Category: Local

  • Tunnel Tops Park

    About a year ago San Francisco opened its most interesting park in decades: Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio. It’s a small park that could be easily overlooked as yet another spot with a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge (weather permitting, of course.) But that would be underselling this park. Despite its small…

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  • Previewing Muni’s new Central Subway

    When I first moved to San Francisco there was a new surface-level light rail line under construction along the east side of the city: the T Third Street line. This would be the largest expansion on the Muni Metro transit network since it opened, serving a part of the city that was both underserved by…

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  • The return of Fairyland for Grownups

    It’s been a while since there was a 21 and over night at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, but Fairyland for Grownups returned on July 29th, 2022. Obviously I had to go. Aside from a vaccine check on the way in it felt very similar to the last such event three years ago. The big change…

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  • NO cross-country skiing on BART

    Last week I got on BART, turned around, and noticed an unfamiliar new rule: “NO cross-country skiing” according to a sticker on the door. Now at first glance this seems pretty reasonable, but of course it’s one of those rules that should go without saying. For example nobody needs to be told that on BART…

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  • Christmas decorations in and around downtown

    With things slowly (maybe?) opening/reopening this Christmas, I went around downtown San Francisco and the surrounding area to check out the “big name” decorations. Mostly I was curious to see if this year seemed at all normal again. Obviously normal is relative at this point; I’m well aware of the many downtown retail closures like…

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  • Dusk to Dark: San Francisco as the night falls

    There’s something about the San Francisco skyline that feels like home whenever it comes into view. It’s tricky to pinpoint why. I’ve spent so much time working near all those big office towers yet the skyline from Dolores Park at sunset (pictured above) actually feels a little new to me. The first time I took…

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  • There is now official BART merchandise, for some reason

    Although BART ridership decreased significantly due to the pandemic, at some point in 2020 official BART merchandise became available. Online store Rail Goods launched sometime last year with a wide selection of official BART merchandise as well as a somewhat smaller selection of official Capitol Corridor merch.  Now don’t get me wrong. The BART “Brio-style”…

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  • USS Hornet Museum

    On Friday I not only had the chance to visit the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, but also to take the engineering tour which descends deep into the ship’s underbelly with one of the tour guides. Oh and the best part? This was all for a work event so I was technically getting paid to…

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  • Review: Nocturne X

    Okay so before I review this one, let me just say this isn’t worth checking out. This is bad, I’d even go so far to say it’s an embarrassment. The story, such as there is one, starts out when you check in and they hand you a pamphlet. Strike one. A second barrage of text…

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