Coming Attractions: Tenderloin Prepares to Take Eco-Toilets to the Street

Friday, May 31, 2013, by Curbed Staff

The P Planter installed at the SF Urban Prototyping Festival last fall [Photo via UP SF]
It's no secret that the Tenderloin has a serious sanitation (and accompanying PR) problem, and that solutions have been hard to come by. Happily, help is on the way in the form of the Pooplet, an ecological toilet/garden (its name riffs off the popular parklet program), which is getting ready to hit the streets of the TL early in 2014. Last year the North of Market/Tenderloin Community Benefits District approved a "Toilet Master Plan (PDF alert!)"—developed by the Hyphae Design Lab to tackle the issue of human waste head-on—and has since been working to develop a prototype incrementally, in part through the creation of the P Planter, a cheap and mobile urinal, that debuted at the SF Urban Prototyping Festival held at 5M last fall.

Data on the public poop problem targeted by the Pooplet [Diagram by Hyphae Design Lab]
The P Planter—a urinal and sink, which uses biofilters (plants) to treat wastewater and decrease the stink-factor—has found a semi-permanent home in the Tenderloin National Forest on Ellis Street in the heart of the neighborhood. Hyphae's Brent Bucknum explains that the urinal is just "one tool in an urban eco-sanitation infrastructure toolbox we are creating" and is hard at work designing, fabricating, and of course permitting, a full-on toilet in preparation for a week-long test drive, provisionally located in two parking spaces across the street from GLIDE. All told, the Pooplet will cost about $180K and funding is being patched together with grants from the CBD, the city's Community Challenge Grant program and, as of this week, $80K from a Mayor's Office of Housing Block Grant.

The toilet includes sensors that trigger maintenance and for the pilot will use a monitoring and maintenance program led by SF Clean City. Word is that during half of the trial run, the toilet will be monitored but not maintained in order to give the team clear data on the worst-case scenario. Yikes. Neighbors have already begun to raise a stink about the project, but opposition will be hard-pressed to overpower the stench exuded from the unofficial toilets currently scattered through the streets. – Laura Tepper
· SF Considers Composting Toilets [Curbed SF]
· Tenderloin Toilet Master Plan [TLCBD/Hyphae]

Taylor St & Ellis St San Francisco, CA 94102 ?

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The Quotable Jonathan Adler: "I want everything I make to...

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DIY Dancing Family Cut-Outs — Sweet Paul Mag

As Father's day approaches, a lot of kids are guided into making gifts such as family portraits crafts. 

There are several options that one can purchase and have customized. However, Sweet Paul Mag shows us a rather simple tutorial on how to make these whimsical dancing paper dolls out of photos. 

Besides the fun photoshoot ahead, all the cutting and glueing would, in itself, make my kids' eyes go big and round with happiness. I can already hear the giggles coming out them when they get to put their own legs up in the air! 

See more: Sweet Paul

(Image: Sweet Paull)

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Globe Trotting: In honor of MoMA's upcoming Le...

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Real Estate Sold: 236 Mullen in Bernal Heights is...

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Budgeting without Boredom: Small Splurges

I am thrifty but not a penny pincher: I'm happy to spend a few extra dollars for little things that I know I'll use and appreciate. These small splurges are a great way to treat yourself without causing a dent in your wallet.

I got to thinking about my habits while out shopping this past weekend. I found a bottle of hand soap with a delicious Meyer lemon scent, and in my cart it went.

For me, good-smelling hand soap is my favorite small splurge, because it's less than $10 and is something I will use and enjoy every day. Sure, at $5.99 this bottle cost a little more than the cheap-o stuff I used to have on hand, but considering that I use it every day at my kitchen sink, to me, this small splurge is worth it.

What's your favorite small splurge?

(Image: Kim R. McCormick)

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Real Estate Sold: Noe Valley is one of the...

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Pitch Presentation: Camilla Meijer — Apartment Therapy Design Evenings

Our annual ICFF Design Evening was fun and informative, with Lotta Jansdotter as the evening's featured guest!  We kicked things off with pitch presentations from three European designers in town for ICFF.  See Camilla's beautiful patterned fabrics for the home in this video, and watch our Meetup page for next month's event details!

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Faith & Mike's Master Bathroom: First, We Waited. And Waited Some More. — Renovation Diary

Name: Faith and Mike
Type of Project: Master Bathroom Creation
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Type of building: 1920s, multi-level, single family home

The Renovation Diaries are a new collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here.

After the adrenaline rush of buying a house, the beginning of our renovation was anticlimactic. I thought it was worth taking a moment to talk about our slow beginning, because I think it's helpful to be aware of this aspect of home renovation, for the sake of your psychological health and expectations. 

We closed on our new house on April 30 of last year, and we did not finish the demolition until late August. Three months? What was happening there? 

Let's see. First, we were finalizing our financing with the bank, and settling details of how our renovation loan would be paid out, even after we closed on the house. There was a family wedding, a long-planned vacation, a blitz of editing the manuscript of my new book, painstaking decisions over the final plans of the house, and some tentative initial demolition, before we really understood just how long it would take. 

We were tackling all of the demolition ourselves, to save money. This wasn't just a small bathroom project — it was a whole house, and most of the plaster and lathe had to be gutted. This was incredibly overwhelming and time-consuming — far more than I expected.  

Our financing worked out so that we could stay in our rental home until the renovation on our new house was complete, This was fortunate, because the house was unlivable for most of the time we were working on it, and the project got a slow start and just went on and on and on... 

I think the biggest reason, though, that things went slowly at the beginning was that every decision was hard; we were so inexperienced. Everything felt fraught and brand new. How would we tear down the plaster? How much work did we need to do on the floors? Who was going to buy and take away the old kitchen cabinets? In hindsight, this seems simple, but in the moment, every decision felt new and challenging. 

It was a slow start, with a big dumpster parked outside our house, but we got there in the end. It just felt like eons before we saw anything concrete. 

Check out the full series (so far) and be sure to join us next week for #5 of Faith and Mike's Diary.

(Images: Faith Durand)

Renovation Diary: Faith & Mike's Master Bathroom

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Young Guns 2013: Alert: Curbed Young Guns Nominations Close Tomorrow

Thursday, June 6, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

Tomorrow, June 7, 2013 is the very last day to get in nominations for Curbed Young Guns, Curbed's roll call of the next guard. The aim of Young Guns is to identify the most promising up-and-comers in the architecture and design industries, whether they're a junior architect or draftperson, interior design assistant or fearless head of a newly launched firm.

The criteria are simple: nominees must be under 35, and they must be currently employed in the United States. Though you most likely haven't yet heard their names, they must show extraordinary promise. These kids are the future, those that will soon lead the business but have yet to receive critical attention.

To identify them, we've opened the nomination process up to the public, and we're asking for your nominations right here. This nomination process will be open through June 7, which just so happens to be this Friday.

Then, we'll put our heads together with the legends of the industry in markets across the country who've agreed to serve on the Young Guns deliberation committee. To keep things as transparent as possible, the entire process, from the nominations to the deliberations, will be presented in full view in this space. In August, we'll name this year's class.

But first: nominations. Do you know someone who deserves to be honored as an Curbed Young Gun? Fill out the nomination form here; if you have additional supporting materials, please send them our way at youngguns@curbed.com. And away we go.

· Curbed Young Guns official nominations form [Curbed]

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On the Market: John Lautner's Wolff House Relists in L.A. for $7.995M

Thursday, June 6, 2013, by Amy Schellenbaum

For the fifth time in nine years, L.A.'s Wolff House, a 1961 four-bedroom designed by SoCal architecture hero (and Bob Hope favorite) John Lautner, has hit the market. The "home as art," as the brokerbabble calls it, seems a quintessential modern tangle of glass, steel, and stone—"Lautner houses all look like they would make great obstacle courses," a commenter writes over at Curbed LA—with 16-foot ceilings, full-on glass walls, recessed lighting, and a stone fireplace. Once owned by actor Vincent Gallo and modern house addict Michael LaFetra, the place now asks $7.995M after last selling for $5.55M in 2008. More photos, below.

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Reverse Mortgages Backfiring on Seniors

Experts argue reverse mortgages often are being used today for all the wrong reasons. Seniors now have less home equity, less savings, and more debt.

"This was originally contemplated as something you could draw money from over a long period of time, as a way of supplementing your income or providing income when you had not others. Now a lot of people are looking to reverse mortgages as a quick fix," said David Certner of AARP.

About 9.5 percent of the 775,000 reverse mortgages outstanding are delinquent, far higher than the rate on regular mortgage loans. While lenders are pushing them aggressively, fewer are being made today, due to the drop in home values. Advocates say they can be a valuable tool, if used correctly, and that there are ample safeguards.

(Read More: Rising Mortgage Rates Amid Fed Fears)

"The reverse mortgage, unlike any other financial service in the United States, requires every single borrower, prospective borrower to go before an independent third party reverse mortgage counselor at a HUD-approved, HUD-funded counseling agency prior to even making an application for the loan," claimed Bell. "So where somebody is coming off title would be in a discussion."

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now looking at new rules to protect consumers, which could include stricter supervision of lenders and more transparency for borrowers.

"It's a balancing issue, you want to make sure that people have access to credit or the help they need or even those who may need a reverse mortgage, but you also want to make sure that one, people not getting reverse mortgage when it's not the right product for them and two that when they are getting the product they are getting the best one that's available for them," explained Certner.

Those changes could go a long way to help seniors benefit from the loans, but they would likely be too late for Robert Bennett.

"I guess I could make it somewhere else, but I would walk away empty."

—By CNBC's Diana Olick; Follow her on Twitter @Diana_Olick or on Facebook at facebook.com/DianaOlickCNBC

Questions? Comments? RealtyCheck@cnbc.com

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On the Market: Dolores Heights Single-Family Home Seeks $1.995M

Tuesday, June 4, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

Meet 806 Noe, a 4-bed, 3.5-bath home in Dolores Heights. It's asking $1,995,000. While the home was originally built in the early 20th century, it's recently undergone an extensive renovation to modernize the interiors. Thankfully the interiors still have a good chunk of Victorian charm (that dining room!), but there's modern amenities like a sleek and sexy kitchen and contemporary bathrooms. The home last sold in February of 2012 for $1,115,000.

806 Noe St., San Francisco, CA

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Artistry: Exploring the City as an 'Aggressive' Mass of Broken Pixels

Thursday, June 6, 2013, by Amy Schellenbaum

Image via Architizer

Inspired by science fiction, video games, and comic books, Vienna-based graphic artist Peter Olschinsky creates crazy-compact, microchip-like versions of anonymous urban architecture, all "fantastic and aggressive, both fascinating and scary." The result is his "Pixel City" series, drawings that somehow resemble zoomed-in, pixelated images as much as they do the metropolises from the covers of '70s sci-fi pulp novels. More of Olschinsky's work, below.

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AM Linkage: Fixing Up Dolores Park; Cycling in the Lower Haight; Frank Gehry's Desperation; More!

Fixing Up Dolores Park; Cycling in the Lower Haight; Frank Gehry's Desperation; More! - AM Linkage - Curbed SF CityAtlantaBostonCape CodChicagoDetroitHamptonsLos AngelesMiamiNationalNew YorkPhiladelphiaSan FranciscoSeattleSkiWashington DCTop stories Rental FeverObtain Massive Leg Strength by Renting a Hilltop ApartmentThe People's GuideDylan Pilaar Tells Us About Golden Gate HeightsPark LifeBring Your Family and Friends to Hamilton Recreation Center×Get the latest from Curbed SFFacebookEmail newsletterTwitter Wednesday, June 5, 2013AM LinkageFixing Up Dolores Park; Cycling in the Lower Haight; Frank Gehry's Desperation; More!Wednesday, June 5, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

[Photo via Curbed Flickr Pool/Larix Laricina]
· Why is Frank Gehry so desperate to align himself with Facebook? [Flavorwire]
· City sprucing up Dolores Park [SF Examiner]
· Wiggle Bicycles opens in the Lower Haight [haighteration]
· Amazon bringing grocery delivery to Bay Area [SFist]
· 30-year fixed mortgage rates continue to surge [Zillow Blog]
· When billionaire sets rules, it's an exclusive race [NYTimes]
· Please sign petition to Mayor Lee to accept donation of Rincon Hill Park [Rincon Hill]

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Sign up for our newsletterCurbed's Guide to Buying and RentingCurbed University delivers insider tips and non-boring advice on how to buy or rent a house or apartment.Curbed’s Guide to Buying in San Francisco Finding a Real Estate Agent and Shopping AroundGetting Ready to Make an OfferMaking the OfferHistoric Home Buyers: What You Need to Know Before Historic Home Buyers: What You Need to Know AfterHere’s the Lowdown on Mortgages Curbed’s Guide to Selling a House in San Francisco Finding an Agent to Sell Your Property Getting Your Property Ready for the MarketThe Wild World of AppraisalsWhat's the Deal with Below Market Rate Condos? Short Sales and REOs for Beginners: Part IShort Sales and REOs for Beginners: Part IICurbed’s Guide to Renting in San Francisco Everything You Need to Know About Craigslist Follow Curbed SF News by NeighborhoodSFAlamo SquareAngel IslandAnza VistaAshbury HeightsBay BridgeBayviewBayview HeightsBernal HeightsBuena VistaCastroCathedral HillCentral SunsetCentral WaterfrontChinatownCivic CenterClarendon HeightsCole ValleyCorona HeightsCow HollowCrissy FieldsDiamond HeightsDogpatchDuboce TriangleEureka ValleyExcelsiorFillmoreFinancial DistrictFisherman's WharfForest HillGlen ParkGolden Gate BridgeGolden Gate ParkHayes ValleyHunters PointInglesideIngleside HeightsIngleside TerracesInner RichmondInner SunsetInternationalJackson SquareJapantownLakeLaurel HeightsLone MountainLower HaightLower Pac HeightsMarin CountyMarinaMid-MarketMission BayMission DoloresNationalNoPaNob HillNoe ValleyNorth BeachOceanviewOuter RichmondOuter SunsetPacific HeightsParkmercedParnassus HeightsPeninsulaPolk GulchPortolaPotrero HillPresidioPresidio HeightsRincon HillRussian HillSea CliffSoMaSouth BaySouth BeachSouth ParkSt. Francis WoodSunnysideTelegraph HillTendernobThe EmbarcaderoThe MissionThe PanhandleThe People's GuideThe PresidioThe TenderloinTreasure IslandTwin PeaksUnion SquareUpper HaightUpper MarketWest Portal/St FrancisWestern AdditionYerba BuenaEast BayAlamedaBerkeleyEast Bay: East BayEast Bay: ElsewhereOaklandPiedmontRockridgeWest OaklandCurbed Tiplinesf@curbed.comAdvertise with ussales@curbed.com | Media kitMonthly archivesSelect month...June 2013May 2013April 2013March 2013February 2013January 2013December 2012November 2012October 2012September 2012August 2012July 2012June 2012May 2012April 2012March 2012February 2012January 2012December 2011November 2011October 2011September 2011August 2011July 2011June 2011May 2011April 2011March 2011February 2011January 2011December 2010November 2010October 2010September 2010August 2010July 2010June 2010May 2010April 2010March 2010February 2010January 2010December 2009November 2009October 2009September 2009August 2009July 2009June 2009May 2009April 2009March 2009February 2009January 2009December 2008November 2008October 2008September 2008August 2008July 2008June 2008May 2008April 2008March 2008February 2008January 2008December 2007November 2007October 2007September 2007August 2007July 2007June 2007May 2007April 2007March 2007February 2007January 2007December 2006November 2006October 2006September 2006August 2006July 2006June 2006May 2006April 2006March 2006February 2006January 2006December 2005November 2005All archivesFrom our partners Your browser doesn't support frames. Please visit Zillow Home Page to see this content. SAN FRANCISCO REAL ESTATE LISTINGS Preferences Open external links in new tabs? Curbed SkiArrested DevelopmentStalling of Blindbull Delights Critics, But Likely Not For LongEater SFHot, Hot Heat!The Bay Area Heatmap: Where To Eat NOWRacked SFStorecastingOh, Mon Dieu! Saint Laurent Plots Return to San FranciscoGet daily updates and breaking news alerts from Curbed SF delivered straight to your inbox:

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On the Racked: SFO to Austin; Editorial Fashion and Beauty Picks; SoulCycle in Marin; More!

Thursday, June 6, 2013, by Sally Kuchar

Welcome to On the Racked, where Racked SF editor Kristen Philipkoski shares the best fashion and retail news of the week.
Photo by Sara Iravani
HAYES VALLEY—Spurred by the new Gant Rugger in Hayes Valley, an SF supervisor has introduced legislation that would allow fewer "formula retail" chains into the city.

SAN FRANCISCO—Mon Dieu! Saint Laurant is plotting a return to our fair city.

AUSTIN—Virgin America just launched nonstops from SFO to Austin. Time for a shopping trip!

EVERYWHERE—As always we have a smattering of Editor's Picks: the $14 crop-top that goes with high-waisted everything, the ultra-chic, goes with everything summer sandal, supermodel cheekbones for less than $30, the comfiest jeans for every occasion, and the perfect beach read.

SAN FRANCISCO—Amazon announced it will bring it's same-day grocery delivery service to SF—should be interesting to see how this farmer's market happy city receives it.

SAN FRANCISCO—In other same-day delivery news, Boutiika has launched Dash, which will deliver from select local boutiques for $10 in time for your event that same night.

MARIN—This is exciting: SoulCycle is coming to Northern California this weekend. Reserve your bike stat!

UNION SQUARE—Uber-successful mobile clothing reseller Poshmark threw a shindig last week, and we documented their outfits and their best scores via the app.

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Sold Stuff: It's been four long years, but...

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Sold Stuff: This Outer Richmond home at 710...

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Linkage: Beat-Your-Own Armchair; Ikea Chairman Steps Down; More!

Beat-Your-Own Armchair; Ikea Chairman Steps Down; More! - Linkage - Curbed National CityAtlantaBostonCape CodChicagoDetroitHamptonsLos AngelesMiamiNationalNew YorkPhiladelphiaSan FranciscoSeattleSkiWashington DCTop storiesVideo Video InterludeA Look Back at Arizona's Utterly Beautiful Biodome FailureHouse of the DayTwo Venice Beach Homes Bank on a Decade of AppreciationRendering RevealsHere Now, Bjarke Ingels' Blocky Plans for the Lego Museum×Get the latest from Curbed NationalFacebookEmail newsletterTwitter Thursday, June 6, 2013LinkageBeat-Your-Own Armchair; Ikea Chairman Steps Down; More!Thursday, June 6, 2013, by Amy Schellenbaum

Photo via Apartment Therapy

· East Village "custom-built artists' palace" wants $6.5M. [Curbed NY]
· Okay, who wants to explain this coffee sack dining room? [Curbed Seattle]
· Russell Simmons cuts $2M off FiDi penthouse price. [Curbed NY]
· A lovingly restored Scottish fishing captain's house. [Apartment Therapy]
· The Jills on marketing and mastering Southern Florida real estate. [The Real Deal]
· Ikea founder steps down, hands reigns to son. [BBC News]
· You and your mallet turn this cube into a chair. [Co.Design]

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Sign up for our newsletterFollow Curbed National Curbed Tiplinenational@curbed.comAdvertise with ussales@curbed.com | Media kitMonthly archivesSelect month...June 2013May 2013April 2013March 2013February 2013January 2013December 2012November 2012October 2012September 2012August 2012July 2012June 2012May 2012April 2012March 2012February 2012January 2012December 2011November 2011October 2011September 2011August 2011July 2011June 2011May 2011April 2011March 2011February 2011January 2011December 2010November 2010October 2010September 2010August 2010All archivesFrom our partners Your browser doesn't support frames. Please visit Zillow Home Page to see this content. MORE REAL ESTATE ON ZILLOW Preferences Open external links in new tabs? Curbed SkiArrested DevelopmentStalling of Blindbull Delights Critics, But Likely Not For LongCurbed NYRecapsMillion Dollar Listing New York S2E5: Making 'Em Sweat!Curbed MiamiOpa!Bjarke Ingels' Whirlwind Miami Tour Ended With Grove At Grand Bay GroundbreakingGet daily updates and breaking news alerts from Curbed National delivered straight to your inbox:

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Construction Watch: New Library Making Progress in North Beach

Thursday, June 6, 2013, by Michael Conrad

Looking like a giant erector set, the new North Beach Branch Library is moving right along after surviving multiple attempts to thwart construction. The 2-level, 8,500 sq. ft. building, 60 percent larger than the current one, will feature plenty of glass to allow an abundance of natural light. Located on a triangular lot at the corner of Columbus and Lombard streets, the new library will replace the small, aging library next door when completed. The old library, as well as the adjacent block of Mason Street, will be removed, allowing for expansion of the nearby Joe DiMaggio Playground.
·North Beach Library Coverage [Curbed SF]
·North Beach New Construction [San Francisco Public Library]

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