Some 27,000 paid parking spaces in the city will be getting new pay-by-license stations on Wednesday morning, Howard was adding the new system on 21st Street.
“We should have all of these done this month,” he said, referring to the Mission District. Then, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will move on to the next neighborhood. In two years, the old meters will be erased from the city.
And, now that you’re parked, here are all the things you’ll want to do this weekend.
Visual and performing arts
The 47th Annual American Indian Film Festival wraps up this weekend at 320 Florida St. Highlights include an AIFI fundraiser cooking demo hosted by Oakland chef Crystal Wahpepah of the Kickapoo Nation, and owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen, Friday from 2 to 3 p.m. Tickets are $150 each. For a more affordable way to engage with and support AIFI events, check out a movie on Thursday.
The California College of the Arts MFA Graduate Fine Arts program is hosting Open Studios on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. RSVP here.
If you missed the screening of Mission legend “Uncle” Ray Balberan’s films at Brava Theater, you can still catch Mission Love, featuring art, music, and a conversation with the director at the de Young Museum, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Main Library’s Koret Auditorium. Admission is free for Bay Area residents. While you’re there, check out the de Young’s phenomenal Faith Ringgold exhibition, on through Nov. 27.
Music
Melodic psychedelia meets surf rock with a Western twinge in the acclaimed band La Luz. Their most recent album, the eponymous “La Luz” (2021), was produced by Adrian Younge, whose writing credits include work with Schoolboy Q, Jhene Aiko, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Their nationwide tour comes to The Chapel on Friday. Get your groove on at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 with an $8 service fee. Plus, a heads up that legendary Brazilian rock band Os Mutantes is coming to The Chapel next week.
If you’re feeling a little angstier this election season, L.S. Dunes is performing at Bimbo’s 365 Club on Sunday. Featuring former Circa Survive and My Chemical Romance musicians, the rock supergroup debuted this fall to critical acclaim: The band’s first album, “Past Lives,” drops on Friday. Tickets are $35 with a $9 service fee.
Also on Sunday at the Make Out Room, Mushroom will be there at 7:30 p.m. with North Bay singer/songwriter Patrick Winningham opening the double bill.
Other events
Stop by Bissap Baobab’s Paris Dakar (hosted every Friday and Saturday) at its new location at 2243 Mission St. for Afrobeats, Reggaeton, Zouk, and everything in between. The Senegalese joint serves delectable dinners through 9 p.m.; stop by for good eats and excellent tunes. It’s $5 before 11 p.m, $10 after, for you night owls.
Mission Bowling Club’s last “Mini Mart” of the year is here! Shop local crafts, clothes, home decor, and more at the Bowling Club’s front patio on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
Manny’s Weekly Neighborhood Trash Cleanup is disco-themed! Start your week off right by taking care of our neighborhood and getting some delicious brunch, Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m. For those of you with less than altruistic ambitions, if you don’t know by now, participating in this lovely community event has the added bonus of a special certificate for the day, which can get you a free hot chocolate at Dandelion, yoga class at HAUM or Love Story Yoga, fries at Beehive, or a whole suite of other Mission District munches. Sign up here.
Gray Area hosts Recipes for the Future: Reimagining Family Cookbooks for Resilience in a Changing Climate with experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats and applied ecologist Erin Riordan. The workshop will explore climate change’s impact on the availability of current food staples, and possible substitutes for these ingredients with what may be available in 50 years. Attendees will be guided through creating a family cookbook that can withstand the challenges of the global climate crisis. Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Gray Area, 2665 Mission Street. Tickets are $15.
Tired of pumpkin spice and all (autumnal) things nice? Given this week’s weather, I certainly don’t blame you if you’re ready to get into the holiday spirit. Join Mayor London Breed, Sen. Scott Wiener, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and more in the tradition of lighting the famous Castro Holiday Tree on Monday, Nov. 28, from 6 to 6:30 p.m.at 501 Castro St. More information here.
And you can always walk by Treat Avenue between 21st and 22nd streets and see the newly refurbished mural.
Enjoy!
This new parking system would be another interesting window into the workings of the SFMTA.
They want you to upload your plate number and payment info into an app owned and operated by a private, subcontracted company?
Suppose they will make more revenue, not only from selling our private information, but also from those who do not want/cannot access the app and will just get a ticket.
One of the benefits of a disabled parking permit (and why you see them everywhere) is that, with one, not only can you park in special zones, you can park *anywhere*, free. You don’t have to feed meters. There are often discussions about getting rid of this unusual benefit. The ONLY argument that disability advocates have ever made for free parking is “it may be hard for someone to get on to the curb to feed the meter.” With the new pay-by-phone system in place, that argument is now dead. We should get rid of free parking for disability placards. Fewer people would have the incentive to get one fraudulently.
The parking meters by license plate suck for gay men wanting to remain in the closet until they feel comfortable coming out. Wondering if this has any effect on who visits the Castro nowadays? I know I personally found other parking when they implemented this in the castro parking lot a few years back.