Wednesday, August 11, 2010
New Trees
Along with the new "public posts" and the new fancy pavements (as described and illustrated here yesterday) Valencia Street in the Mission has also received many new trees (during this very foggy summer) from the benevolent powers who run the City of San Francisco. Young plane trees and madrones are planted up and down the new sidewalks in long green rows.
Specially designed and forged tree-root protectors have been installed by the dozens around the new trees. These are decorated with heterosexual pairs of calaveras, dancing in traditional fashion and authenticating pervasive local Mexican heritage (even though nowadays the hipster presence is a much more aggressive fact).
Note: after reading this post and the preceding one, some friends have complained that I am condoning or even celebrating a gentrification process as it has been subtly imposed on the neighborhood by City Hall. I think their viewpoint has merit, and so I append it here in red.