nate_sf

I believe the conversions to housing are focused on converting upper floor offices to housing, at least from this summary on the SF gov website. I'm hopeful but skeptical, as converting an old office building to housing is not easy or inexpensive, but at least it's a barrier removed.

Meanwhile ground floors will be allowed to have a wider range of commercial uses. SF's zoning is notoriously complicated and unfriendly to business, dating from an era where cities tried to micromanage the mix of businesses through zoning. SF has not been alone in having done this, but in combination with unrealistic rents it creates a bunch of long-term vacant storefronts all over the city. The Castro suffers from this as well... a long-standing bias against chain stores and restaurants, combined with rents that are not viable for the independent small businesses that are intended to be attracted. That's all well and fine when the economy is good, but doesn't work when things aren't good or where there are structural changes to retail that make those old rules obsolete. So I'm glad the city government is taking action on this, at least in downtown, but it will take some time for things to sort out.

1 hour ago, Lucky said:

California has already spent 17 billion on the homeless and it solved nothing.

A friend of mine who works in SF government was assigned to a homeless task force team for 6 months as part of a rotation from her usual position. She told me the process of assigning people to available low-income units is unbelievably slow and cumbersome, and the result is that units sit vacant for months at a time while people remain homeless. There is a complicated pecking order and an involved process that I'm sure is well-intended and meant to be accountable, but is clearly ineffective. Now of course this is me quoting hearsay so take it for what it's worth!

3 hours ago, maninsoma said:

There is, in fact, a reparations task force in San Francisco and I think they have issued a report calling for all black residents to get a $5 million payout.  That doesn't mean that anything like that will happen, but that was their suggestion.  I found the figure to be very strange, since the vast majority of working people wouldn't even earn that much in their entire lives nor would they inherit assets worth that much. 

African American Reparations Advisory Committee | San Francisco

SF.GOV

---

A committee that develops recommendations for repairing harm in our Black communities.

I would not be surprised if the City isn't looking to convert former business space into housing.  Near me they took over some parking lots and put trailers and tents there and, while they are supposed to be transitional spaces like other shelters, I just read an article that the City is trying to make some of these spaces permanent housing.  I've also read about other buildings where the City has proposed converting office space into housing for the homeless.

I'll make no other comments because I don't want to veer into politics.

Thanks, I was not aware of the SF reparations task force, I'd only heard about the state one. I'm guessing the formula is similar to the one that the state's task force came up with, but that's just a guess. And you're right, it's political so will end that part of the discussion here.

6 hours ago, Unicorn said:

Another crazy thing I read a month ago, I believe in the Los Angeles Times, is that there's a plan in place in SF to possibly pay EACH black San Franciscan millions in "slave reparations."

I believe you are confusing this with the California Reparations Task Force. That is a state initiative, not a SF initiative. As Cal Matters reports, the state Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom will decide on reparations, and it’s unclear what they will do with the task force report. The task force report has been controversial, to say the least.

On 6/1/2023 at 1:22 PM, marylander1940 said:

I can't imagine Market Street without that iconic store and now to add insult to injury the idiots running the city are planning to place homeless in dormitories in those same stores.

1. Make it illegal for a person to sleep on the streets
2. Lock them up somewhere affordable
3. Treat them

San Francisco faces retail exodus as Old Navy becomes latest to flee area

WWW.NEWSWEEK.COM

---

Major retailers like Whole Foods, T-Mobile, and Nordstrom have closed their downtown stores in San Francisco this year, blaming a rise in crime in the area.

 

An important part of this story is that the Old Navy store is more than 72,000 square feet. That is HUGE. A Target or Walmart is in the range of 100,000 - 150,000 square feet for reference, so 72,000 is really big for an Old Navy store. Given all the changes going on in retail in the last decade, I'm surprised this store did not close years ago given that big flagship stores (as well as department stores) are a dying breed. They just don't need that much space.

Gap says they expect to open a new, smaller Old Navy store elsewhere downtown. They already opened a new one in their headquarters building on Folsom Street. And this is not the first downsizing: the big Banana Republic flagship store closed, and is being replaced by a new smaller store on Geary Street. So much of this has to do with dynamics in retail that are playing out everywhere. I suppose when the new Old Navy store opens, the media will not bother to report it, since it seems they're only interested in writing about the bad stuff.

But having said all that, there are problem areas downtown, but also there are areas that are doing fine. It's patchy. Market Street around Old Navy and Westfield have seen better days, but they are not as bad as the media reports would want people to believe. The blocks of Powell Street from the cable car turnaround up a couple of blocks, on the other hand, are positively dreadful. But walk a couple of blocks over to Grant Street and things are looking really good. Union Square itself looks good.

A big part of the problem is that downtown employment has not come back to the financial district. Employees love working remotely, and the types of jobs downtown lend themselves to remote work. So the financial district feels very empty, and there is not the foot traffic that used to support the retailers and other businesses. I've read a number of reports that indicate that San Francisco has been the slowest of all US cities to recover from the pandemic, and that is because so many employees continue to work remotely.

As for the suggestion that the city is planning to place homeless in dormitories in the vacant stores, I have not heard that. I follow this stuff pretty closely and I'd be surprised if that was true, but by all means correct me if you can cite the source.

On 5/22/2023 at 8:58 PM, kingsley88 said:

those were the comments on Nima Momeni, right? Or Bob Lee?

Yes, Nima Momeni. 

This kind of thing happens from time to time in this pastime, on both the client’s and provider’s side. Technology is always in the background, making surprising connections. It’s usually best to not mention it to the other party, just let it sit unless he suggests connecting once you’ve met. 

Some providers have public-facing social media that they use to promote themselves, so that’s different than if it’s a personal profile with friends and family stuff. If it’s promotional social media, then that’s different and I’d see no issue with connecting… that’s what it’s for. I have this, and I like it when a client connects and engages. But if it’s a personal account, best to let it lie. 

Worth mentioning is that another common way people may inadvertently reveal their identity is through the payment apps. When people send me payment through Venmo it more often than not shows their real name. I never say anything other than acknowledge the payment, but if someone is concerned with privacy this is something to consider. 

I'm thinking it could be a change in the spam filters, and they are doing a better job of catching spam. But then wouldn't it just result in more messages going into the spam folder rather than the usual inbox? Not sure.

The office I work in just installed Office365 across the network, and a whole bunch of things changed including spam messages going away. Every day or two I get an email summarizing messages that have been quarantined, and they're the usual suspects. The only difference is I don't see these spam messages anywhere, neither in my inbox or the junk folder. The only reason I know they exist is because of the quarantine message, otherwise I'd have no idea they were sent at all.

11 minutes ago, rvwnsd said:

IIRC, the "frozen" status was introduced alongside "COVID Safe" during the height of the pandemic and allowed the escort to pause their ad so the expiration date would extend by the length of time the ad was frozen. Now, I'm seeing escorts who wish to take a break but don't want their ads to run out "freezing" them until they return from break. 

Not sure I explained this very well, but that's the best I can do with only one cup of coffee on a Saturday morning.

 

This is absolutely correct. Basically it’s the escort saying he’s not available now but will be back in the future. 

Of course if they froze their ad and forgot about it, maybe they won’t be back? I’m not sure whether there is a time limit on freezes. Without a freeze the ad just expires. 

10 hours ago, samhexum said:

I’m starting with Hello Fresh this weekend. We’ll see how it goes! They show the nutritional info for each meal so I was able to identify a few low sodium choices. But I expect this will be some trial and error. 

10 hours ago, 12is12 said:

When I arrived there Thursday 20:50, there were 4 patrons. When I left at 23:15 - circa 50, about a third women. [They weren't grouped, shouting, or getting too much attention by the dancers.] 

The program started just as I arrived. The first dancer was in undies, but afterwards all were fully clothed gradually removing the shirt. About 13 dancers. At the second round everyone was in underwear. There was no hard-on round, unless it started after I had left. Only one dancer appeared on stage proudly sporting an impressive erection. Two others exhibited full nudity, but no hardons. 

Dancers circulated among patrons. 4 introduced themselves to me: 3 were nicely soliciting; one was cheeky and assertive. 

I enjoyed the eye candy and the athletic ability on the pole, but didnt find the 'dances' arousing. The moves were repetitive; nothing creative or un-amateurish. One real bodybuilder (Jackson), 3 tall hunks, one twink, the rest athletic guys next door. 

There was very little lapdancing going on backstage. When I finally got there, we were the only couple. I chose the hard-on guy, also because of his looks. Per my question as we were walking in, he said he takes his undies off at the second song and I could touch his dick. I enjoyed losing my lapdance virginity (I became fully aroused), though it was obvious he preferred his own hands on his dick rather than mine. I asked if I could suck; "no, just kiss the balls"; so I stopped at 2 dances. I don't think we really spent there full 6 minutes, but I wasn't clock watching. Added $5 as a tip. [M not sure it's ok to post his name here.]

$6 entrance, same for my Sprite. The usual VERY loud music; used my earplugs.

As I collected my coat at the reception, I chatted with the receptionist. For some reason he decided to give me a free entrance coupon for the next time, explaining that I'm a nice person (my mom would agree). 

I stopped for a minute at Campus. Was told that Daddy's Corner was already operating afternoons, but due to the loud music - couldn't understand if there was anything differentiating it from usual going-ons (other than the hours). 

Will b back on Saturday night. 

Thanks for this report. Much appreciated! And congrats on losing your lapdance virginity 😛

Thank you everybody! These are great suggestions. We may try more than one. This gives a great place to start. 

I’m sure mom and dad will be grateful too, even if I can’t fully explain where I got the recommendations 😝

I'm looking to set up meal delivery for my parents. The two most important criteria is that the meals are fully prepared or mostly (not kits to assemble), and that there are low-sodium options.

I've looked at some of the usual suspects such as Hello Fresh and Blue Apron, but colleagues tell me the amount of prep involved with these kits is not insignificant. My mom has a hard time standing for long periods of time so I'm looking for something that requires minimal prep and can more or less just be heated up. My parents are here in the Bay Area if that makes any difference.

Any suggestions?

On 3/15/2023 at 9:28 AM, BuffaloKyle said:

I just find it weird the original poster made an account and posted that on Feb. 15 and has never logged in since. 🤔

Edit: Oh I see they linked their only fans in their post. That explains it. That post is probably on every LGBTQ+ message board there is. 😆

Yeah, it looks like they were here to promote their OF, but it's still a good conversation topic!

One of my first videos was four of us guys, and we each came into the same martini glass. Then the last guy drank the whole thing. It was hot!

I like eating my own cum, or anyone else's. For those of us who came of age during AIDS safe-sex I think there was a stigma with eating cum... if you came in a guy's mouth he might be angry or spit it out, like it was dirty. So it took me some time to get comfortable with it, but now I love it.

Hiring a guy to try or learn something new is a great idea. Like @DWnyc mentions, it is a good way to try things without the pressure or reactions you might get from a guy you've met on an app or somewhere.

Let the guy you're hiring know what you want to try and learn, and let him know you're being truthful (so he knows it's not just a "first time fantasy" ploy, though he'll figure that out soon enough).

I'm curious though why you say you are feeling pressure to fuck. Don't do something just because you think everyone is doing it or it's expected. There are plenty of things to do besides fucking, and lots of guys are just fine with that.

But then again, fucking can be really awesome, and it sounds like you have a guy in mind who you'd like to try it with. You can do it.

I suggest you post in the Deli forum asking for recommendations for someone to show you the ropes, and be sure to say where you are located. I'm sure you'll be able to get some recommendations.

Hiring for a massage is legal if it's therapeutic. A massage in a spa, such as a hotel spa, would be totally legit. A sensual or erotic massage would not be considered fully legal as it would cross the boundary into sex acts, but as @DynamicUno mentions providers in Las Vegas advertise openly on Rentmen and Rentmasseur and guys hire them all the time for all services without issues. Same would be with California, since you asked that too.

Last time I was in LV I got a sensual massage from a guy who I met at his apartment. No problems. If you like hairy Brazilian men who give a really good massage, I'd be happy to provide you with his info, he was great... just send me a DM.

I remember showing up to my first PS weekend, and as others have mentioned, I too was pretty terrified. First stop was to meet a bunch of forum members at a leather store. I walked in and @David-SF came right up and welcomed me into the fold. @Ace was also there, and they helped me pick out a pair of leather pants. I was surprised and so happy with how welcoming everyone was.

I've lost count of how many years ago that was, but the weekend has become one of the highlights of my year, if not THE highlight. Even better than Christmas as far as I'm concerned!

@Oliver does a fantastic job of making it all happen and making everyone welcome. So thank you! As well as thanks to those who help out with the logistics, to @David-SF and his hunky man and adorable pups for the early-bird pool party, and @azdr0710 for organizing the morning hikes. All so much fun, and appreciated!

1 hour ago, samhexum said:

Good taste is overrated.

As my friend Charlie the Tuna used to be told frequently, Starkist doesn't want tuna with good taste, Starkist wants tuna that tastes good.

I think that says it all.

I think the reference to bad taste was in reference to the original post and the title of the thread. REALLY bad taste. And to use someone’s suicide as so-called “click bait” … jeeeez.

My hubby has violent dreams like this sometimes. Once I was downstairs and heard him calling out, and I could hear things being thrown around the room. He'd gotten out of bed and was clearing things off the side tables but was not awake. His bad dreams usually involve being chased or getting in a fight. The dogs have learned, and now sleep on my side of the bed!

The end of an era! ... and hopefully the beginning of a new one!

I must give props to Ace for teaching me so much of what I know now. You know, flogging and stuff. Ace, you've been a great friend and colleague, and you sure as hell better not disappear on us entirely. It's always a bright spot to see you when visiting Palm Springs, and I look forward to hearing about your new endeavors. 

Meanwhile gents, book this man! You will not be disappointed... 😈

On 4/24/2022 at 3:15 PM, soberguy said:

I met Nihal.  He's an excellent, well-trained masseur.  It is true that his place is a bit challenging to get to but the massage space is very nice; very tantra-esk...  He's super engaging and far more handsome to me than his pictures.  The massage was certainly thorough - checked all the boxes.  That all being said, even with the clear increase in masseur prices all over and the fact that his current price is not what is quoted above, his price is still a bit steep for me to repeat.  

I met Nihal once, and my experience was consistent with @soberguy’s except he’d just moved to a house in SF. Very sexy guy and a good skilled massage. But the price is steep and has also prevented me from repeating. But if he’s visiting and it’s a one-off, sure I’d recommend him!

4 hours ago, azdr0710 said:

by the way, try to avoid driving back to LA Monday morning!!! 

YES! I made that mistake once… never again. 

If this were a vin diagram, I think there would be an overlap between preference and racism. Sure, people may just have a preference for what turns them on but would not otherwise be racist, but for others I think it's one of the same. It sounds like that was the case with the dancer.

I agree you did the right thing to bail. But you could also have said something, even as simple as calmly saying "damn, that's really offensive." I think it's worth calling people out on their bs, but it can be hard in the moment if you are caught by surprise. I mean, who expects someone to say something like that?

But don't let this ruin things for you or wreck the fantasy. There are jerks and there are good guys, so find the guys who are good through and through and stick with them.

The guy doesn't seem to understand boundaries. Such as:

1. Keep your porn and day job identities separate. Did he really need to disclose on Twitter that he's a judge?

2. If you're a civil servant, don't tweet crude epithets at councilmembers under your known identity - even if the councilmember deserves criticism. Being a public servant comes with some responsibilities, particularly if you're in a judicial capacity. This seems to be where it unraveled for him.

Shouldn't this stuff be obvious?

23 hours ago, jimmyLA said:

Thanks a lot.  I think they have one tomorrow (4th Friday of the month) and another on the 1st Sat of the month, so a week later.  Is one better than the other?   Is it safe neighborhood and safe place to go?  Looks like you are from SF area, and wonder if there are still places like Nob Hill theatre. 

I haven't been enough times to get a sense of any difference between Fridays and Saturdays. It seems more like it's either a good night or an "off" night, and you never know until you give it a try.

The neighborhood is South of Market (SOMA), which is relatively safe but you still need to remember you're in an urban environment so take the usual precautions. On Fridays and Saturdays there are lots of people out and about going to bars and clubs, so it's active. I go there a lot, and lived there several years ago, and never had any problems. The biggest concern would be a car break-in, but that applies pretty much anywhere in the city. Just don't leave anything exposed that might attract attention, not even a phone charger cord.

Sadly there is nothing like the Nob Hill anymore. That was the end of an era! Lots of bars have gogo dancers, but nothing nude like Nob Hill or Campus.