I love to attend concerts year round, but there’s just something about catching a show in the summertime that feels so good. It could be the memories of all those high school and college breaks, when the feeling of freedom followed me to every concert. Or the fact that many summer shows take place outdoors, with green grass, starry skies, and warm summer breezes part of the experience. Here in the city, it’s certainly not the warm summer air that makes us come out to enjoy a good show. Nonetheless, we do come out. This season, a particularly great assortment of acts descends upon us, from Jay Z and Beyoncé’s debut at AT&T Park, to the spectacular lineup at this year’s Outside Lands, to Sir Paul McCartney’s farewell concert at Candlestick Park. Whether you... Read More
Part three of a four-part series Perhaps all of San Francisco’s heated political debates about growth would be solved if people could just live in those Google buses. The fam... Read More
The reason 2460 Lombard Street in the Marina has been a vacant blight for many years rather than a Pet Food Express (PFE) replete with a $2 million renovation has nothing to do wit... Read More
SEARCHING HILL & CO. If you’re looking for a home but you don’t feel like dragging yourself all the way over to Hill & Co’s 1880 Lombard office, or to its... Read More
Lorenzo Petroni, whose North Beach Restaurant is one of the finest in this city known for its excellent dining spots, died May 27 after a long and debilitating illness. It was just... Read More
DAWDLING THROUGH NORTH BEACH My buddy James Melling, the Gentleman Trencherman of North Beach as I frequently call him, has a habit. Actually, it’s a good habit, and I wouldn... Read More
A model of Jedi Master Yoda might be remembered as the symbol of the moment in history when San Francisco decided it wasn’t interested in growing — culturally or economical... Read More
Skin is our largest organ and serves as an important alert system for internal imbalances in digestion, hormones, immune function, and inflammatory processes. Standard treatment is... Read More
When thinking of palm trees in San Francisco, the Embarcadero immediately comes to mind. But the state’s oldest Canary Island Desert Palm sits right on Union Street, in front... Read More
Kill switches work. That’s the conclusion of a report by state attorneys general and other law enforcement officials. “Secure Our Smartphones,” released in June, ... Read More
The words “free” and “San Francisco” may seem like a bit of an oxymoron these days. With rents skyrocketing and the housing market red-hot, it is easy to fe... Read More
Allow me to get a little onomatopoeic … ka-boom! The Fourth of July is the summer’s major party in the good ol’ US of A — and the noisiest celebration of the ye... Read More
Chestnut Street is no stranger to Fireball, the trendy cinnamon whiskey that’s burning through bars. But you won’t find the label’s flame-headed demon at Delarosa... Read More
Many common pesticides on the market today are not only harmful to beneficial insects and birds, but also seep through our groundwater and storm drains, and eventually into our wat... Read More
The Trader’s Joe’s Fearless Flyer arrived in my mail, and I was captured by the “Cookie Butter” article. What on earth was cookie butter? Just think about &... Read More
In 1979, 20th Century Fox unleashed a new-wave science fiction/horror film called Alien. Basically a haunted house movie set in space, it featured a cat named Jones, one of (spoile... Read More
Tripping hither, tripping thither, Nobody knows why or wither! We must dance and we must sing, Roundabout our fairy ring. — from Iolanthe by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan Repe... Read More
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American soccer was like a drug-addicted guy who lived on a ratty boat in a shabby marina. For decades, it seemed as if American soccer would never get its life together. But at so... Read More
You know what I like best about living in San Francisco? The air! Yep, the air is so fresh and invigorating I can hardly stand it. On our roof deck, the breeze brings so many wonde... Read More
I always buy chicken with the bones and the skin — first, because it’s more cost effective, and second, because the bones and skin impart so much flavor and moisture as the... Read More
Sacramento is known for its history, politics, and the river that runs through it. It’s also a great base from which to explore the region. This trip, a girlfriend and I stay... Read More
November’s general election is shaping up to be another one in which voters will be confronted with multiple options for addressing the same problem: the rising cost of city ... Read More
Boys in the Boat, by Daniel Brown The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green City of Thieves, by David Benioff This Is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper Gone Girl, by Gillian Flyn... Read More
A woman in her late 60s approached timidly one afternoon while Skylar and I were sitting in the park. “Is that a pit bull?” she asked. “Yes,” I said. “... Read More
Schroeder’s, one of the oldest San Francisco restaurants — it was established in 1893 — has reopened after undergoing some sensitive renovations. They were sensitive beca... Read More
PRESIDIO Now open is the new restaurant from the Presidio Trust, Traci Des Jardins, and Bon Appétit Management Company: The Commissary (101 Montgomery Street, 415-561-3600). This ... Read More
Jazzy had a big, bold personality with an independent streak a mile wide. She loved children more than any dog I’ve ever known. If she saw a group of them playing in the park... Read More
In an astonishing feat that echoes and even trumps some aspects of his time-spanning Before trilogy, filmmaker Richard Linklater has produced Boyhood, a thoroughly engaging, often ... Read More
