The Greening

When I get home from work on a beautiful day; all I want to do is park myself outside and read a book. The Golden Gate park is too far away. And Alamo Square park is a yuppie park. And you may wonder, what about the little green area in civic center? I say, NO! That is not what I would envision as a park. That is not a calming space. Not a space where I would like to take a book and read. You may think then I am too picky, but what I want is, what I envision is, more green in this area and all over San Francisco for that matter. We need smatterings of green in the heart of the Tenderloin, not just on the outskirts. Ideally, I’d only have to walk a few blocks to get to a place I would eventually dub as “my park.” “My park” would be small and pretty with flowers of vibrant yellows and purples and reds and oranges. There will be a weeping willow. It has a few benches where senior citizens sit and feed pigeons and talk and maybe, just maybe, there will be a cute little fountain in the middle of this green oasis.
On my quest for picnics on soft green grass, I happened upon a sanctuary…



On the corner of Leavenworth and Ellis you can find the Tenderloin National Forest. It’s a quaint space tattooed with art. My favorite piece, and a reason to not only visit, but return, is a mini cabin with candid pictures hung from the walls. There’s a book on a desk and people write in it and you too can read all that’s within. Take your time, read it. It’s a living piece of work. It changes and has a life of it’s own. You might even be inspired to jot down your own little note.





While I walked around, I met a nice fellow named Ernest, who was working away on an art piece. He pulled off his mask and asked if I had ever been here and I had to tell him no. He explained that this place was renovated by the people who run luggagestoregallery.org and that he and his wife are artists in residence right now, and periodically, there are art exhibitions in this space. Ernest said that for him it is an honor to be working here, since a lot of great artists have come though there, and he meant it too. He, and this place, felt like a shining beacon away from the cold, hard streets of the Tenderloin. The vibe that emanated from this small space was electric and calming. I thanked Ernest for the information, and hopefully, I’ll be seeing his artwork soon in this tiny park, this oasis.