by Sebastian on April 3, 2023 (BeyondChron.org)
The shuttered San FranDisco on April 1, 2023
High Hopes for Rink Dashed
I find it very odd that our City likes to open and close things on April 1 which is April Fools’ Day.
The City opened the long-awaited 49-Van Ness Rapid Bus Lane on April 1, 2022. And, now, the City closed the roller skating rink, San FranDisco at Fulton Plaza on April 1, 2023.
I truly hoped that San FranDisco skating rink would become permanent at Fulton Plaza to revitalize the troubled Civic Center area.
A week before San FranDisco closed, I e-mailed a group of my roller skating aficionado friends (including a world-renowned skating champion) to join me for the “Last Dance” at San FranDisco. I wanted to say goodbye to San FranDisco with a bang by doing “Boogie Shoes” with my friends on its last night there.
Skating into the sunset with our boogie shoes #rollerskating
None, yes, none of them accepted my invitation. They all said that they loved the idea but they didn’t want to go there as the area is very sketchy.
This was one of my friends’ reply e-mail to me (shared with her permission):
“Do you see how every time Breed tries to create good things for the City to restore some semblance of a past SF, they eventually don’t seem to work out?
Such as Injection Site by UN Plaza, for the drop in drug overdoses it actually created more sales for drug dealers nearby, so shut it down. Skating rink, good idea, drug dealers nearby ruin it & has to be shut down.
With all the Police they assigned to Union Square over the holidays, why don’t Breed & the Police Chief use those Police & start arresting them? They need to get a message that SF will not put up with these open drug sales on every corner of the Tenderloin.
Can’t believe Breed sees them out her window & nothing can be done. Dopeheads will not seek help if drugs are in their face & on every corner.
This is getting worse not better. People are fed up. Breed might take the hit & not get reelected next year.”
So, I ended up going to the last day of San FranDisco “All By Myself.”
San FranDisco’s last day, March 31, 2023
Skaters were in good spirits and spinning around and around. But, they were not the only ones who partied hard. Next to the skating rink, drug connoisseurs and their patrons were also “Partying Like It’s 1999.”
The 1980s was the best decade for San Francisco.
Our city’s ladies started gaining ground in national politics: Nancy Pelosi was first elected into the U.S. House of representatives and Dianne Feinstein was the city’s first female mayor.
Chef Jeremiah Tower ruled the city’s restaurant scene with his restaurant Stars in Civic Center. It was the biggest party in town every night. I would often see Denise Hale, Lisa Minnelli, Danielle Steel, and Luciano Pavarotti there.
Time has changed.
The former location of August 1 Five, 524 Van Ness has been empty for years now.
Here is an idea:
Since Twitter San Francisco headquarters is in Civic Center/Mid Market and Max’s at Opera Plaza is the closest fine dining to it, Elon Musk should lure chef Jeremiah Tower back to San Francisco and re-open Stars restaurant at the former location of August 1 Five.
As we all know that opening anything in the City takes a very long time due to permit hurdles, Musk and Tower should start with opening a pop-up restaurant at the San FranDisco former location first while waiting for their permits.
Dining in a tent like the Le Cirque restaurant theme came to my mind:
In an interview with SFGate at the opening of San FranDisco, David Miles optimistically said about Civic Center, “I’d say come back here in a year, and this place will have a brand -new reputation.”
The Godfather of Skate’s quest to revitalize downtown SF
Miles may be right. But, the City must clean up the area first. Otherwise, opening anything on April Fools’ Day will end up in shutting it down on April Fools’ Day again.
