history

The Little Known Queer History of San Francisco’s Uptown
We began a tradition of bowing to each other. Back when I started working Monday comedy nights at the Rite Spot, it became a regular habit to stop off at the Uptown on my way via the train from Oakland. Like many long time bartenders, my morning is primarily spent

San Francisco Bar Culture is History
By Curt Hopkins It took us until our second tenure in San Francisco to figure out how to eat in the city. Here you flee from fancy food like from a rural outhouse. Fancy food in San Francisco is overhyped, overpriced, and overcooked. Like Jonathan Gold advised Angelenos, it’s best

The San Francisco Beer Passport is Here!
Step into a world of adventure with the San Francisco Beer Passport. There’s no better way to explore San Francisco than to literally drink it in. This passport is amazing! Each one contains 37 coupons to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 37 of the finest locally owned bars,

Hauntings, Demolition, and Murder: The Fascinating History of SF’s City Hall
In 1942, San Francisco City Hall employees began to fear their place of work. Every day, shortly after noon, employees heard five rapping sounds, seemingly emanating from within the walls. This was followed by a brief pause, then another three raps. Nobody could explain the source of these eerie sounds.

From Protest to Puke: The Debasement of SantaCon
For those who don’t participate, SantaCon is an annual spectacle, mildly disorienting and mostly foul. If you’ve ever seen a cluster of self-saboteurs in Santa costumes collectively heaving over a gutter or stumbling about in a daze, you’ve likely been privy to the awe-inspiring merriment of SantaCon. As a writer

The Dark & Disturbing History of the St. Francis Hotel
The Westin St. Francis Hotel looms on the edge of Union Square, bearing silent witness to flocks of tourists and shoppers who likely know nothing of its history. Built in 1904, the St. Francis Hotel is now known to be one of the most haunted hotels in California. Many notable

Black Panther Party Alumni, Punk Artists Join Forces to Revive Radical Roots
It all began here in Oakland 55 years ago: the rise of what would become a global movement for equal civil rights under the law, for oppressed brothers and sisters of every stripe. With a “radical” idea of what equality looks like and a 10-point platform, the Black Panther Party

‘Noodling’ Around San Francisco, a Unique Way to Explore
Hi and welcome to the BAS Weekend Wellness Column! My name is Erynne Elkins and I’m a Well-Being Advocate and Certified Breathwork Facilitator. Every Friday I’ll share a holistic wellness modality available here in the Bay Area. Cheers to good health! The art of noodling around: an aesthetic meditation for

History of the Holocaust is Being Erased in the U.S.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If there’s any truth to George Santayana’s words, the future of the U.S. is remarkably bleak. According to a new study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, young adults in the U.S. are woefully ignorant