The N-Judah Chronicles

I swore I wouldn't do this, but the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. So, despite my better judgment, I've decided to make an appeal in my housing search to the Loyal Readers and others who find this site on Google Alerts. Let the snark begin.

Seriously, though, if you haven't heard, the rental market in San Francisco has tightened up considerably, for a number of reasons we don't need to go into here. Now, normally when I go looking for a place, it takes me no more than a week or so, maybe 2, and I find something that isn't akin to a Third World prison cell, or something out of a Dickens novel (and you'd be surprised how many of those there are in Supposedly Liberal and Wealthy San Francisco).

This time, however, despite consulting the many listings of Craigslist, MetroRent, et al, I haven't been able to secure a new place and time is running out. Despite giving notice on my current place, my current landlord hasn't found a new tenant so I scored a month-to-month in the interim, but it's time to move on as I really need to get settled. (Blah blah blah shouldn't have given notice in a tight market blah blah blah. Yeah, I know. No restating the obvious, please.)

Here's where the Loyal Reader or even the Casual Reader can help, and in the process score a little surprise of their own. If you email me a tipoff to a vacancy that leads to a signed lease, you win a cash prize. Really. And it's not $5 either. The amount, however, will only be disclosed to serious folks, to keep out the riff raff of annoying snotty bloggers and anonymous haters who populate Blogland sometimes.

A few qualifications: sending in a list of links you find on Craiglist or MetroRent does not count - I can read those myself. The exception is if you actually know the person putting up the listing, and you make an effort to connect myself with said landlord or agent, then you qualify.

As for location, obviously I would like to say within walking distance of our Mighty N, but at this point, I'm willing to settle for a decent place that's in the $1000-$1500 range that's in a safe area (i.e. not in Crackland or some other hellhole neighborhood), and has decent access to some sort of MUNI so I can continue to regale San Franciscans with the joy and whatnot of Our Wonderful Transit System.

The winner not only gets a chance to spread some Christmas Spirit, but also win a little bonus as well, and will get untold Christmas cards in years to come for helping out in this time of need. Thanks, and keep the snark to a minimum, gang. Merry Christmas!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This morning we had an unfortunate accident on the N-Judah at 7th and Irving today. Several readers posted comments or emails detailing what they saw....for example, Reader Lauren writes:

I was on the inbound train that arrived at the scene of the accident within minutes of it happening. It looked like a white pick-up trunk ran almost straight into the outbound train. There were injuries: I think it was the passenger of the pick-up. The shuttle buses were slow to arrive, so I walked down to Lincoln to try to catch the 71. The buses were so packed that some went by without picking us up. So, it took me about an extra hour to get to work today.

Reader Karolyn also sent in a comment:

This morning at appox 7:25am I arrived at 7th & Irving street saw 2 trains at 9th & Irving there was an outbound & inbound stuck at the corner people were hanging out of the door and the trains were not able to move in either direction. I decided to walk towards 9th but didnot see the car that was apparently hit since I needed to get to work. Decided to catch the 43 or 44 to Forrest Hill Station and there was another inbound N at 9th & Judah the conductor must have informed the people of the accident. Just another messed up day on the N Judah line. So sad when it is something your use to.

If anyone else has cell phone camera photos or other information, please send it in!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Normally I'd have all sorts of things to post, but I've been felled by that nasty cold/flu thing that's been going around...it probably didn't help that I was already feeling some symptoms over the weekend but a) pressed on with the Housing Hunt from Hell and b) stayed out in the cold longer than I should have. Oh well.

In the meantime, why not share with us some MUNI Holiday Good Will and Cheer? Or MUNI Holiday Ill Will and Jeers?

UPDATE: Since so many people are asking, here's a schedule of when and where the Double Decker MUNI Bus will be test driving the streets of San Francisco....if and when I stop dying of this stupid flu, I'll check it out!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On the same day that the Mayor said that his own ballot initiative to make MUNI efficient "85% of the time" was fanciful (!), he and the folks at MUNI also rolled out the Magic Double Decker Bus, which will start a trial run on December 12th on various routes.

Details of the routes served, etc. are avaiable at the MUNI/MTA website, if you're curious. I took a quick tour of the bus and it's very Las Vegas-y (the bus will be on loan to MUNI, then be delivered to Vegas). Personally I think they should run this on one of the steep lines, like the 1 California, and charge extra for the front row seats up top.

If and when I get a chance to actually ride it with real passengers, I'll post more fun photos!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Over the weekend, Chronicle readers were treated to this column by CW Obvious on a really horrible stabbing that happened in the Outer Sunset. Thank God the poor woman (an exchange student from Germany) survived and isn't dead, but I can only imagine the pain (mental and physical) such an attack would cause. On behalf of the good people of San Francisco, we all want to say "we're sorry" our City sucked so much you got attacked.

As you might imagine, CW's safari into the strange and mysterious wilds of the Outer Sunset set off blogging mayhem, SF Style, with all sorts of accusations and recriminations, not to mention a torrent of angry comments on SFGate. Feel the love, people.

For me, however, I found the whole situation to be Yet Another Example of how local media might better serve their dwindling readership if they took some classes at the No Duh Institute.

It's no secret that whenever the 5-0 roust the perpetually ill or perpetually addicted from one spot, they go elsewhere, preferably somewhere with some spare change, but without a lot of police or citizen hassle. Too often, that's meant the outer neighborhoods, and we've seen what happens when we get to critical mass. Neither the "homeless" or the citizens win in the end.

Sure, CW and the Chronicle may feel great when they take pictures of "the rabble" being rousted out of a portion of Golden Gate Park - but they don't seem to be aware that the warm, squishy feelings don't change anything - "the rabble" simply pick up sticks and move elsewhere, often using our MUNI.

Now, you would think in a city with as many allegedly intelligent people as ours, folks could turn down the irrational emotions and sensational articles for a few minutes, think about the many issues involved, listen to each other and those involved in said issues, and come to a reasonable solution.

I don't know that the "homeless," drug addicts, or the mentally ill are served particularly well by having them living around the streets, hurting themselves and others, and not being on the medication that can literally save their lives. On the other hand, I've seen enough demands for detention camps (and worse) for folks guilty of the crime of Not Having Money or Having a F*cked Mental Illness to make me wonder just how "enlightened" San Francisco really is.

Instead, as with MUNI, people are content to scream and yell from their respective ideological corners, the louder the better, and to Hell with the Other Side. Too bad that in this case, as with MUNI, the reasonable people of San Francisco are caught in the middle - and end up the ones who lose the most.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)