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826 Valencia
Rating Details »
Category: Tutoring Centers
Neighborhood: Mission826 Valencia St
(between 19th St & Cunningham Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 642-5905
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sponsored Result
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Aristotle Associates
- Category:
- Tutoring Centers
- Neighborhood:
- Civic...
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231 reviews for 826 Valencia
"Canons don't sink ships, Pirates with canons sink ships!" If this quote does not make you chuckle or say YARRR, perhaps this isn't the store for you. For the other 99% of you out there, this is one cool place to check out. Always crowded, you might have to wait your turn to discover the oddities that lay inside the mystery drawers, but you can spend that time reading uses for lard ("Salad dressing..seasonal" was my favorite) or deciding between buying a glass eye, or glass eye-drops. This place is absolutely fantastic and it a must see on every stroll down Valencia.
What should also be mentioned is that all proceeds from this arrrrguagbly awesome store go to the writing center that is the large space behind the pirate-shop. With good fun and good karma, who wouldn't love it here!?
Arrr, if ye don't judge the fish, ye be good with me!
I was completely flaberghasted that a place like this existed. I loved the fish theatre, with all the little articles like "what does water do on the weekends?"
It's like walking into an art exhibit / onion article. I instantly felt at ease here.
Everything about this shop is super win.
Unlike any other pirate crap shop I've been inside in any coastal town, this place has flavor. And I don't mean the obligatory "Blackbeard-ish flag with the name of the city printed below it on a tshirt" collection.
This shop has charm, wit, clever kitsch and, best of all, is 100% interactive. I loved perusing the bottles of treasure sand, Blackbeard's black beard dye, kitten/parrot/monkey planks, maps, and the various posted rules of pirate ship etiquette.
Clever. I'm impressed. I spent money I don't have in here because I simply couldn't resist. Wonderful.
I was walking down Valencia, not sure what to do next when I decided to check the location of a pirate store I'd heard about from a friend. Yes, you heard that right--a pirate store.
Allegedly run by the author Dave Eggers and catering to the parrot-shouldering peg-legged set, I had to check it out. I don't know what I was hoping to find...maybe a rope ladder or a plank that I could install to remove unwanted guests from my fifth floor NYC apartment. Perhaps a monkey?
Alas, or should I say arrrrrrrgh, none were in stock. And maybe that was the problem. The cashier working here was really funny, and I nearly got captured by a net that fell from the ceiling, but there were really no objects here that sucked me in or created a sense of wonder, just gimmicky gag gifts like "peg leg oil".
Still, it was a fun visit with entertaining customers and a general atmosphere of fun. Not as surreal or cool as say, the Museum of Jurassic Technology in LA, however.
My friend and I sat and watched the aquarium for 10 minutes. Then we got up and saw the sign that said "Please don't judge the fish."
Love love love this place. One of the coolest finds in all of San Francisco.
I loved pulling the drawers and seeing what pirate-related object would be inside. I loved when someone got mopped. I loved getting my fingers stuck in a chinese finger trap. I loved that this is all a front for a much better cause. I was so inspired, I put in an application to volunteer so hopefully they call me!
When we were here, the guy at the register got everyone's attention and asked if we had seen any good movies lately. Then he made us come up with a movie everyone in the store had seen. We quickly settled on "Forrest Gump." And before this, he took a call from someone trying to get directions to the store from....... Dallas, Texas. It was hysterical listening to him say "well, you'll want to get on a plane. And land at SFO. And then probably grab a taxi and head to the Mission."
I don't care how Mission Hipster and Stuffwhitepeoplelikedotcom it is of me to like Dave Eggers. I love him. LOVE HIM. Aside from being an amazing author and an amazing man, he goes through great lengths to help underprivileged urban kids learn how to write in these nifty little nonprofits that also happen to be cute little stores. It's almost like the "Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to do Other Stuff Good Too." But real. And with better grammar.
It is embarrassing that I only just recently visited this place. I mean, I've already been to the superhero one in Brooklyn! http://static.px.yelp.... And now, I finally visited this one.
So, take a class, buy some peg leg oil and eye patches, or a cute pirate onesie. Or, better yet, some local authors. That's right SF, Armistead Maupin and Dave Eggers aren't the only local authors. 826 has several for sale. And most of them just happen to be between the ages of 6 - 18...and they are precious.
Don't drive, you yellow-bellied land-lubbers; it's by 16th & Mission BART.
Pure genius. The tourists will never figure it out ;)
Tip: All workshops require a (refundable) $25 deposit to hold the student's place.
A couple of weeks ago a couple of telegraph hill parrots migrated their way onto my balcony and decided to make it their new home (rents are cheap where I live... You can get an entire balcony for birdseed!)
Well, after I discovered my adorable red headed neighbors, I quickly sprang into action! But to my dismay, not a stitch of pirate regalia was to be seen in the entire apartment! Not even a loose eye-patch!
As you can imagine, I was severely depressed for days... And then I was wandering around the mission, and, AVAST! Thar she be, maety! An entire store dedicated to the pirating arts. Thank the ghost of Davey Jones that this place exists. Now I'm all prepared to return to my parrots and begin a new life as scourge of the mission bay!
Pirate garb seller and a tutoring center all in one! Dude.. sign me up!
In preparation for the Elite East Bay sunset schooner event, I paid a visit here to hunt down some proper shipmate attire and left with a beautiful authentic gold tooth (later admired by many) and a volunteer application.
The guy working the cashier patiently explained the tutoring program to me, apparently, all the proceeds of the store fund the tutoring center! They're always looking for more volunteers.
Great cause to keep our future generation literate and well-read! Of course, fine selection of pirate gear to impress your new Elite friends and fellow yelpers!
If you've ever gotten ROTD on Yelp, you know that giddy feeling of exuberance and flight that can only be brought on by the unexpected, fleeting honor. Though the recognition and glory are gone in a mere 24 hours, who cares? It kind of rocks!
Now imagine: you're 16 years old. Never wrote a Yelp review in your life, don't even like writing very much. At school one day, you're encouraged to write your first full short story. You eventually get into it and end up working really hard on it. Within a few months time, your story is put in a book and you are a published author. Years later, you're still able to direct people to Amazon to find it.
Now which form of publication sounds sweeter? :)
Both are accomplishments in their own right, but especially if you've been recognized for the former, why not share your amazing writing talents in being part of the latter? Last winter I was privileged to participate in 826 Valencia's annual "Book Project," where high school English students write stories and essays to get published into a book. This year, Mission High School juniors and seniors reflected upon "the golden rule," and alongside the students, 826's dedicated staff, and my fellow tutors, I helped flesh out their work at the editorial board and copyediting phases. The hours upon hours of everyone's tireless work and efforts were celebrated at February's book release party, where I was honored to have my copy of "A Show of Hands" signed by dozens of its proud, excited young authors. I was as excited as they were.
826 Valencia, an organization that supports young people in developing their writing skills, is the perfect place for anyone who loves writing and kids to volunteer their time and talents. Opportunities include big undertakings like the book project, in-school tutoring at elementary and middle schools in the city, drop-in afterschool and weekend tutoring, school "field trips" where students write and bind a book in 2 short hours (!), and various workshops for both youth and adults. Because I'm on a 8-5 work schedule during the week, I don't get to work as directly with the kids as I would like (hoping to start the weekend tutoring soon). However, I've still had a decent, manageable number of opportunities to get involved in the community, meet other people passionate about writing, and make a difference in young people's lives.
826 is truly a wonderful, unique place, and it is my pleasure to dedicate my 200th Yelp review to it. It's also fronted by a pirate store... arrr!!!
I like the store, but the Peg Leg Oil was leaking when I picked it up and it got all over my good leg. What a waste.
Pirates! Poems! Good deeds! Argh!!!
Look behind the counter for back issues of McSweeneys and other publications if you're not in the market for mermaid repellant or a hook for a hand.
OK, it turns out the pirate store is really just a front to get around some zoning laws and to teach kids literacy. WTF! It's like a madrassa for McSweeney's people. Actually, I don't think that's quite true, but they do help kids learn to read and write.
Actually, the pirate store is pretty good, though I fear the lard.
I don't get it.
What am I missing?
It's...uh...a pirate supply store but it's way more authentic (?) than I would have guessed. Half museum, half store? I don't know. I love that SF has this kind of thing but I don't understand how it has nearly 200 five star reviews.
And PS, If I turn up dead for giving the pirate store a two star review CHECK WITH THE PIRATES FIRST!
Pirate jokes are too easy and unfunny. Unless said jokes are at 826 Valencia.
Genius.
Why?
A non profit center for kids to get tutouring, help, advice, and all the good education stuff you would expect from a solid non profit.
Need help in school? GO HERE. Period. Go now.
Not too big a deal, right?
It is not legal for a non profit to inhabit a commercially zoned building.
So how does this non profit deal with this issue?
They made it a store! They sell pirate booty! Treasure! YArrrrrrrr!
So... if you are a pirate that is visiting SF and need a new patch, bird, or sword... you know where to legitimately conduct your business don't you?
And by shopping there, dearest pirate.... you ARGHHHHHH helping kids!
So a stroke of genius in light of a challenge birthed a pirate booty shop covering for a brilliant non profit tutor center.
Well done SF. You win AGAIN.
Normally I have a thing against stores that front. You know, the stores that couldn't possibly just be what they seem...it's a crazy facade that no one believes. "Massage parlor", my ass.
826 Valencia is the best front EVER.
It's a pirate-y, literary, costume-y gem of a store...in the FRONT.
In the back is where it's really at. (In a wholesome, strictly non-"massage" sense).
All pirate-y proceeds fund the writing & tutoring center behind all the pirate gear. Kids ages 6 to 18 get the support they need (free of charge) to improve their basic and creative writing skills. Be still, my English-major heart!
826 Valencia, I support you!
This stretch of Valencia houses some of the greatest boutique shops in San Francisco. Among them lies one of particular repute, innocuously named "826 Valencia". No one would know this is a shopping resource for those who dedicate their lives to plunder.
Pirates. Marauders. Buccaneers! Scalawags of the high seas! This is your premier shopping destination.
This store is an excellent resource for all your glass eye needs. If you're too cheap for a glass eye, try their dazzling array of eye patches. They also feature a fine array of mops. As your captain is surely fond of reminding you, those decks aren't going to swab themselves.
The true secret of this place is the hidden back room. Yes, my friends. Circle close and I will share a secret with you. The store, while extensive in its selection, is merely a front operation for something far more nefarious and undermining of today's pirate culture. That's education. You see, 826 Valencia's true purpose is to provide afterschool writing workshops for young people. Those looking to get ahead or those looking to catch up can come here to learn in a fostering and progressive environment.
So why would I say that something so positive as education is nefarious to the pirate culture? As many a captain will tell you, a learned crew is a mutinous crew. It's better to keep the boys up front shopping for wooden legs than learning to read and write.
Who doesn't love the pirate store?! I love the backstory, and walking in here is so hilarious and fun! You must go!!!
Next time you need a peg leg, a glass eye, or an eyepatch, check out this pirate supply store. They also sell citrus-flavored Vitamin C tablets (in a corked bottle labeled "Scurvy Begone").
Even if you aren't a pirate, it's worth peeking at the "Fish Theatre" (a couple rows of chairs facing a large aquarium). Or try browsing their books (my friend bought one about Hurricane Katrina). All proceeds support 826 Valencia's nonprofit writing programs for kids.
I'm so conflicted about my feelings on this place. While the kid in me finds it an amazing playground of nautical treasures, the globally-aware adult in me wonders how a shop devoted to piracy can exist in an age of real pirate threats all over the world.
So I guess the kid gives this five stars, but the practical adult says one. Compromise: three.
What is not to like? It is a cool writing center, they sell eye patches and pirate outfits and have strange surprises in the store. Try opening the drawers in the wall and see what is inside - you might find feathers, beard shavings and who knows what else. I actually bought a nice journal there for $10. Check it out, I haven't seen anything like it anywhere!
One time an issue of McSweeney's of mine was lost in the mail and I wrote in asking about it and they offered to set one aside of me at their store.
The best. Always fun to walk by and one of the better store fronts on Valencia to boot.
I've never liked pirates. Never much cared for the sea. Sea sickness, and all. Wood is too woody, salt to salty, buccaneers to bucky. Eyes gross me out so why would I want a glass one. Here's a list of things you should never have near your eye: 1. acid, 2. medium sized knives, 3. glass, 4. things that could get smokey, 5. onions. Glass is right in there. Mopping is for suckers. Boats are boring. Fish taste like the ocean. The ocean tastes like crap. I'll tell you what I do like. More than anything, probably. I like me some stars!
Now, let's get out there and change some lives.
I miss my buddy Carl
Rock on 826!
I've been mopped, have you?
I've never actually bought anything in here ,but always bring my friends in to show them some cool SF culture. Of course, it is more than just a pirate shop, I love just about every publication that comes out of 826, they have a great community program going on there.
YARRRRRR!!!!!
Dude, it's a pirate store, and this is what a pirate store should look like.
Need a glass eye, peg leg cleaner and a book on the habits of Captain Rick? They have you covered, matey.
I'll definately be stopping in before I hit the high seas.
I love this place for the fact that there is so much to look at and play with inside AND it's a tutoring center.
Went to the Valencia corridor for a stroll on a date and we ended up here. Great place to play and pretend no matter how old you are. Their aquarium theater is a great place to sneak a kiss... :oP
I GOT MOPPED!!!!!!!!! If you don't know then I'm not telling you but I was both shocked and, most of all, honored.
This place is absolutely amazing. "San Francisco's Only Independently Owned Pirate Supply Store" as described to us by the person up front. Secretly it is a reading and writing tutoring program for kids ages 6 - 18 offering free programs for kids.
Not to sound too redundant but this place is just amazing. I felt like a little kid when I ran around the store timidly opening all the obscurely named drawers looking at glass eyes, feathers, hidden treasure and a belt that could double as a ladder (rope). They sell both the very inventive McSweeney's Quarterly and the 826 Quarterly which were both awesome to read.
Please donate all your money and time to this place since it's run by volunteers. KTHNXBAI!!! (Ugh I never know how to end reviews)
The foodie and I come by this shop whenever we're in the area. The hidden compartments in the floor and walls, small aquarium, and general pirate theme is very entertaining.
Love this place.
I love how it's right next door to Paxton Gate (yeah the place with the freaky stuffed animals that SCARES me, and yet I can't stop looking.)
Anyway, back to Pirate Supply Shop...
The clerk was super perky, and totally into the pirate stuff. He said he needed more caffeine but I told him, I was sure he'd had enough. But he still smiled and cracked up over it.
The stuff is moderately-priced...it ain't pocket change...but it's not exactly piggie-bank-breaking. I bought two tri-corner pirate hats for $10/each, and a magenta eyepatch for $5. These items are not of high-quality, and considering what it's for (pirate pub crawl), I'm not sure it's that important. They do sell upwards of $45 crushed velvet with feather pirate hats. They also have tons of pirate's booty....gold, loaded dice, and other trinkets. Oh, and peg legs and flags. The list goes on...
They mop ya too, if you want....I was in a rush so I had to get in, get the stuff and get outta there, but I still want to visit again.
Oh, and I read/heard about the children's reading program........ awesome, people!
Arrrrrrr!
Best place to buy your striped pirate socks. They are very high quality and you get to open a bunch of chests and trap doors to find stuff. And they have lots of hard to find booty.
LOVE the pirate store! I used to come here to get these amazing socks to wear to my trapeze class. I was too embarrassed to go anywhere else to buy thigh length socks back then, plus it's more fun to pretend you're wearing pirate socks. The store holds a lot of hidden treasures, if you've got the time to browse and open everything up. I've also bought eyepatches and some great blank cards with various sea monsters on them. From time to time I've noticed some ridiculously cool tshirts, but they were always out of my size :(.
More than that... the back of the place is used for youth writing programs and tutoring, which is something the community really needs. It's kinda fun to pick up a book from here as well... you never know what fun you might discover. The best thing is that they're written by the students. I hear they even have the occasional adult seminar.
You might not like Dave Eggers's writing or even his personality, but you've got to give him props for creating 826 Valencia. In a very kid-unfriendly city, 826 stands out as a magical place for little people to get creative.
I work with troubled teenagers, and I can honestly say that if more of them had been regularly exposed to places like 826 Valencia when they were little, they would not have made some of the decisions they made. Places like this do more to make society safer than the San Francisco Police Department and the juvenile-justice system combined.
Seriously - a pirate store? Really? As in, "Shiver me timbers, matey! Avast! Land ho!"
Aye, it is indeed.
I have a strange fascination with pirates, stemming from the first visit to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland when I was 5 years old. Then Johnny Depp was cast as Captain Jack Sparrow, and ever since then, I liken pirates to the rock stars of their time - dirty, dangerous, and doing whatever the hell they want to, whenever they want.
But I digress.
This store was absolutely mesmerizing - you didn't know where to look! All kinds of curious oddities and funny little treasures stacked and arranged in a tiny space, made to look somewhat like the inner sanctum of a ship's hull. There was standard pirate gear - gold/silver pieces, stockings, hats, eye patches, jewelry, glass bottles. Some of the things were crazy - like the giant vat of lard situated near the register. I really didn't know what to make of that. Um....are you making tortillas over here or something?
Definitely a place to browse and just get lost in. Apparently they tutor kids in the back too, which must be quite amazing for these kids - I mean, wouldn't YOU want to go and do your homework on a pirate ship?
Out of all the independent pirate supply stores in the city, this one is definitely the coolest.
After reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius I started to learn about the author, Dave Eggers and I absolutely love reading books set in the San Francisco bay area. You have to admire the personality/sense of humor of someone who would create a writers workshop for local kids and then set up the front of the workshop as a pirate supply store - so funny, off the wall, and brillant.
As a part of the Yelp Scavenger Hunt, I finally got a good reason to drop into the store and I have to say - it is so much fun inside. The walls are lined with adorable swashbuckling curios that is impossible to take seriously, but fully accomplish putting a smile on your face.
As a part of the Yelp Scavenger hunt's challenge, we had to do barter with the man behind the counter fin order to receive our next clue. Our guidelines were to basically entertain him and we were to:
- Tell a joke,
- Dance
- etc., etc.
Well, I have one good joke that I like to tell at awkward times to help me master my fear of public speaking, so I had to tell the joke in front of the man and everyone else. Because I love the joke, here it is, for you to enjoy.
A little old lady walked into the Chase Manhattan Bank one day. She walked up to the counter and placed a brown paper bag filled with $1 million dollars in cash money. The Teller looks into the bag and then at the little old lady and said "I can't deposit this...it's too much money for a standard transaction. I have to have my superior do this, for a deposit this big."
The lady is then escorted into the office of the president of the Chase Manhattan bank. He shakes her hand and says that they can definitely deposit this money. He then says that he is curious to ask how she came into such a large sum and inquired if it was an inheritance -perhaps. She said, "Oh no sonny, you see - I bet things....different things with different people." The president looked at her as if she was crazy, so she said "For example, I'll bet you $1 million dollars that by tomorrow morning, you're balls will be square."
(The president looked at her as if she was crazy, but figured this was a safe bet)
He accepted the bet, as it was practically a sure thing. They shook hands and made arrangements for 10:00 a.m. the following morning. The president thought the woman was completed "off her rocker" but decided to take the rest of the day off from work - just in case.
The following morning the man woke up, took a shower and inspected his "goods" at that time - all was normal. He was extra carefull on his way to work even whistling. When he arrived at work he waited for the little old lady to return.
At 10:00 a.m. as promised, the lady returned with a younger man she introduced as her lawyer who she said always comes with her to observe her bets. The man thought this was acceptable. He then approached her compassionately with a smile and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but you've lost the bet, as everything is normal and my balls are not square." The woman seemed as though she accepted this, but asked if she could inspect, considering the large sum of the bet. The president agreed, as it was $1 million dollars after all, and dropped his trousers and bent over. The little old lady then...cupped his balls behind him. The president at this point was smiling as he knew that he had won the bet and the $1 million prize. However, at this very second he noticed the old lady's lawyer was banging his head against the wall of his office.
The president then asked what was wrong with him and the little old lady said:
"Oh him, I bet him $2 million that I'd have the President of the Chase Manhattan Bank by the balls ...."
Ba Da Bumb......:-)
Ahoy Matey! A real, live, pirate shop! Woo Hoo! En route to go to the Ninja Supply Store I took my daughter by to show her all the fun, imaginative, and cool shit they have in this place. The concept behind the store makes it all the more amusing, wonderful, and worthwhile. Glass eyes? Got em'. Scurvy Be Gone? Got that too! Best of all, they have Mermaid Attractant AND repellent, a MUST-have if you're going to Kilowatt. :) Every little drawer, cupboard and space has a treasure in it. My daughter found a drawer full of lemons (to prevent the scurvy of course) and I found fake diamonds. It's tiny, won't take but 10 minutes, but it's super fun.
We got mopped like suckaaz. And it was okay, since we were at 826 Valencia.
I love 826's commitment to the community and to the kids. I love their silliness. I love their fish theater (esp. the very charming puffer fish).
Bring all out-of-towners here so they can be jealous that they don't have their own pirate store.
