America’s Cup is in full swing and it’s also an artist’s gateway to creative expression . Sketch artists and live painters were invited to tap into their genius as San Francisco hosts a premier sailing competition which dates back to 1851. Cityscape Impressionist Michael Rodman was among 50 artists toting a canvas and easel to a vantage…
No one knows where Sutro Sam came from, but he’s living up to the legacy of his adopted space. The River Otter who somehow landed in the ruins of Sutro Baths late last year, is as much of a marvel as the baths itself. This one-time spectacle of 19th century swimming pools named after former…
Table tennis and competitive sailing really aren’t strange bedfellows. Both are made up of team spirit, enthusiasm, cultural bonding and can easily go down big on the same day as a spectator sport in San Francisco. Just as San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee celebrated the second annual Chinatown Sunday Streets and Ping Pong tournament, he…
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen defines local, social, sustainable and the food is off the charts delectable. Food and Wine ranked them one of the best restaurant openings of 2010 and they’re about to open a second restaurant in the Mission. Down the street from AT&T park, this gourmet sandwich shop touting artisanal ingredients is truly…
The Presidio’s famed Montgomery Row is evolving into a vibrant neighborhood for business, tourists and locals alike. Buildings once occupied by soldiers serving during a span of conflicts – from the Spanish-American War to the Vietnam War – are gradually being prepped for a new era. Revamped to accommodate 2012 telecommunications and LEED standards, one…
Flash Mob paid tribute to Rhythm Nation this weekend with dancers donning black leather and powerful moves. The Castro was their encore destination in a day of street dance that stopped trains on the tracks. The ‘F’ line had to pause for the four minute performance much to the delight of passengers. Who are these impromptu…
Alfred Hitchcock made several movies with scenes in San Francisco — with lavish backdrops like the Flood Mansion in Nob Hill, Grace Cathedral, Mission Dolores, Union Square, Palace of the Legion of Honor and of course the Golden Gate Bridge. One of his most memorable films shot here is Vertigo, made in 1957. Starring James…
Zoo Station – a Bay area U2 tribute band – rolled through San Francisco on a flatbed to electrify the crowd at the tail end of the 161st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade – and they were running on all cylinders. Dubbed “The Complete U2 Experience” vocalist Bonalmost (Joshua Fryvecind) has a remarkable resemblance to…
Dolores Park — one of the greatest people watching spots in San Francisco — has slowly been “loved to death” according to Parks and Rec. This magnetic space is scheduled to undergo a multi-million dollar facelift starting this Fall with sections closed off to the public for a two-year span. An occasional celebrity site: Mark…
Crowds of constituents made their way to City Hall to watch San Francisco’s 43rd Mayor be sworn into office. Viewers were four and five rows deep leaning off balconies for a vantage point to see Mayor Ed Lee take the oath of office administered by Senator Dianne Feinstein. People were hanging over yellow taped off…
The O’Brien family is the trumpet playing equivalent of the Von Trapp family of singers. The children range in age from 12 to 17 — all accomplished musical artists with a dream. Their father instilled in each of them a love of melody from an early age, and they’ve taken his inspiration to new heights.…
Touched and moved by Andrew Clancy’s A Year in New York, I set out to assemble my own video tribute to San Francisco. ‘We Don’t Eat’ by Irishman James Vincent McMorrow is a beautiful and awe-inspiring song. Using video I shot throughout the year, these images reflect the San Francisco I live and breathe every…
One of the best kept secrets in San Francisco is docked down at Pier 45. The S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien‘s all-volunteer crew keeps this Landmark WWII Liberty Ship immaculate and seaworthy. Liberty Ships were a critical part of the war effort, transporting everything from trucks, food, medicine, weaponry and more to allied troops in Europe and…
The Castro Street Fair is an October tradition founded by Harvey Milk back in 1974 — and this year the theme was “The Happiest Place in San Francisco.” Brilliant and true — it was the cusp of the Castro, Duboce Circle, that was my first home in this rousing metropolis back in 2005. This is a…
Postcards from SF 