San Francisco custom made gifts are the buzz this holiday season, as independent marketplaces sprout up across the city. This weekend SFMade‘s Holiday Gift Fair, the Lower Haight Holiday Art walk, Remodelista Holiday Market, the Crucible’s Holiday Gifty Fair and Hayes Valley Holiday Block Party are just a few venues where shoppers can grab original designs. One destination…
The title of Allen Ginsberg’s noted poem – once considered too obscene by authorities to sell at City Lights – is now celebrated on baby onesies in the window of the famed bookstore in San Francisco’s North Beach. Some 57 years after the beat scene dawned, the era is remembered and revered on every corner.…
Woody Allen is filming in San Francisco after a 40-year hiatus and Twitter is lighting up daily with crew sightings. I had the good fortune of catching up with them on Saturday as they set up shop for another day of shooting at 14th and Van Ness in the Mission to film scenes that included…
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…
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…
Anthony Holdsworth is a well-known San Francisco/Oakland artist who’s been commissioned to take part in an exhibition celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. SFMOMA Gallery will present a collection of tributes to this iconic structure in May. I had the good fortune of catching up with him as he embarked on the…
John Vicino is an enchanting and memorable gift to tourists winding down their San Francisco holiday. As 2011 comes to a close, all the streets are wet and the skies are gray, but that only enhances the atmosphere as one soaks up the soothing sounds of this compelling musician — especially against a backdrop of…
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…
The Highland Games is about more than hefting poles and tossing hammers. It is the brilliant backdrop for a co-creative dance of artists and musicians each moving to their own rhythm. I am always moved by artists who want you to appreciate their vision and inspire you to feel the vibration that feeds their soul. While…
Sunday Streets 2011 promises to be the longest season yet – with the street party offering up a double dose of entertainment in September. It’s not yet on the website calendar, but organizers say September 18th will be the big day for Chinatown/North Beach. There’s also a city-wide ping pong tournament about to be officially announced.…
It’s the kiss that’s lasted 66 years. In the words of the late Edith Shain who claimed to be the nurse at Broadway and 45th — the photo embodies “hope, love, peace and tomorrow”. A 6-foot statue of that iconic image is now on tour and inspired many an embrace during a visit to…
Donald Kinney uncovers the timeless splendor of this majestic body of water one ripple at a time. He has spent years studying Lagunitas Creek in West Marin from just about every angle — yet each time he returns, a new luminous pattern emerges right before his lens. Multiple elements have to align in order for Donald…
Danny Bobbi plays magnetic tunes to ignite memories of enchanted evenings and crimson roses. From North Beach to Union Square, he plays for the lovers and the dreamers. What makes Danny Bobbi shine – aside from his talent – is his gracious nature. A smile and a kind word sets his day as much as…
Julie Michelle records San Francisco history by embracing the stories of strangers and bringing their words to life through inventive imagery. Her photos celebrate the city spirit against cultural murals, vintage doorways, turn-of-the-century glass, and tile stairwells dripping with coral, indigo and parrot green. She is in love with color, nature, design and all San…
Postcards from SF 