Harry Pali Jr. spends a lot of time in his garage/man cave near Sunset Boulevard. The retired operator of heavy construction equipment (everything from high cranes to bulldozers) has a collection of chainsaws for bigger projects. He also spends a lot of time tying fishing flies.

He prefers to work with the garage door open.

Someone passing by noticed the chainsaws and struck up a conversation that inspired Harry to transform the open space along Sunset Boulevard to make it more inviting for people to create community.

“There was a big old Monterey Cypress about to come down, and the man suggested I use my chainsaws to turn it into benches along 36th Avenue,” Harry says.

It was at the start of the pandemic and Harry got to work using his saws and other power tools to cut, shape and smooth the wood. He has turned several fallen Cypresses into beautiful benches and inviting seating groups that are magnets to strollers, toddlers, and neighbors.

“It gives me joy watching people sitting and admiring the benches,” he says.

This past Easter, neighborhood parents hid Easter eggs around two of the bench groupings. The kids found 146 of the 150 eggs. Harry found the rest.

Pali calls a huge seat he carved out of a giant Cypress stump the “King’s Throne.”

Harry positioned his so-called “Farallon Bench” to directly face the ocean. On a clear day you can sit on that bench and see the Farallon Islands.

“Boom, they just pop out at you,” he says.

Harry eventually drew some of his neighbors into the beautification work.

“Naree is a neighbor up the street with a green thumb. I asked if she could plant succulents if I made planter boxes out of some of the logs.”

Naree obliged and now the boxes Harry crafted overflow with lush, low-water, low maintenance plants.

Another neighbor, Tomas, is a skilled cabinetmaker. He built a library box for kids into the side of one of Harry’s benches. 

Harry, Naree, Tomas and others have turned their stretch of 36th Avenue between Kirkham and Judah Streets into something unique. 

The benches have given the neighborhood a little bit of flavor,” Harry says. “And people use them. That's the best part.’’

Not surprisingly (this being San Francisco), a few kibitzers saw the work Harry was doing and asked if he had a permit for the logs.

They predicted the Department of Public Works would probably haul them off for junk. Harry didn’t have a permit. But the city department liked the fact that Harry repurposed the logs.

“Word came down through the chain of command that those benches are here to stay,” Harry says.

Residents are glad they can continue to enjoy Harry’s woodworking. Many see beauty in Harry’s benches.

“A lot of people say I’m an artist,” Harry says. “But I’m not. I’m just handy. That's all it is.”

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Tom Colin. We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.