Photo source: San Francisco Examiner (online).
I've lived in The City for a long time. My neighborhood is near a community that consists of old, run-down housing developments where high-crime activity takes place. San Francisco's Cow Palace, a livestock and rodeo arena, sits near that area also. It is the only nearby state-owned public facility outside of downtown San Francisco. For almost 70 years, the Cow Palace was the place to go to for any events, although major indoor sports events have come and gone. A nearby drive-in theater/flea market was held near the facility but is no longer there. A condominium near the Palace used to be a bowling alley but was closed down due to increasing crime activity. The Cow Palace stands alone as the only public facility with so much parking spaces. However, a change will take place in that area.
According to Monday's Examiner, the Cow Palace would be bought by the city of San Francisco from the state. The City's acquisition of their age-old arena also promises a neighborhood grocery store at a portion of the Cow Palace's parking lot. There hasn't been a grocery store in the area since the old El Rancho Market went out of business years ago. Along with the grocery store, more housing, currently under construction, and a shopping promenade would help serve the needs of residents in the neighboring communities, including San Francisco's Sunnydale, Visitacion Valley and Bayshore, and Daly City's hilltop housing communities on San Bruno Mountain.
This kind of change would help improve the image of some of the neighboring communities. It would also bring jobs for neighbors who struggle to make a living. I believe it would also make it safe for more Cow Palace guests to attend any scheduled events. But we have yet to see what the result will be from this change.
6 comments:
Well Well Well, Grant this is good stuff you got here. SF born and raised huh? you are a wild man.
Good reporting way to stay clear and crisp.
Try to lighten up the mood and make it welcoming to the reader. Keep it informative but this is your blog man where is your opinion.
Let me know what happens in class this week?? let me know through a comment...Ha ha
From Tony
PS: You rock Grant
Hello Grant,
I hope that you're having a nice day!I agree with Tony, how do you feel I want to know? And I wonder who will be pushed out of your community? I have studied a term called gentrification. The link I provided does a decent job of explaining this but you may already know? Either way let me, your audience into your mind. I look forward to your posts! Have a nice weekend and take care!
Yours for justice,
Josie
Let me relink gentrification!
My bad!
YFJ,
Josie
Let me try this one more time,
gentrification
YSF,
Josie
Sounds like a promising turn of events. I think when I was very little my dad took me to a rodeo there. Other than that, the only other times I'd been to the cow palace was to see the Sharks play before they moved permanently to San Jose, and possibly a concert in my teenage years. I can't remember which one though. Tool?, maybe Primus? Ha... Weird to remember that stuff.
Grant the community activaist? Being that you live in the area it seems this topic weighs heavy on you. Is is any forums where people can chime in their opinion on the matter? Being that you are directly affected by the negative vibes of the area, you would be a good voice for change on the Cow Palace.
If renovation of the Cow Palace would bring in jobs, and local shopping to the area would that aid some of the social problems? From what you say, if sounds like it could do a lot of good.
In this article it says the Cow Palace would be removed to make room for the retail and housing. Sure the dog show would have to find another place, but it may do the community better. Any thought?
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