Neighborhood Marketplace Fairs in the news

Recent neighborhood festivals in San Francisco’s southeastern section are helping to bring this often forgotten area of the city back to life. The festivals are part of an effort, led by community groups in partnership with the City and nonprofits, to revitalize their neighborhoods by boosting commercial corridors. Nine commercial corridors, located in such neighborhoods as the Excelsior, Portola, Visitacion Valley and Oceanview-Merced Heights-Ingleside area, are currently involved in the effort, which is known as the San Francisco Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative. The Initiative provides money and support to help struggling neighborhoods pay for street improvements. Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office, Supervisors Sophie Maxwell and Gerardo Sandoval, and a national nonprofit, the Local Initiatives Support Coalition, have helped to secure grants and staffing.

Strong commercial corridors make for safer, more cohesive neighborhoods, say community organizers. Success stories abound, from the Excelsior, which has attracted 30 new businesses, to Visitacion Valley, where a formerly blighted commercial strip now boasts a variety of new retailers. The neighborhood festivals, in particular, have been a hit, bringing residents together and helping them connect to local merchants. One such recent festival in Portola included carnival games and a petting zoo for children and mock sumo wrestling for teenagers. While the City has provided key resources, these efforts have always been spearheaded at the grassroots level. "It's not like neighborhoods are told what to do,” says Amy Cohen of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “They're asked what they want to do and we connect them with the money and people at City Hall who can get things done."

Click here to see the recent Chronicle article on this topic from October 6, 2008.