2 posts tagged “lisa's hair design”
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!)
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.
In the window they've displayed a photo of the original store interior which they apparently used to guide the set dressing. The Gaycities.com travel blog has a great shot of the photo propped up against the set during the construction, and this really shows how the crew was shooting for historical accuracy. Now the photo is in the window and easier to inspect closely.
Across the street, Swirl is already back to normal and open for business (although the old sign is still up). It's actually stunning how quickly they were able to transform this place with shelving, moved walls, exterior work, etc. and then just as quickly put it back to normal. As someone who has struggled through a monster renovation which has overtaken our lives completely for the last 4 years of our lives, I'm actually incredibly bitter about this, but I'm trying to work through this. My partner also reminds me that the Swirl renovation was all for show and wouldn't pass code, but still, I want my shower back!
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.
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?
The newsstand is now The March Hair, a beauty supply store.
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!)
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!")
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!
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!
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.
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: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.
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.
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.
