Faced with merchant complaints, the Shared Spaces weekend closure of a portion of 18th Street in San Francisco's LGBTQ Castro neighborhood is on hold for now, a Castro Merchants Association spokesman said Thursday.
Discussion of the topic at the merchants' October 7 meeting revealed that the "vocalized consensus has shifted," according to Nik Blanchet, the community liaison for the association.
It is a marked contrast to the palpable excitement at the heralding of the Shared Spaces street closure last year, before indoor gatherings became safer as COVID-19 vaccines were introduced to the general public.
The closure included 18th Street from Collingwood Street to Castro Street and from Hartford Street to Castro Street. "We are proud that our