“I notice the texture of a block — who's been here thirty years, who just moved in.”
Twin Peaks: The Best Free Thing in a City That Charges You for Everything
PublishedIn a city where a one-bedroom apartment runs $3,200 a month and a mediocre burrito somehow costs $18, it's worth…
China Beach: SF's Hidden Gem That Doesn't Need a Government Program to Be Beautiful
PublishedSometimes the best things about San Francisco have nothing to do with city hall, budget line items, or the latest round…
Forget Goat Yoga: A Milpitas Cow Sanctuary Wants You to Hug a Bovine
PublishedLook, the Bay Area wellness scene has given us everything from $18 adaptogenic lattes to sound baths in converted…
Want to Sail Under the Golden Gate? Here's the Reality Check You Need
PublishedThere's a certain breed of San Francisco daydream that hits different.
The Golden Gate at Sunset: The One Thing SF Gets Right Every Single Day
PublishedSay what you will about San Francisco — the budget bloat, the bureaucratic maze, the $1.7 million public toilets — but…
Dolores Park Is Perfect. The Influencers Filming There Are Not.
PublishedIf you were anywhere near Dolores Park this past weekend, you already know: San Francisco was doing its thing.
Mount Diablo: Mysterious Landmark or Giant Alien Egg? You Decide.
PublishedLook, we love the Bay Area's natural landmarks as much as anyone.
Finally, BART Ad Space Used for Something That Doesn't Make You Want to Close Your Eyes
PublishedHere's a sentence we never thought we'd write: BART just got a little more charming.
CubaCaribe Hits 20: Two Decades of Keeping Diasporic Culture Alive in SF
PublishedThere's something quietly remarkable about any arts organization making it to 20 years in San Francisco — a city that…
Compton's Cafeteria: How Much Landmark Is Enough Landmark?
PublishedHere's a question that perfectly encapsulates San Francisco's unique talent for turning straightforward things into…
Breaking: The Sky Did Something Beautiful and the Government Had Nothing to Do With It
PublishedSan Francisco delivered one of its trademark stunners last night — a jaw-dropping sunset that painted the skyline in…
SF's Greatest Safe-Cracking Mystery Ends With $20 and a Ghost Bar Drink Chip
PublishedSometimes San Francisco delivers exactly the kind of story this city deserves — not a tale of billion-dollar budget…
Finding Your Next Tattoo Artist in SF and Oakland: A Free Market of Ink
PublishedSan Francisco and Oakland have long been home to some of the most talented tattoo artists in the country — a thriving…
Thirty Years Later, a Couple Finally Cashed In on Their San Francisco Dream
PublishedThere's a version of the San Francisco story we hear constantly — the one where people leave.
Free Laughs, No Taxes Required: SF and Oakland's Free Comedy Nights Are the Best Deal in the Bay
PublishedIn a city where a mediocre cocktail runs you $19 and a one-bedroom apartment costs more than a mortgage in most of…
SF's Loneliness Economy: Why Making Friends in This City Shouldn't Require a Strategy Guide
PublishedHere's a fun paradox: San Francisco is one of the most densely packed, hyper-connected cities on the planet, and yet an…
The Best Free Thing in the Bay Area Is Right Under Your Nose (and Your Paddleboard)
PublishedHere's something that costs almost nothing, requires zero permits, and doesn't involve a single city bureaucrat…
The Bay Area's Best Gallery Has No Walls
PublishedForget the overpriced gallery openings with $18 natural wine and artists who need a paragraph-long statement to explain…
Sutro Tower: San Francisco's Weirdest Landmark Is Apparently a Mother Now
PublishedIf you've lived in San Francisco for more than fifteen minutes, you've developed a relationship with Sutro Tower — that…
Good Night, San Francisco: A Love Letter From Across the Bay
PublishedThere's something quietly beautiful about the way the Bay Area works.
Free Tokens and Cheap Thrills: Emporium's Monday Industry Night Is the Move
PublishedIf you work in the restaurant, bar, or service industry in San Francisco — and let's be honest, a staggering number of…
ArtSmart Hits a Decade — But Is Anyone Asking Where the Money Goes?
PublishedArtSmart is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a gala, and hey — congratulations are in order.
Free Choir, No Strings Attached: Choral Pride Wants You to Sing
PublishedHere's something refreshing: a community organization that doesn't want your tax dollars, doesn't need a government…
The Outer Sunset Cleans Up Its Own Streets — No City Budget Required
PublishedHere's a radical concept that somehow keeps surprising people: when government doesn't get the job done, regular San…
Bazaar Writers Salon: SF's Literary Scene Proves Culture Doesn't Need a Government Grant
PublishedThere's something refreshing about a creative community that just...
CBS Workers Score a Tentative Deal — But Who's Really Winning?
PublishedCBS workers have reached a tentative contract agreement, averting what could have been a messy labor disruption at one…
Hunky Jesus Returns to Dolores Park, Because Of Course It Does
PublishedHappy Easter, San Francisco — the only city where the holiday's most talked-about event isn't an egg hunt but a contest…
Golden Gate Park's Roller Disco Is the Free Fun City Hall Can't Ruin
PublishedEvery Sunday, something borderline magical happens in Golden Gate Park — and it costs taxpayers exactly zero dollars.
Castro Art Mart Proves You Don't Need City Bureaucracy to Build Community
PublishedEvery first Sunday of the month, a stretch of Noe Street in the Castro transforms into something San Francisco used to…
Oakland Museum's Free First Sundays: A Rare Case of a Government-Adjacent Institution Getting It Right
PublishedHere's something you don't hear us say often: a publicly supported institution is doing something smart with community…