SF History

Five Easy Essentials for a Delightful Day at Dolores Park
To enjoy a pain-free and enjoyable day at Dolores Park, it’s essential to pack sunscreen, a trusty towel or blanket, treats for yourself and friends, a good book, and a plastic bag for party garbage.

Why Downtown San Francisco Is Struggling
Downtown San Francisco is struggling, not because of WFH (work from home), COVID, or even the tech industry’s great abdication. It’s in trouble because it was made to struggle, by force and design. The city’s upper-right quadrant, where it first emerged from the water like some Silurian hexapod, has undergone

Historic Building vs. Fire Station: A Fight Nobody Wants
447 Battery Might Be Stripped of Historic Designation What might happen if the precedent of removing historic designation succeeds? What’s the historic designation program? What does it entail? And why? In San Francisco, historic preservation has a reputation corroded by bad neighbors who want to preserve views. Armchair spectators imagine

The Gospel of Glam: SF Celebrated David Bowie’s Legacy at Bowie Bash
San Franciscans celebrated David Bowie’s legacy at the 14th annual Bowie Bash, which featured drag, burlesque, and puppetry. A night of live music, dance, and inclusivity.

When Will We Predict Earthquakes?
Scientists have not yet figured out how to predict earthquakes, as they have not been able to find any differences between minor and major quakes, and the Earth does not have any information about the magnitude of an earthquake before it begins.

Alcatraz Day Tours: Buy 1 Get 1 Tickets FREE for Locals!
For Bay Area locals, this is easily the best time to visit Alcatraz. Not only because it’s off-season (crowds are half the size as they are during the rest of the year) but because Alcatraz City Cruises is offering locals “Buy One, Get One” free BOGO tickets for day tours

Cable Cars In Danger Amid Budget Crisis
The proposed budget cut to SFMTA could save $33 million a year by suspending service on the last of the city’s cable car lines, which would save $63 million by reducing service frequency on busy bus and train lines, and $14 million by suspending cable car and historic streetcar service.

My Daniel Lurie Wishlist
Daniel Lurie, the Mayor-elect of San Francisco, has a lot of problems to solve, including reversing the Tenderloin policy, rolling back policies that punish city residents, and making city streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians.