(Hopefully not) last call for Sunday Streets this Sunday, September 14

Have you gotten through your second childhood yet? Well, you have an opportunity - perhaps your last chance - to stave off old age for another day this Sunday, September 14, as the second Sunday Streets event takes place on the same 4.6-mile stretch of roadway connecting Bayview/ Hunter’s Point with Chinatown. The streets will again be closed to motor vehicles between 9AM and 1PM to allow people freely to walk, jog, bike, exercise or just watch others. If the sun comes out, you can expect an even higher turnout since the last one occurred on Labor Day Weekend when a lot of folks were out of town.

Not quite knowing what to expect, I had a great time at the first event on August 31 starting with a bike ride. I believe the last time I rode a bicycle, there was a town called Hope and some talk of Whitewater. As it turns out, there are bicycle rentals from Bike & Roll Rental on the central island in front of the Ferry Building - free for the first hour and $10 for every additional half-hour. In order to rent with a helmet included, you have to be at least 18 and have a valid ID and credit card. It was freeing to be able to ride down the Embarcadero through China Basin without worrying about careening cars trying to clip you.

Riding in front of the Ferry Building, 8/31/2008 (Photo: Ed Uyeshima)

Realizing that I won’t make the cut for the Tour de France, I took a break to take a dance class along the way. I’m afraid I’m not a natural at East Cost Swing, but I will have an opportunity to redeem myself with a whole new set of classes this Sunday: flamenco, Chinese classical, Double Dutch, samba, something called a rhythm & motion dance workout, and what will probably be the most popular class, Cardio Latin Dance with Cheryl Burke of “Dancing with the Stars” between 11:30 and 12 Noon.

Doing the East Coast swing, China Basin, 8/31/2008 (Photo: Ed Uyeshima)

I’m sure they will continue to have bicycle repairs and tune-ups available at Illinois and 23rd Street. But more importantly, I hope they will again have the do-it-yourself s’mores available with those propane torches providing a different type of burn altogether. It reminded me of summer camp, though I think I would have had alternative uses for those torches. Nonetheless, the biggest piece of nostalgia came with the mock tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video on Justin Herman Plaza where ghoulish-looking roller skaters tried to replicate the Gloved One’s idiosyncratic dance moves (see the video above).

"I want s'more, sir", Illinois at 23rd Street, Dogpatch, 8/31/2008 (Photo: Ed Uyeshima)

There will be plenty of other activities like yoga and running around the bases at AT&T Park. Check out this link for the complete rundown. To help plan your day, take a look at the Sunday Streets course map below, as well as the traffic detour map on the official site. Exercise and helping bridge disparate neighborhoods are two major reasons why I hope Sunday Streets will become a more regular event.

LOCATION: Northbound route from Opera House Plaza in Bayview to Portsmouth Square in Chinatown, mainly along the Embarcadero. For more information, contact Susan King at susan@walkSF.org.