Profile: Scott Rosenberg

This is a great story that asks questions I've long had.

When I moved to SF in 1986 to work at the Examiner there were still rows and rows of Chinese/Filipino cafeterias along Market between 5th and 6th. They were dingy places but they always seemed busy. There was a feeling of active, if admittedly down-market, street life. Within a few years all that was gone. All the cafeterias closed up. (I think there's one small one left at the corner of 6th and Market, but the places I remember were much bigger...)

 I always wondered if this was a function of some redevelopment plan gone awry, or if the clientele of these establishments had simply moved away (or aged/passed away), or what.

Nothing ever moved in to replace those places, although the area between 4th and 5th gradually got transformed by the new retail malls and chain stores.

I would definitely look into the ethnic angle here -- check in with people who know the long story of the Filipino community in SF. 

 Sad to see the anonymous sniping. It's a great story and the potential for exposure in NYT is exciting. I plan to contribute but am confused about a couple of things -- some clarification might help everyone: 

(1) Will the final material be exclusive to the Times or will other publications be able to pick it up (via CC licensing or some other approach), as is often the case at Spot.us (if I'm not mistaken)? 

(2) I couldn't tell from the above ("it will just be enough to keep myself and the other crewmembers at sea for nearly one month") whether the $10K is simply going to pay the reporter's expenses or is also helping fund the whole trip. I assume the former but it might help to explain. Thanks!