Volume XXXIX, No. 2
March 2015
THE NOE VALLEY VOICE
Who’ll Let the Dogs In? What once was a soggy lake is now a sea of green, but the dogs of Noe Valley, including Murphy and Scooter (right), may have weeks to wait before they can romp in Upper Douglass Dog Park on 27th Street. For the scoop on the park’s closings and openings, see our story, page 9. Photo by Beverly Tharp
Drive to Restrict Parking Hits Roadblocks
How a Plucky Store Survives and Thrives Cliché Noe Could Be a Model For Small Retail By Richard May
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tores come and go on 24th Street and Church Street, Noe Valley’s two main shopping areas. Have you passed by an empty storefront and thought: I could have a store! I could sell clothes/run a restaurant/open a nail salon! Then you remember reading somewhere that most small businesses fail in their first two years and you decide maybe that 9-to-5 job downtown or in Silicon Valley doesn’t seem so bad after all. What does it take for a store to succeed in Noe Valley? Why do some work and others fail?
Dani Sheehan-Meyer of Cliché Noe Gifts + Home knows for sure. Her store has passed the three-year mark, achieves its revenue goals, and expands its business every year. Things did not start off so well, however. The store opened at 4175 24th St. the day after Thanksgiving 2011, which, if you recall, was at the bottom of the Great Recession. That was bad enough, but there was another stumbling block. Sheehan-Meyer says she knew “on the first day that the store was wrong. It wasn’t San Francisco. It wasn’t Noe Valley.” It had “too much of too little,” meaning the shop didn’t have enough variety. She began making changes immediately—
Neighbors Worry About Spread of Glen Park Permit Zone By Corrie M. Anders
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Expansion Plan: A proposal put forth by residents in Glen Park would extend permit parking all the way to 30th Street.
group of residents, tired of commuters and other nonresidents using their streets for free all-day parking, has launched a petition drive to extend permit parking to the northeast corner of Glen Park, an area also known as the Fairmount. The campaign has spawned so much controversy that the Friends of the Noe Valley Recreation Center hosted an informational meeting on Feb. 4. It drew CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Word Week Promises Wonderful Wit Humor Joins Irish, Queer, Arty, Food, and Kid Lit By Olivia Boler
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Dani Sheehan-Meyer combines positive energy, community involvement, and smart business strategies to give her store the best chance for success. Photo by Pamela Gerard
oe Valley’s Word Week Literary Festival is returning for its ninth year this spring. From March 16 through 21, the neighborhood celebrates words, written, spoken, sung, and—new this year— delivered with a punch line. “Word Week appeals to anyone who loves to read, aspiring writers, even singers,” says Peggy Cling, who is the treasurer of Friends of Noe Valley, the organizing sponsor of the event. Other sponsors include Martha & Bros. Coffee,
Noe Valley Bakery, and Valley Tavern. “It’s a chance to get out into the neighborhood, meet up with friends, have fun, and support our local businesses.” Word Week is completely free of charge, so take advantage of all it has to offer. You can show support for local businesses during the festival by purchasing a book or two—or more! Here’s what’s in store each day: The week kicks off on Monday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m., with Word Wit: Noe Valley Comedy Night at Caskhouse Bar and Bites on the corner of 24th and Vicksburg streets. Former state assembly CONTINUED ON PAGE 15