This Noe Valley Voice article was written in 1998 and while I haven’t been able to find any recent discussions on neighborhoods facing daily noise and grief over the utility wires and poles ‘going underground,’ it’s happening.
Since I’m a newcomer, I don’t know which areas qualify, but out of the ‘hoods’ I’m looking at, Noe, Castro and Portrero Hill are converting.
Four years ago, they predicted that ‘undergrounding the wires’ had a $5,000 price tag per home, which included the cost of connecting the home to the new underground service and putting up new streetlights. As if the costs are not high enough here already.
The ‘state streets’ in Portrero are being hit this month. Since I’m a night owl, its even more painful…..every morning for the past three weeks, the crains and drills wake me up at 7 am, sometimes earlier.
One day I found a pile of dirt in front of the driveway that was close to six feet high – no chance I was getting my car out within the hour.
I wear ear plugs now…..every night, and sadly don’t get much sleep. The end result will be great for those who have a view of the city, but ‘getting there’ has been a battle. It feels as if they have been in front of the house for months.
Didn’t I say something about “all in the name of transition…….all in the name of progress” sometime earlier this week?
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
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