FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPT. 17, 2013

Contact: Ruth Wallace, Portola Garden Tour Organizer 

rwallace@portolagardentour.com 

www.portolagardentour.com 

415-585-8399 

415-420-6185 cell

THE PORTOLA HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR CITY COLLEGE STUDENTS 

WITH THE PORTOLA GARDEN TOUR ON SEPT. 28, 2013

Those in the know recognize The Portola as San Francisco’s Garden District. In the City’s often overlooked southeastern quadrant, the neighborhood boasts hidden gardens to share and a generous spirit. One of the last, true blue-collar neighborhoods in San Francisco, The Portola has become a draw for families hoping to retain urban living in a relaxed setting. The Portola has the added wholesome charm of growing one’s own food, having a yard big enough for the kids to play or for the dog to romp while enjoying the vistas of San Francisco, McLaren Park, The Bay and the Pacific from a mostly undiscovered angle.

The annual Portola garden tour is a great way for residents in The Portola to get to know their neighbors, and for people who live in other areas of San Francisco and beyond to discover this wonderful enclave.

“It’s wonderful when neighbors open their yards to share plants, exchange gardening ideas and have fun together,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who attended last year’s garden tour. “It would be terrific if we could hold garden tours throughout the City to build community.” Public Works has been a proud sponsor of the Portola Garden Tour for the past four years.

What: The annual Portola Garden Tour featuring 21 private and public gardens 

When: Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Where: The Portola neighborhood

Cost: $25 for one ticket; $40 for two. See below for ticket sales locations 

More information: http://portolagardentour.com

One of the gardens that will be featured in this year’s tour is Burrows Pilot Park, the shared community space on San Bruno Avenue created where there was once illegal dumping and homeless encampments. The Portola Neighborhood Association was awarded a $65,000 grant last year to develop the park.

The Portola Garden Tour began in 2007 as a fund-raiser for the Portola Branch Library at Goettingen and Bacon streets. When the library opened in 2009, the community decided to continue the popular event as a fund- raiser, and created The Portola Garden Scholarship at City College San Francisco for Environmental Horticulture and Floristry Department students. The first scholarship was awarded in 2010 and has grown to two per year, as well, as pays for work projects in The Portola that employ City College students.

In 2012, The Portola Garden Tour was awarded two EmpowerSF’s Neighborhood Empowerment Network Awards for the Best Green Community Project and the Youth Leadership Award for then-12-year-old Jack Olinger’s fund-raising efforts.

The Portola is one of The City’s most diverse neighborhoods with a rich history. Maltese, Italian and Jewish immigrant families settled in The Portola in the late-19th century, followed by African-American shipbuilders who moved to San Francisco from the south during World War II. In the decades since, Latinos, Filipinos, Chinese, Vietnamese and others have planted roots in The Portola, a neighborhood that welcomes all.

Once home to flower-growing enterprises and farms, The Portola is known as San Francisco’s Garden District. With its high level of homeownership, southern exposure, and diverse population of newcomers and old-timers, the neighborhood is redefining itself.

Roughly bordered by Silver Avenue to the north, Mansell Street to the south, San Bruno Avenue to the east and McLaren Park to the west, The Portola is one of the last undiscovered, affordable sections of San Francisco. Young families, as well as long-time San Franciscans, are finding it an attractive and convenient place to live. Many of the homes have large yards -- by San Francisco standards; bay and city views; and nice weather. Added to those factors is the emerging green movement, heralded by City Hall and embraced in the southeastern quadrant.

Tickets for The Portola Garden Tour 2013 are available now for $25 each or two for $40 at Sterling Bank, 2555 San Bruno Ave.; Fat Beli Deli, 2598 San Bruno Ave.;, Family Connections, 2565 San Bruno Ave.;, Flora Grubb Gardens, 1634 Jerrold Ave.;; and City College’s Environmental Horticulture and Floristry Department, 50 Phelan Ave., San Francisco.

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