“Sunset Buzz” is a recurring column on changes, tidbits and other news from the Sunset. Got news? Send us tips at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Residents in the Outer Sunset will soon be able to book the community room at the Shirley Chisholm Village for events.
Booking the room will be free during the program’s “soft launch” between April and June, the space would be free to use, according to a newsletter from District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong. After that, it will cost $50 per hour for nonprofits and $100 for private groups.
The room’s opening was delayed when a nonprofit tenant that planned to occupy the site balked at the added expense of managing and hosting events at the space. Since then, a youth nonprofit, Children’s After School Arts moved into the space.
According to Leslie Einhorn, the nonprofit’s founder and executive director, the nonprofit determined a fair rental fee by referencing clubhouse rental fees within the Recreation and Parks Department.
Kathy Howard, a neighbor who attended meetings during the planning stage of the housing project, was glad that the management is “acknowledging the public has the right to access this room.” But “the proposed fee structure does not really make it accessible for most people,” she said.
“Let’s say someone has concerns about a community issue and wants to get neighbors together to talk,” Howard wrote in an email. “They are not going to have non-profit status. Then they would have to pay the ‘private’ fee.”
Einhorn said the nonprofit would love to offer free rentals for all, but has to consider the cost of staffing and insurance for running the space.
The nonprofit is “very open” to providing fee waivers, Einhorn continued, but needs to make sure that operating the room for community events doesn’t impact their ability to provide the free services their own program provides for local families.
Andres Amador, an environmental scientist by training, calls himself an “earthscape artist” — that is to say, he creates large-scale intricate geometric designs on beaches which are eventually washed away by the rising tides.
This Saturday, Amador is hosting a free drop-in art experience on Ocean Beach near the Cliff House (I know, I know, technically in the Richmond, not the Sunset).
Anyone can join in, says Amador. No experience required, no instruction given, and rakes will be provided. “It’s really about having people come out and create together,” Amador continued.
Amador, who was born in San Francisco and now lives in Nevada City, said that he turned to art on one pivotal day in 2004, when he was “feeling low about the state of the world.” At the beach, playing in the sand with a walking stick, he realized “the beach itself could be a canvas.” He began holding his first public events over a decade ago, but has been doing them more often since the 2024 election.
He was feeling despondent about Trump, he said. And then, on New Year’s Day in 2025, the tides were so good. “So I said, ‘Okay, let’s do this.’”
The free public event starts at noon on Saturday, April 23. RSVP here.
Attentive residents may have noticed that in 2026, EverBank, the once online-only bank, took over many San Francisco storefronts owned by west-coast based Sterling Bank & Trust.
Now, it’s de-accessioning one of them — the Inner Sunset location at 825 Irving St. near 10th Avenue. The last day of operation is May 15. After that, the bank directs patrons to its two other locations in the Sunset: one at 1239 Noriega St. and the other at 2501 Irving St. near 26th Avenue.
“We don’t get nearly enough foot traffic as we do down Irving Street,” an employee said on Tuesday, by way of explanation.
That felt very counter-intuitive to this reporter, who has experienced the stretch of Inner Sunset as very active, especially on weekends.
“It’s all tourists and there’s no parking,” the employee added.
Summer concerts at the Spreckels Temple of Music — otherwise known at the Bandshell — in Golden Gate Park are kicking off their 144th season this Sunday. It will run through September 27 with 25 scheduled concerts in the park.
All concerts are free and performed by the Golden Gate Park Band, one of the oldest music organizations in the city dating back to 1882. There will also be special guests in future concerts: During pride weekend, for example, the drag laureate of San Francisco Per Sia will grace us with her presence.
Previously on Sunset Buzz …
We reported in February that the Oakland-based Two Pitchers Taproom and the smash burger pop-up Maillard opening on Noriega Street in the Outer Sunset. The wait is over — the restaurant had its grand opening this Wednesday, with a $10 smash burger and a $3 pint.
Owners of Maillards were worried how having the brick-and-mortar will affect its pop-ups at the Outer Sunset Farmers Market and Heritage Restaurant & Bar in the Richmond. Luckily, although the smash burger skipped this Tuesday’s Richmond popup in preparation of its grand opening, it will return to normal programming next week.
Ploverfest, the one-year anniversary celebration of Sunset Dunes, was rescheduled to this Sunday, April 26, due to rainy weather. “Everything you were planning to enjoy will still be there,” the organizers promised in an email, “just with (fingers very crossed) better weather.”
