Learn more about the important work of the SFSPCA: www.sfspca.org
Join the Sunset Community Band: www.sunsetcommunityband.com/home
Read the story behind the Sunset Community Band: engardio.com/blog/sunset-...
I’ve always been a dog person and first played the coronet in 6th grade. It was so much fun to combine a love of dogs and music at the San Francisco SPCA block party. The Sunset Community Band represented!
Thanks to Jamae Tasker and fellow artist Sarah McCarthy Grimm, the Ocean Calling art installation helps others mourn their loved ones.
Read the full story: engardio.substack.com/p/a-phone-fo... 1/6
A phone for all who grieve: When two San Francisco artists both lost siblings in the same year, they created a seaside “wind phone” at Sunset Dunes to process their grief.
“I just wanted to make another phone call to my brother,” Jamae says. “It’s powerful to make grief more visible, less lonely."
A fun video to go with this post!
Read the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department press release on park data: sfrecpark.org/m/NewsFlash/... 4/4
Yet Sunset Dunes has become one of the most popular parks in San Francisco. Traffic is fine and the benefits of the park are real. It’s good for the environment, the local economy, and the physical/mental well-being of every visitor. 3/4
And here’s an important point: More than half of all visits (53%) occurred on weekdays!
This info will undoubtedly spark much outrage on Nextdoor and Facebook and claims of fake data 🙂 2/4
Love to see Sunset Dunes had 1.7 million visitors in the first year. This makes Sunset Dunes one of the most popular parks in San Francisco.
It explains why so many small businesses near the park are reporting increases in sales. 1/4
Read more stories like this in the San Francisco Community Newsletter, edited by Joel Engardio: engardio.substack.com
Get to know residents working to create our best San Francisco. Be inspired by people who navigate life with curiosity, creativity, and kindness. 2/2
Meet retired couple Steve and Karen Yoder. After pedaling 30,000 miles across the U.S. on a tandem bike, a two-mile stretch in San Francisco captured their hearts: “There's something magical about those strips of asphalt at Sunset Dunes.”
Read full story: engardio.substack.com/p/retirement... 1/2
What’s Cooking! is a series in my community newsletter that features home cooks in San Francisco — and the personal stories behind every dish. I’m including San Francisco firehouses because firefighters are known for being good cooks.
Learn more: engardio.substack.com 3/3
Why do firefighters cook and eat together on their 24-hour shifts? It helps build cohesion and teamwork, which is crucial for successful emergency operations. Plus, they support the community by purchasing groceries at local stores. And firefighters pay for meals out of their own pocket. 2/3
Meet the crew at Firehouse 40 in San Francisco and see what they’re cooking for lunch.
Check out the soft-ball-sized chocolate chip cookies that always hit a home run!
Read the full story and get the recipes: engardio.substack.com/p/whats-cook... 1/3
Read the story behind the Sunset Community Band: engardio.com/blog/sunset-...
Join or support the band: www.sunsetcommunityband.com/join
The perfect San Francisco combo: Sunset Community Band performing at the Outer Sunset Farmer’s Market.
This is how we create our best San Francisco!
Thank you to all the community partners who make it happen.
It’s always a good night for the Sunset Night Market.
I’m so glad it’s back! This is how we create our best San Francisco.
Thank you community partners Sunset Mercantile, Wah Mei, Asian Inc, and Into the Streets.
When my husband and I visit his family in Taipei every year, we eat our way through the night markets and ride off the calories on an incredible network of protected bike paths. Can San Francisco adopt such a wonderful biking culture?
This photo of reporter Han Li in Paris is San Francisco NIMBY’s worst nightmare.
I think those 7 story apartment buildings with ground floor amenities next to a park would look quite nice in the Sunset :)
Read more about Paris in the Sunset: engardio.com/blog/paris
Affordability includes building more housing in the Sunset that keeps our families and workers here while welcoming new people and immigrants. Let’s start with 100% affordable senior housing proposed next to Sunset Dunes!
Sunset Dunes is on the right side of history:
engardio.com/blog/history 3/3
...and focus on the real issues we face.
It’s time to stop arguing about an eroding road and a popular park that hurts no one when we need to protect our immigrant community, address affordability, and save democracy. 2/3
Nice to see Sunset Dunes mentioned as a reason why San Francisco’s Outer Sunset is flourishing. A year ago, we only heard a doomsday narrative of traffic “carmageddon” and plummeting property values. The boogeyman never came. Now we can enjoy the benefits of our new coastal park... 1/3
Read more on my thoughts about Sunset Dunes being on the right side of history: engardio.com/blog/history 3/3
It’s time to consider Sunset Dunes settled. The feared “carmageddon” never came but the park’s benefits are real. Sunset Dunes is good for the environment, local businesses, and the well-being of everyone enjoying their coast.
This great OpEd by Lucas Lux says more: sfstandard.com/opinion/2026...
There’s no reason to keep fighting over a park and a road when the park is popular and traffic is fine.
It’s time to focus on more pressing issues like affordability, protecting our immigrant community, and everything else that has the world on fire.
Learn more about the band: engardio.com/blog/sunset-...
Read my latest newsletter: mailchi.mp/engardio/new...
One of the most meaningful things I did as a supervisor was use my newsletter to launch the Sunset Community Band in 2024. A young couple with a baby on the way answered the call to direct the band. The first rehearsal was in their garage and 8 musicians showed up. Now there are 40+ members.
The all-volunteer band represents the Sunset at special events throughout San Francisco. They beam with joy every time they play.
I joined the band for the first rehearsal of 2026. Watch the band’s fantastic 2025 year-end concert at the Golden Gate Park bandshell: www.youtube.com/watch?si=NUP...
What I love most about the Sunset Community Band is that members experience as much joy as they give. They used to play in a high school or college band. But life happened. Their instruments sat in the closet gathering dust. Now, audiences benefit from the reconnection with their musical passion.
