A casual stoop hang for two longtime San Francisco residents has grown into a modern-day neighborhood square where community thrives.

The big picture: It started small two years ago for tech workers Patty Smith and Tyler Hoffman, who aimed to ease the isolation of remote work and get to know their neighbors.

• They'd have their morning coffee out on their stoop in the Mission, greeting passersby and even donning goofy hats as a neighborly icebreaker.

Initially, Smith said she expected to make maybe one or two new friends.

• "In my mind at the time, success to me was just, 'oh, it would be great to know people's names,'" she told Axios.

But their casual routine caught on with others and grew into a full-blown community, where dozens of neighbors regularly gather to discuss everything from work and relationships to hobbies and organizing more meetups.

• Their WhatsApp group sports more than 200 members, which they've used to plan BBQs, a pancake block party that drew 70 people and rotating events like watch parties, movie nights, dip-themed potlucks and parent hangs.

Between the lines: Smith never imagined that such a small effort would turn into one of her most enriching experiences.

• Today, she calls many of her neighbors friends and sees them on a daily basis. Living in close proximity means sharing weeknight dinners, hosting play dates and finding last-minute babysitting help.

What's next: Smith and Hoffman, who have lived in the city for more than 10 years and are expecting their second child, are eager to share the stoop coffee model with others who want to replicate it.

• Smith was recently invited to speak at a "neighborhood accelerator" program that coaches people on how to build hyperlocal ties, and Hoffman is mentoring for Good Neighbor Week this fall— a citywide push to highlight and support local community efforts.
• "I want everyone to be living this experience," Smith said. "The world would be a much better place if we were all living more communally."

Tell a neighbor

San Francisco's historic Transgender District is fighting for its place in the city with a new fund aimed at countering cuts that have forced it to scale back services.

Why it matters: The district was founded in 2017 — the first of its kind in the world — and works to support trans and nonbinary people, a mission its leaders say has gained renewed urgency amid an influx of LGBTQ+ people from red states.

State of play: The district had some grants rescinded earlier this year while philanthropic support dropped locally and nationwide, according to co-executive director Breonna McCree.

• Mayor Daniel Lurie's budget restructuring also led to cuts that forced the district to scale back services.
• District leaders had to pause their flagship entrepreneurship accelerator and were unable to renew their rent stabilization program.

The latest: The Transgender District is launching a multi-year emergency fund in a bid to secure long-term survival.

• The Riot Fund, unveiled ahead of the district's annual Riot Party, aims to raise $100,000 over the next three years.
• It's part of a broader effort to diversify the district's funding sources, co-executive director Carlo Gómez Arteaga told Axios.
• "We need support in real time to continue the vital work that we were doing," McCree told Axios.

Go deeper

📊 Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid to redraw California's congressional seats to create more Democrat-friendly districts has a 22-point advantage in support among state voters, per his longtime pollster. (Axios)

A person was injured and a cat died after a fire burned three homes in the Outer Sunset yesterday morning. (ABC7 News)

💼 Cisco and Oracle plan to lay off hundreds of Bay Area workers this fall. (KRON)

If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that the "real" statistics on inflation don't matter when consumers see the prices of tangible, everyday goods — food, gasoline, etc. — rising sharply.

Driving the news: Wholesale prices for fresh veggies soared by a record amount last month, foreshadowing a possible spike at the grocery store soon.

• The Producer Price Index (PPI) for July rose at the fastest clip in three years, far more than economists expected.
• As opposed to the better-known Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures what we pay at stores to buy completed things, PPI measures the costs of those things as they make their way through the production cycle.

Zoom in: A 38.9% increase in prices for fresh and dry vegetables from June to July was the major driver of a higher index for "final demand goods" (things that are done and ready to be sold to a consumer, as opposed to things that go into a later production process).

• That was the biggest month-on-month increase for fresh vegetables since March 2022.

Between the lines: Higher produce costs could hit SF, a hub for plant-based diets, harder than most.

The big picture

City College of San Francisco is marking its 90th anniversary today with a party featuring special performances, speakers, a costume contest and prizes.

What to expect: Attendees are encouraged to dress in vintage, retro or futuristic looks from any decade since the 1930s for a chance to win a best-dressed prize.

• Cakes made by the college's Culinary Arts students will also be served.

Founded in 1935 as San Francisco Junior College, CCSF has since grown into a community college serving more than 60,000 students annually across six locations in the city.

If you go: 2pm at STEAM Building #101 at the Ocean Campus at 50 Frida Kahlo Way.