Spring really has sprung in the Castro/Upper Market! The cherry blossoms are blooming and change is in the air. The biggest change I've recently noticed is all the pedestrians. There are more and more people walking; walking up and down Market, Church and Castro St. Some of these people are our new neighbors, some are visitors from other parts of the city and the world. This is good, it adds to the vibrancy of the neighborhood and the foot traffic is promising for small businesses in the 'hood.

The Castro Community Benefit District will also be bringing changes to the neighborhood. In the coming months you will notice more hands on management of the Jane Warner Plaza and more programming and activity. We'll soon be launching the implementation of the Retail Strategy recommendations, and will continue to take the lead with Castro Cares. The Castro Ambassadors will be back, with opening day on May 15th, welcoming visitors from across the globe to the Castro! 

The Community Benefit District continues our basic mission of keeping the Castro/Upper Market clean and pedestrian friendly. Our clean team - Henri, Justin, Rashid and Joe work hard from 5:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. cleaning the sidewalks and removing graffiti in the entire district seven days a week. When you see them, say hi! In the evening, we fund Patrol Special Police, in collaboration with  their other clients, to fund a Patrol Special Officer in the neighborhood from 4 pm - 1 am Sunday - Wednesday and 4 pm - 3 am Thursday - Saturday.

Are you interested in chipping in and making improvements to your neighborhood? The Castro Community Benefit District is always looking for volunteers to help with a variety of projects. Give me a call at 415-500-1181 or email me at andrea@castrocbd.org.