2340 Jackson Mapped
The Chronicle’s C.W. Nevius characterizes Envision Schools’ Metropolitan Arts & Tech High School as being “[l]ocated where Pacific Heights meets the Western Addition.” A characterization which is the antithesis of the more typical gentrification by (the simple addition of) “heights.”
And even if one chooses to disregard the Realtor’s definition of neighborhoods (and the grey area of Lower Pacific Heights mapped above), 2340 Jackson is still anything but on the cusp of the “inner city.” Ah, those crazy Marinians.
In a twist, kids from Marin are bused to city [SFGate]
Envision Schools: Metropolitan Arts & Tech High School [envisionschools.org]

25 thoughts on “The Rough And Tumble “Inner City” Of Pacific Heights”
  1. This is the same reporter who is currently flogging “fed up with homelessness” articles. I’m reassured to know that someone tackling complex issues of urban living has a real feel for the city and how it operates.

  2. hey no picking on CW Nevius, he commutes from the East Bay and has trouble sometimes figuring out those neighborhoods.
    and to think that up until a few months ago he was writing about “24.” Thank God we have someone of his caliber showing us bloggers how Real Journalists are so smart….
    Now if only we could send a map to CW….and perhaps a healthy dose of insight and whatnot, he’d be the smartest kid at the Chron!

  3. Also, that map makes the Western Addition look suspiciously tiny.. I still say it extends from Geary to Oak and from Van Ness to Masonic… I’ll let the realtor’s have their “Lower Pacific Heights!”

  4. I’m afraid the Western Addition issues have moved further and further into Pac Heights. If the unrestrained graffiti is any sign, it has now extended past the California Street border.
    I’d put the border of Pac Heights at Sacramento now. The part between Sacramento and California is turning into Lower Pac Heights/Western Addition.

  5. another odd thing about the article was the kid profiled at least was from Marin City which has all the public housing in Marin
    Were the majority of the kids from Marin City? Busing kids from the public housing in Marin to SF isn’t much of a story

  6. I once saw an ad for a condo on Ellis – directly across the street from the projects – listed as “adjacent to lower Pacific Heights.” Too funny!

  7. Tipster is correct. The area around / north of California is on the decline. Sacramento is in (relatively) bad shape these days. The Metro school is also a very interesting development for Pacific Heights as your putting a pretty tough crowd into an area that has naturally selected itself. There doesn’t seem to be any problems at this point but it has changed the daily make-up / feel of that area significantly. This is an interesting story to watch and it could easily go bad, quickly, but I’m hopeful that it will add some more diversity to the area without creating any strife.

  8. I have to agree with Tipster on the area also. The garage doors on Sacramento near Laguna recently got graffiti as well as other areas to the west towards Fillmore. This would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.

  9. has anyone ever caught anyone tagging something before? we should all be issued fully automatic paint guns so we could unload on these worthless pieces of shit when they deface our city. so lame!

  10. I have to agree with James on the graffiti. I’ve noticed a lot more in my hood (Glen Park) too recently. Homeowners should try to remove the stuff as quickly as possible because it seems that if left as is it just welcomes more defacing of the surrounding public spaces.

  11. Plenty of business and apartment buildings in my neighborhood (20th and California) get tagged as well. This is a quiet family neighborhood that borders Seacliff. Tagging is a function of the number of maladjusted kids in the area and not indicative of proximity to The Projects.

  12. we should call the truancy officers on them during the school year. i bet 311 would be happy to route that call too.

  13. “I have to agree with Tipster on the area also. The garage doors on Sacramento near Laguna recently got graffiti as well as other areas to the west towards Fillmore. This would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.”
    Are all the people complaining about graffiti recent transplants? This is absolutely nothing compared to the early 90s. I know other people who grew up here and who agree that with respect to graffiti the city is fairly clean these days.

  14. “I have to agree with Tipster on the area also. The garage doors on Sacramento near Laguna recently got graffiti as well as other areas to the west towards Fillmore. This would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.”
    I totally agree. I live on Buchanan at Sacramento and the grafitti has creeped into my building as well. In addition, there have been increased break-ins in both street parked cars and in garages recently. Not sure about the early 90s, but I have been here for more than 10 years and crime is at its worst level in that time.
    Also regarding lower Pacific, I consider California to Sutter to be lower Pac Heigts.
    Anything south of sutter and north of oak from van ness to masonic is Western addition

  15. I used to be afraid to walk past Geary on Fillmore, because OMG there were people that weren’t white. Once I got over being a wuss, I kept walking.

  16. Johnson, NOBODY brought race into this discussion until YOU did. I don’t see how a conversation about the increase in crime and graffiti has ANYTHING to do with racism. I have been a victim of crime, and it was by someone of my own race, but when did you decide what race I was?
    As for the comment that it was worse here in the early 90’s. I don’t think so, and there is a reason I call myself Anonoldtimer. I have lived in the city for over 40 years, my parents have lived on Green Street between Pierce and Scott in Cow Hollow/Pacific Heights for over 25 years. My mother has mentioned grafitti on this street twice in the last year, where as, we have never had this problem before in the entire time they have lived there. This is a street of single family homes, and I am not sure it is kids from other neighborhoods as I have a feeling it is local brats trying to be “tough”. But who knows? Nothing is ever done. They also have had people come up the steps into their front garden and use it as a bathroom, but of course what would you expect on a street of homes selling for over 3 million in San Francisco?
    I am really getting tired of people claiming we are closed minded, racist, and timid if we talk about the deterioration of safety in neighborhoods in San Francisco. The crime and graffiti is getting worse, cars and homes are being broken into, and it is happening more on the north side of the city than ever before. But north or south, it should not be happening at all and there is nothing wrong in demanding safer and cleaner streets from such a “world class” city.

  17. My non-scientific sampling after living in SF since 1979:
    I have had two half-assed muggings or mugging attempts.
    1. 1989 – Divisadero and Geary.
    2. 1992 – Post and Scott.
    Also, I disagree with Timosha, the graffiti has tremendously increased in the Upper Haight where I live and the building owners are no longer trying to keep up. That is paint. But now, there is also acid etching on all the storefronts, and that didn’t even exist 10 years ago.
    As an Architect who has had cherished project tagged, my personal wish is that a graffiti punk caught in the act should be required to receive the paint or acid through one or more body orifices.

  18. Pac Heighs is north of California S., and to Vallejo.
    Sacramento St. is a fine st, and property on Sacramento that face Lafayette Park or Alta Plaza Park are some of the best properties in SF.

  19. what is with the acid etching? Is this stuff stolen from high school chem labs or something? It literally ruins granite tiles and is creating expenses for our building that go way beyond typical graffiti cleanup. We are considering trying to replace the entire first floor exterior with something more graffiti resistant, i.e. that cleans up easier.
    We’ve had other acts of vandalism including the destruction of trees that is really disheartening and makes you wonder what the hell is going on and if people in this city will ever wake up and get a backbone for some good old fashioned law enforcement.

  20. The acid is easily found in hardware stores and used in a variety of applications in construction. The acid is also bought at art supply stores and was used in print-making and other creative creations, but now it is a HUGE problem in New York City. They had finally cleaned up their entire subway system train inventory only to find that vandals are now using acid to ruin the train windows. It is now on many trains and there is no way to remove it except for replacing the window. There is talk in New York of limiting sales of the product to adults with proper identification.

  21. Why the hell would anybody listen to CW Nevius about this city? Like Ed Jew and Micheala Alioto-Pier, CW doesn’t live here! Look through the Chronicle’s archives. If CW writes about something “local”, odds are that it’s within 2 blocks of the Chronicle’s office.

  22. I live on broadway in pac heights and for the last two saturday nights in a row, someone has been smashing car windows all along broadway. Why do you think I’m up right now, I’m going to catch those SOBs tonight. As for graffiti I haven’t seen it where I am but I would rather have that on a building than have my car window smashed.

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