“I notice the texture of a block — who's been here thirty years, who just moved in.”
Want a Bar Back Gig in SF? Pound the Pavement, Not the Job Boards
PublishedSan Francisco's hospitality industry is supposedly booming again.
Your SF Sidequest List: The City's Best Hidden Experiences That Cost Almost Nothing
PublishedSan Francisco charges you enough in rent, taxes, and $7 bridge tolls.
Someone Buried $10K in San Francisco and Now It's Everyone's Problem
PublishedSomewhere in San Francisco, there's $10,000 buried underground.
The Best Things in the Bay Area Are Still Free
PublishedIn a region where a one-bedroom apartment can run you $3,500 a month and a cup of coffee somehow costs $7, it's worth…
When Poetry Veers Off the Map: Cole Swensen's Latest Pushes Language to the Edge
PublishedLook, we don't usually do poetry reviews at The Dissent.
The Excelsior Proves You Don't Need City Hall to Build Something Beautiful
PublishedWhile San Francisco spends millions on consultants, committees, and "community engagement" processes that somehow never…
No Permits Required: Dog Owners Organize Their Own Fun in the Richmond
PublishedHere's a refreshing story that doesn't involve a single city committee, grant application, or six-figure nonprofit…
So You're Moving to SF From NYC — Here's the Real Talk
PublishedEvery few weeks, another bright-eyed transplant announces they're packing up their overpriced Manhattan studio for an…
The Japanese Tea Garden Is the Best $15 You'll Spend in San Francisco (Or $0, If You're Smart About It)
PublishedIn a city where a mediocre latte costs $7 and a one-bedroom apartment costs your entire paycheck, the Japanese Tea…
Making Friends in SF Is Harder Than Finding a Rent-Controlled Apartment
PublishedHere's a truth no one puts in the tourism brochures: San Francisco is one of the loneliest cities in America for…
Laugh GPT: Because SF Couldn't Just Let Comedy Be Human
PublishedSan Francisco now has an AI-powered comedy night.
Cabaret Voltaire at 50: The Industrial Pioneers Who Predicted Our Surveillance-State Soundtrack
PublishedHalf a century ago, three guys in Sheffield, England started making music that sounded like a malfunctioning government…
The Hunt for SF's Best Blowout Under $100: A Quest Worth Taking
PublishedLook, we usually cover city budgets and transit disasters around here, but every once in a while a question hits our…
Your Couch Isn't a Reset Button: SF's Best Low-Effort Nature Escapes
PublishedHere's a free policy proposal for San Francisco: stop spending millions on wellness programs and just tell people to…
110 Years Ago, San Francisco Threw the World's Greatest 'We're Back' Party
PublishedBefore the Marina was brunch spots and overpriced one-bedrooms, it was the site of the most audacious flex in San…
The Definitive SF Souvenir Guide (That Won't Break the Bank or Your Carry-On)
PublishedSo you're heading out of town and want to bring back a little piece of San Francisco for your coworkers.
Angel Island: The Best Hike You're Not Taking
PublishedHere's a free piece of advice that doesn't require a $7 oat milk latte or a $200 monthly gym membership: get yourself…
415 Forever: When One Area Code Ruled the Entire Bay
PublishedHere's a fun thought experiment: What if the entire Bay Area — San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Walnut Creek, all of…
50,000 Steps, One Friend, and a City That Still Knows How to Remember
PublishedWe spend a lot of time in this space talking about what's broken in San Francisco — the budget bloat, the bureaucratic…
The Freaky Little Fotomat That's Quietly Reviving SF Nightlife
PublishedSan Francisco's nightlife has been on life support for years.
Making Friends in SF Shouldn't Require an App — But Here We Are
PublishedThere's something quietly telling about a city where people routinely turn to the internet to ask strangers to be their…
An EV Festival in Silicon Valley Drew Almost Nobody — And That Actually Tells You Something
PublishedSunnyvale hosted an "Electrify Your Life" festival this past Saturday, promising free test drives of Rivians, Teslas…
Anchor Brewing Rises From the Dead — And Potrero Hill Can Smell It
PublishedSomething is brewing on Potrero Hill. Literally. Workers have been spotted inside the iconic Anchor Brewing facility…
A Reminder That San Francisco Is Still Beautiful — If You Bother to Look
PublishedHere's a take that won't generate angry comments or a Board of Supervisors hearing: San Francisco is still a gorgeous…
Golden Gate Park's Coolest Residents Just Grew by Three
PublishedForget the tech founders, the housing developers, and the city supervisors — the most productive residents in San…
A San Francisco Legend Goes Out on Her Own Terms at 91
PublishedThere's no better way to say it: a San Francisco activist lived exactly the way this city used to promise everyone they…
Wavy Gravy Turns 90: San Francisco's Most Lovable Counterculture Icon Is Still Standing
PublishedLove him or scratch your head at him, Wavy Gravy — born Hugh Nanton Romney, clown prince of the counterculture…
The Wasian Meetup: Peak San Francisco or Just a Normal Day at Dolores Park?
PublishedIf you've spent any time in the Marina or Dolores Park on a sunny afternoon, you already know: San Francisco might just…
The Art of Doing Nothing (Productively) in San Francisco
PublishedHere's a radical idea in a city obsessed with hustle culture and $12 oat milk lattes: take a week off for absolutely no…
Making Friends in the Bay Area Shouldn't Feel Like a Second Job
PublishedA 34-year-old guy posted online this week looking for friends in the Bay Area.