| New Neighborhood Perspectives And A Word About That Rate Cut | November 2nd, 2007 |
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If you’re in the mood for facts– skip to the bottom for information on the Federal Reserve cut and its anticipated affect on average Joes like us. **************************** New Ways To Visit Your Neighborhoods Those of us who have lived in San Francisco for awhile pride ourselves on knowing San Francisco’s secret corners. In the past I’ve written about places like the Vulcan Stairway, the views from Green and Leavenworth, and the tower at the De Young Museum. Even with all (I think) I know however, I’m still surprised at what other people can teach me about SF’s neighborhoods and history. Following are three resources rich with ideas and info about new ways to learn and explore the City- San Francisco City Guides City Guides volunteers offer free walking tours design to share the fun of discovering San Francisco and its neighborhoods. Along the way they help preserve and perpetuate the history and folklore of San Francisco. Decades ago, I trained to become a City Guide– a phenomenal 6-month experience of Saturday seminars which led to a short career as a walking tour guide of North Beach-my tour started at northwest corner of Washington Square Park and ended at the North Beach Museum hidden away on the second floor of the Eureka Bank building at 1435 Stockton St. Today’s City Guides have an incredible, eclectic array of tours. There are between fifty to seventy different walking tours depending on the time of year. Among the unusual offerings are the “Cityscapes” tour through the Financial District’s hidden parks and rooftop gardens, and an “Inner Sunset: The Birth of a Neighborhood” tour which explains how this charming neighborhood rose from windswept dunes. Other tour titles are “The Palace Hotel,” “Lands End: Sutro Highs and Lows,” and “Art Deco Marina.” To see which tours, are on tap for November, click http://www.sfcityguides.org/current_schedule.html?month=November%202007 ************ SFGate.com Neighborhood Guide Buried deep in SFGate.com is the most comprehensive San Francisco neighborhood guide I’ve ever found. Written by San Franciscans for San Franciscans, it breaks down the City into 24 different districts. Whenever I read it, I learn something about something new-like the shoe garden in Alamo Square or Erich von Stroheim’s filming of the 1924 epic “Greed” at the corner of Hayes and Laguna. The guide is particularly rich with shopping, dining and entertainment tips. Even though some info is outdated (A-1 Hubcaps in NOPA land is sadly gone, as is the Lotta Jansdotter store on Lower Nob Hill), it’s still an amazing site to visit for a refresher on the cool spots you may have forgotten about and a good way to learn new ones. The list of eateries for each neighborhood is exhaustive and mouth watering, and they even have a section devoted to the “Deco Ghetto,” a neighborhood of vintage furniture shops centered around Market and Valencia. Joie de Vivre’s Joy of Life Joie de Vivre’s boutique hotel chain is renowned for offering inspired, creative lodgings. I recommended a perusal of these guides a few months ago when talking about my hidden views and secret spots. They are regularly updated and perfect for out-of-town visitors on their second, third or twentieth visit to San Francisco. Guide titles include “Mommy I’m Bored,” “Help!!! It’s Raining,” and “Romantic Hideouts and Peaceful Retreats.” The JDV Guides are also a treat for those who want to act like tourists for a day. Take a peek and I guarantee that you’ll find fresh inspirations on how to enjoy San Francisco. When I read them through today, I learned Herb Caen’s favorite rainy day route (too keep his fedora dry) from Café Le Central on Bush Street to the Chronicle Building at 5th and Mission. *********************** *********************** And now a word about that rate cut. . . The Feds cut a key short-term interest rate on Wednesday by ¼ point. If you have the stomach for incredibly dry text, you can read the Fed’s latest press release Generally a Fed Rate Cut means that: If you have a credit card with an adjustable rate, rates will fall. For a balance of $5,000, interest costs should fall a bit more than $1 a month. If you have a home equity line of credit, rates will fall. The decrease should come as soon as the November statement. If you have a maturing certificate of deposit, it is likely to renew at a lower rate. However, because banks need deposits, the rates paid on CDs should fall less than the quarter-point. If you want to borrow money for a car, impact will be minimal. Car loan rates are determined more by marketing concerns than pure economics. If you own stocks, prices should rise in the short run because the rates paid on some bonds will fall. This makes stocks more attractive. In the longer-run, however, the overall state of the economy will determine stock prices. If you are applying for a mortgage, the impact is unclear. I actually heard that jumbo adjustables rose the day of the cut, probably because most mortgage rates are tied to 10-Year T-Bills, which rose in response to the Fed cut. T-Bills tend to rise and fall on inflation concerns, not directly because of Fed actions. ************************************************* My aim with these postings is to inform and entertain and my interest in helping you and others continues.Should you think of someone who could benefit from my expertise, I’d love to hear from them! |
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Hello My Favorite People! If you’re in the mood for fun– read the first part of this Buzz.