The GrowSF Report: Rafael Mandelman elected president of the Board of Supervisors
PLUS: Daniel Lurie sworn in as mayor
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of January 5, 2025:
- Rafael Mandelman elected president of the Board of Supervisors
- Daniel Lurie sworn in as mayor
- New California laws could turn the corner on sideshows
- Walgreens announces closure of 12 San Francisco stores
- Election party recap: Thank you for joining us to celebrate SF’s future
Recent & upcoming openings:
- George’s Donuts opens in West Portal
Rafael Mandelman elected president of the Board of Supervisors
In a unanimous vote, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman was elected President of the Board of Supervisors. The District 8 Supervisor, representing the Castro, Glen Park, and Noe Valley, will bring his many years of experience to bear on homelessness, housing affordability, public safety, and mental health.
Mandelman has worked to increase residential density with his legislation allowing construction of fourplexes in neighborhoods near transit stations and on corner lots. For homelessness, Mandelman pushed the "A Place for All" ordinance, calling on the city to guarantee a safe place to sleep for anyone willing to accept it. And he strongly supports expanding conservatorship to mandate care for mentally unwell people who live on the streets and cannot take care of themselves.
Daniel Lurie sworn in as mayor
Daniel Lurie has officially taken office as the city’s mayor. After assuming office on Wednesday, he promised to restore safety and stability to San Francisco’s streets and revitalize its declining downtown, though he warned the process would take time.
“Safety isn’t just a statistic. It’s a feeling you hold when you’re walking down the street,” Lurie said in the Chronicle. “That insecurity is harming families and businesses in the Tenderloin, South of Market, the Mission and beyond. I refuse to believe that this is who we are.”
On his first full day in office Thursday, Lurie ordered a citywide hiring freeze in the face of San Francisco’s massive $876 million two-year budget shortfall. By freezing new hires across all departments, Lurie aims to prioritize resources on urgent issues like public safety, homelessness, and economic recovery.
“Our city is facing a major budget deficit, and today, the era of band-aid solutions is over,” Lurie said in a statement. “We are committed to fiscal discipline, giving San Franciscans the accountability they demand, and focusing the government on doing the core things well.”
New California laws could turn the corner on sideshows
New in 2025: A pair of laws allow police to impound cars involved in illegal street racing and sideshows. AB 2186 allows an impound for speeding in a parking lot, which closes a loophole that only saw that authority on roadways; and AB 1978 allows police to impound if they think you’ve aided in a sideshow.
Both laws went into effect on Jan. 1, and we’re waiting to see how they’ll affect our ongoing sideshow problem in the Bay Area and in San Francisco. We saw a massive sideshow on the Bay Bridge bring traffic to a standstill last year, and a shooting at a sideshow in Oakland that left five injured. A single Saturday night last summer saw sideshows on The Embarcadero, the Mission and the Excelsior; At the Ferry Building sideshow, fireworks lit up the night sky as a car lit up in flames.
Walgreens announces closure of 12 San Francisco stores
Another blow to the city’s retail landscape: Walgreens has announced plans to shutter 12 San Francisco locations by February, citing regulatory pressures and rising operational costs. The closures follow the recent Safeway announcement and add to a bleak pattern of retail losses in the city.
Walgreens stores to close are the following:
Taraval & 22nd Ave
Noriega & 25th Ave
Geary & 17th Ave
Divisadero & Lombard
Divisadero & O’Farrell
825 Market (across from Powell BART plaza)
Powell & O’Farrell (The one on the cable car line)
Polk & California
Post & Franklin
24th & Potrero
1630 Ocean Ave (Near City College)
3rd St & Williams Ave
Thank you for joining us to celebrate SF’s future
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Anina on December 17th for our election victory party. It was a blast! (Did you miss it? Remember to scroll down for any upcoming events in our newsletter.)
We were honored to host Bilal Mahmood, Supervisor-elect for San Francisco's District 5; Danny Sauter, Supervisor-elect for San Francisco's District 3; and Senator Scott Wiener, representing California's 11th Senate District, and our new Board President Rafael Mandelman.
“Incumbents were focused on things that didn’t matter to voters,” Mahmood said on his victory defeating Dean Preston. “They should have been focused on ending homelessness, building housing, and solving the fentanyl crisis.”
As he steps into his new role representing a diverse set of neighborhoods (the Haight, Fillmore, Western Addition, NoPa, Japantown, Hayes Valley, and the Tenderloin), Mahmood’s commitment to addressing these critical challenges head-on is a breath of fresh air.
For Sauter, newly elected to represent District 3—composed of North Beach, Chinatown, Telegraph Hill, and the Financial District—the focus is on delivering results for all residents. Sauter’s track record as a neighborhood advocate includes organizing monthly cleanups in North Beach, spearheading efforts to revitalize local businesses during the pandemic, and launching initiatives like creating a new computer lab for Chinatown students.
“It’s not about politics, it is about San Francisco,” said Sauter. “It’s about caring about the city that we love, wanting to feel proud of this city, and being really tired of being beaten up as a city. We’re all interested in better results.”
We were proud to stand alongside Mahmood and Sauter throughout their campaigns, and were thrilled to celebrate their victories with all of you before the holidays last month. Thank you again for joining us!
Love the GrowSF Report? Share it
Help GrowSF grow! Share our newsletter with your friends. The bigger we are, the better San Francisco will be.
Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
George’s Donuts opens in West Portal
George’s Donuts & Merriment, a new café specializing in doughnuts, sandwiches, and salads, has officially opened its doors in West Portal. Pastry chef Janina O’Leary, known for her fine-dining experience at establishments like Per Se and Spruce, leads the venture, bringing her passion for innovative pastries to the neighborhood.
The café offers a variety of handmade doughnuts, including brioche, raised, and cake varieties, as well as fried-to-order doughnut holes served with dipping sauces. Savory options like cacio e pepe and za’atar with sesame and tahini showcase O’Leary’s creative approach to traditional flavors.
WHERE: 163 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127
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
Drag-cula — Fangs, fabulousness, and living greyscale realness
Picture this: the performers are decked out in "living greyscale," covering themselves in gray makeup to look like they’ve stepped straight out of a 1930s horror film—if that horror film also had goth rock, bondage jokes, and an audience hollering for more.
Hosted at SF Oasis, the story follows a hapless British lawyer who accidentally releases Count Dracula, a polyamorous, pansexual vampire who leaves a trail of seduction and scandal across 1930s London. With a playlist of 1980s goth rock bangers, the plot spirals into delightful chaos as a shibari-loving Van Helsing tries to stop Dracula’s sexy reign of terror.
WHEN: January 16 – February 1, 2025; Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:00 PM
WHERE: OASIS, 298 11th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Hot Chocolate Run
The Hot Chocolate Run is back in San Francisco, combining fitness with a sweet reward. Runners of all levels can choose between 5K, 10K, or 15K routes, winding through the scenic paths of Golden Gate Park. Beyond the race, the event is known for its indulgent post-run treats, including a finisher's mug brimming with hot chocolate, marshmallows, and fondue for dipping. Participants also receive a premium full-zip jacket and a medal to commemorate the experience. Proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, adding a meaningful touch to the fun.
When: January 12, 2025
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Happy Endings Show 6th Anniversary
If you’ve never been to a Happy Endings show: it’s like therapy, but funnier and with cocktails. For six glorious years, this reading series has turned writers, poets, and comedians loose onstage to share tales that somehow manage to wring humor out of life’s messiest moments.
Held at the Make-Out Room, expect stories that make you laugh-snort one minute and choke up the next, all while you clutch your drink like a lifeline. And with a lineup of crowd favorites and newcomers ready to spill their guts (figuratively, we hope), you’ll leave wondering why all your personal disasters aren’t this entertaining.
WHEN: January 14th, 2025, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m
WHERE: Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., San Francisco
More details on their Instagram post
Also coming up
The SF Ballet Gala — A wild evening of elegance
Fancy people, fancier outfits, and a performance so stunning you’ll swear off Netflix (for one night, at least). The San Francisco Ballet Gala kicks off the year with champagne, pirouettes, and a dinner at City Hall that makes you feel far classier than you are. Whether you’re there for the art or just to drink bubbly under the marble rotunda, this night is peak San Francisco sophistication — before it devolves into slightly tipsy networking at the afterparty. Read our 2024 review, and here’s our 2023 review, too.
When: January 22, 2025
Where: San Francisco City Hall and War Memorial Opera House
It’s $$, but the after party is mildly affordable at $175 — and that ticket can be bought as a standalone.
What we’re writing about
Who shot these 1960s San Francisco photos? AI could provide clues
What do you do when the past decides to find you? That’s the question commercial photographer Bill Delzell posed to me when he called last week. He explained that a series of fortuitous events led him to a mysterious bag full of unprocessed film rolls taken in San Francisco during the 1960s, at some of the most culturally significant events that occurred during that time. Now he’s on a mission to find out the photographer and could use our help.
Pizza with a view: Che Fico at Thrive City
Che Fico Pizzeria has arrived at Thrive City. While the pizzas—like the Pineapple and Chili with its sweet heat—are undoubtedly the draw, there’s something more here: a blending of Che Fico’s elevated ethos with the energy of Thrive City’s sports-and-entertainment culture. It’s pizza with a point of view, and also a great view to eat a pizza at.
Here’s how I’m surviving 2025 — one San Francisco party at a time
San Francisco has always been a city that thrives on contradictions. The fog rolls in and swallows the sun, but somehow the streets are alive with color. This year will easily provide us the same dichotomy: a lot of tension in our national politics that will likely fuel escapism in San Francisco — messy, chaotic, loud parties and joy.
This year will be anything but quiet, and I plan to embrace the good moments whenever I can; Here’s my guide to SF’s must-attend events.
This is how SF transit failed me on New Years Eve
New Year’s Eve is my favorite party of the year — the lights, the drinking, the camaraderie. I’m proud to say this is my ninth New Year’s celebration in San Francisco, and each year the city has gently ushered me from party to bed to brunch safely and in a timely fashion. This year was a little different. Let me plot out for you how it took me two hours and forty-five minutes to go four miles across the city.
Want more positive news? Subscribe to The Bold Italic
Get some good vibes in your life by subscribing to The Bold Italic. It’s the sister project to GrowSF which focuses on what makes San Francisco a great place to live.