The GrowSF Report: Daniel Lurie is our new Mayor
PLUS: A new majority on the Board of Supervisors and Board of Education
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of November 4th, 2024:
- SF voted for change
- Daniel Lurie is our new Mayor
- Judge strikes down Dean Preston’s vacant homes tax
- The voting blocs that influenced the election
- How Strava runners are mapping out masterpieces
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Eco Terreno’s two-story wine bar in Jackson Square
SF voted for change
It’s a new day in San Francisco!
Daniel Lurie and Bilal Mahmood have both defeated incumbents, Danny Sauter will bring a new direction to North Beach & Chinatown, a new Board of Education will finally bring algebra back to all of our schools and fix the broken administration. Several races remain too close to call, though, with only 298,135 ballots counted and at least 117,000 still to come.
A new Moderate majority now controls the Board of Supervisors, and instead of fighting the Mayor, they’ll work with him to get things done. We’ll see progress on building homes, on homelessness, on small and big businesses, and on public safety.
Thank you to all who used the GrowSF voter guide and voting for change! We saw nearly 200,000 San Franciscans come to our website and read our guide. Whether you agreed with us or not, we’re glad it was a useful resource for so many 😄
Next week, after more votes have trickled in, we’ll provide a full roundup of what passed, what failed, and who won in every district. Until then, we recommend putting down your phone, closing your laptop, and taking a long walk with your friends and loved ones to enjoy the beautiful weather in our beautiful city.
Daniel Lurie is our new Mayor
Our polling made it clear that Daniel Lurie was on a rapidly rising trajectory, and he was the only candidate entering election day with positive favorability. So it may come as no surprise to see Lurie clinch victory and defeat London Breed, Mark Farrell, and Aaron Peskin for the Mayor’s office.
Lurie pledges to grow our homeless shelter system and get people out of tents, to end the fentanyl markets, to build more homes, and to root out corruption and waste at City Hall. He has a tough job ahead of him, and he’ll need the full support of our new majority of commonsense leaders on the Board of Supervisors.
We’re looking forward to working with Mayor Lurie to help him accomplish these goals.
Congratulations, Mayor-elect Lurie! You ran a great campaign that focused on what people care about.
Judge strikes down Dean Preston’s vacant homes tax
In November 2022, San Franciscans passed Proposition M - the vacant homes tax - which was put on the ballot by Supervisor Dean Preston (now former Supervisor), and the Democratic Socialists. After our analysis, GrowSF found that the measure was based on flawed logic and lies about the number of vacant homes, so we recommended voting No.
Prop M passed with 54% voting Yes, but San Francisco Superior Court Judge Charles Haines has just ruled that Prop M is unconstitutional and violates the rights of property owners. In particular, it violates the Takings and Due Process clauses of the US Constitution.
I guess we’ll just have to build more homes to bring down prices!
The voting blocs that influenced the election
Forget the “progressive” versus “moderate” labels. A deep dive by The Chronicle found San Francisco’s voters fall into five distinct coalitions, each with its own mix of priorities and candidates.
From June 2016 to March 2024, these voting blocs decided everything from citywide propositions to public offices, and the data illustrates how racial and class divides shape the political landscape.
“Even in a compact, ultra-liberal city like San Francisco, no cluster commands more than a quarter of the city’s vote,“ the Chronicle team wrote in their findings. “The city is much more complex than the moderate vs. progressive dichotomy.”
How Strava runners are mapping out masterpieces
Strava wasn’t kidding when they said they’d bring community and fitness to downtown SF! Some San Francisco runners aren’t just logging miles—they’re sketching everything from album covers to pop icons across the city’s streets, using GPS on Strava to bring their designs to life. Dubbed “cardio cartographers,” the runners are drawing everything from Baby Yoda to Frida Kahlo, and this viral one of Chappell Roan.
“You’re creating something out of nothing,” runner Wenqi Shao told SF Standard. “You’re capturing a moment, but you’re superimposing an aesthetic onto this experience.”
It’s the kind of creative spirit that feels right at home in San Francisco. Next time you see a runner pass by, they might just be sketching the city’s next viral masterpiece.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Eco Terreno’s two-story wine bar in Jackson Square
Eco Terreno Wines & Vineyards has reopened its two-story Urban Tasting Room in San Francisco's historic Jackson Square neighborhood, a space that once housed the Purple Onion club. Specializing in Biodynamic and organic wines from their Alexander Valley estate, Eco Terreno offers curated tasting experiences complemented by small bites. With a lineup of sustainably crafted wines, we’re excited to see this new addition open nearby.
WHERE: 140 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
SF Coffee Festival
The 8th Annual San Francisco Coffee Festival is set to offer an experience for coffee enthusiasts, featuring over 100 curated roasters and exhibitors. Attendees can sample a diverse array of coffee concoctions, explore brewing products, and enjoy live musical entertainment. The festival also includes "Coffee Convos," educational sessions led by Bay Area coffee experts, and a Latte Art Competition.
It’s at Fort Mason so we expect a bit of a convention center vibe. But it looks cute.
WHEN: November 9–10, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, 2 Marina Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94123
Fall Cider Fest
The San Francisco Fall Cider Fest is an annual celebration that invites attendees to savor the flavors of autumn. The event features unlimited pours of over 30 craft ciders, including unique flavors like sweet honey-sage, agave ginger, sour blood orange, and tropical passionfruit. Guests can also enjoy fall-themed dishes from more than 15 gourmet vendors, warm up by the fire pit with s'mores, and groove to live music. The festival is exclusively for those aged 21 and over, and pets are not permitted.
WHEN: Saturday, November 9, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Field at SPARK Social SF, 601 Mission Bay Blvd. North, San Francisco, CA 94158
Bhangra & Beats season finale to light up downtown SF
San Francisco is set to host its first official Diwali celebration during the season finale of the Bhangra & Beats Night Market. This free, family-friendly event will transform three city blocks into a vibrant cultural hub, featuring South Asian food vendors, unique local artisans, and two stages of music rooted in Indian traditions. The evening will be highlighted by performances from Non Stop Bhangra and special guest artists, creating an immersive cultural experience.
WHEN: Friday, November 15, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
WHERE: Battery and Clay Streets, Downtown San Francisco, CA 94111
What we’re writing about
Lilah brings the boom with shaved ice and low-proof cocktails
Causwells has been a neighborhood staple in the Marina District for a decade now, with quality food from Adam Rosenblum and inspired cocktails from Elmer Mejicanos. The same dynamic duo thankfully took over the little space next door to Causwells and in it, they debuted Lilah this fall.
SF’s new bar on Chestnut Street serves up low- and zero-proof cocktails with lots of panache and pow, ranging from shaved ice spectacles to drinks that say boom right on top.
This rebel Halloween parade took over Mission — and it was a freaking blast
Halloween’s not meant to be serious, and silly was definitely the vibe in the Mission last week. So was drunk, raucous, hilarious, tacky, and weird — but the good San Francisco weird, not the way we use that word in the current election cycle. It was immediate chaos. Partygoers took over 16th Street, oblivious to the cars that were unwisely trying to commute, and a group of people selling sus goods on that one curbside marketplace.
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