Castro Shopper

Barren Planet

A reported in my last column, Planetweavers is no more, and February 29 was their last day in their Castro Street location.

However, they are continuing the liquidation around the corner on 18th Street.  The Planetweavers stock is now in the retail space across from Starbucks which has never had a long-term resident since its construction, as far as I can remember.  (If I'm wrong, please someone remind me.)

Gustofino, gone dark

This has been mentioned on a couple different blogs and restaurant review sites, but Gustofino, the Italian quick-service deli/grocer on Church Street which I profiled in my "Business Briefs" column in September of last year, has closed.  The shop has been papered over for a while, but there were rumors that it was just being renovated but not closed. 

I'm not sure what sort of business plan would justify a renovation after just 4 months in business, but hey, it's the Castro.  Stranger things happen.  Daily.  But the phone number was disconnected and the email address was bouncing, so those were pretty good indicators.

I went by the location today and got official confirmation that Gustofino is no more.  The new resident is going to be a bakery, and it's supposedly opening in "a couple weeks."  I'll have more detail on this soon.

I did ask why the old shop closed and was told the classic story:  lack of capital.  "No drama -- they just ran out of money," is the direct quote. 

That's rough.  I know that the #1 reason for new businesses failing is undercapitalization, but still, Gustofino's owner, Matthew Rutledge, really seemed like he had done his homework.   It's hard to believe that he could overestimate his cash flow that dramatically, and yet, the picture above pretty much tells the story. 

Definitely sad to see this one close. 

This month's Out Traveler includes a short-but-sweet 2-page interview with Armistead Maupin.  Relevant to this blog is a section of the interview called "Maupin's San Francisco Treats" where he gives his favorite attractions and restaurants.  Unfortunately this side-bar is not included in the online version, but two out of the four restaurants he lists are Castro eateries.

Burgermeister (138 Church Street)  "They have these incredible burgers made with beef from the organic farms north of the city.  You can really taste the difference."

Firewood (4248 18th Street)  "Serves really excellent Italian-style thin crust pizza, which allows you to get the pizza sensation without gorging yourself.  You can get seats at the window where you can see the parade go by.  You can cruise and eat at the same time."

I found this interesting because neither of the Castro restaurants he lists is what you would call high-end, or even mid-range.  Neither of them even has table service! 

I mean, they are both nice enough places to eat, but this underlines that the Castro has a big hole in the market when it comes to gourmet restaurants.  Maupin had to head all the way to the Embarcadero (Slanted Door) and over the hill to Cole Valley (Zazie) to find restaurants where you don't fish your own silverware out of a bin!  Not good.

Last year I noted that the Chronicle's top 100 Bay Area restaurants only included two Castro shops (Mecca and Chow), and things don't look good for a better showing this year.  Is it that the market won't support really good, high-end restaurants?  Or are the rents too high to allow anything other than the tried-and-true, high-volume place to survive?  Or are we (hopefully) just at the beginning of nurturing a gourmet market in the neighborhood?

On a tangentially related note, Maupin is a Castro resident who described the 'hood in a 2006 Advocate interview this way:

Advocate:  You've lived in the Castro for more than three decades. What is different about the neighborhood to you today?

Maupin:  That's so hard to answer. But it's remarkably the same. . . . There are still cute young guys in jeans walking around. There are plenty of older guys like me. (Laughs.)

But it's still pretty much "Gayberry RFD." That's maybe a simple answer. But I will say that the drugs are much more ferocious then they used to be. There are people wrecking their lives with addiction, which seems much more severe. I've always had a love-hate relationship with the Castro. But I am in there every other day because I like the sense of community it provides. But once a place like that liberates you, you need to take it to the rest of the world. You need to be an ambassador.

At some point the neighborhood has to decide whether it wants to remain a relevant destination with a thriving business district which draws people from around the globe, as well as from around the city.  Or are we content to atrophy away until only the porn and nail salons are left?

  Last week's Bay Area Reporter included my February "Business Briefs" column, which was (vaguely) Valentine's Day-themed.  The topics included were:

• PartnerForLife.com, the new dating site for gay men focusing on long-term relationships, which can of course mean vastly different things for different people;
• GayCities.com, a new site which is aiming to be the definitive site for gay/lesbian travel information;
• Under One Roof's upcoming move across the street to the space currently occupied by ....
• Planetweavers, which is closing after 17 years in this spot (such a heartbreaker!);
• Harvey's's (is that NYT stylebook-approved?) new manager and new slate of entertainment; and
• Updates on two newly opened restaurants, Brandy Ho's and Thick & Thin.

Per usual, the column is available online (link provided above).  Enjoy!

How could you say no?

The SF Bear's International Bear Rendezvous weekend starts today, so don't be alarmed if you find a bear with his paw in your honey.  He means no harm.

As in previous years, stores have begun putting out bear decorations, including the awesome and completely unnecessary "Bears Welcome" signs.  However I haven't seen the big bar banners out yet, and generally there seems to be less visible activity than in previous years.  I wonder if this has something to do with a) the final filming of the Milk movie, b) the rain/cold/construction putting a general damper on the neighborhood, and/or c) the sucky economy which is apparently dragging everyone down.

And visiting bears are encouraged to check out my "Bear's Guide to the Castro" produced last year.  The only update is that Bullshead has closed down.  We don't really have any more carnivore-themed restaurants in the area, but for a good quantity-to-price ratio, try The Sausage Factory at 517 Castro.  The antipasto salad "baby" size is already too big for 2 people, so the "mama" size is a revelation at $12.25.  You must like lots of cheese though, and all of the Italian meat is on the bottom (where it should be).

In quick succession, three businesses within shade-throwing distance of 18th and Castro have announced that they are calling it quits.

Planet Out of Business

First, Planetweavers at 518 Castro is calling it quits after 17 years at this location.  Details are coming in my "Business Briefs" column in tomorrow's (Feb. 14) Bay Area Reporter, but Under One Roof will be moving into Planetweavers' old space after this month. 

It seems that Planetweavers' business went south after 9/11 and never recovered.  The owner, Andreas Blachian, even went so far as to close his other store located in the Haight, hoping to consolidate his business in the Castro center.  It didn't work.

When I asked him what the city could do to help small business owners (a question I ask of every small-bizinatrix that I speak with) he said that he felt the problem had more to do with the neighborhood itself.  He wonders if the Castro is welcoming enough to people outside of the gay community, and whether straight shoppers and diners feel unwelcomed when they set foot in the 'hood.  He notes that only about 1 or 2% of his Haight customers moved their business over to the Castro store, so something must have kept them away.  It was interesting to hear that opinion, when I usually hearing people moaning about the Castro becoming less gay.

I'll post a link to the article after it is posted tomorrow.

Internet Killed the Video Star

Second, Castro Video has posted a letter announcing its upcoming closure in March.  Castro Video has Planetweaver beat in the longevity department, apparently lending out its extensive collection of soft-core gay videos (really, did you have any idea that they made so many porn-lite videos, even today?) for over 20 years now.

It's sad to see this place go.  This was always my preferred rental spot, specifically because of its extensive collection of soft-core gay videos.  Just kidding!  They had a great two-nights-for-one policy, and generally I liked the small-biz vibe here.

Down from the Mountain

Finally, Ararat, the restaurant at 4072 18th Street, up on the second floor, is closing this week.  Saturday night is their final night.

They hosted a thank-you party for the local community on Tuesday, and I got a chance to chat with the owner for a bit.  It seems that business has been tough in that location for a while, and now the owner is looking to try again with a different restaurant somewhere else in the Castro.  The second-floor location has to be a difficult factor, but having an empty storefront across the street plus Brandy Ho's construction going on so long didn't help, I'm sure. 

The irony for me is that we just discovered Ararat a few months ago, and had started telling people how much we liked it, and how it was such an "undiscovered treasure" in the middle of the Castro.  Well, we didn't tell enough people apparently, and the treasure was a little too undiscovered.

So long to all three businesses.  For our struggling neighborhood business scene, this was a rough one-two-three punch.  Good luck to all three business owners as they move on to their next ventures.

This week the production of Milk, Gus Van Sant's biofilm about Harvey Milk (you may have heard about it) moved north a block toward Market Street.  The first of the march scenes was filmed tonight (February 4) and they'll be closing up the street again this Friday to wrap it up.  (For a copy of the funny clothing guidelines for march extras, head over to this post on Towleroad.  In case you were going to pull out your Disco Stu costume, think again!)

Given back (soon)

Down toward 19th Street, the location of Given which had been transformed into Milk's old Castro Camera has begun its return to the 21st century.  The outside signs have come down, and the interior has begun to be disassembled.

Castro Camera is history

Window into the past

Going knitty

The newly-opened Lisa's Hair Design has lost its awning and has been made over into Alda Yarn.  Nothing says the 70's like knit vests.

A different kind of bubble

Quickly, the bubble-tea purveyor made infamous by our dearly-departed supervisor Ed Jew, is made up as a real estate agent's office.  If you want to be depressed, go check out the posted listings closely.

???

Are those prices right?  I mean, that's the monthly rent, right?

Pretty Rabbit

The newsstand is now The March Hair, a beauty supply store.

Twice as ice

Hot Cookie's makeover into Double Rainbow is complete.

Also on that side of the street, The Bead Store had its awning taken down, but is otherwise unchanged.  I guess it has retained enough of its woo-woo, 70's, earth-mother styling that it fit into the movie just fine.  Likewise, Twin Peaks looks untouched since the 70's -- and coincidentally the same thing could be said about many of its customers.  (Hey-oh!  These are the jokes people!  I'll be here all week!)

There once was a restaurant from Phuket...

Across the street, I already posted about how the bar 440 Castro has become Toad Hall.  That's the bar on the left above, but oddly enough the Thai restaurant next door just put up a brand new awning.  When the producers are taking down other awnings and greying-out the coloring of other storefronts, its hard to believe that they are thrilled about this shiny new advertisement for pad thai.

Just for show, literally

On the other side of Toad Hall is the Citibank.  Earlier, I speculated that they might be putting a Victorian facade over the modernista styling of the bank, but now it seems that they are just using the scaffolding to obscure it during the shooting.

Jeans to Jambalaya

Club-kid-clothing central, In-jean-ious, is now Jambalaya.  As for what Jambalaya is supposed to be, that's hard to say.  The closest modern equivalent is probably a head shop, but smaller signs in the window indicate that it sells hardware and toys among other items.  Wait, hardware and toys?  That sounds like Castro Gulch or Rock Hard!

Your guess is as good as mine, frankly

BofA back on the corner

The Sprint Store has been covered up, and a Bank of America sign has gone up on the side of the Diesel store.  As far as the location of the old BofA goes this is historically accurate, but interestingly the front sign and display windows of the Diesel building are unchanged.  I guess Diesel wasn't willing to make the changes for the filming.

Finally, this isn't a business, but the Muni stop has been shielded by wooden structures.  I guess it would be hard to explain the presence of a "Harvey Milk Plaza" in the background of the movie.  It would kind of give away the ending.

And of course, the centerpiece of all this activity is the now complete Castro Theatre.  The paint job is done, the scaffolding is down, and the new neon is glowing.  (Well, most of it is glowing.  Is it impossible to get all 6 letters working at once?!  To quote Mel Brooks' Spaceballs, "Even in the future, nothing works!")

Well lit

I called the paint job gaudy and garish before, but I have to admit that it looks pretty nice now that it's done.  Thanks Gus!

(Go ahead to the next paragraph if you don't want to hear a little horn-tooting...)

So I'm pleased to say that my last entry about the changed storefronts for the Milk movie received a bit of attention around the intertubes.  I received linked coverage from a number of blogs, including:

• Towleroad:  Milk: The Transformation of Castro Street
• Boing Boing:  Castro Street transformed for Harvey Milk movie
• Curbed SF:  MilkWatch:  Time Warp in the Castro
• SFist:  More, More, More:  Milk's Castro in the 70's
• SF Weekly's The Snitch:  Milk Production: Back In Time On Castro
• Valleywag

If you found me via one of these links, welcome! 

And just so this post isn't completely content-free, here are some more links to articles covering the Castro transformation:

• Bay Area Reporter:  Castro merchants bank on movie magic
• I'm just saying' ...:  Retro-fitting
• Gaycities.com:  MILK:  Sean Penn & Emile Hirsch (with photos of the actors in costume!)
• Flick'r groups:  Milk: Castro vintage makeover
• San Francisco Chronicle:  Picturing Harvey Milk:  Filming of movie evokes memories, emotions in the Castro

This last article in particular has lots of interesting details about the filming.  From the point of view of the businesses in particular, the article underscores how the movie is set at the moment when the Castro reaches its tipping point from a working-class background to its rebirth as a gay Mecca.  The article quotes a production assistant coaching an extra by saying, "It's a good old Irish neighborhood, and now it's changing."  The friction between old and new businesses mirrors the friction between old and new residents, and eventually the business conflicts give birth to the Castro Street Fair and Harvey's political life.

As much as I roll my eyes at the porn stores and bar culture, I'm still amazed to think about the history that these overtly gay establishments represent.  And for not-a-small-number of our yearly visitors, seeing these gay-themed businesses out and open and happy and tacky is a wonderful revelation, and a reaffirmation of Harvey Milk's triumph and his legacy.

Action!

The devolution of Castro businesses back into the 70's continues.  I actually stumbled away from my sickbed on Friday long enough to run some errands, and found myself right in the middle of the outdoor filming that was going on that day.  From about midway between 18th and 19th all the way up to 19th, both sides of Castro Street were lined with retro cars, and extras in period garb were out in clusters on the sidewalks.  There may have been actual heaven-sent stars present too, but I was too Nyquil-addled to tell.

At right are two crappy photos I was able to snap before security told me to put away my camera.  The SFist blog has a similar picture without all the extras, so they probably took it during a break in filming. 

On the border between two eras

An interesting thing to note is that the boarded-up former First American Title Company next door to the ersatz Castro Camera is a center of a bit of the filming activity.  In the background, the film crew have camouflaged the Wells Fargo by changing the sign to read "Castro Flowers" on the south-facing side, and big plants have been placed to obscure the ATMs.  The second photo shows clearly that the border between film-reality and real-reality is right at the Wells Fargo (i.e. behind the Acura).

A friend of mine who is a car-enthusiast surmised that some of these vehicles were from the local Freewheelers auto club.  Does anyone know if this is true?  I have my doubts since many of the antique cars were a little banged up and didn't look like anyone's babies.  I loved the cranberry-colored VW bug that putted by at regular intervals, and I also loved seeing the old black and yellow California license plates from my youth.

Here's how some other businesses have transformed since my last update:

• Swirl has completely transformed inside and out, and it joins Given as being the only two stores which seem to be dislocated by the filming.  The Gaycities.com blog has an interior shot which gives a better idea of the extent of the transformation.  Here's an exterior shot of the finished storefront, along with a shot of the inside shelves taken through the front window.  Like those prices?
  

  Swirl into the past
  

  The price is right
  The photo below is a sign which sits in the Swirl window.  Apparently one significant story from Harvey Milk's life was that the Eureka Valley Merchants Association refused to cooperate with gay-owned businesses, so Milk started the rival Castro Village Association which eventually spawned the Castro Street Fair.  The sign says "Eureka Valley Merchants Society" instead of "Association," so I wonder if the name was changed for legal reasons.
  

  Sign of the times
  
  
• Clobba's sign is now up, and the store has been renamed "The Valet" with windows full of too-hip clothing.
  

  The Valet
  

  You too can dress like Robert Goulet
  A helpful reader (who might be enticed to post to share her historical knowledge--please?) pointed out that this was not actually a clothing store in this spot, but rather a hair salon.  I guess it wasn't in the budget for a total makeover on this store.
  
  
• Here is a slightly closer picture of the retro-looking mimeographed fliers that they have stapled over the former First American Title Company.
  

  Post bills
  
  
• Best in Show has now branched out to "shoe repairing."
  

  Shoe sign
  
  
  
• Further up the street between 18th and Market, the Toad Hall is now complete.
  

  Psychedelic Mushrooms

  1 comment
  
  
• But next door, the Citibank facade is undergoing a much more extensive makeover.  There is a faint suggestion of a Victorian-ish overlay being built, but I can't say for sure.  This will be interesting to watch develop.
  

  Is this scaffolding related to the movie, or completely separate?
  
  
• Hot Cookie is now Double Rainbow Ice Cream, and the other shops along here are getting ready for some changes.  The bus shelter was removed from the sidewalk.
  

  More rainbows
  
  
  
• Louie's removed its spiffy neon rings, and Marcello's has taken down its awning to reveal that retro-looking sign.  (Yes, that was always there.  It wasn't created for the filming.)
  

  A little less glitz
  
  
• US Bank is now Eureka Federal Savings.
  

  A bank by any other name
  
  
• Castro Nail Salon is now taking in laundry.
  
  

  Cleaning up the Castro
  
  
• The big rainbow flag is down at Castro and Market, and all of the smaller rainbow banners are off the light poles.  The MUMC president, Steve Adams, told the B.A.R. that new flags and banners will go up after the filming.
  

  When is a pole just a pole?
  
  
• The Castro Theatre sign is near completion, and they are lighting up the neon at night.
  

  Almost there...
  

  The sign has a youthful glow
  
  
• Random oddity:  They brought in new trash cans as set dressing.  I've heard that they also disguised the parking meters to make them look era-appropriate, but I didn't see that firsthand.
  

  This trash can is more famous than you.
  
  
• Finally, the production has taken over the old Tower space.  The lower floor looks like it is being readied as the holding pen and feeding trough for the large crowds of extras that they are collecting for the march scenes.
  

  A little something extra
  The upper floor seems to be filled with a thrift-store of clothing racks and shoe bins, so this seems to be their costuming area.
  

  Out of the closet
  
  

For more information on the production, check out two articles in the current issue of the B.A.R.:

• Film crew descends on Castro, and
• Harvey County, USA, an interview with two of the producers.

OK, I have a snifter of Nyquil with my name on it.  'Night folks!

I promised the follow-up to my "Ch-ch-ch-changes" post a couple days ago, but I've actually been down with a Moulin-Rouge-level consumptive episode.  Otherwise known as a "Man cold."  But I'm back upright for the time being, so here are some more changing storefronts in the Castro right now:

• The North Beach Chinese Restaurant Brandy Ho's has finally uncovered its Castro storefront and is getting ready for its long-delayed opening.
  

  Welcome to our neighbor, Ho.
  Back when I talked with one of the owners, Jimmy Lam, for the B.A.R. piece, the opening was forecast for September but when I ran into him the other day he said that the new opening is set for early February.  Considering that the reno was budgeted at about a million dollars (and having recently gone through a monster reno myself) it is understandable that there would be delays.  Here's a photo that I took of Lam and the interior while it was still in process:
  

  Jimmy Lam, co-owner of Brandy Ho's
  The interior concept was supposed to be reminiscent on the inside of a wine barrel, with the wood structures behind Lam fitting into the corner of the ceiling, to give a gradual coving from the wall onto the ceiling.  Peeking into the store now it seems that they have mostly stuck with that idea, and the interior looks sleek and Valentine's Day date-friendly.
  
  
• Scents-and-soaps dealer Bare Necessities on Castro has become another hair salon, Lisa's Hair Design.  This picture was taken before work started on Milk-ifying the storefront, and now the awning is completely gone.  I wonder if this will give them the opportunity and the capital to fix the name on the awning, or if they'll just leave it down.
  

  Lisa cuts in
  The Lisa in the store's title is the same stylist who used to work around the corner at Nice Cuts.  Bao Tonthat, who opened the chic Salon Baobao next to Mecca, also previously worked his shears at Nice Cuts, and I believe that the two of them were the most popular stylists there.  This goes to show how competitive the hair market is in the Castro, but it's also a testament to how big the market has become that the 'hood can support so many salons.  I have had co-workers who told me that they actually drive into the Castro just to get their hair cut.
  
  
• Clobba closed down their femme-focused store on Market Street at the end of last year.
  

  Clobba'd
  I'm told that the owner of Sui Generis, the designer boutique on Church Street, has plans for the site, but I don't know yet if it is a move or a second store.