What I've Learned

            I got off to a rocky start in reporting this semester. I really wanted my beat to be the Castro, a neighborhood that I wanted to explore as a young, gay man and aspiring journalist. However, my professor said it best – I had to get away from my personal perspective and my comfort zone.  I have to be able to cover subjects and areas that are unfamiliar to my personal life.

            I decided to go with the Western Addition as my beat neighborhood. It wasn’t any other student’s first choice, but it intrigued me because of its central location in San Francisco. It’s also one of the few neighborhoods in the city that I knew absolutely nothing about, aside from Geary Boulevard running straight through it from downtown to the beach.
            I remember my first walk down Geary. I started off at the Honey Baked Ham store on Divisadero; fond memories of Christmas dinners with my family came to mind. But my family wasn’t there with me to guide me step by step as I ventured east into uncharted streets of the Western Addition.

            One of the first areas I got to explore is Hamilton Recreation Center on Steiner Street. The building stood out amidst the homeless people gathering at the base of the concrete overpass walkways that hover over Geary. It had recently been remodeled and has been one of the most inviting public spaces in my beat because of its accompanying green spaces, playgrounds and availability to the community six days a week.

            Further down the street, Japan Town became an obsession of mine almost instantly because of its mixture of commercial and traditional spaces. Amidst the almost six square city block space that it occupies, Japan Town allows residents to encounter old San Francisco and the newer elements of technology and architecture that continue to influence our advancing city. A traditional Japanese pagoda occupies the center square of the commercial mall, a relic of the city’s urban renewal project from the 1960s. Directly across, the grandeur concrete and glass New People building houses an art gallery, foreign film theater and futuristic Japanese boutiques and accessory vendors.
            I realized I still wasn’t completely out of my comfort zone. I was throwing myself into businesses left and right, self indulging in deserts for one and mini sprees of purchasing Japanese fashion magazines and laying out at the park instead of interviewing extra sources. I knew I had to become more connected with the people that made up the district.

            While newsgathering for my profile assignment, I began to feel more comfortable in dealing with strange people and environments. I was looking for quotes regarding the artist I was profiling. I found my 20-year-old self inside a dive bar on Divisadero. I remember creeping up the bartender and just dropping Winslow Warren’s name, immediately turning the bartender’s puzzled face into an enormous smile. “I love Warren!,” she yelled. These are the types of people and friendships that I really wanted to experience in my newsgathering. Many of the people at the bar - friends, professionals and neighbors alike – said that the diversity of population and variety of environment in the Western Addition is what really brought them together, aside from the cheap happy hour prices.

            As I research controversies for my final project, I’m continuing to encounter residents and businesses owners that are willing to share their own history with their neighborhood. There are drug problems. There are constant reports of crime rising, falling, and rising again. The bus lines may be out of whack on even the best days for traffic. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing some of the most polite high school students with public transportation issues. I’ve had my down times too, struggling with getting complete strangers to give me the time of day in order to get a quote or a little direction in researching stories. Things may not always go our way in life, and people may not always be as nice as your neighborhood bartender. But I’ve learned that there’s nothing worse than holding back and letting fear get in the way of exploring what may be unfamiliar to you. The residents of the Western Addition have taught me that there really is a little bit of everything in the heart of the city. 

Good Times In The Western Addition

It’s become customary for me to walk up and down Geary Boulevard at least once a week while covering my beat.

I find myself lingering near the Hamilton Recreation Center on the boulevard, one block off from Divisadero Street, when lunchtime is near or a break from trekking around is needed.

Geary and Divisadero are busy city streets that intersect in creating a central destination for Western Addition locals and city dwellers alike.

On warm, sunny days, all types of people find their way to Hamilton and its surrounding parks because of their lush greenery and ample space for athletic activities.

I sat down on a large, oval boulder at Kimbell Park, across the street from the Hamilton center, due to the fact that no park benches or picnic tables were if vacancy. It seemed as though most locals were lucky enough to have a day off during the recent heat weave brought forth by our October Indian summer.

The enclosed field at Kimball is large enough for multiple games of soccer to go on at once. On the left side of the park, near Steiner Street, a team comprised of local students entertained themselves on their day off by playing a game in their bathing suits. To the right, a few elderly men, who reminded me of my father and his soccer aficionado friends back home, enjoyed a friendly game of their own.

Across from the field, under the overpass walkways that hover over Geary, squatters seek refuge in the shade, keeping to themselves.

It seemed as though many of the adults were on this side of the park, whereas most of the children were across the street at the center.

A mural featuring local famous musicians, including Etta James, covers the exterior of the Hamilton center.

The Hamilton Recreation Center and Park recently finished renovations that took about seven years of fundraising and reconstruction.  According to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, over $17 million was needed in order to bring the center up to date with a new pool, playground and athletic supplies.

Even on cold days, several children can be seen crawling around the newly built playground right in front of the center. Meanwhile, their parents can be found lined up against the chain link fence bordering the play area.

Although my first impressions had me thinking that the center was entirely for children, there are several events hosted in and around Hamilton that are geared towards families and retired persons.

The center offers a class for families to learn about African American culture in the Western Addition. What’s fun about this class, especially for kids, is that you get to work with new and vintage photographs from the community to make collages and artwork.

What community center would be complete without bingo? Yes, Hamilton is home to a once a week bingo night, geared towards senior citizens, but of course open to all. I don’t know if I’ll find myself participating in bingo anytime soon, but it’s nice to know that I’ve got the option to hang around a welcoming crowd of Western Additioners just looking to have a good time. 

Blog 1A: Community Interests

Labor Day was not the most beneficial day for me to venture off into the Western Addition, conducting interviews and researching community centers on barren streets with the sun pounding against me. 

After taking my feelings out on a chocolate milkshake somewhere on Fillmore between O'Farrel and Geary, I headed back out, scoured the streets of my beat for community bulletins and meeting grounds hidden amongst the residential developments and manicured parks. 

(A group of regulars gathering behind the KIPP: San Francisco Bay Academy on Geary Blvd.)

With Geary Boulevard's influx of homeless people in and around recreational centers, I came about the Jones Memorial United Methodist Church, which hosts a food pantry at its 1975 Post St. location for those who are less fortunate in a community that has gone through decades of gentrification. 

For other issues at hand, the SFPD's Northern Station hosts a monthly community forum the second Thursday of every month in order to bridge current community concerns and the officials who regulate our safety. 

In addition to district concerns, there are over 10 active neighborhood watch programs in the Western Addition, according to San Francisco SAFE. 

First Impressions of a Not-So-Distant Stranger

The highlight of my summer was my moving out of Park Merced, saying goodbye to edge of campus living and hello to a new life (and lease) in a central abode in the city. 

Little did I know that Alamo Square park was just a few blocks up from my new place in Lower Haight, bordering the outskirts of my new best friend this semester: the Western Addition. 

Through curious observation as a first time visitor, I found the Western Addition to be a true hodgepodge of history when it comes to the music and culture that make San Francisco such a distinct destination. 

I walked east up from Divisadero and down Geary Boulevard, which is said to be one of the longest streets in the city. Many of the buildings that line the boulevard are beautiful brownstones that caught my attention against the backdrop of towering trees that also surrounds much of the area. 

One of the first buildings that really drew me in was a charter high school built entirely of bricks parallel to the Hamilton Park and Recreation Center. The KIPP: Bay Area school serves as a bridge between low-income and disadvantaged students in the area and their potential college endeavors.

The high school is of prestigious acknowledgement with a "top ranking charter school" banner hanging off the side of the building. However, I was disheartened by the various groups of homeless people that had taken refuge in the park directly behind the school, across the street from a children's recreational center. 

Although I didn't feel threatened by the groups, I could only imagine what the hundreds of children that walk to and from school through these parks and down the boulevard encounter on a daily basis.

I stopped by the public library one block up from the Hamilton Recreation Center and talked with some of the workers on duty, as well as a local resident of the Western Addition - Rahel Zeleke.

As I was inquiring about the neighborhood and the type of social events offered in the community, Rahel was quick to open up about the high volume of violence and disturbances in the neighborhood. I wasn't prepared to hear about Rahel's close encounter with a stray bullet in her bedroom, just a few days prior to my meeting her. 

Again, my mind wondered off to my earlier encounter at the park with the homeless people. I was also reminded that although the immediate and glorious boulevard of the district displays wondrous architecture and recreation, looks can be dangerously deceiving. 

Up next on my itinerary was Japan Town, which features tons of delicious and colorful shops for sweets and Japanese accessories. A friend and I explored our meal options but couldn't decide on which one of the dozens of ramen noodle restaurants we wanted to feast at. 

Across the street from the traditional ambiance of Japan Town is a rather new hybrid of retail space and art galleries called New People, which just celebrated its first anniversary. The building's modern architecture against the backdrop of old sake and karaoke bars quickly captures your attention as you walk up Post Street. 

I love everything about the building, from the collective shop of Japanese imports and artist originals sold on the first floor to the the mixture of short-lease clothing and accessory boutiques hosted on the second floor. The best part about New People is the top floor art gallery that features rotating installations from both local and Japanese artists. 

The overall commotion of Western Addition locals and shop goers seemed to be quite busy due to the mixture of residencies and businesses alike. My observations this semester will have to combine the interests of the community and issues at large, as well as the multicultural events to come. I look forward to a semester long of investigation and self discovery, not just of this beautiful city, but of myself and my journalistic abilities.