Hey lovely People! Thanks for hoppin’ over to the website and hangin out here in Haight Street Voice-land!
I’ve been in love with this beautiful old home on Delmar for years — especially the cool carriage house in back with the French windows. I’ve always thought, “Wouldn’t be cool to have a writing studio up there.” One day while I was working at Welcome Haight & Ashbury a good-vibed woman came in. She said she’d just moved into the neighborhood. The conversation led to me showing her a photo of this place I adore. She said, “Wait! I just bought that building!” Meet Nancy, our new neighbor who’s got some fantastic plans in the works for the community.
Nancy: I’m a carpenter for a design/build company in the City. But outside I’m an artist, a sculptor. This back area where we’re standing is the carriage house where I will build a nonprofit arts organization. Hoping to have workshops — an incubator space for lectures from artists and builders because I want those two to meld together. Some teaching, an acknowledgement on transferrable skills within contemporary art and building trades. It’s been a dream to actually have a studio space for myself in general. I used to be a professor at UC Davis, I also taught at UC Berkeley, but I wanted to kind of bridge out of the university setting and create my own thing. We’re working on getting a 501-3c status hopefully this year.
HSV: Where do you hail from?
NS: Tennessee. I grew up there but I moved everywhere else! My husband and I traveled a lot. When we found this spot we were like, “You know what? We miss SF!” Tennessee is great because I have my family there, but it’s missing community and all that. This feels like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
HSV: I call it Mr. Rogers Neighborhood on psychedelics!
NS: That’s a good one! Or Sesame Street! It’s been about 6 months and I feel like I know almost everyone on this street now!
(We climb up a ladder to upper floor)
HSV: Oh my god! We’re in the carriage house! We’re in the place I love! How old is this building?
NS: The house in front on Waller Street is 1894 or 1893. But it looks like this carriage house was built, don’t quote me on this, for horses (laughs)? Maybe Masonic had some sort of horse thing or something? You know that famous black and white video on Market with the cable car and the horses going by? This could be around that era.
HSV: I bet it is. That’s amazing. So there must be ghosts of horse vibes in here!
NS: Do I hear a neigh? (laughter)
HSV: You hear a “yay”!
HSV: What would you like to say to the Haight community and communities everywhere?
NS: Keep an open mind, and wherever you’re at now, it’s always a stepping stone for where you want to be.
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