Map showing a section of Valencia and Mission streets. Trash can icons indicate locations with trash cans. Red circles mark areas on 16th Street and Mission Street with no trash cans.
Many of the side streets and some of the main streets along the 16th Street Corridor don't have trash cans. We have suggested where some might be useful. Map by Kelly Waldron

The streets and alleyways were clean this morning. A few young denizens on the northeast plaza looked like they might have merchandise to sell in their backpacks on wheels, but they did not pull anything out while I was around. The lack of trash cans continues to be baffling, so we added the map. There must be a science to this, but a station with more than 20,000 daily exits and entrants should probably have multiple trash cans. At present, the northwest plaza has two nearby, and could use another on the plaza itself. The southeast plaza has no trash cans.

And, not surprisingly, vendors have set up shop again on 24th Street, so I added one photo from there.

Later in the afternoon, two Mission residents photographed Wiese Street. One who has lived on Wiese Street for 20 years said, “It is a shame that it had to get this bad.” He’s hopeful that the city might make a difference with the drug dealing in the area.

Street scene with a beige building on the left, trees lining the sidewalk, and a white van and black vehicle stopped at an intersection. Clear sky overhead.
3/17/25 Caledonia Street Photo by Lydia Chávez.
Street scene at an intersection with cars parked along the road, people walking on the sidewalk, and multi-story buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
3/17/25 Julian Avenue ,west side. Photo by Lydia Chávez.
Street scene with cars parked along the curb, a visible hotel sign, and a corner building with a store. The street is lined with utility poles and leads towards distant trees under a blue sky.
3/17/25 Julian Avenue, east side. Photo by Lydia Chávez.
An urban street scene with a narrow alley between buildings, a closed taqueria, and people walking on the sidewalk on a sunny day.
3/17/25 Wiese Street. Photo by Lydia Chávez.
Street scene with people, parked vehicles, and a bus near a public square. Overhead string lights and a lone palm tree are visible under a clear sky.
3/17/25 SW Plaza . Photo by Lydia Chávez.
A bustling plaza with palm trees, people walking, a tall signpost, and colorful murals on building walls under a partly cloudy sky.
3/17/25 NE Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez.
A group of people gather on a sidewalk selling and buying items near a bus stop. Palm trees and a colorful mural are in the background under a clear blue sky.
3/17/25 24th Street Plaza. 12:12 p.m. Photo by Lydia Chávez.
People browsing items displayed on the sidewalk. Various small goods are laid out for sale. Some individuals are standing or sitting nearby, and a mailbox is visible in the background.
3/17/25 Mission Street near 24th Street Plaza. Photo by Lydia Chávez.
Narrow alley with people sitting and standing, surrounded by buildings with graffiti. There's a fence, utility wires, and some plants on window sills. Cars and pedestrians visible in the distance.
3/17/25 Wiese Street. Photo by a Mission resident.
View from above of people on a sidewalk, some with bicycles and scooters. They are near a fence and a building with red and white accents. There are plants along the building.
3/17/25 Wiese Street after 4 p.m. . Photo by a Mission resident.
People in a city street, some sitting on mattresses, others standing. They are surrounded by bags and luggage. A yellow building with signage is in the background.
3/17/25 Wiese Street, after 4 p.m. . Photo by a community contributor.

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Founder/Executive Editor. I’ve been a Mission resident since 1998 and a professor emeritus at Berkeley’s J-school since 2019. I got my start in newspapers at the Albuquerque Tribune in the city where I was born and raised. Like many local news outlets, The Tribune no longer exists. I left daily newspapers after working at The New York Times for the business, foreign and city desks. Lucky for all of us, it is still here.

As an old friend once pointed out, local has long been in my bones. My Master’s Project at Columbia, later published in New York Magazine, was on New York City’s experiment in community boards.

At ML, I've been trying to figure out how to make my interest in local news sustainable. If Mission Local is a model, the answer might be that you - the readers - reward steady and smart content. As a thank you for that support we work every day to make our content even better.

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