Author Archives: Jobius (Joe Thomas)

A 60-Second Tour of Esmeralda Avenue, As Mapped (But Never Built)

Posted on June 18, 2013

Last week’s post about the confusing number of California Avenues in late 19th century Bernal Heights maps prompted an excellent suggestion from La Lengua’s rebel spokesblogger Burrito Justice: @Jobius Nice overlay map! You should walk the “proposed” Esmerelda line and … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography | 1 Comment

In 1889, Bernal Heights Was a Confusing Mess of California Avenues

Posted on June 11, 2013

Last week, map maven Eric Fischer zapped a tweet to La Lengua’s rebel spokesblogger Burrito Justice, sending him a link to an odd 1889 map of Bernal Heights: @burritojustice Have you seen this 1889 Bernal Heights map before, by the way? … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, History | 11 Comments

Bernal Bräu: How the Thomas Brothers Make a Damn Good Beer in Bernal Heights

Posted on January 25, 2013

My brother and I brew beer in Bernal Heights. We do this to carry on the proud Bernal tradition of the North Star Brewery, which operated a century ago on Army Street near today’s South Van Ness. Also, we like … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink | 23 Comments

Moon Over Sutrito Tower

Posted on November 6, 2012

This has been an auspicious moon, I think. It saw the Giants win the National League Championship and the World Series. It was nearly full for Halloween, and it looked great dancing with the fog in my time-lapse shot a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill | Leave a comment

Precita Creek Returns (Briefly) As Truck Strikes Fire Hydrant

Posted on November 1, 2012

Yesterday afternoon, as I was crossing Alabama, on my way from the Precita Park Cafe to Harvest Hills Market, I saw a trickle of water headed the other way. Someone washing a car? Soon, the flow became a torrent, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Calamity | 1 Comment

Threat or Menace? Bernalwood Mounts New Defense to Counter La Lengua’s Burrito Rail Gun

Posted on September 28, 2012

Those uppity La Lenguans have become uppity again, as the militarization of the La Lengua Autonomous Zone continues. Earlier this week, the La Lengua rebel propagandist known as Burrito Justice claimed to have developed a new superweapon, in the form … Continue reading →

Posted in La Lengua, Science | 10 Comments

Let’s Go for a Sutrito Tower Spin

Posted on July 17, 2012

Last week saw the launch of HYPNO SF, a thing whose Twitter bio says it’s “visually exploring + animating San Francisco” with crazy/amazing yo-yo videos of the Golden Gate Bridge, Market Street from the Ferry Building to the Castro, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Bernal Hill, Video | Leave a comment

Transit of Venus AND Sutro Tower Serendipitously Photographed from Bernal Hill

Posted on June 6, 2012

On Tuesday evening I went up the hill to see if anyone brought a big telescope to observe the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. I arrived with a pair of cheap cardboard eclipse-viewing glasses that I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | 9 Comments

Fifty Years Ago: “Ugly Hill to Be Beautified” with Construction of New Microwave Relay Tower

Posted on May 16, 2012

I printed this article off the microfilm at the San Francisco Main Library, but unfortunately, the accompanying photo came out badly. It’s obviously a view looking east, and there looks to be a structure on top of the hill, despite … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill, History | 8 Comments

How Tall is Bernal Hill, Really?

Posted on May 11, 2012

At the top of every online page here at Bernalwood, there’s a tagline that says “Broadcasting from glamorous Bernal Heights, San Francisco (Elev. 433 ft.).” I certainly can’t argue with the “glamorous” part, and I didn’t have any reason to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Seating Options Multiply on Bernal Hill

Posted on April 30, 2012

The east side of Bernal Hill is in full bloom, with abundant native wildflowers, grasses, and invasive radish. This year, there’s also a new addition: at least two wooden chairs have recently sprouted up. The two specimens have decidedly different … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Bernal Hill, Found Things | 7 Comments

Revised Maps Illustrate Final Bernal Hill Trail Restoration Plan

Posted on April 11, 2012

Slides and notes have now been posted from last week’s meeting about the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s Bernal Trails Project. I wrote up my own notes last week, but I was waiting for Rec and Park to release … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill, Infrastructure | 2 Comments

Final Plan for Bernal Hill Trail Restoration Unveiled

Posted on April 6, 2012

Wednesday night I attended the last of three planned community meetings on the Bernal Trails Project, along with about twenty neighbors and several representatives from San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks department. I’ve been to all of the meetings, and I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernal Hill, Government | 5 Comments