The Dissent

Bex Connolly, City HallMay 29, 2026

Mail Theft Diverted SF Ballots to Gilroy Before Primary — Gilroy Police Recovered at Least One

At least one San Francisco mail-in ballot ended up roughly 80 miles away in Gilroy this primary season after a mail theft suspect intercepted it…

Drew Bennett, Things to DoMay 26, 2026

Where to Actually Meet People on a Weeknight in SF

The Castro on any given Thursday is still the most reliable answer to this question.

Bex Connolly, City HallMay 26, 2026

SF Voter's Ballot Turned Up 80 Miles Away in Gilroy After Mail Theft

A voted San Francisco ballot deposited at the 18th Street post office ended up 80 miles away in Gilroy after being stolen, according to a notice sent…

Casey Wong, NeighborhoodsMay 23, 2026

The Box on the Stoop That the Castro Decided to Keep

On the 400 block of Castro Street, there is a small wooden box at the base of a stoop that has no business being as full as it is.

Drew Bennett, Things to DoMay 23, 2026

Where to Watch the Summer House Reunion in SF: No Good Answer Right Now

Here's the honest situation: there's no confirmed bar in SF currently advertising a Summer House reunion watch party.

General

Castro Neighborhood Altercation Raises the Same Old Question: Who's Looking Out for Public Safety?

A physical altercation in the Castro neighborhood is making the rounds this week, and while details remain sparse, the incident is yet another data…

May 19, 2026

The Castro: Still the Kind of Neighborhood Where a Blown Plan Becomes an Adventure

There's a quiet test of any great neighborhood: what happens when your plans fall apart and you're suddenly on foot with an hour to kill?

May 16, 2026

When Castro Street Was Just a Street: A 1915 Snapshot Worth a Thousand Policy Debates

A photograph from 1915 showing the intersection of 18th and Castro Streets has been making the rounds among local history buffs, and it's the kind of…

May 16, 2026

Events

The Castro Night Market Returns — And It's Exactly What SF Needs More Of

The Castro Night Market is back for 2026, running from March through September, and honestly?

May 16, 2026

The Castro, Captured in Chalk: When Art Reminds Us What We're Fighting to Keep

There's something quietly powerful about seeing a San Francisco neighborhood rendered in pastel — soft, warm, almost nostalgic — when the reality on…

May 14, 2026

Mastering Muni: The Underground Science of Actually Getting Somewhere in SF

There's a certain romance to San Francisco that never quite fades — the fog rolling over Twin Peaks, the Victorian rooflines of the Castro catching…

May 14, 2026

The Indigo Girls Are Playing the Castro Tonight, and Yes, It's Perfect

If there were ever a venue-artist pairing that felt cosmically inevitable, it's the Indigo Girls at the Castro Theatre.

May 13, 2026

Waymo Goes Full Send Into Oncoming Traffic at 14th and Church

A Waymo autonomous vehicle reportedly drove into oncoming traffic near 14th and Church on a recent evening — after randomly stopping in the…

May 13, 2026

Making Friends in SF Is Harder Than Finding a Rent-Controlled Apartment

Here's a truth no one puts in the tourism brochures: San Francisco is one of the loneliest cities in America for newcomers.

May 12, 2026

Food

Another One Gone: Beloved Castro Sushi Spot Eiji Quietly Closes Its Doors

If you wandered past Eiji in the Castro recently hoping for some of the neighborhood's best sushi, you were met with a locked door and a gut punch.

May 11, 2026

Where Did All the Lesbian Bars Go? SF's Queer Nightlife Has a Supply Problem

Here's a question that should embarrass a city that prides itself on being the global capital of LGBTQ+ culture: a lesbian visitor from Canada hops…

May 10, 2026

General

Lost Dog Spotted on Eureka Street — Still Looking for Its Owner

A lost dog was spotted Friday evening near the corner of 21st Street and Eureka in the Castro, and as of the latest reports, the pup still hasn't…

May 9, 2026

Pete Buttigieg Spotted in the Castro — But Let's Talk About His Actual Record

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was spotted strolling through the Castro this week, delighting passersby and snapping photos with fans.

May 6, 2026

The Sidewalk Gauntlet: Petition Season in SF Has Become Unbearable

If you've walked down Castro Street — or really any commercial corridor in San Francisco — lately, you've noticed it: an absolute gauntlet of…

May 4, 2026

Castro Art Mart Returns: First Sundays Get Dragged Up for 2026

The Castro is kicking off 2026 with a recurring reason to actually leave your apartment on a Sunday morning.

May 3, 2026

Why Trans Visitors Keep Falling in Love With SF (And Where They're Actually Going)

A recent post from a couple of trans men visiting from Salt Lake City reminded us of something San Francisco still does better than almost anywhere…

May 3, 2026

Events

The Castro's Monthly Block Party Proves the Best Things in SF Aren't Government-Run

Every first Sunday of the month, a stretch of Noe Street in the Castro transforms into something San Francisco desperately needs more of: a community…

May 3, 2026

Laid Off by DOGE? This Guy Opened a Bottle Shop in the Castro Instead

There's a certain poetry to losing your government job and responding by opening a place where people can drink.

April 30, 2026

Castro Rally Sounds the Alarm on LGBTQ Health Cuts — But Who's Asking the Hard Budget Questions?

Advocates packed the Castro this week to protest proposed cuts to LGBTQ health programs, warning that reductions to organizations like the San…

April 28, 2026

Food

Free Burger for Your Blood: Grand Lake Kitchen's Got the Right Idea

Here's something refreshing: a local business doing genuine community good without a government grant, a task force, or a twelve-month planning…

April 27, 2026

The Castro Theatre Keeps Betting on Live Comedy — And It Might Actually Be Working

The Castro Theatre is hosting comedy powerhouse Jessica Kirson for a live show, and honestly?

April 27, 2026

Olivia Wilde Loves SF. Cool. Can We Talk About the Castro?

Olivia Wilde showed up at the Castro Theatre this week for a screening of her new project The Invite, and apparently she just loves San Francisco.

The Castro Gets a Star-Studded Opening Night — And SF Film Festival Looks Like It's Back

The 2026 SF Film Festival is kicking off in style — and for once, the headline isn't about construction delays or nonprofit budget drama.

Celebrity Gossip Is Not News — But Here's Why SF Keeps Eating It Up

Look, we're not going to sit here and recap which celebrities were spotted at which San Francisco theater this week, or whose baby mama drama is…

Turning 21 During Pride Weekend? Here's Your SF Gay Bar Hop Game Plan

Pride Weekend is approaching fast, and if you're turning 21 and planning to celebrate in the city, congratulations — you've picked possibly the most…

Events

22 Art Exhibits, One Night, Zero Excuses: The Castro Art Walk Returns May 1st

Here's something San Francisco gets unambiguously right: the monthly Castro Art Walk.

April 24, 2026

SF's Lawless Scooter Problem Has a Simple Fix — We Just Won't Do It

Here's how bad the e-scooter situation in San Francisco has gotten: residents are now grateful when a delivery moped driver stops at a red light.

April 22, 2026

The Castro Theatre Gets Its Glow-Up — And It's Actually Beautiful

In a city where seemingly every public project turns into a decade-long saga of budget overruns, community meetings about community meetings, and end…

April 18, 2026

Tech

Peak SF: A Dog Riding Solo in a Waymo at Castro & Market

If you needed a single image to sum up San Francisco in 2026, here it is: a dog, alone, chilling in the back of a Waymo at Castro & Market.

April 13, 2026

Philz Coffee and the Private Equity Pride Wash Cycle

Here's a tale as old as San Francisco capitalism: Build a beloved local brand, drape it in rainbow flags, sell it to private equity, and watch the…

April 13, 2026

Equator Fires a Shot at Philz, and the Castro Is Here for It

The Castro coffee scene just got spicy — and for once, we're not talking about a seasonal latte.

April 12, 2026

A Civic, One Headlight, and a Smile: Walking in SF Shouldn't Be a Near-Death Experience

A pedestrian crossing Church and Market last night — with a walk signal, doing everything right — nearly got killed by a beat-up silver Civic that…

April 8, 2026

Housing

A Bowl of Soup, A Restaurant Owner's Heart, and the Question SF Keeps Dodging

Here's a story that cuts right to the tension at the heart of San Francisco's homelessness crisis — and it starts with a bowl of Greek yogurt chicken…

April 6, 2026

Castro Art Mart Proves You Don't Need City Bureaucracy to Build Community

Every first Sunday of the month, a stretch of Noe Street in the Castro transforms into something San Francisco used to do effortlessly: neighbors…

April 5, 2026

San Francisco's LGBTQ+ Nightlife Scene Is Still a Global Draw — But Is the City Doing Enough to Keep It?

San Francisco has long been a pilgrimage destination for LGBTQ+ travelers from around the world, and that hasn't changed.

April 4, 2026