News from the Heart & Soul of San Francisco
By FRAN MORELAND JOHNS Dona Kahn has no plans to quit practicing law. “Why should I?” she says. She’s still full of energy and still enjoys the work at age 93. Kahn moved into a retirement apartment at The Carlisle earlier this year, coming from the east coast to be near her son Andrew. She’ll…
A half-century of fellowship and bridge at Calvary By FRAN MORELAND JOHNS Four players, 52 cards — the game of bridge builds loyal followers. A few of them gathered in Judith and Fred Heuser’s home in San Francisco’s Ingleside Terraces neighborhood one night in 1971 for dinner, socializing and to talk about starting a bridge…
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…
By THOMAS REYNOLDS A neighborhood old-timer walked in the doorway of the ever-bustling new Palmer’s, same as the old Palmer’s, and was floored by what he saw. There, behind the host stand, stood dashing Michael Morales, once a manager of the legendary Fillamento design emporium. “Aren’t you …” we said at the same time. Morales…
YES, THAT’S HER. That’s the actress Julia Roberts you’ve been seeing around the neighborhood, wandering down Fillmore Street with her family, dining at Chouquet’s and Via Veneto, admiring the views in Alta Plaza Park. Roberts has a long association with San Francisco. Back in the 1990s when she was dating fellow actor Benjamin Bratt, a…
FAREWELL | FRAN MORELAND JOHNS “Ah, what a gift to our world she was.” Glady Thacher — beloved neighbor, community organizer and force for good — was summed up in those words by a longtime member of one of the “trust circles” she was fond of launching when she spotted a need. Like the larger…
IT’S A BIG DAY at Peet’s on Fillmore, the town square of the neighborhood. Peetniks are celebrating Nancy Ferrufino’s 24th year anniversary at the always-bustling coffee shop on the corner of Fillmore and Sacramento. She’s a familiar sight three mornings a week, keeping the counters, tables and floors clean, stocking condiments, greeting the regulars —…
Leather shop known for innovation, craftsmanship By NIKKI COLLISTER At West Coast Leather, style takes center stage. Located in the heart of Cow Hollow at 2060 Union Street, the specialty clothing shop is equal parts boutique and museum. Inside, shoppers browse racks of stylish leather jackets, vests and dresses while surrounded by a curated display…
By TAM PUTNAM & FAITH HANNA “Forty years ago,” Vicki Evans says, “I could have sold you a $100 Hoover you would have kept and passed on to your firstborn.” Evans, who runs Phil’s Electric in Cow Hollow — and serves many in the neighborhoods along Fillmore Street — remembers that back then, almost every…
FILLMORE STREET is losing an icon this week. After a decade, Ines Wilson is leaving Invision, the optometry office and eyewear emporium at 1907 Fillmore. She has become a valued fashion advisor, helping Invision’s clients choose stylish glasses that flatter their faces. October 31 is her final day. Wilson’s outsize personality and star quality have…