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TikTok Ruined Pancakes on Mount Tam, and It's a Perfect Metaphor for Everything
PublishedFor years, the Mount Tam pancake breakfast was one of those quietly perfect Bay Area traditions — the kind of thing…
Laid Off? Hit the Trail Instead of the Job Boards (At Least on Mondays)
PublishedSan Francisco's tech layoffs aren't slowing down, and neither are the people affected by them.
Mother Duck Crashes Pilates Class, Demands Help — And Honestly, Fair Enough
PublishedA Feathered Interruption With a Happy Ending Look, we spend a lot of time on this site talking about government…
San Francisco Is Auctioning Off the Right to Name an Alley, and We Have Questions
PublishedBecause San Francisco apparently has nothing more pressing to deal with — not the budget deficit, not the fentanyl…
How Does That Store Stay Open? SF's Most Gloriously Inexplicable Small Businesses
PublishedEvery San Franciscan has one. That store you walk past three times a week, never see a single customer inside, and…
Caffe Trieste Turns 70: A Masterclass in Surviving Without a Government Bailout
PublishedCaffe Trieste just turned 70 years old, and in a city where restaurants fold faster than a bad poker hand, that's not…
A Box of 1981 Slides, a Thrift Store, and the Beautiful Mystery of Analog Memory
PublishedIn an age where your entire photo library lives on a server farm in Iowa and can be wiped with a forgotten password…
The City's Attic: Why SF's Forgotten Memorabilia Matters More Than You Think
PublishedThe City's Attic: Why SF's Forgotten Memorabilia Matters More Than You Think San Francisco has layers.
One Artist's Pastel Tribute to the Haight Reminds Us What's Worth Preserving
PublishedThere's something quietly radical about sitting in the bushes of Buena Vista Park with a set of pastels and drawing the…
Golden Gate Park's Best-Kept Secret: The Lakes You're Probably Walking Right Past
PublishedSan Francisco has a $14 billion annual budget, much of which gets swallowed by bureaucratic bloat and questionable…
A24 Is Filming a Backrooms Movie — And San Jose's Weird Ottoman Store Is Along for the Ride
PublishedIf you've spent any time on the internet in the last few years, you've probably stumbled across the Backrooms — that…
San Francisco's 'Motherland' and the Workers Who Keep It Running
PublishedThere's something oddly refreshing about a tradesperson posting from a job site with nothing more than a grin emoji and…
Your Tax Dollars Already Paid for It — Now Go Enjoy Free Museum Saturdays
PublishedHere's something city government actually gets right for once: if you live in the Bay Area, you can walk into the de…
Last Stop Vintage Show: Where Your Wallet Goes to Die (But At Least It's Not Taxes)
PublishedThere's something beautifully free-market about a vintage show.
Salesforce Park's Spring Fling Is Back — And Yes, Your Tax Dollars Helped Build That Rooftop
PublishedSalesforce Park is throwing its annual Spring Fling Rooftop Lawn Party, and honestly?
The Best Government Program Is One That Just Gets You Outside
PublishedHere's something we don't say often at The Dissent: a government program that actually makes sense.
UC Berkeley's 32-Year-Old Egg Hunt Proves Not Everything Has to Be Government-Funded to Thrive
PublishedA Tradition That Keeps Delivering — No Taxpayer Bailout Required Sometimes the best community events are the ones that…
Oakland's Khmer New Year Festival Returns — A Reminder That Community Doesn't Need a Government Grant
PublishedCommunity Celebrations Done Right Oakland's Cambodian community is gearing up for the 2026 Khmer New Year Festival, and…
SFMOMA Drops Admission to $15 — Is This What Accessible Culture Looks Like?
PublishedFor a museum that normally charges $25 just to walk through the door — and $30 if you want to see a special exhibition…
A Free Easter Egg Hunt That Doesn't Cost Taxpayers a Dime? We Love to See It
PublishedSometimes the best community events are the simplest ones — and the ones that don't come with a six-figure city budget…
The Mission Dolores Security Guard Who Proves You Don't Need a Government Program to Build Community
PublishedIf you've spent any time around Mission Dolores lately, you've probably encountered that security guard — the one who…
San Quentin's Arts Programs Face the Chopping Block — But Is Anyone Asking the Right Questions?
PublishedSan Quentin, the storied prison just across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, is facing the potential loss of arts…
First Fridays at Workshop SF: DIY Culture Thrives When Government Gets Out of the Way
PublishedThe Best Community Events Don't Need a City Grant If you're looking for proof that vibrant community culture doesn't…
Rush Hour Comedy Night Proves SF's Best Entertainment Doesn't Need a Government Grant
PublishedLaughs Without the Red Tape San Francisco's comedy scene continues to prove that the best things in this city come from…