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…
The Presidio is an artistic landscape of wilderness and historic military hallmarks taking on new dimensions. The one-time homes of Army Officers are now $4,000 a month rentals for young families looking for that classically simple lifestyle within the boundaries of the big city. And as the onslaught of entrepreneurs and technology workers converges on San…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
I believe we live in a world of understanding. But sometimes I wonder where a story gets its twist. “Holiday shoppers find beggars less than ducky,” graced the SF Chronicle recently — the tale of a homeless man who quacks like a duck and reportedly scares tourists. Somehow I doubt that’s why San Francisco slipped…
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…
Postcards from SF 