Last week I was out walking my dog and happened to stroll by a large warehouse that's been under construction about 20 feet from my house, on the corner of 18th and Alabama in the Mission. The large garage door was up, and there looked to be a fun gathering of people milling in and about, drinking beers and having a good time.

As I approached, a nice guy introduced himself and invited me in to see the space. As it turns out, my fancy new neighbors are none other than Marin-based Heath Ceramics, which is set to open its new combined factory, retail space, and more, right next to me!

I happened to talk to David, who was going to be managing the new retail store, and get a few details. The new space will be rolled out in phases, with the retail showroom opening first in the next few weeks. We can also expect some factory operations to be moved over, including some of the huge kilns they use in their Sausalito space, a Blue Bottle Coffee shop (YES!), an events area, a kitchen for demonstrations, and long term, even a restaurant. The blue tile in the kitchen area made me kind of drool and think about how ugly my own was in comparison.

I got to meet the owners of Heath, Cathy and Robin, as well as one of their giant dogs, drank some free Almanac beer, and even won a copy of The Heath Book in the raffle they held (I'm pretty sure everyone in attendance won something).

The new space is going to be amazing, and I can't think of better neighbors! Keep your eyes peeled for news about all the different parts of the new space opening. You'll probably find me hooked up to their coffee machine, drooling over fancy tile and plates.