San Francisco.  We're on the edge of the Ocean and the Continent.  We are on the outside, still, of much of society, or at least are viewed by others as being as such.  Welcome to our corner of America.  Welcome to our home.