The GrowSF Report: Mayor Lurie’s emergency fentanyl ordinance clears key vote
PLUS: Business is booming in the Castro
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of January 26, 2024:
- Mayor Lurie’s emergency fentanyl ordinance clears key vote
- Business is booming in the Castro
- Valencia bike lane changes are moving forward
- After years of drama, the SF Flower Market finally has a new address
- New murals bring color to SF’s Slow Streets initiative
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Señor Sisig opens new spot in Thrive City
Your Action Plan:
- Calling SF builders: Get featured in “Grown in SF”
Mayor Lurie’s emergency fentanyl ordinance clears key vote
Thanks to the 400 people who took action to support Mayor Lurie’s fentanyl emergency plan, and the recovery community rallying on the steps of City Hall, the bill is now all-but-guaranteed to pass! On Wednesday, the Government Audit and Oversight committee unanimously moved it to the full Board and the bill now has a sixth confirmed vote - Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
The goal is to remove the usual City Hall bottlenecks so the city can actually get resources where they’re needed. Supervisors Matt Dorsey, Joel Engardio, Stephen Sherrill, Bilal Mahmood, Danny Sauter, and Rafael Mandelman have all signed on as co-sponsors.
“People in San Francisco are suffering. Every day that we don’t act is another day of life lost to addiction, to overdose and to despair,” Mayor Lurie said at a rally on Wednesday, according to The Chronicle. “Our response must be just as urgent as the crisis that we are facing.”
Business is booming in the Castro
Not long ago, the Castro's iconic neon sign was crumbling, its shops were shuttered, and its streets felt more like a ghost town. But recent data from the Castro Community Benefit District confirms the neighborhood’s ground-floor vacancies have dropped from 22% to 17%, with many newly leased spots preparing to open their doors.
A wave of openings—from restaurants to bars to cultural spaces—has started to reimagine what the Castro can be in 2025. New spots like Fisch & Flore, a seafood concept that revitalized a previously vacant corner, and Pink Swallow, a cocktail bar set to open in the old Harvey’s location, are leading the charge. There’s also Rikki’s, the city’s only bar dedicated to women’s sports, which is moving into a space that had been empty since last year.
And then of course there's the Castro Theatre…rumors say it’ll be back in June (or maybe October) this year.
Valencia bike lane changes are moving forward
Construction on Valencia Street’s redesigned bike lane kicks off Feb. 10. The center-running bike lane experiment is over; It technically reduced bike-vehicle conflicts, but was so disliked that even cyclists wanted to remove it.
“I really believe this is a move to bring our local businesses, biking, and walking together in a very vibrant way,” San Francisco resident Matt Bigger told KQED.
The new curbside-protected bike lane will weave between parklets, aiming to improve safety while maintaining business access. The Board of Supervisors has recentlycleared the way for the change, and work is expected to take about three months.
After years of drama, the SF Flower Market finally has a new address
The San Francisco Flower Market has officially reopened at 901 16th Street, capping off a decade of NIMBY resistance to its relocation. Opponents — led by former Supervisor Aaron Peskin — claimed moving it from SoMa would destroy a historic institution. Fast forward to today: the new space is thriving.
Vendors now enjoy climate-controlled storage, modern refrigeration, and actual loading docks, eliminating the 1 a.m. unloading process they dealt with for years. The new market is more efficient, better for business, and widely embraced by the neighborhood.
“It’s clean. It’s new. It’s what the flower industry should be,” said Barbara Schnur, who has worked in the Flower Mart for 30 years, in The Chronicle.
And guess who showed up to cut the ribbon? Peskin himself, celebrating the very move he tried to block. Turns out, progress won—and everything’s coming up roses.
New murals bring color to SF’s Slow Streets initiative
Murals have recently sprung up on five streets as part of the San Francisco Parks Alliance's Slow Streets, Fast Friends project, bringing new public art to neighborhoods across the city. Designed by artists Matley Hurd and Josué Rojas, the murals were shaped by community input, with over 500 residents voting on the designs and many joining paint days to help install them.
These murals are what make San Francisco a city where creativity thrives in the streets. You can find them at:
Lyon St. (McAllister & Fulton)
Page St. (Masonic & Central)
Hearst Ave. (Detroit & Congo)
Minnesota St. (22nd & 20th)
20th St. (Alabama & Florida)
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Señor Sisig opens new spot in Thrive City
Señor Sisig has opened a new location in Thrive City, expanding its presence beyond food trucks and existing storefronts. The menu sticks to what it does best—Filipino fusion dishes like sisig burritos, tacos, and loaded fries. Located near Chase Center, the space offers a casual option for people in the area looking for a quick meal before events or while passing through.
WHERE: Thrive City, 1 Warriors Way, San Francisco, CA 94158
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
Calling SF builders: Get featured in ‘Grown in SF’
San Francisco is built by the people who dare to create, innovate, and push forward—whether it’s crafting the perfect sandwich or launching the next big thing in tech. Grown in SF is here to celebrate the businesses and entrepreneurs shaping the future of our city.
If you’re building something great in San Francisco, we want to hear from you! Tell us about your work, and if you're a good fit, we’ll feature you with a short video, a write-up, and social content showcasing your impact.
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
Lunar New Year with San Francisco Symphony
Celebrate the Year of the Serpent with the San Francisco Symphony's 25th annual Lunar New Year Concert and Banquet. This event honors Asian traditions through a vibrant blend of music and community festivities. Here’s our review of the event from 2024.
When: Saturday, February 8, 2025, festival reception at 4:00 PM, concert at 5:00 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Davies Symphony Hall — 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA
Hearts After Dark + gala
Celebrate the spirit of San Francisco at the Hearts in SF 2025 gala, an annual event supporting the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. This year's gala honors individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the city's health and well-being. The after party is only $50 on this one; one of the most affordable we’ve seen. Read our review from last year.
When: Thursday, February 6, 2025, beginning at 5:00 PM PST
Evening Schedule:
5:00 PM: Cocktail Hour
6:00 PM: Gala Dinner and Program
8:30 PM: Hearts After Dark Party:
Where: The Conservatory at One Sansome, One Sansome St., San Francisco
What we’re writing about
The weirdest crap on San Francisco streets — that’s not actually crap
We all know about the poop maps, sidewalk syringes, and the questionable puddles that nobody dares step in. But there’s another category of street detritus that rarely gets talked about — the truly bizarre, oddly specific, “how did this even get here?” kind of junk.
We’re talking about full-on coffins, storm drains oozing raw chicken, and spy drones left abandoned in the road like the start of a sci-fi horror movie. Every day, something weird gets dumped on San Francisco streets, and while no one ever seems to have an explanation, the city just keeps moving around the debris like it’s normal. Maybe it is. Here are our picks for the weirdest stuff.
This is the new Bon Délire on the Embarcadero
With less than six months under its belt, Bon Délire has brought a touch of Parisian romance to San Francisco’s Embarcadero, pairing classic French dishes with creative cocktails and bayside views. Bon Délire debuted in October 2024 along the Embarcadero from restaurateur Kais Bouzidi, who owns Sens and Barcha.
Florals for FOG Design+Art Gala 2025
Fort Mason’s FOG Design+Art Fair didn’t need its 2,000+ guests to feel like a big deal — it’s been a cornerstone long enough to thrive on reputation alone. We stepped in expecting to find the usual suspects: a sea of well-dressed collectors, perfectly plated canapés, and art that costs at least three months’ rent in San Francisco for a ceramic vase.
And yes, it was all there, but the standout? Botanical motifs that seemed to sprout from every corner of the fair. Paintings, sculptures, textiles — nature was the headliner.
A night of magic and mischief at SF Ballet’s 92nd gala
It was the SF Ballet’s opening night gala, our favorite annual mashup of high society meets art, celebrity sightings and stunning frocks. The vibe felt a little subdued from last year, but that was obviously in part from local aficionados making Sophie’s Choice on attending this party or the FOG Design + Art opening gala. Yes that’s Ayesha Curry who served as the night’s honorary chair. Here’s our full review of the evening.
‘Enclos’ brings a new era for Sonoma dining
Sonoma’s dining scene is about to get a serious shake-up with the arrival of Enclos, a high-end, tasting-menu restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Brian Limoges. Set in a cozy Victorian cottage just off the town square, Enclos brings a bold, world-class approach to fine dining with an $225, 11-course menu that blends New England roots with NorCal’s best ingredients.
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