What was intended to be a temporary community benefit on a site slated for affordable housing development within a few years, Hayes Valley's PROXY, shows no signs of going away anytime soon, despite some activists pushing for the housing to be built.

Parcel K, one of a group of land parcels along Octavia Boulevard that used to sit underneath the Central Freeway until its demolition over 20 years ago, has been earmarked for affordable housing since before the freeway even came down. In 2009, the idea for Proxy took shape, and with the help of ENVELOPE Architecture + Design this "evolving open space experiment," made partly out of shipping containers, was built in late 2010.

Suppenkuche's successful offshoot Biergarten has been there since the start and is now a staple of the Hayes Valley neighborhood. Ritual Coffee has also had a stand there since the beginning, now going on 14 years. And other stuff has moved in and out of the container spaces including AETHER Apparel, Smitten Ice Cream, a short-lived popcorn store called Fluff Nugget, and now more recently San Francisco's Hometown Creamery has moved in.

The plaza area of PROXY is used for outdoor fitness by LuxFitSF, as well as for outdoor cinema events, and neighborhood gatherings like the Hayes Valley Carnival.

All in all, PROXY has more than lived up to its purpose, activating what might have sat as a dreary vacant lot the past two decades, and meanwhile most of the other, smaller housing parcels along Octavia have been built up.

Starting back in 2013, PROXY got an eight-year extension, as it became clear to city leaders that finding funds for a 50- to 75-unit affordable project was going to be difficult if not impossible. Then-Supervisor London Breed said at the time, "PROXY is a true asset to Hayes Valley, and... far better for the community, far more enriching, and more fun than a parking lot, which was the area's previous use."

Now, as the Chronicle reports, things remain stalled, and Breed's office says it's largely about state and federal housing funds and where they're getting prioritized. A community group just delivered a 1,600-signature petition to Breed's desk calling for the site to be developed — but it seems likely that a different group, like the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, could easily come up with that many signatures or more to keep PROXY in place.

"That is a piece of valuable, critical open space of Hayes Valley,” said Jen Laska, the former president Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, speaking to the Chronicle. “If we take that away, we are not going to get it back.”

Supervisor Dean Preston, in whose district PROXY sits, has been gunning for the housing to get built and pinning the blame on Breed — the two are perennial political antagonists — and the official word from Breed's office is that it will be at least another three to five years before the project moves forward.

"[The mayor] has pushed for housing all across the city, including in this very neighborhood where there are 933 affordable homes under construction within a half mile of this site," says Breed's spokesperson Jeff Cretan, in a statement to the Chronicle. "The reality is this parcel is not competitive for state and federal funding right now, which provides about two-thirds of the development costs. This has to do with funding and feasibility."

50 units of housing is 50 units of housing, but it doesn't put that much of a dent in 82,000 units that the city is on the hook to get approved in the next few years. And it sure looks like what was meant to be a three-year "experiment" is going to end up being a 20-year (at least) retail and entertainment hub in the heart of bustling Hayes Valley.

Previously: Hayes Valley Residents Pushing Back Against Affordable Housing Development at Site of PROXY

Photo via Instagram

Proxy fight indeed, as between 50-75 units of affordable housing are slated to be built at Hayes Valley’s outdoor event and retail space PROXY, but now neighbors are fighting to retain the parcel as open space.

The very popular Hayes Valley outdoor "cargo-tecture" complex PROXY was supposed to be a temporary, three-year project. But its lifespan been extended several times, much to the delight of fans of Biergarten and the park's annual outdoor movie night series.

Still, the 11,000 square-foot, city-owned lot technically known as Parcel K was always supposed to be developed as affordable housing, and PROXY still remains on a month-to-month lease.

Mayor Breed’s office is now pushing to get that PROXY parcel developed into 50-75 units of affordable housing. But the Chronicle reports that neighbors are stepping up to oppose the affordable housing project, saying the parcel should remain open space for the neighborhood's use.

San Francisco voters approved that housing with Proposition I way back in 1999, but in true SF fashion, it still hasn’t been built. The proposed housing has been redrawn in a few different versions since, but according to the Chronicle, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development  recently issued a request for proposals for the project to find a non-profit developer to build 50-75 units, all of them affordable. Though that department’s spokesperson Anne Stanley tells the Chronicle that “there is still additional planning and analysis that needs to happen before we can finalize our plans and proceed with procuring a development team for any future housing project at Parcel K.”

The debate has flipped the script of the usual SF progressives-versus-moderates housing fights. Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association president Jen Laska is leading the charge against the housing project at the site, and Laska is formerly an executive of the tech-funded PAC GrowSF, whose website says “San Francisco has a housing shortage. Restricting supply only drives prices higher while driving young families away.” (Per her LinkedIn, she left that position in December.) Meanwhile, the district's supervisor Dean Preston, often dinged by GrowSF for his votes on housing, is pushing to build the project.

“That is a piece of valuable, critical open space of Hayes Valley,” the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association’s Laska told the Chronicle. “If we take that away, we are not going to get it back.” She also argues the city could explore other sites for the housing.

Parenthetically, Laska was in the news last week over her association’s raising concerns about encampment fires two months before last Tuesday’s four-alarm fire at a building under construction. The cause of that fire is still undetermined.

For his part, Preston is determined the housing project should be built at what we now call PROXY. “I recognize there are strong feelings about the future of the Parcel K site in Hayes Valley, and it’s a testament to the success of the interim use that many in the community want to preserve it,” he told the Chron. “But this site was promised for affordable housing more than 20 years ago, and I’m committed to delivering affordable housing there. We need places to live for working-class people and their families, and that means taking advantage of every opportunity, particularly on city-owned property.”

There are not even plans on paper yet for the affordable housing project, so it’s not like PROXY is getting torn down anytime soon. And while the space is still on a month-to-month lease, the website for its architecture firm Envelope currently says that “PROXY now will remain a neighborhood presence through 2026.”

Related: Four-Alarm Fire In Hayes Valley Destroys New Building Under Construction, Displaces Eight In Nearby Buildings [SFist]

Image: Proxy SF via Facebook

A new snack stand called Fluff Nugget opens today at Proxy in Hayes Valley, taking over the space formerly occupied by Smitten Ice Cream, and serving all manner of tricked-out cones of flavored popcorn.

The shipping-container stand that was formerly slinging ice cream is vacant no longer, and Fluff Nugget takes over as of Thursday afternoon. As Eater reports, today's 3 p.m. opening will come with free popcorn cones for the first 100 guests — though it's not clear if you'll get to pick your toss-in flavors.

The decidedly over-the-top menu runs the gamut from savory to sweet, introducing Hayes Valley to the delights of tossed-to-order, fancy popcorn like nothing you've likely seen before. Savory flavors include Thai Curry Coconut (which includes roasted peanuts and candied ginger), Chorizo and Cheddar (which includes queso and fried onions), BBQ brisket (includes real brisket!), and Pistachio Pesto (a seasonal offering that includes basil pesto, crumbled feta, and lemon zest). On the sweet side, there's Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Meringue, and Chocolate Aztec Chili, to name a few.

Fluff Nugget has just a couple of testimonial quotes on their website so far, including, "The flavors are so fun! It’s like Salt & Straw meets popcorn."

San Francisco is home to one of the OG flavored popcorn outfits, Thatcher's Gourmet Popcorn, which opened in 1983 and now has a retail shop and warehouse in Dogpatch which supports a big online shipping business. The same year that Thatcher's opened, the New York Times declared flavored popcorn a hot new trend of 1983, with nine popcorn shops having popped up there in just that year alone.

Food Business News reported last fall that flavored popcorn, especially the pre-packaged variety, was again a trending category thanks to pandemic comfort-snacking. And although we haven't heard about a shop quite like Fluff Nugget before, if it takes off, this surely won't be the last of its kind.

The raw material of popcorn itself, just like in the early 1980s, is pretty cheap, and it takes well to fancifying for a profit.

At Fluff Nugget, a basic adult cone of corn will run you $7.50, with large cones going for $11.50 — so, movie theater prices, basically. Kids' cones are $4.50.

Follow them on Instagram for updates and popcorn porn.

Fluff Nugget - 432 Octavia Street - Open Thursday to Saturday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The second annual PROXY and HERE FOR NOW Fall Film Festival in Hayes Valley is set to kick off this Friday, and they just released their full lineup of films.

Whereas many outdoor film festivals often showcase older movies (usually because it's easier or cheaper to license them), PROXY looks to showcase some fairly recent, modern flicks at their outdoor theater. What's more, the films are geared toward adult audiences, with four rated-R films.

Here's your lineup, complete with descriptions from PROXY's post about the event.

Friday, September 22: I Am Not Your Negro
Directed by Raoul Peck, 2016 [PG-13]

In 1979, James Baldwin wrote to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House, a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends—Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only thirty pages of his manuscript. In this incendiary new documentary, filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished: a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, the civil rights movement, and #BlackLivesMatter.

Friday, September 29: The Big Sick
Directed by Michael Showalter, 2017 [R]

Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon — the screenplay’s co-authors — The Big Sick tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (played by Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Zoe Kazan) after one of his standup sets. What they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, complicating the life Kumail’s traditional Muslim parents have planned for him. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, Kumail must navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano), while dealing with the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.

Friday, October 6: Landline
Directed by Gillian Robespierre, 2017 [R]

When two sisters suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair, it sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. For the first time, older sister Dana (Jenny Slate), recently engaged and struggling with her own fidelity, finds herself bonding with her wild teenage sister Ali (Abby Quinn). The two try to uncover the truth without tipping off their mother (Edie Falco) and discover the messy reality of love and sex in the process. Set in 1990s Manhattan, Landline is a warm, insightful and comedic drama about a family united by secrets and lies.

Friday, October 13: A Ghost Story
Directed by David Lowery, 2017 [R]

With A Ghost Story, director David Lowery returns with a singular exploration of legacy, loss, and the essential human longing for meaning and connection. Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost (Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife (Rooney Mara), only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away. Increasingly unmoored, the ghost embarks on a cosmic journey through memory and history, confronting life’s ineffable questions and the enormity of existence. An unforgettable meditation on love and grief, A Ghost Story emerges ecstatic and surreal—a wholly-unique experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Friday, October 20: PATTI CAKE$
Directed by Geremy Jasper, 2017 [R]

In a coming-of-age story straight out of Jersey, an unlikely rapper finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend in the making in PATTI CAKE$, the first feature film from acclaimed commercial and music-video director Geremy Jasper. Set in gritty strip-mall suburbia, PATTI CAKE$ chronicles an underdog’s quest for fame and glory with humor, raw energy and some unforgettable beats.

Additionally, SF Weekly shared some helpful rules if you're planning on stopping by: don't BYOB, make sure you check the ratings if you've got little ones coming with, and even though all the showings start at 7:30 p.m., it is outdoors, so roll in whenever. Just, you know, don't be obnoxious when you do it. Yeah, it's an outdoor movie, but come on, be polite, alright?

If you did want to get your drink on, PROXY's walk-in theater offers food and drink. Also, there are a couple of bars nearby (Biergarten, Brass Tacks, Dobbs, Noir Lounge, and many, many more). You've got options is what we're getting at.

Previously: Outdoor Cinema In Hayes Valley Becomes Non-Profit After Kickstarter Fails

Clear your schedule this evening (and if you can for the entirety of the San Francisco Jazz Festival, though that might be overdoing it) because you are now going to a jazz block party. Okay? Okay.

Sorry, don't mean to be bossy, but this sounds like fun, and reportedly last year's inaugural jazz block party was great. The festivities are at Proxy, the Hayes Valley parking lot turned (turnt?) events space, and they are free to all from 5 to 10 p.m. Performing are the brazen Mission Brass Band and the gypsy rockers of Beso Negro.

You might consider bringing your wallet: Hoodline highlights that Del Popolo's pizza truck and more food options will be on site, and that neighboring spots Biergarten and Fig and Thistle will be donating their proceeds from the evening to the ongoing outdoor movie nights at Proxy.

The 34th annual San Francisco Jazz Festival runs from today through the 19th and features performances at Davies Symphony Hall and at the SFJAZZ center. Acts from near (the California Honeydrops, Zoë Keating) and farther (Roy Ayers. Roy fucking Ayers) will be in town, so this is your heads up.

Proxy, 432 Octavia Boulevard, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

"[Moviegoing] brings people together," Douglas Burnham of the architecture firm Envelope A+D tells Hoodline. "With movies, it's dark, people are quiet, there's a little bit of an intimacy."

So Burnham, who helped design the interim-use Hayes and Octavia space PROXY, is part of the push for the space to pursue a new purpose: As an outdoor, walk-in movie theater. Maybe you've seen the large, tilted screen as it's taken shape in fits and starts. A projector is on the way, and this Friday PROXY launches a five week-series they're calling the PROXY Fall Film Festival.

The fest is happening despite a Kickstarter campaign for the theater that fell short of its $150,000 goal, but from which some funds went to the new HERE FOR NOW nonprofit with the same cause of bringing outdoor cinema to the area.

Things kick off with Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, winner of the U.S Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and continue from there. All screenings begin at 7 p.m. and are free, with food and beer for sale. What's more, the lineup is curated by PROXY team and filmmaker Malcolm Pullinger, known for Following Sean wichh was filmed in the Upper Haight in the '60s, and the documentary Winnebago Man.

"It's going to be scrappy," says Burnham, "but it's going to be great."

Update: PROXY has contacted SFist to note a few changes to the schedule, which has been updated below:

Friday, October 16: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rajon, 2015 [PG13]

Winner of the U.S Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Greg is an awkward high-schooler, trying to coast anonymously through his senior year. He spends most of hsi time making whacky parodies of classic movies with his only friend, Earl. When Greg’s mom insists he spend time with Rachel-a classmate who has just been diagnosed with leukemia—he slowly discovers the rewards and risks of true friendship. Starring: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, and Molly Shannon.

Friday, October 23: Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Directed by David Zellner, Written by David & Nathan Zellner, 2015
Nominated for the U.S Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) and winner U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score, 2014 Sundance Festival

Kumiko lives in a cluttered, cramped Tokyo apartment with her pet rabbit Bunzo, and works a tedious job for a nitpicky boss. When she discovers a battered VHS cassette of “Fargo”, she becomes convinced that the movie’s buried suitcase of cash is real, and heads off into the harsh Minnesota winter in hopes of finding the treasure.

Friday, October 30: Turbo Kid

Directed by Anouk Whissell, François Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, 2015

Winner of 2015 SXSW Midnighters Audience Award; official selection, 2015 Sundance Film Festival

A special Halloween screening, this retro-futuristic nostalgic tribute to 80’s action-adventure films follows The Kid, a young solitary scavenger obsessed with comic books, traversing the post-apocalyptic wasteland on his BMX. After his his new friend, the perpetually upbeat Apple, is kidnapped by the evil overlord Zeus, the Kid dons the persona of his favorite hero to deliver justice and save the girl of his dreams.

Friday, November 6: Secret Shorts: Films, Live Experiences, and More!

New and unseen short films, live experiments, and interactive experiences — a team of top film programmers and installation artists will present a night of visual treats designed to delight and amaze!

Friday, November 13: The Wolfpack

Directed by Crystal Moselle, 2015 [R]

In-person appearance + Q&A with the director

Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize (Documentary), 2015 Sundance Film Festival
Despite growing up on the Lower East Side, the six Angulo brothers know little of New York City or the outside world, having spent most of their lives locked away in their apartment. Nicknamed “The Wolfpack,” most of what they know of the world has been gleaned from the films they watch obsessively and recreate meticulously, using elaborate homemade props and costumes. After one of the brothers escapes the apartment, the others soon want to follow, leading to a chance encounter with first-time film director Crystal Moselle, whose extraordinary portrait captures the thrills of The Wolfpack’s discoveries and illustrates the transformative power of movies.

Previously: Outdoor Cinema In Hayes Valley Becomes Non-Profit After Kickstarter Fails

Two years back I thought that Biergarten, and the rest of the popular temporary Proxy complex in Hayes Valley, had been given an extended lease to 2021. But that turned out to be controversial this year as Biergarten's lease on their specific parcel was up for renewal by the city, and the city's budget analyst suggested the property ought to be sold to a developer sooner rather than later. But Supervisor London Breed, in whose district the place sits, dismissed the suggestion saying, "Let them drink beer," and now, as Hoodline reports, the Board of Supes has made the lease extension official.

The Board's Budget and Finance Committee held a hearing on the matter, and public comment was, by and large, in support of letting Biergarten live on at least these next five years, until January 2021.

The parcel it sits on is one of 22 that were freed up for residential development after the demolition of the Central Freeway, a number of which are already in the development pipeline for market-rate and affordable housing — seven of the sites were set aside for affordable-only development, however the tiny parcel Biergarten is on would only provide about 15 units of new, market-rate housing, once developed. Some of these affordable units will in fact be micro-units along Octavia, like these and these.

Proxy, the 2011-built "cargo-tecture" complex, was intended only to have a three- to five-year lifespan originally, in order to allow the housing market to recover sufficiently to make residential development here more feasible. Clearly that time has come, but sometimes other things take priority.

Hooray for al fresco beer drinking.

Two years ago, and as recently as last month, we were under the impression that the popularity of 2011-built Hayes Valley "cargo-tecture" complex collectively known as Proxy guaranteed its existence through 2021. But now we're hearing rumblings via the Examiner that Biergarten's fate is still something of an open issue, with its lease about to expire in November. The question is whether its skinny parcel be developed into what would likely amount to 15 units of market rate housing?

The Board of Supervisors postponed a vote last week on whether to extend that heavily Instagrammed bit of Bavaria's lease for another five years. And, according to Socketsite, even if the renewal is granted, a rent increase could raise issues when $2,000 a month becomes $5,500 a month on November 1st.

Socketsite also has it that the potential units would number as many as 26 and that a community beer garden on the first floor has been suggested as a sort of appeasement.

Board budget analyst Harvey Rose thinks it's time to sell, “to a developer for market rate housing, as it was originally intended, given the current demand for housing in the City and the high demand for land to develop housing. After all, proceeds would “provide new funds to the City for transportation, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and require the inclusion of 15 percent affordable housing in the development.”

So should we get those shovels out sooner rather than later? It's true that Proxy has always been a temporary concept, but Biergarten in particular, started by the team behind nearby German restaurant Suppenküche, has really had its intended effect and maybe more, and it deserves credit as a community gathering place (even if that line can be horrible on warm days). And Supervisor London Breed has been leading the charge to keep it around. "Let them drink beer," she wrote in a text to the Examiner.

Biergarten Construction in 2011. Biergarten via Facebook

In an interview with Hoodline, Aaron Hulme, one of the brothers who own Biergarten and grew up in San Francisco, recalls that "this was a discarded neighborhood. But it was in the center of San Francisco, so it has always had an immediate feel to it, and it has always been someone's home."

He adds that most people in the area live in apartments and don't have backyards, so "They come to Biergarten to hang out. They can sit here for as long as they like.'

Related: Outdoor Cinema In Hayes Valley Becomes Non-Profit After Kickstarter Fails

The expanded outdoor cinema project at Hayes Valley's Proxy that we told you about last month did not succeed in raising the $150,000 it was looking to raise via Kickstarter. But, as Hoodline reports, the project sponsors did get $81,049 in pledges, which is not chump change, and they've now switched tactics and have established a non-profit called Here For Now to continue the fundraising effort.

Lindsey Schott, who's part of the Envelope A+D firm that's behind the project, says, "We’re imploring all of our Kickstarter backers to transfer their pledges [to the non-profit]." Because, of course, with Kickstarter it's all-or-nothing, so they're kind of back to square one with the fundraising.

And if you want to see outdoor movies in Hayes Valley, you should consider donating. Schott says that first and foremost, even without any of the other bells and whistles they had in store, they need to purchase a digital projector, which alone will cost $67,000. And, they're still hoping to get one in time to have the PROXY Film Festival this fall, showcasing "recently released, best-of-show selections from festivals like SXSW and Sundance, focusing on independent and emerging voices in film."

Previously: That Outdoor Cinema At Hayes Valley's PROXY May Finally Happen This Fall

It turned out to be a lie when we were promised outdoor movies at Hayes Valley's semi-permanent PROXY complex last fall, and it looks as though the concept for the space has morphed a bit since then. Where there was once a combination fitness center and movie screening area with a smallish screen, plans have expanded to make this a dedicated outdoor "walk-in" movie theater with both a wind screen on one side, and wider screen to show independent films at the proper aspect ratio.

There's now a new Kickstarter looking to raise at least $150,000, with stretch goals going up to $250,000, to get the necessary projector, build the new container-based "walls" of the amphitheater, and potentially build a box office as well. Envelope A+D, which designed the rest of PROXY, has new renderings that you can see above and below.

As Hoodline reports, the existing screen structure was put to use for the first time last night as part of an SFJAZZ festival kickoff party at PROXY, that's doubled as a kind of block party for the neighborhood. The screen was used to screen a vintage jazz film.

And there's already a PROXY Film Festival planned for the fall, regardless of the outcome of the Kickstarter, where they promise to screen "recently released, best-of-show selections from festivals like SXSW and Sundance, focusing on independent and emerging voices in film," all for free.

The screening area as it looks now. Photo via PROXY/Kickstarter

PROXY, meanwhile, got a new "lease" of sorts from the city, allowing this whole temporary complex to live on until at least 2020, which is part of what's driving the desire to activate this last square of empty space along Octavia Street. PROXY was originally conceived in 2007 to live for just three years on city-owned parcels of land that are earmarked for affordable housing development. Because the economics of that development were not good at the time, the city decided to lend the space to be used for things like Biergarten and the Ritual Coffee and Smitten Ice Cream stands that have been there ever since. While some development is already occurring up the street, PROXY is getting to stay for at least five more years.

Below, the Kickstarter promo video.

Further solidifying Hayes Valley's position as the trendiest and most centrally located of all our rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, the Proxy development next to Patricia's Green on Octavia is getting a small outdoor cinema. Look for it to be immediately packed to the gills, no matter what the temperatures.

The project, as Hoodline reports via Envelope A+D architects, will include both a 32-foot-high movie screen and paved seating area, but also a daytime use: a pop-up fitness center for outdoor boot camps, and such. It's going in on what was a surface parking lot at Hayes, where there were sometimes food trucks.

The movies aren't set to start until September or so, following a crowdfunding campaign in July, and programming will include holiday movies, and a summer "grab bag" next year. It's not clear whether you'll be able to bring beers around the corner from Biergarten, or if you'll need to get your own growlers elsewhere.

The fitness center already had their own crowdfunding campaign last fall and raised money to construct the 20-foot-long wall that will run beneath the movie screen, and will have a set of monkey bars concealed along it. Fitness stuff will be run by Jennifer Pattee of Basic Training. As this is a community-based project, Suppenkuche/Biergarten owner Matt Hulme has designed a colorful arrow pattern that's getting spraypainted across the ground. (See rendering below.)

Construction for the fitness center should be complete any day now, and there's a launch party this Saturday, June 7 ($10 tickets still available here), with training classes on the hour all morning, and an open bar from noon to 4 p.m., as well as giveaways.

Rendering via Envelope A+D

[Hoodline]
[PROXY]

Hayes Valley based fans of Mission standby Pizzeria Delfina are in for yet another disappointment, as for the second time in recent years it's been announced that the burgeoning chain will not — we repeat, not — be moving into Hayes Valley.

It seems like yesterday that Craig and Annie Stoll opened their pizzeria in the former Quality Junk space on 18th Street, but it was actually 2004. A lot has happened since then. Not only has the face of 18th Street changed—Craig famously told SF Mag "Don’t get me started on the word gentrification. I don’t miss anything about the good ole days. I don’t miss crime and squalor," inspiring over a hundred comments of varying levels of anger on Mission Mission—so has the scope of the Stoll's business, with other outposts of their Pizzeria opening in Pacific Heights and Burlingame.

Hayes Valley, however, has seemed out of reach. There was talk of a Pizzeria Delfina component to Hayes Valley's Proxy, a self-described "content machine" based in a couple of shipping containers on Octavia between Hayes and Fell, but it never bore fruit. Though Stoll told the Chron back in 2010 that "we want to be part of [Proxy]," after months of delays it was announced in mid-2011 that Pizzeria Delfina wouldn't be part of the Proxy plan.

Those who gnashed their teeth and wept at that turn of fate must have been thrilled to see the Delfina-logoed plywood at fancy new development 300 Ivy, with posters reading "PIZZERIA DELFINA DECEMBER 2013." But Hayeswire is here to crush their hopes yet again, for as it turns out, this is a simple case of recycling. Contractors from the restaurant's construction in Burlingame were reusing the old plywood as they built out the Hayes Valley space intended for Corey Lee's Monsieur Benjamin.

“As much as I’ve always loved Hayes Valley, Stoll told Hayeswire, "we currently don’t have any plans to open anything there.”

[300 Ivy]
[Hayeswire]

As you may know, the popular Proxy project on Octavia Street in Hayes Valley was built as a temporary placeholder on vacant lots owned by the city. Well, Supervisor London Breed just announced that we'll be hoisting steins at Biergarten at least through 2021, and this is terrific news.

Hayeswire is reporting the news, and Breed says she's happy for the city's decision. She calls Proxy, "a true asset to Hayes Valley, and... far better for the community, far more enriching, and more fun than a parking lot, which was the area's previous use."

Since they opened in 2011, the shipping container-based structures (dubbed "cargo-tecture") have been home to Smitten Ice Cream, Ritual Coffee, the Streets of San Francisco Bike Tours, the cool two-story Aether Apparel shop, and Suppenkuche spinoff Biergarten. (An early plan for an outdoor Pizzeria Delfina was scrapped.) And most of these businesses have seen lines and crowds, especially on nice days, since the day they opened.

Their current lease would have expired in 2016, with the initial three-year agreement extended last year to five years. But some have wondered how long the fun could last with land values rising in the city, the current housing shortage, and these vacant lots being earmarked for affordable housing — something the city acknowledged was not going to be economically feasible back in 2009, when the idea for Proxy first took shape.

And you need to go to Biergarten on a Wednesday sometime for their extraordinary burger, with a huge and juicy Prather Ranch patty and toppings that change each week. It's only served one night a week, but occasionally there will be leftovers early on a Thursday.

[Hayeswire]

Ever since "hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets" in Iran, accusing the government of holding a fraudulent presidential election, social sites like Facebook and Twitter have played a wildly significant part in getting information out. (An aside: Do you see, you foolish and stubborn book / print fetishists, what the point of typing out silly little words is all about? That, in the end, it is just about communicating information? Communicated to as many sets of eyeballs as possible? Free of any arrogant literary stank? That your dusty 'zines stacked at Dog-Eared Books and your elite writers compounds speak to no one but you?) It seems the Iranian government found out about the world wide web, and then started blocking those sites in their country. As the Slog posted yesterday, proxies came to the rescue. That is to say, you could allow a n Iranian protester to connect to your computer instead, then they could use Twitter or whatever. (The protesters really could use it.)

And local IT director (the downright adorable) Austin Heap, 25, even went so far as to set up a helpful proxy server for silenced Iranians. According to SF Chronicle, Heap set up a server that would bypass any Iranian censorship, thus allowing the angry kids in Iran to get the word out again.

Heap tells the SF Chronicle, "If I can help them get their message out and help them tell the story and step back, that's my job ... (But) my mom is terrified right now."