A new monthly tradition begins in the Lower Haight tonight, giving you plenty of reasons to eat, drink, shop and play in the neighborhood.

On the third Thursday of each month, businesses in the Lower Haight will be staying open late, offering discounts, and hosting special events for customers.

Tonight, Aline’s Closet, Costumes on Haight, D-Structure, Greenburger’s, Life, Merch, Rooky Ricardo’s, and Wing Wings will all be staying open late and/or offering discounts of 10% off.

If you’re thirsty, Nickies will be doing a $5 “LOHA Posse” cocktail special, Molotov’s will have some specialty drafts and cocktails from 9pm to 2am, and Uva Enoteca will be offering 10% off all beer and wine.

Meanwhile, Edo Salon and Wak Shack will be knocking 10% off all Bumble and Bumble products, and Laundry Locker‘s giving free laundry detergent upgrades on all orders today, plus free detergent samples at their Lower Haight kiosk.

Third Thursdays will join the daytime Second Sundays and the seasonal Art Walks as part of a new effort to support all the great merchants we have here in the neighborhood. (It doesn’t hurt that it’s currently SF Small Business Week, either.)

So get on out there tonight and show a local biz some love. And if you don’t live in the Lower Haight, here’s a great reason to come visit.

We’ll see you tonight.

By now, you’ve probably been to Churchill, the bar which opened a year ago at the corner of Church and 14th.

But have you been to The Office, the new space above Churchill?

No? Let’s fix that.

The Office is a brand-new private event space that Churchill is making available for parties of up to 80 people. There’s a fully-stocked bar, a full kitchen, private bathrooms, a projection screen, 3 flat-screen TVs, a shuffleboard table, comfy armchairs, and hookups for live music and iPods. Basically it’s where we go when we close our eyes on overcrowded Muni buses.

The folks at Churchill want neighbors in the Lower Haight / Duboce Triangle / Castro/Mission vicinity to come and check out the Office. As such, they’ll be hosting a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” open house mixer next Thursday, May 24th, from 6-8pm. They’ll be serving complimentary beer and wine for your enjoyment as you peruse the space and mingle with neighbors.

If you’d like to attend, all you have to do is RSVP here. But hurry — the guest list is going to be capped at 100.

Here are a couple more photos inside the joint:

This might be the only office we won’t want to leave early. See you there?

In September of 2010, we took a look inside the U.S. Mint at 155 Hermann Street to learn about the operations and history of this mysterious building.

This morning, for the Mint’s 75th birthday, we returned.

San Francisco’s “New” Mint was officially dedicated on May 15th, 1937, and to commemorate the occasion, today the Mint allowed media and political figures inside for a special ceremony and tour of the facility.

We were allowed much greater access than during our visit in 2010, and were able to take photos of pretty much anything we wanted.

So, here are a few of our favorites from the day’s festivities.

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Here’s what the Mint does best: produce coins.

There’s a press room, for… pressing.

In the materials room, the coins get their shiny luster.

In another room, employees work on polishing the coin dies. This man was using a brush with a horse-hair tip.

There are several finishing/frosting options employed, depending on the coin.

Then the coins get packed into cases and cardboard sets via conveyor belt. (This used to be done by hand, up until around 1999.)

Two giant yellow robots keep everything organized.

Workers receive an annual binder training them about that year’s coins and explaining which defects to watch for.

The finished products are stacked and sent out to another facility for shipping to customers…

…except for the rejects, that is.

We saw lots and lots and lots of coins today. Here are some silver dollar proofs.

Here’s a finished 5-piece proof set, available online and via phone.

This bin contains upwards of $1 million worth of quarters, we were told.

Some $1 dollar coin proofs…

..and more silver dollars.

These are blanks, which will be turned into quarters. The San Francisco Mint hasn’t made quarters for circulation since 1954. However, this year, they’ve resumed manufacturing the coins. The reason? The quarters, featuring San Francisco’s “S” mark, can command a significant premium from collectors. It’s all about money, you see.

More beautiful coinage.

We had the pleasure of meeting a number of fantastic people who work at the Mint, and some fellow attendees of the day’s event.

Our guide for the day, Loretta Dickerson (right):

An employee manning the lobby’s display case:

Police performing a color ceremony before the morning’s speeches began.

The Mint’s historical guru Michael Levin.

A representative (left) for Assembly member Fiona Ma presents a proclamation to a rep for the union representing the Mint’s 300 employees.

An employee examines coin sets coming off the assembly line.

Two workers show the first coins from the 2012 proof set, just struck during the ceremony.

Many banners and displays around the building recognized the 75th anniversary.

Safety is obviously a huge priority at the Mint, especially in the production areas.

Doesn’t matter how old we get: lasers will always be cool.

Mayor Lee’s office issued a proclamation declaring May 15th, 2012 “U.S. Mint Day.” The mayor was invited, but did not attend today’s ceremony. Historian Michael Levin cited a precedent, noting that at the building’s dedication in 1937, both the mayor and governor were no-shows.

Inside the amazing lobby.

A rose compass on the floor points South to 350 Duboce, the building’s former entrance.

A close-up of the floor’s compass, featuring a serpentine center.

A close-up of the door.

A seal and plaque on the wall celebrate the building’s construction.

A functioning art deco elevator maintains its original design and details from 1937.

A pair of eagle statues flanking the lobby stairwell.

The stairwell’s wall features a series of galvanos, or oversized coin models.

A reverse view of the stairwell from the mezzanine.

Finally, here are a couple of secret spaces we glimpsed during out tour. A cafeteria / break room:

And the Mint’s courtyard.

After more than two hours inside the Mint, the ceremony and tour concluded and it was time for us to go.

Another great day at the Mint. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait 25 years for the next one!

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That’s it for our second look inside the Mint.

But as a reward for your readership, we’ve got a special treat. One lucky Haighteration reader will win a 2012 Clad Quarter Proof Set, manufactured right here at the San Francisco Mint!

To win this set of five shiny beauties, all you have to do is leave a comment on our Facebook post for this story, telling us something you can buy in the Lower Haight for five quarters. Leave your comment by this Thursday, May 17th, at 5pm, and we’ll pick a winner Thursday night.

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Thanks to everyone at the Mint for inviting us today and letting us peek into their world yet again, albeit briefly. It was a treat.

Well folks, the big day has arrived: a certain neighbor of ours turns 75 years young today.

To celebrate, we’ll be venturing inside the Mint building this morning for a very rare event. And we want you to join us — sort of.

At 10am, the Mint will be hosting a coin striking ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the building’s May 15th, 1937 dedication. We’ll be on hand for the festivities and — hopefully — we’ll be live tweeting photos and updates from inside.

Follow us on Twitter (@haighteration) to keep up with all the Minty action as it unfolds. The event begins at 10am, and should last about an hour.

If for some reason we’re unable to tweet, which is highly possible, we’ll be sure to post a recap here in the afternoon. And we’ll have a special contest to announce, too.

We can hardly contain our excite-mint.

After nearly six years in the neighborhood, Lower Haters has closed its doors at 597 Haight Street.

Though we originally expected today to be the shop’s last day in operation, it in fact shuttered after a final closeout sale last weekend. Yesterday, Lower Haters hosted a small get-together for friends and neighbors to peruse their remaining items and say goodbye.

Lower Haters opened in September of 2006, carrying an inventory of apparel, accessories, and art, and hosting countless events and opening for local artists. Over the years, the shop also helped spearhead many of the murals that now dot the neighborhood, and was a crucial force behind the Lower Haight Art Walks.

597 Haight won’t be staying vacant for long — we’ll have news on that soon enough. In the meantime, thanks to the Lower Haters crew for six great years. Don’t be strangers.

Tomorrow, it’s the return of the Second Sundays block party to the stretch of Haight between Fillmore and Webster.

Here’s what you can expect.

• A camera sale and swap at Glass Key Photo
• A sidewalk sale featuring artists, prints, crafts, and other locally-made items
• The Three Twins ice cream truck selling $3 pints of the following 8 flavors: rice milk stormy night, lemon sorbet, raspberry sorbet, chocolate orange, mint confetti, vanilla, dad’s cardamom, and vanilla honey lavender
• A record sale and swap at Rooky Ricardo’s
• Live afternoon music courtesy of Harry from Gallery 683
• …and more!

That’s 11am to 4pm tomorrow (Sunday). Get more info and help spread the word over on the event’s Facebook page.

Otherwise, we’ll see you there?

We’ve got nightlife, truffles, ping-pong, slow sips, a white mansion and a whole lot more in this week’s leftovers.

Shall we? Let’s.

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Tonight at Underground SF, it’s the return of Push The Feeling, a monthly event featuring a slew of DJs organized by Epicsauce. On the bill: Shortcircles, Churcha Santamaria y Usted, and YR SKULL. It’s 21+, and free with RSVP.

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Also tonight, D-Structure hosts Berlin-style ping pong, a production of American Tripps. This one might involve t-shirts. 8:30pm to 12:30am, $5 at the door.

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Tomorrow (Saturday), from 9am to 5pm, there will be a 4-household garage sale at 235 Buchanan, at the corner of Laussat. This sale promises everything. “Furniture, Mirrors, Holiday, costumes, party decor, household items, clothing, glassware, antiques, Knick knacks, tools, gardening stuff, vases, Kitchen items, board games, 8-Track players and cassettes, books, gardening books, artwork, and much more.” And much more?

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Also tomorrow, Rare Device hosts a Mother’s Day Trunk Show. There’ll be mimosas, truffles from Trufflove, and jewelry from Lemonade Handmade. That’s 1pm to 5pm at Rare Device, 600 Divisadero.

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Return to Underground SF tomorrow night for Pop Brownie — a night of 90s hip-hop, R&B, and dance. 10pm to 2am, 21+, $5 at the door, with proceeds benefitting June’s AIDS Life Cycle ride.

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And don’t forget about Second Sundays in the Lower Haight, which returns… Sunday. We’ll have more details on that tomorrow.

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Last weekend the New York Times had a travel feature on NoPa. (The area, not the restaurant.)

“Rents are rising, retail options are evolving, and the neighborhood is expanding up, down and around Divisadero Street… NoPa is poised to become the next Mission — just leafier and more low-key.” The story includes blurbs on Ragazza and the Independent, as well as newcomers Rare Device and San Franpsycho.

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In other local publicity, Maven received an impressive 3-star review this week from the SF Chronicle’s food critic Michael Bauer. Bauer writes that Maven “offers an experience that’s as pleasant and balanced as the cocktails.” Congrats, Mavens.

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Speaking of Maven, next Wednesday the barstaurant will be hosting a Slow Sip Happy Hour, featuring special cocktails made from ingredients the Mavenites will procure that morning from the farmer’s market. Your RSVP (and $5) gets you into the event, which runs from 5:30pm to 7:30pm Wednesday night.

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Have you taken a class at the Harvey Milk Photo Center yet? Registration for their summer classes begins tomorrow (Saturday). They have classes on portraiture, digital SLRs, Photoshop, and more.

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Finally, Aline’s Closet tweeted us this photo of the formerly-pink mansion at the corner of Waller and Pierce, which revealed its new white paint job this week.

Twitter/@AlinesCloset

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That’s all we’ve got! What else is there? tips [at] haighteration {{dot}} com.

Oh hey, today is Bike to Work Day. What does that mean for us here in the Lower Haight?

Well, aside from more cyclists than usual on the Wiggle, expect a couple of noteworthy attractions for those commuting by pedal power.

At the bikeway mural behind the Safeway on Duboce, there will be an “energizer station” set up from 5 to 7pm. The station will feature cheering enthusiasts, free snacks and drinks, and reusable goodie-filled tote bags for cyclists. There’ll also be a bike mechanic on hand to provide free basic maintenance for your ride.

But that’s not all!

If today’s post-work commute has you craving some carbs, head to the corner of Haight and Scott. There, from 5 to 7pm, three local bike-based vendors will be selling some tasty pick-me-ups.

SourFlour will be serving freshly made bread goods to share and sample, while Pandan La and Bánh Mì Love You Longtime will be making Vietnamese pandan waffles with banana and nutella toppings for $1.50 a pop.

If you know anything else BTWD-related going on in the hood today, let us know!

The little kids already have a playground, and the big kids have the basketball court and area for skateboarding. But what about the in-betweeners at Duboce Park?

Starting next weekend, they’ll have the Youth Play Area, an area at the southwestern corner of the park that’s based on a new philosophy in playground design.

The Youth Play Area, which replaces a “dead” area formerly overrun by weeds, features an “adventure zone” with undulating terrain coated in rubber safety surfacing, along with scattered large boulders, natural logs, a climbing net “tree”, and a multi-person rings set.

As the Friends of Duboce Park Playground stated in an application for funding last year:

‘The Duboce Park Youth Play Area is an innovative project that foreshadows a movement in “playground” design for older children towards imagination and creative play in programmed environments rather than simply stock playground equipment… The proposed Youth Play Area will be the first such project inspired but this innovative movement to be built in San Francisco and possibly the Bay Area.’

The Play Area’s grand opening will be held next Saturday, May 19th, from 10am to 2pm. There will be a jumpy house, refreshments, live music, and kids activities, plus a few guest speakers to help mark the occasion. The event is free, but they’re requesting you RSVP if you plan to attend so they can prepare accordingly.