News from the Heart & Soul of San Francisco
STREET TALK | CYNTHIA TRAINA There’s nothing like going away for a few weeks to get fresh eyes on Fillmore — and there’s suddenly a lot to see. Super Duper has opened, new restaurants are on the way, a long-vacant building has been sold and a longtime presence on the street has gone away. Fall…
By TAM PUTNAM Time takes on an elastic quality at Smith Clock Co. A calm ticking fills the shop, while grandfather clocks chime random hours. For clock restorer David Smith, time has several speeds: There’s the stately historical time of the old clocks themselves, some from the 17th century; the efficient speed of his work as timepiece diagnostician; and the…
WHEN POLICE STOPPED the S.F. Mime Troupe’s performance in Lafayette Park on August 7, 1965, they sparked several revolutions — in free speech and artistic expression, certainly, but also in the enduring history of the Mime Troupe and the career of promoter Bill Graham, who would go on to become the legendary impresario of the…
LOCAL DISH | SHELLEY HANDLER Somewhere over a hill and around a corner in Fort Mason is a virtual wall of blackberries growing a good 10 feet high. In summers past I used to cruise by there and casually pick a container full — then try not to eat them on the way home. My…
By THOMAS REYNOLDS Fillmore Street investor Dr. Anthony Fauci — perhaps better known as the face of public health in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic — is back on Capitol Hill today. A Republican senator over the weekend released portions of Dr. Fauci’s private diary, amplifying earlier claims that Fauci made the pandemic…
MUST LIKE FOG | CLAUDINE ZAP The frenzy for multi-million-dollar listings in San Francisco has caused feverish bidding wars. In June, 44 homes sold for $1 million or more over the asking price. While that’s a small slice of the overall market, my colleague Erik Gunther notes that it shows “there’s a small, concentrated group…
To the Editors: I’m a Cow Hollow resident and an ardent reader of the New Fillmore, and I wanted to share a small note of appreciation. The stories you publish capture the color, diversity and everyday beauty of our neighborhoods in a way that feels deeply personal. I often find myself walking through Pacific Heights,…
STREET TALK | CYNTHIA TRAINA Fillmore’s annual jazz party returns to the street this weekend, as it has nearly every Fourth of July weekend since it started in 1986. The celebration keeps alive the spirit of the Harlem of the West, as Fillmore Street was known during its heyday as a jazz mecca. By consensus…
LOCAL DISH | SHELLEY HANDLER The longest relationship in my life has been with corn. Milk and I started very early on, but we parted ways after one too many Carnation Instant Breakfasts in my senior year of high school. But corn, we’ve been tight since I had the teeth to chew it. My mother,…
MUST LIKE FOG | CLAUDINE ZAP As I walked through this year’s Decorator Showcase at 2015 Broadway, I was particularly drawn to the dining room. I asked the dining room’s designer, Stephanie Marsh Fillbrandt, owner and principal designer of Marsh & Clark Design on California Street, about her inspiration for the space and ideas for…