An ongoing public project has finally finished after delays over the proposed cost of $1.7 million—and it was all for a public toilet. Yes, you read that right—a public toilet in Noe Valley was initially supposed to cost $1.7 million. The toilet officially opened to the public on April 15. Thankfully, due to donations, the real cost came down to roughly $300,000, which still isn’t cheap, but it’s a far cry from the original estimate. The Noe Valley Restroom Project garnered a lot of controversy when the early rough estimate for the custom, single-unit toilet for Noe Valley Town Square reached ..read more

San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts is one of the city’s most captivating landmarks, if not for its stunning architecture then for its cameos in movies and TV. How much do you know about this free attraction in the Marina? A Brief History of the Palace of Fine Arts When and why was the Palace of Fine Arts built? The Palace of Fine Arts was built as a temporary exhibition space for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a world fair that gave the city a chance to celebrate the construction of the Panama Canal as well as SF’s recovery from the 1906 earthquake. Architect Bernard R. May ..read more

Any Bay Area resident perks up when it comes to sustainable living. The secondhand industry influences even the most forward-thinking fashionistas and home decorators, and we’re lucky to have a bountiful thrifting scene here in the Bay. Do you know where to find the best thrift stores in San Francisco? We asked our Instagram followers for their recommendations, and they didn’t disappoint! Read on to discover some must-try secondhand spots for a day of shopping, all recommended by locals. Want more inspiration? Make sure to scroll through our list of the best vintage clothing shops in SF. 1. Cr ..read more

Cinco de Mayo, often mistaken as Mexico’s Independence Day, commemorates Mexico’s underdog victory against France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In Mexico, the day’s importance has faded over time, but its significance in the US has grown substantially as a time to celebrate Mexican-American culture. If you like to celebrate this unofficial holiday every year, we’ve put together a little guide about the best events and things to do this Cinco de Mayo 2024 in San Francisco. 1. Join the Cinco de Mayo Festival at District Six @districtsixsf on Instagram District Six presents a lively Cinco ..read more

Google announced it will block California news for an unspecified number of Californians. The move is in response to the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), which the tech giant has been fighting for years. Called the “link tax,” the state law would require Google and other similar tech companies to pay outlets for their news coverage. What is the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA)? The law is intended to help news organizations make money as the industry struggles with recent layoffs.  The bill is described as a “journalism usage fee” and is intended to support not ..read more

The Museum of the African Diaspora recently opened two new captivating exhibitions. !!!!! by painter Rachel Jones and Unruly Navigations, which includes 10 different artists and over 20 works. Both exhibitions opened at MoAD on March 27 and will run through September 1, 2024. !!!!! by Rachel Jones By Tinashe Chidarikire courtesy of MoAD Curated by Erin Jenoa Gilbert !!!!! is a new exhibition by acclaimed artist Rachel Jones. The large-scale paintings are one linen, painted with oil pastels. Jones draws inspiration from cartoons, which heavily influenced the title of the exhibition. The ab ..read more

The time has come to do some brainstorming about how to celebrate our moms, grandmas, or other family members we’d like to honor on this special day. Whether you’re looking to celebrate Mother’s Day in San Francisco on a budget, or you want to go all-out with a nice Mother’s Day brunch, we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you get the ball rolling. Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 12, 2024. 1. Check out Mother’s Day events at the Ferry Building Photo by James A. Molnar on Unsplash San Francisco’s Ferry Building will host a number of Mother’s Day events including a free “Ferry Family Day” craft ..read more

The Presidio’s Mountain Lake is one of the last surviving natural lakes in San Francisco, and the only natural lake in the entire Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Its history goes back thousands of years, having served as a central watering hole for the indigenous Ohlone tribes, Spanish conquistadors, and generations of San Franciscans. The lake has survived a new highway cutting down its size, locals releasing their pets into it, contamination from pesticides, and many other threats. The Presidio even removed an alligator from the lake back in the ’90s. Many visitors to the lake and surr ..read more

We’re always looking for hidden gems, and this bar takes that name literally. The cozy bar is tucked away among the redwoods, and you can only get there via a vintage train. The Glen Blair Bar is nestled among the giant trees, and you have to take the iconic skunk train through the woods to reach the secluded destination. You can book the train to the bar on Friday and Saturday evenings; tickets cost $49.95. You can also bring your dog along with you for $10.95, although they strongly request only well-behaved dogs to join the train ride. The train departs from the Fort Bragg Depot and follows ..read more

A luxury overnight train ride between San Francisco and LA could soon become a reality. A Newport-based startup called Dreamstar Lines has big dreams for the future of railway travel in California, and it looks like they have made some major progress. Dreamstar Lines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Union Pacific to recognize the negations towards allowing Dreamstar to operate on Union Pacific’s railway between Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and San Jose. The MOU basically outlines the broad terms of a coming contract, so while it’s not legally binding like a contract, it signa ..read more