Summertime Weather Swells Turnout for NOPA's Sunday Streets

This time the weather was perfect -- sunny, warm and only a slight breeze -- for Sunday Streets in the Western Addition, NOPA, Alamo Square and the Fillmore. Today thousands of neighbors and friends from all over San Francisco gathered on several blocks open to walking, biking, games, painting, live music, dancing and claiming a sofa seat in the middle of the street.

Thanks to the organizers -- the amazing Livable City with Sunday Streets director Susan King, program coordinator Beth Byrne, the hundreds of volunteers with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and collaboration with the SF Municipal Transportation Agency -- for an amazing event where everyone could enjoy public spaces and envision a safer, more equitable way to share our streets.

For views of Summer Streets in NOPA 2010, check here.

Carrotmob Crams Cafe: NOPA Gets More Green

Lauren Almeda-Reddell, relaxed for the pic, busy for the mob

Matching Half Cafe: lots of light, great art, and the stained-glass windows

The Carrotmob phenomenon roused mid-NOPA today and dispelled thoughts of drizzle and staying warm and dry indoors. During one brief stopover at about 3:30 this afternoon, more than 75 Carrotmob followers packed into the Matching Half Cafe located at McAllister and Baker streets. Proprietors Jason Wahlberg and Lauren Almeda-Redell and their staff looked a little dazzled, happy, and non-stop busy serving all the new and returning customers. The band Sufi (see clip above) kept the cafe bouncing. Outside on the extra-wide Baker sidewalk, two tents with seating offered respite from the light rain. Gathered round-about were several members of the Wigg Party, including Morgan Fitzgibbons and Ben Kaufman, who greeted all and boosted the event that their group organized. A PBS film crew captured much of the buzz for a feature on Carrotmob, planned for broadcast in a month.

All proceeds from this afternoon's mob mash will be matched by the cafe for a whopping 200% re-direct of funds toward purchase of a bike trailer for trips to the farmers' market. One less car on the streets, reduced oil consumption, and better air quality.

See previous post on Carrotmob in NOPA.

Green Consumers To "Carrotmob" Local Cafe; New Bike Trailer in the Balance

Lauren Almeda-Reddell and Jason Wahlberg, proprietors of Matching Half Cafe

Carrotmob, the two-year-old San Francisco-born sensation, plans to swarm NOPA's popular Matching Half Cafe this Saturday afternoon to help the business adopt more sustainable practices. If enough customers purchase sweets and savories, coffee and brew, the cafe's proprietors will use the profits to buy a bike trailer to get food from farmers' markets without a car. They'll also kick in a, yes, matching half, to re-invest 200% of what they make during the event for the new transport.

Hatched by San Franciscan Brent Schulkin, Carrotmob is a straight-forward organization of purchasing power to promote a good cause. The idea, according to the group's website, is to "coordinate purchases to reward environmentally and socially responsible businesses with a mob of new customers." Begun in 2008, more than 100 Carrotmobs have sprouted worldwide.

The Wigg Party will host NOPA's venture into consumer mob potential. "It's a great opportunity to showcase what we are building here in the neighborhood," explained Wigg Party founder Morgan Fitzgibbons. The Wiggs organized a competition among local businesses to be selected as a Carrotmob beneficiary. Fitzgibbons said the Matching Half won the opportunity because of their 200% kick-in offer and their choice of realistic goals for the proceeds. The Wigg Party itself is all about sustainability. Taking it's name from the east-west bicycle route, the Wiggle, members work to make the community a leader in the sustainability movement.

Carrotmob regularly turns out a huge crowd of customers. When the group first selected the K&D Market on 16th street in the Mission, hundreds of shoppers lined up outside the grocery for hours and boosted sales to more than $9,000. The market's owners used the profits to re-do indoor lighting to be more environmentally friendly.

To make Saturday's mob scene even more compelling, PBS will film a segment on site for an upcoming feature on Carrotmob. Help get one more bike trailer and one less car on city streets while you grab some coffee,tea, beer, wine, baked goods and more.

Carrotmob @ Matching Half Cafe

1700 McAllister at Baker

Saturday, October 23, 3-6pm

cash purchases only

For Carrotmob theory and practice, check this:

How Organized Consumer Purchasing Can Change Business from carrotmob on Vimeo.

And for how Carrotmob played in the Mission:

Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.

Sunday Streets Surpass Summer Skies

Purple accessories found at St. Cyprian's busy deco corner

3 chocolate chip cookies for $1: best deal of the day from ruby & sam

Huge crowd gathered here: no one cared about the drizzle

At the top of Baker street at McAllister: just another biking day?

Heavy fog, mist, and drizzle along with warm temperatures greeted Sunday Streets on its first foray into the Western Addition and the mostly residential North Panhandle neighborhood Sunday. Everyone who ventured out into the gray expanse took the weather with exasperated shrugs and sighs and then got on with the business of having a great time in the streets. Here's a few photos of what we especially liked -- with a caveat. BIKE NOPA was so engaged with activities in the neighborhood that we never managed to travel east of Divisadero. Our loss for missing the fun in Japantown, Kimball Park, and the Fillmore.