Keep on with the keep-on

San Franciscans detest change. There’s a constant drive for things nostalgic. I suppose I am one of the worst offenders with my nattering on about how San Francisco was a spa... Read More

Reynolds Rap

Proposed Broadway liquor moratorium: Hypocrisy and politics reign

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

During a recent break in my KGO Radio gig on the “Cooking with Ryan Scott” show, one of our guests, Chris Wanner, approached me. Wanner is the state manager for Sidney ... Read More

Back Story

A Broadway kaleidoscope: The golden age of North Beach street life

By Ernest Beyl

The nineteen sixties — if your personal history allows you to remember back that far — gave us the golden age of Broadway, that southern boundary of North Beach. At least that&... Read More

North Beach Journal

An idler’s perfect day in the neighborhood

By Ernest Beyl

The other day in North Beach, I put my head on shuffle and wandered around aimlessly — a flaneur, if you will. No set destination or mission, nothing on my mind. And I had one of... Read More

Reynolds Rap

Riding the rolling cubicles, tech workers are tourists in their own town

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

For more than a decade, private buses have carted workers south from San Francisco. They were barely noticed until the latest tech boom hit and companies like Twitter took Mayor Ed... Read More

North Beach Journal

Your columnist hits the streets and comes up with trivial trivia

By Ernest Beyl

Being a columnist — even for such an august publication as the Marina Times — has its ups and downs. When the going is good and the words flow along in proper order, being a co... Read More

Back Story

The horse that swam the Golden Gate

By Ernest Beyl

“The Horse that Swam the Golden Gate.” I love that headline. Even before my friend Jimmy Schein told me about Blackie — the horse we’re talking about here — I... Read More

Back Story

A holiday tea party and a dear john letter

By Ernest Beyl

The other day I was invited to a tea party. Now, I don’t usually go to tea parties — not my cup of tea, I am emboldened to add. As you may know, I’m more of a salooni... Read More

North Beach Journal

Italian sausage, an antique map or a marching band

By Ernest Beyl

Because the year-end holidays are approaching, I want to make a few gift suggestions from North Beach. So here is Ernesto’s Gift Guide — a sketchy compilation of esoteric, ... Read More

Times Travelers

Machu Picchu

Terri Thornton and husband Jeffery Roloff brought along some good reading material for their visit to Machu Picchu (photo: courtesy terri thornton) ... Read More

Reynolds Rap

What you can do: Ways to make a difference this holiday season

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

A day never went by that my mother didn’t remind me of how fortunate we were to have our health, a home, each other, and food to eat. She got me into volunteering and donatin... Read More

Bellingham by the Bay

Polka dots for Christmas

By

It occurred to me the other day how many things from the past always seem to come back. Mostly bad things — T.B. …yellow fever … Tom DeLay. Some things remain incurab... Read More

North Beach Journal

Ferlinghetti Plaza, signs of the times and highly important trivia

By Ernest Beyl

Is this a sign of the times, or is it just the season of the glitch? I received an e-mail from the law offices of that mover and sometimes-persistent shaker, Angela Alioto. It read... Read More

North Beach Journal

People, places and pleasures in the neighborhood

By Ernest Beyl

ANGELA’S BASHES Angela Alioto announced an on-again-off-again bash recently — a press conference to make an announcement about the Piazza St. Francis. You will remember tha... Read More

Back Story

The evolution of San Francisco newspapers from 1846 until today, Part 3

Three part series

By Ernest Beyl

Correction: Before launching into Part 3 of this series, let me correct an error in Part 2. Harry Rabin, a San Francisco City Guide called it to my attention. I confused Commodore ... Read More

Features