San Francisco is dead? Tell that to the thousands at Chinatown Night Market
Dragons, lions and dim sum: Chinatown’s Night Market packs Grant Avenue two nights in a row.
Thousands filled Grant Avenue this weekend to sample neighborhood restaurants, take in a lion dance or dance themselves beneath the warm glow of dēnglóng lanterns at the Chinatown Night Market.
Who was there? Everyone. Hipsters, techies, tourists — “does San Francisco do this every weekend?” — dogs in backpacks, newcomers, oldcomers, parents and grandparents with strollers and kids in tow. A man calling himself “Captain Alex” graciously showed folks his rattlesnake head pendant, “I used to kill them for a living,” he told me.
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San Francisco’s delicious local pies this holiday season
Holidays are that special time of year when families call in their sworn blood oaths, beckoning us back to our childhood homes so we can share hot takes on religion and politics at a table that’s covered in turkey stuffing. For those who remain in the city, San Francisco becomes a winter wonderland of ice skating, pumpkin spice lattes, shopping, hot chocolate, and pies. It is the best time to don a head-to-toe buffalo plaid outfit and drench yourself in sugar — seriously. Here are some spots we recommend.
Why I love Nob Hill
San Francisco: a city of sirens and foghorns; cable cars and church bells. Few places take it all in more than the summit of Nob Hill. Hillsides, towers, incoming fog banks, hidden parks, history, technicolor apartment buildings changing from block to block like ribbons of film alongside each other — Nob Hill may frown at some of San Francisco’s edgier traits, but it contains many of its best.
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What we’re doing this week
Superfine Art Fair
Superfine is the art fair that puts a new age of art collectors in touch with hundreds of cutting-edge works by the world's top emerging artists and their champions. They’ve got a great lineup of shows, parties, and family-friendly activities in affordable tickets that start beneath $15.
WHEN: Nov. 16 through the 19th at various hours
WHERE: Gallery 308 @ Fort Mason. Center 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco CA 94109
UN Plaza skate park is now open
As part of the City’s plan to activate the stretch between Market Street to City Hall, UN Plaza was reconceptualized. This week the Plaza re-opened, boasting a 13,000 square-foot-skate park along with other recreational activities.
San Francisco Recreation and Park Department managed the $2 million renovation with the intention of providing a community benefit as well as increasing public safety in an area which had become blighted by drug dealing and and fencing of stolen goods. Read more and check it out.
What’s on our mind
We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local news. Brought to you by GrowSF.
APEC has arrived, prepare for road closures
You should avoid driving downtown or across the Bay Bridge until APEC is over. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ conference arrived in San Francisco Saturday November 11 and runs until Friday, November 17. Leaders from around the world are here, and security has been ratcheted *way* up around Moscone Center, the Exploratorium, and the Fairmont Hotel (see the helpful map).
Madilynne Medina at SF Gate has a super helpful list of all the closed roads, but in summary: avoid the 4th and 5th street exits of 80, and the Bay Bridge will be a mess because two lanes will be closed. And cyclists aren’t getting off any easier: bike lanes will be closed from 3rd to 5th & from Market to Harrison. Also, pedestrians entering the area will be asked to show identification and may be searched.
But hey, at least the BART and Muni tunnel will be operating normally!
Maybe we should all just work from home this week.
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