“I notice the texture of a block — who's been here thirty years, who just moved in.”
Angel Island's Dark History Deserves Better Than Silence — A New Theater Project Steps Up
PublishedIf you grew up in the Bay Area, you probably visited Angel Island on a school field trip.
Scientology's SF Church Has a Trespassing Problem, and It's Exactly as Weird as You Think
PublishedSan Francisco's Church of Scientology is dealing with an unusual security headache: groups of people attempting to…
SF's Jazz Scene Is Alive and Well — Here's Where to Find It
PublishedSan Francisco has a lot of problems. A thriving jazz scene isn't one of them. Whether you're celebrating a birthday…
A Guy With a Hot Coffee Reminded Us Why We Live Here
PublishedWe spend a lot of time at The Dissent talking about what's broken in San Francisco — the budget bloat, the bureaucratic…
May the Fourth Be With You, From the Birthplace of Star Wars
PublishedHappy Star Wars Day, Bay Area. May the Fourth be with you. Look, we don't do a lot of fluff pieces here at The Dissent…
When San Francisco Actually Gets It Right
PublishedWe spend a lot of time around here pointing out what's broken in this city — the budget bloat, the bureaucratic…
Your Tax Dollars Already Paid for It — Now Get In Free
PublishedHere's a rare piece of good news for your wallet in a city that seems purpose-built to drain it: several of San…
Academy of Art Fashion Students Prove SF Still Makes Things Worth Looking At
PublishedSan Francisco has a reputation problem. Between the doom-loop narratives and the tech layoffs, it's easy to forget that…
Alcatraz Has a Coyote Now, Because Of Course It Does
PublishedJust when you thought Alcatraz couldn't get any more cinematic, the National Park Service has revealed the surprising…
Inside Murphy Windmill: Golden Gate Park's Coolest Hidden Gem You've Never Seen
PublishedMost San Franciscans have driven past the Murphy Windmill at the western edge of Golden Gate Park a hundred times…
May the Fourth Be With You, From the Presidio's Finest
PublishedHappy belated May the Fourth, San Francisco.
Five Hours In and Vibes Are Immaculate — But Let's Talk About the Other 19
PublishedA visitor recently declared their love for San Francisco after spending just five hours here, and honestly?
Angel Island's Dark History Deserves More Than a Footnote — A New Project Aims to Fix That
PublishedIf you grew up in the Bay Area, there's a decent chance your knowledge of Angel Island begins and ends with a middle…
Big Tech Just Solved Homelessness: By Paying This Guy to Make It Look Fun
PublishedExclusive Leak: Drew from TeamDrew106 isn't "voluntarily poor" — he's a $250K/year Senior Street Experience Evangelist…
The Odds Are Good But The Goods Are Odd: An Honest Look at SF's Dating Market
PublishedEvery few weeks, the same question pops up from a twenty-something woman somewhere on the East Coast: Should I move to…
The Great Gem Art Exchange: SF Crafters Going Peer-to-Peer to Dodge Amazon
PublishedThere's a quiet little revolution happening in San Francisco's crafting community, and honestly, it's the kind of…
California Lost Its Hype Man — And Maybe That Says Everything
PublishedHere's a question nobody in Sacramento is asking but maybe should be: Who is California's cheerleader in 2026?
May the Fourth Be With You, San Francisco
PublishedHappy May the Fourth, SF. The unofficial Star Wars holiday has once again descended upon the city, and honestly, in a…
A Reminder That the Best Things in the Bay Area Are Still Free
PublishedHere's a radical concept in a region where a one-bedroom apartment costs more than a mortgage in most American cities…
The Presidio's Best-Kept Secret: Lucasfilm's Lobby Is Worth the Trek
PublishedIf you've lived in San Francisco for any length of time and haven't wandered through the Lucasfilm campus at One…
Chonkers the Sea Lion: The Only Government-Free Public Service San Francisco Actually Loves
PublishedIn a city where half the public infrastructure is broken, a 2,000-pound sea lion has become our most reliable tourist…
Sutro Tower: The Ugly Landmark We'd Fight Anyone Over
PublishedThere's something deeply San Franciscan about falling in love with a 977-foot steel trident that looks like it was…
Your Tax Dollars Already Paid for It — Might as Well Go: Legion of Honor Free Day Is Every First Tuesday
PublishedHere's a rare case where the city actually gives something back to you without adding a new fee, surcharge, or…
San Francisco Loses a Giant: Gap Cofounder Doris Fisher Dead at 94
PublishedDoris Fisher, the San Francisco native who cofounded Gap with her late husband Don Fisher in 1969, has died at 94.
Two Landmarks, One Skyline: What Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge Tell Us About SF's Best Era of Building
PublishedTake a look at Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge sitting side by side against the San Francisco skyline, and you're looking…
The Presidio's Best Resident Doesn't Pay Rent and Nobody's Complaining
PublishedHappy May the 4th, San Francisco. While the city grapples with budget deficits, homeless encampments, and a transit…
Escape the City, Embrace the Fog: Purisima Creek Preserve Is Your Free Weekend Reset
PublishedHere's a radical idea for your weekend: instead of dropping $18 on a cortado and sitting in a concrete parklet that the…
The $2K Work Bag: Peak SF Tech Leadership Energy
PublishedThere's a very specific genre of San Francisco professional that only exists here: someone who needs a single bag that…
Golden Gate Park's Best Free Deal and Its Cutest New Residents
PublishedSpring has officially arrived in Golden Gate Park, and it's bringing two things San Franciscans love: free stuff and…
A Reminder That San Francisco Has One Cultural Freebie That's Actually Worth Your Time
PublishedHere's something that won't cost you a dime in a city that seems determined to nickel-and-dime you into oblivion: the…