A Tale of Two Parklets

I talked about how I believe parklets (taking over some parking spaces, but leaving the roadway open) are a better solution for saving restaurants than the wholesale street closures here.  Now that some restaurants outside of the Burlingame Avenue Autonomous Zone (BAAZ) are jumping on the parklet idea, we can start to compare approaches.  Chatting about it with a few locals, the idea seems to be popular since it is seven days a week and can be done nicely.  Our Michelin-starred Rasa seems to have done the best local design so far.

But check out the effort by Moody's in Truckee!  All of the restaurants along Commercial Row are using the raised platform approach, but Moody's has upped the game with amazing lighting, curtains, heaters and loudspeakers.

Using the ugly orange hydro-barriers on all three sides instead of just the on-coming traffic side seems like a B'game-only approach--San Mateo doesn't require it.  B'game restaurants will hopefully make continuous improvements since these will likely be with us at least til the rains start.

Comments

[Bruce Dickinson]

Timely article

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Restaurants-are-taking-over-parking-spaces-Here-15452691.php

Which also warns you to NOT call them 'parklets'!

[resident]

LOL. John King might be the last writer at the Chron worth listening to so here is what (whatever?) he said:

And by the way, don’t call them parklets: Those scaled-down public spaces allowed under San Francisco’s parklet program must be open to everyone, not just paying customers. Real parklets also have higher structural standards, since they’re intended to last. These nooks, at least for now, are only permitted to be place through December.

Which makes the newcomers “shared spaces platforms,” according to city bureaucrats. That’s not nearly as catchy as in Philadelphia, which has a similar program but uses the term “Streetery.”

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I guess we have another question for city staff. Can Shirley just sit in the Rasa "parklet" for as long as she likes?

[[email protected]]

I guess it would be Ok for Shirley to sit in "The Rasa."
Until she wets herself, starts talking to God, Flirting with 12 year old's, asking everyone for money, and staring you in the eye.

SHIRLEY STARING YOU IN THE EYE.

THE EYE!

[Growling Tiger]

Yep.

[MBGA]

I really like Park and Howard next door to Rasa and we have eaten there on the side walk a lot in hopes of keeping them alive. But the car noise is unpleasant when punks race up and down Howard. That seems to happen at least once or twice per dinner. Besides the disturbance of the noise it doesn't feel safe. Instead of spending all their time in front of the apple store maybe we could get some traffic enforcement on Howard? A traffic accident jumping the curb could pretty much end this thing in a second.

And El Camino, big time. We live a block off El Camino and it seems like people are racing around a lot more in hot cars and fast bikes running up and down the El Camino these evenings.

[Joe]

I agree. My first question which the Police Chief took during the Townhall about what he would do if given 10% MORE budget was hire another officer for traffic enforcement. He noted (correctly) that it has been our #1 issue since he joined the force as a very young man and remains so. (BTW, my understanding is the officers at Apple are providing private, off-duty, but in-uniform security at Apple's expense.)