The little village of Bernal Heights is growing up! It's getting its first ever parklet in front of the restaurant 903 on Cortland Avenue! Thanks to the owners of Sandbox Bakery & 903 and over 200 backers who contributed to the Kickstarter campaign, Bernal's hustling and bustling main drag is getting a new space where folks can sit, eat, meet their neighbors, and chill out.
Parklets have become an important part of the social fabric of San Francisco - they create community, get us out of our personal-space bubbles (and even off our smart phones) and, let's face it, the people watching is fantastic! Here is what Bernal business owners Mutsumi Takehara and Mike Bradford wrote about the inspiration behind their parklet campaign:
There are currently no parklets in Bernal Heights. We at 903 are taking steps to be the first to provide this amenity, and with the help of the residents and friends of the neighborhood we can make it happen. Not only would 903's parklet be the first in Bernal, it would continue to inspire and facilitate the on-going revitalization of the community happening along Cortland while providing a convenient and central gathering place for friends and family.
The Kickstarter campaign was fully funded last week and we are pretty sure we heard the cheers and applause echoing down from Bernal Hill. Even the Bernal Hill coyotes were howling with joy! We couldn't be happier about this news - our fondness of the Bernal Heights nabe is second only to our complete love of and dedication to fondness of the delicious croissants so lovingly baked at Sandbox. The city already approved the permit so look for construction to start in July. Get ready to kick back at Cortland Avenue's first parklet all summer long!
See you at the park(let) !
