Marina Times -

Reynolds Rap

The Amazon in the room

Bezos: “Alexa, buy me something from Whole Foods”

— Jeff Lewis (@ChicagoPhotoSho) on Twitter

When local small-business success story Pet Food Express wanted to open in a blighted, long-vacant building on Lombard Street, pet stores as far away as Pacifica formed a coalition to stop them. At community meetings, owner after owner talked about the adverse effect a “chain” would have on their livelihood, but what struck me was that not one of them mentioned the elephant in the room — online sales — and in particular the biggest elephant of them all, Amazon.com.... Read More

Bellingham by the Bay

Christmas in July

by Bruce Bellingham

Do you recall that song from Chubby Checker from the 1960s, “Let’s Twist Again (like we did last summer)”? Well, I recall this. Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer were dancing on... Read More

Left: Edgar Degas, The Millinery Shop, 1879–1886; right: James Tissot, The Shop Girl, 1883–1885. Images courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Arts & Culture

Painters, Paris, and hats at the Legion of Honor

by Lynette Majer

While Degas is most often associated with his renderings of women as ballerinas, Degas, Impressionism, and the Paris Millinery Trade, presents a lesser well known, yet equally note... Read More

Bruschetta at Calzone's Pizza Cucina. photo: Misha Bruk

Hungry Palate

Calzone’s Pizza Cucina: A scene out of a Fellini movie

by Ernest Beyl

As readers of the Marina Times will know, I am a voracious diner in North Beach. Not only do I occasionally review restaurants, but also annually write a column, The Ernestos: Best... Read More

The Best of Books

The Marina Books Inc. best-seller list

Compiled by Brian Pettus Man of the Year: A Memoir, by Lou Cove (hardcover) A Really Big Lunch: Meditations on Food and Life from the Roving Gourmand, by Jim Harrison (hardcover) ... Read More

Christian Friedel as Georg Elser in 13 Minutes. Photo: Bernd Schuller, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Movie Reviews

Historically cinematic

by Michael Snyder

Some astute fellow from back in the day said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If only I could recall who that was. Just kidding. The quote come... Read More

Silverado Resort and Spa is a great place to settle in. Photo: Silverado Resort and Spa

Weekend Traveler

Sample the Silverado Trail

by Patty Burness

Spawling Napa Valley offers acres of verdant land, popular wineries, restaurants, and hotels — a lot to take on for a quick visit. Recently I spent time along the Silverado Trail... Read More

Supervisor's Report

Education for all requires investment from all

by Aaron Peskin

My friend andy recently celebrated a milestone graduation. There was a cap and gown, a crisp diploma, a clip-on tie — and plenty of cake. Andy graduated from kindergarten at Gor... Read More

What's the right weight for you? photo: istockphoto.com

Wellness

Weight loss strategies

by Thalia Farshchian

America’s weight-loss industry is a $60 billion industry while our country continues to struggle with a heart disease and diabetes epidemic. Aside from chronic conditions that ca... Read More

Alfred's Steakhouse reopens. Photo: flickr.com/jeremybrooks

The Tablehopper

Alfred’s reopens, upper Fillmore gets some action, and a summer beer garden

by Marcia Gagliardi

FINANCIAL DISTRICT Great news, buckaroos. Alfred’s (659 Merchant Street, 415-781-7058, alfredssf.com) has finally reopened after that nasty fire in the basement back in April. Yo... Read More

Enter Stage Left

Waltzing through time: A body inventory

by Evalyn Baron

After The Ball — a popular waltz written in 1891 by Charles K. Harris — tells the story of a gentleman who sees his beloved kissing another man at a festive party, whereupon he... Read More

Supervisor's Report

The rebirth of Mountain Lake Park Playground: The three amazing women who made it happen

by Supervisor Mark E. Farrell

Parks and open spaces are San Francisco’s great equalizer. They are free to anyone, from any age and neighborhood, to use and enjoy as they wish. They enhance our quality of life... Read More

Sophie Calle, Voir la mer (detail), 2011 - Courtesy Sophie Calle/Adagp, Paris, 2017, Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, Fraenkel Gallery, and Galerie Perrotin

Arts & Culture

Missing by Sophie Calle at the San Francisco waterfront this summer

by Sharon Anderson

Through Aug. 20, French conceptual artist Sophie Calle brings her installation Missing to San Francisco. This exhibition, presented by the Fort Mason Center for the Arts & Cult... Read More

Look for another round of widespread media coverage of homelessness in San Francisco this summer.

Real Estate Reporter

City changing neighborhood by neighborhood

by John Zipperer

YOU MUST PAY THE RENT The good folks at Zumper have released their Summer 2017 edition of their map showing rental rates across San Francisco’s many neighborhoods. Despite all of... Read More

Real Estate Investor

Ending a housing crisis

by John Zipperer

Seemingly everybody in this city talks about the housing crisis. Now, some state lawmakers are trying to do something about it. I recently discussed this with my political roundtab... Read More

Painting won't look good or last long without preparation. photo: istockphoto.com

Home & Garden

Paint for a new perspective

by Julia Strzesieski

Summer is a great time for a home improvement painting project. This is a project that even novices can take on, and painting a room is one of the quickest ways to get a lot of ban... Read More

North Beach Journal

The Cellar, legacy businesses, and Elvis Christ has left the neighborhood

by Ernest Beyl

POETRY AND JAZZ In the spring of 1957, poetry and jazz co-mingled as an art form in the Cellar, a basement nightclub in North Beach. The Cellar, 576 Green Street, is long gone and... Read More

Coastal Commuter

To beret or not to beret

by Michael Snyder

I wear a beret. Pretty much all of the time. In fact, it’s become kind of a trademark over the years. Some may think of it as an odd affectation. I mean, who wears a beret? S... Read More

Police Blotter

Smash-and-grabs and death: Perils in the city

The Northside ended spring having experienced two murders. Early on May 20 on the 100 block of Alhambra Street, a man believed to be homeless was found to have suffered a gunshot w... Read More

Make reading fun for your kids during the summer. photo: istockphoto.com

MomSense

How to encourage summer reading

by Liz Farrell

One of the best things about summer for me is a break from the constant nagging about homework and having to stick to a rigid nightly routine. However, research shows that our chil... Read More