Hey there, San Francisco. 

The other morning, while walking along my new daily commute to drop my son off at childcare, I noticed something great. 

Someone had moved into the former Samovar Tea Lounge turned French bistro in Hayes Valley, kitty corner to the Zen Center. And not only that, someone had turned it into a co-working space (get this) for writers! 

A dream come true for yours truly. 

This week I spoke with the person behind Page Street (the name of the co-working space and the street it’s on), Janis Newman. 

So far, since opening its doors on March 1, Newman says 65 people have joined Page Street. Some have book contracts, while others are writing poetry, comedy, and even a dissertation, she said. 

Memberships vary, but the “full-member” option costs $160 per month and gets you 24/7 access to the space via a smart lock. 

“A lot of people [have day jobs] and so they want to come write early in the morning,” Newman said. “Or, we have one person that typically stays until one in the morning. He’s like a night owl.” 

During the day, Newman said there are typically 4 people working there, and over time, she’d like that number to be closer to 10. (It’s open seating, like a cafe.) She’d also like to host at least one class per month, along with the happy hours, readings, and group lunches that Page Street already offers. 

“What we do is isolating,” Newman said. “We need community.” 

If you’re interested in writing at Page Street, you can sign up for an interview on their website here. Newman said being “published” is not a requirement to join, but you do need to be “serious about your work, community-minded, and nice.”  

“That’s sort of what we’re looking for,” she said. 

And with that… onto the news… 

Quick bits: News to know

🗺 On Wednesday night, in a 5-4 vote, the redistricting task force rejected what was supposed to be the final version of its map for San Francisco's new supervisor districts. Now, the task force will likely miss its deadline to approve a map by 11:59pm tonight, which could trigger a lawsuit against them, KQED reports. (KQED) 

😔 Multiple US Senators and former staff members shared concerns with the Chronicle regarding Senator Dianne Feinstein’s ability to carry out her work, saying that her memory was rapidly deteriorating. 

• In a statement to the Chronicle, Feinstein, 88, said: “The last year has been extremely painful and distracting for me, flying back and forth to visit my dying husband who passed just a few weeks ago. But there’s no question I’m still serving and delivering for the people of California, and I’ll put my record up against anyone’s.” (Chronicle) 

🍔 Shake Shack looks like it’ll open its third San Francisco location at Stonestown Galleria, according to a recent job posting. Currently, there’s a Shake Shack in Cow Hollow and in the downtown Westfield mall. (SFist) 

What else I’m reading/watching: Links to browse

• Hundreds wait in jail for trials as San Francisco backlog balloons (Guardian) 

• San Francisco Rations Housing by Scoring Homeless People’s Trauma. By Design, Most Fail to Qualify. (SF Public Press) 

• This S.F. restaurant looks like Lisa Frank’s fever dream. It’s also committed to rescuing food waste (Chronicle) 

• A Conversation with DA Chesa Boudin (SF Standard, YouTube) 

Weekend guide: Events, ideas, and more

🪕 Listen to bluegrass music. There’s a free bluegrass festival this Friday and Saturday on Polk Street aptly named “Pickin’ On The Polk.” It’s free! And shows will be held in restaurants and bars along Polk Street, as well as an outdoor stage on Saturday. More info here. 

🪴 Buy a native plant. The Sutro Stewards are hosting a native plant sale this Saturday from 10am to 2pm at their nursery located at 476 Johnstone Drive. According to the group's site, the Mount Sutro nursery “propagates California native plant species sourced locally within the city of San Francisco [and] extra plants are available for sale to the public for habitat gardens.” More info here. 

🐣 And finally… Attend Eggstravaganza. The city is hosting its annual Eggstravaganza this Saturday from 11am to 4pm at Crocker Amazon Park. The event promises egg hunts, food trucks, and “San Francisco cars and trucks for the little ones to explore.” More info here. 

That’s all for today! Thanks so much for reading y’all and I’ll see you back here tomorrow. - Nick B.