36 minutes in Noe Valley

Artist Amos Goldbaum on top of his street mural on the Sanchez slow street in Noe Valley. Photo courtesy of SF Weekly.

This week, we head to Noe Valley in San Francisco for some fresh street art and a sweet treat to fuel the walk from the 24th St Mission Station.

By now, you've probably experienced or at least heard of the Bay Area's Slow Streets programs in various cities. The programs are a success, and because of this, agencies are now exploring the possibility of making some of the current temporary Slow Streets permanent.

One of San Francisco's streets that has a chance of becoming permanently slow is Noe Valley's Sanchez St. And now, a pop of color has appeared on the street itself between 24th St and Elizabeth St. 

Kids reminding people to keep it slow on Sanchez St. Photo courtesy of Slow Sanchez Street SF.

To see more features in our 36 minutes series, click here.

Amos Goldbaum, a San Francisco artist, has painted a giant 180-foot by 30-foot mural, a line drawing on an entire city block. It wasn't easy work. Goldbaum is used to painting his San Francisco streetscapes on vertical surfaces, from downtown office building lobbies to an autobody shop on Ocean Ave. But for this project, Goldbaum spent days on his hands and knees with his paintbrush and can of "Giants Orange" paint. His knees and back ached throughout the project, but to provide a community asset and source of fun was worth it.

The design is meant to reflect the Noe Valley neighborhood, where Goldbaum grew up and still lives. The mural depicts a typical Noe Valley scene -- gardens, Victorian house, and a backdrop of Twin Peaks and Sutro Tower.

Goldbaum mixed red and yellow asphalt paint to create the "Giants orange" color. Photo courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle.

The idea for the project was started in February by the Friends of Slow Sanchez neighborhood group, which quickly secured the proper permits and fundraised $10,000. By March, the mural became a reality.

The paint is expected to last three to five years, and Goldbaum hopes to extend that period if possible. Since he lives in the neighborhood, he can easily provide touch-up work if needed.

The mural has lots of intricate detail and a few hidden "Easter eggs." Photo courtesy of SF Gate.

To see the mural in person, ride BART to 24th St Mission and walk 14 minutes down 24th St to Sanchez St. Turn right on Sanchez St and there lies the mural. For those of you keen on sticking to the 36 minutes timeline, with the round-trip walking time of 28 minutes, you'll have eight minutes to look around.

Glazed donuts at Happy Donuts. Photo courtesy of Yelp.

If you have time to spare, stop in at Happy Donuts at 24th and Church Streets. It's open 24 hours and locals love its croissants and glazed donuts. Antonia Richmond of 7x7 rated Happy Donuts the best “refreshingly unhip” glazed donut in San Francisco.

Let's talk about it. 

Did you head to Noe Valley to check out the mural? Have a suggestion for our next 36 minutes feature? Let us know via social media, @SFBARTable #SFBARTable! Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see all of the best BARTable (virtual) events, places to eat (grab take out from) and have fun (outside) around the Bay.