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Cool Issues to Do in San Francisco This Winter

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 02:29:18 +0000

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Parks Alliance

Winter is one of our favorite times of year in San Francisco because while much of the country is either shoveling snow or snuggling under blankets in front of the television, it’s still warm enough for us to spend our days taking advantage of great restaurants, neighborhood dives, renowned museums, and all of the other things that make us love our city. Plus, there’s a bunch of fun wintery things to do, including local festivals, glowing art exhibits, amazing stage productions, and more.

Keep reading for all of the fun stuff to do in San Francisco this winter, and for more ideas of how to live your best life, check out our date ideas and weekend guide.

The FRIENDS Experience

Now through Monday, January 2
$$
Union Square
Whether you watched the antics of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and (ugh) Ross the first time around or found the show later on via reruns, if you’re a fan of the Friends sitcom, you’ll want to check out “The FRIENDS Experience: The One in San Francisco,” a cheesy, but fun, immersive museum experience, complete with set replicas of Central Perk, Monica and Rachel’s apartment, and the famous couch in front of the fountain from the show’s opening credits (albeit without any actual water). You can sit on the La-Z-Boys in Joey and Chandler’s apartment, learn about the costume designer’s job (and just how many outfits she had to create for one of the ‘80s flashback episodes), “poke” Ugly Naked Guy, see all kinds of props (Hugsy is making a real comeback), read Rachel’s entire letter to Ross (18 pages, front and back!), hunt for Easter eggs throughout, and more. It’s all a little silly, but also comforting. Plus, could there be any more Instagrammable opportunities? No, no there could not.

Union Square Ice Rink

Discover all kinds of ways to get in the holiday spirit

Ongoing through January
Free to $$
Various locations
With the imminent arrival of Santa Claus comes endless ways to get into the holiday spirit.
Lace up for The Safeway Holiday Rink in Union Square, which offers daily outdoor skate sessions under the Union Square Christmas Tree through Monday, January 16.

Eat, drink, and shop your way through Victorian London at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party, which runs through Sunday, December 18, featuring an immersive world of music halls, theaters, pubs, and ye olde shoppes at the Cow Palace where you can chat with chimney sweeps, and get tipsy on absinthe.

Root for Scrooge to see the error of his ways (for the first time in three years!) at A.C.T’s always-delightful performance of A Christmas Carol, which runs through Saturday, December 24, and features a cast of two dozen in gorgeous costumes and a reminder of what the holiday spirit is all about.

Photo courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences

Dance and drink at adults-only parties at two of SF’s most fun museums

Ongoing on Thursday nights
$$
Exploratorium/Embarcadero and California Academy of Sciences/Golden Gate Park
If you like the idea of going to a museum, but would like it a lot more if it involved DJs and drinking, you’re in luck because two of SF’s best museums host Thursday night parties exclusively for adults. Check out After Dark at the Exploratorium, where you don’t have to politely wait for the kids to finish to try out the hands-on exhibits, and NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences, where you can explore the four-story rainforest, sip cocktails in the aquarium, and catch a show at the planetarium.

Ain’t Too Proud Musical | BroadwaySF

Ongoing through December
$$ to $$$
Golden Gate Theater, Orpheum Theater, New Conservatory Theatre Center,
If you love plays and musicals, you’re going to be very excited about what’s happening on stage in SF this winter.

At Marin Theatre Company, you can see August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, his seventh of 10 plays in the American Century Cycle that chronicles the African American experience in the 20th Century. This one is about a restaurant owner and his regular customers in 1969 Pittsburgh as they face a changing neighborhood and the struggles that come with it (through Sunday, December 18).

BroadwaySF has something for everyone, including a dazzling production of Disney’s Frozen, which is definitely not just for kids (through Friday, December 30); an irreverent and fun musical production of Beetlejuice which will delight fans of the original Tim Burton film and create many new ones in its wake (through Saturday, December 31); R.E.S.P.E.C.T, a two-night only celebration of the music of Aretha Franklin (Friday, January 6-Saturday, January 7); the return of Dear Evan Hansen, a moving Tony award-winning musical about a teenager with social anxiety and depression who benefits by turning a tragedy into a lie all while affirming the belief that there is room for everyone to feel loved and accepted (Tuesday, January 24-Sunday, February 19); and Mean Girls, a hit musical based on the movie with a book written by Tina Fey, so you know it’s actually funny (Tuesday, January 31-Sunday, February 26).

The New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) is bringing holiday joy with Oy Vey in a Manger, a “bawdy and blasphemous” musical featuring the Kinsey Sicks, a Dragapella® Beautyshop Quartet (through Saturday, December 31), and then starts the new year with Getting There, a story about two friends who travel to Paris and have a falling out that sends them on separate journeys that change everyone involved forever (Friday, January 20-Thursday, February 26).

Berkeley Rep brings us a reimagined Wuthering Heights, a music- and dance-infused adaptation of Emily Bronte’s gothic tome (through Sunday, January 1). And if tragedies aren’t your jam, you’re in luck because they’re following it up with Clyde’s, a Tony award-nominated, feel-good comic drama about a “formerly incarcerated kitchen staff at a truck-stop sandwich shop attempting to rebuild their lives” (Friday, January 20-Thursday, February 26).

Friday, January 20–Sunday, February 5
$$
Various locations
SF Sketchfest returns for its 20th year this January with a star-studded lineup and a chance to see well-known comedians, up-and-comers, and local performers in a bunch of intimate venues, like the Castro Theatre, PianoFight, and Swedish American Hall. Whether you enjoy sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, all-star reunions, live podcasts, or panel discussions, there’s a show you’ll want to snag tix for. Performers include Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, David Cross, Cheech and Chong, Joel Kim Booster, and more. Shows are already selling out, so don’t sleep on this!

Napa Truffle Festival

Sip wine, drink beer, watch movies, eat good food, and more at local festivals

January and February 2023
Various locations
$ to $$$
When in doubt, there is always fun to be had at SF’s plethora of festivals. This January brings the Zinfandel Experience, with three days of wine and food, including a fancy opening night dinner, seminars, and a grand tasting (Thursday, January 26-Saturday, January 28); Bay Area Brew Fest, which is returning to Fort Mason after a three-year hiatus with over 50 breweries, hundreds of beers, food trucks, DJs, and more (Saturday, January 28); Noir City Film Festival, 10 days of film noir and rare films (Friday, January 20-Sunday, 29); the Napa Truffle Festival, where you can learn about and eat truffles in seminars, lunches and more (Friday, January 13-Monday, 16); Winter WINEland in Sonoma, two days of discovering and enjoying over 70 of Sonoma’s best wineries (Saturday, January 14-Sunday, January 15); SF Indie Fest, 11 days of indie movies (Friday, February 3-Monday, February 13); and SF Beer Week, when you can spend the entire week going to all kinds of beer-specific activities, including tastings, comedy shows, talks, and more (Friday, February 10-Sunday, February, 19).

Monday, February 20–Sunday, February 26
$$
Various locations
Noise Pop Festival is coming in big this year in honor of its 30th anniversary and is bringing indie artists from around the world to SF for a week of concerts, art shows, film screenings, happy hours, and after-hours parties. Phase I artists include Yo La Tengo, Boy Harsher, Duster, STRFKR, FIDLAR, Bob Mould (solo electric set), Covet, Tourist, Mareux, No Vacation, and so many more. They’ll be playing at venues like the G American Music Hall, Bottom of the Hill, The Chapel, Rickshaw Stop, The Regency Ballroom, August Hall, The New Parish, Gray Area, and Public Works.

San Francisco Parks Alliance

Now through Sunday, March 12
Peacock Meadow, Golden Gate Park
Free
Returning for its third year, “Entwined” is an immersive forest of illuminated color in Peacock Meadow (just east of the Conservatory of Flowers). LED light sculptures fill the space to create twisting paths among flowering clusters and trees that shift colors and light. There are a few new installations this year, including a “Fallen Tree” seating area and “sapling” trees with “hidden world tree knots.”

Mission Bowling Club

Score strikes and good grub at a bowling alley

Ongoing
$$
Presidio and Mission
Whether you want classic bowling or a fine-dining lane-side experience, SF has you covered. Presidio Bowl has 12 lanes, an internet jukebox, 45 beers, 19 wines, a full bar, and a pretty typical bowling alley menu. Mission Bowling Club is a little fancier with legit food (including a great burger) and cocktails, but only six lanes, so you’ll definitely need to plan ahead.

Photo by Alexandre Galliez

Ongoing through July
$$
Club Fugazi/North Beach
San Francisco could use a little love right now, and it gets more than a little during “Dear San Francisco: A High-Flying Love Story,” an immersive performance/homage to this wild town told via how-do-they-do-that acrobatics, including hoop diving, Chinese pole, juggling, spoken word, video projections, shadow play, and original music. And though those things might sound like they’re for kids, this show is definitely more adult-friendly, especially if you order a bottle of wine and some fancy grown-up snacks and desserts to enjoy while you watch. Even if you’ve already seen the show, the performers—and the feats they perform—change, making this a show you can definitely see more than once.

Thriller Social Club SF

Play old school video games at a grown-up barcade

Ongoing
$
Various locations
Whatever your game—Ms. Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, pinball, pop-a-shot, or skee ball—you’ll likely find it at one of SF’s grown-up barcades. The newest one to open—Thriller Social Club in the Mission, is two stories of fun with all of the classics, including eight skee ball lanes, the most expensive golf simulator in the world, a couple of bars, and legit food—looking at you 13-inch hot dog. If you’re near Divisadero, check out Emporium, a huge bi-level movie-theater-turned-arcade, which also has pool tables, foosball, air hockey, and DJs spinning on the weekends. And on Market Street in the Castro, there’s The Detour, a cozier bar but still stocked with all of the greatest hits, plus lots of board games, Asian-inspired snacks, trivia nights, drag bingo, and more.

Ongoing
$ to $$
Embarcadero
The historic Ferry Building is pretty to look at, but, more importantly, behind those good looks is a fantastic personality in the form of delicious artisan food, including Señor Sisig’s newest location, and Grande Crêperie, a concept from Le Marais Bakery that’s all about savory and sweet crêpes and artisanal all-butter croissants and pastries. Eat lunch by the water at Hog Island Oyster Company or get a delicious burger and milkshake on Gott’s Roadside’s patio. Grab a canned cocktail at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and a cupcake from Miette to enjoy while sitting on a bench with views of the Bay Bridge. Buy bagels for tomorrow’s breakfast at Daily Driver. The beloved farmers market is still popping up on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, so you can also shop for high-quality products from small, sustainable growers and producers who will appreciate your support.

Ongoing
Free
Golden Gate Park
Thanks to the voters of San Francisco, John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park will now be permanently car-free. Take advantage of the fact that you can walk, run, bike, skip, pogo stick, and more in the middle of the street all winter. Don’t forget to check out “Paint the Promenade,” an ongoing installation from Paint the Void, a non-profit that “brings creativity to everyday urban spaces while supporting local artists.” The installation includes the beloved Doggie Diner heads along JFK Drive between Conservatory Drive West and 6th Avenues, 100 (comfy!) chairs set up for relaxing, two pianos that anyone can play, and more.

Free
Bayview to Outer Richmond
Put on your most comfortable sneakers and head out on the Crosstown Trail, a 17-mile urban hike that takes you through tons of SF neighborhoods, including McLaren Park, Glen Canyon, Golden Gate Park, and Seacliff. The trail is a mix of paved roads/paths and trails, is about 2,600 feet of elevation, and offers great views, cool tiled staircases, a chance to see SF in a whole new way, and satisfaction for having actually done it.

$
Mission Bay
Learn the story of California’s Boom and Bust by playing miniature golf at SF’s only outdoor miniature golf course. Put the ball into a Barbary Coast Saloon, through a gold mine, and around “Golden Gate Park,” while reading cool factoids along the way. To help maintain a safe environment, you’ll have to make a reservation, which involves a little planning, but is definitely worth it. Especially because the course is also located within Parklab Gardens (a food truck park and beer garden) so you can celebrate your win (or lament your defeat) with some tasty treats and a cold one.

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Ongoing
Free for SF residents
Golden Gate Park
This 55-acre urban oasis with more than 9,000 plants from around the world is always a great place to go for a mini escape. Pack a picnic to enjoy on the grounds or wander through the gardens and visit flora from Australia, Chile, South Africa, and more, all in one afternoon. You’ll just have to pop open a plant app to see what you’re enjoying since we aren’t exactly certified botanists.

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Daisy Barringer is an SF-based freelancer who has not yet recovered from the Niners NFC Championship loss. Follow her on Twitter to hear her rant and rave every Sunday (and some Thursday and Mondays) now through January.

The post Cool Issues to Do in San Francisco This Winter appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Cool Issues to Do in San Francisco This Winter

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 02:01:18 +0000

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Parks Alliance

Keep reading for all of the fun stuff to do in San Francisco this winter, and for more ideas of how to live your best life, check out our date ideas and weekend guide.

The FRIENDS Experience

Union Square Ice Rink

Discover all kinds of ways to get in the holiday spirit

Thrillist TV

Wine and Cheeseburger

Wine and Cheeseburger: Harley and Lara Pair Falafel with Wine

Photo courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences

Dance and drink at adults-only parties at two of SF’s most fun museums

Ain’t Too Proud Musical | BroadwaySF

Napa Truffle Festival

Sip wine, drink beer, watch movies, eat good food, and more at local festivals

San Francisco Parks Alliance

Mission Bowling Club

Score strikes and good grub at a bowling alley

Photo by Alexandre Galliez

Thriller Social Club SF

Play old school video games at a grown-up barcade

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

The post Cool Issues to Do in San Francisco This Winter appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Regardless of Rising Curiosity Charges, Bay Space’s Sizzling Housing Market But To Cool Off – CBS San Francisco

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 04:46:51 +0000

DUBLIN (KPIX 5) – As interest rates creep up, many thought it would mean some potential home buyers would back off. So far, that doesn’t seem to be the case in the Bay Area’s red-hot market.

March was another record month for California and Bay Area real estate. The median single-family home price in California, in March, was $849,080, according to the California Association of Realtors.

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Here were the median sale prices for single-family homes in the nine Bay Area counties:
• Alameda: $1,430,000
• Con Costa: $965,900
• Marine: $1,737,500
• Napa: $998,000
• San Francisco: $2,060,000
• San Mateo: $2,280,000
• Santa Clara: $1,950,000
• Sonoma: $833,750
• Solano: $604,000

“The headlines are screaming historically high sales prices. The finer print is, people still want to buy homes,” said David Stark, with the Bay East Association of Realtors. “If you look at how long a home was on the market, it’s at historically low levels, which tells us that buyers are not only willing to pay those prices, but they’re willing to pay those prices quickly.”

Mortgage interest rates are rising. However, that phenomenon doesn’t seem to have had an effect on the market yet, according to John Levine, the VP & Chief Economist of the California Association of Realtors.

“Even as rates have really, surged over the course of the last eight weeks or so, we haven’t seen that affect buyer demand for several reasons,” Levine told KPIX 5. “But the bottom line is, we still have ultimately too many buyers and not enough homes to put them in, that’s keeping the market relatively strong.”

In March, for the first time in about two years, the inventory of available homes did not shrink, according to the latest figures.

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“It is significant that we actually have more for the first time in a very long time. We still have a long way to go to get back toward something that looks normal,” Levine said. “But, I think for those buyers in particular who really do want to move forward with those transactions and get in while the gettin’ was good as it were with rates, that’s good news in the sense that they might have a few more options moving forward.”

Bay East President and Realtor Sheila Cunha tells KPIX 5 while the market is still “crazy,” it’s not quite as crazy as it was a few months ago.

“We’re not seeing quite as many offers right now as we did four or five months ago,” she said.

Cunha believes the rising interest rates will ultimately lead to some potential homebuyers backing off, but doesn’t think that’ll happen until the summertime.

“I think it’s coming. I think as the Fed continue to raise the interest rates you’ll see buyers not being able to afford what they once could,” she said.

As for the inventory, she thinks that will slowly start to increase as well.

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“Spring is usually our busiest season,” she said. “I think we’ll start seeing more homes coming on the market.”

The post Regardless of Rising Curiosity Charges, Bay Space’s Sizzling Housing Market But To Cool Off – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

How San Francisco Misplaced Its Cool and Panicked About Crime

Sun, 10 Apr 2022 13:58:43 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed made a fiery speech in response to recent increases in thefts and drug sales and use in the city, particularly in the Tenderloin, a notoriously gritty stretch residents say has had similar issues for decades.

“It’s time that the reign of criminals who are destroying our city, it is time for it to come to an end,” Breed said, arguably sounding more like a police union boss than a Democratic politician in a progressive stronghold. “It comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement. More aggressive with the changes in our policies. And less tolerant of all the bullshit that has destroyed our city.”

The tough talk represented a stark reversal for Breed, who, shortly after the murder of George Floyd last year, stripped $120 million from the San Francisco Police Department to fund initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Black residents. In the days since, her statements have drawn praise from some residents and business owners in the Tenderloin who say they sympathize with justice reform but that longstanding problems have gotten out of control as crime numbers shoot up nationwide.

But they have also drawn ire from detractors who argue Breed risks abandoning a focus on the root causes of crime in a sort of retrenchment that has played out in progressive strongholds across the country since last year’s summer of rage over police violence. Even then, the about face in the liberal bastion of San Francisco is particularly astonishing.

“What’s underneath the surface here is that these local recalls are really impacting our city politics in a way that I think is destructive,” John Hamasaki, a member of the San Francisco Police Commission and criminal defense attorney, told The Daily Beast.

“It feels political because it doesn’t address the actual problems.”

— John Hamaski

Hamasaki was referring primarily to the upcoming June recall vote of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Boudin, elected in Jan. 2020, had previously served as a public defender in the city and has quickly come under fire for being soft on prosecuting repeat offenders.

Hamasaki also noted viral videos of robberies in the city being shared widely on social media. Given the attention, he said, it seemed Breed was “tacking right.”

“It feels political because it doesn’t address the actual problems,” Hamasaki said.

Breed did not respond to a request for comment. Boudin also did not respond to a request for comment.

During her press conference, Breed pushed back on the idea she was making some kind of “reversal” by demanding more resources for police, among other changes. “I would say that things have changed as it relates to our significant need for law enforcement and so an investment is necessary as a result of it,” Breed said.

Chris Canning, Captain of the Tenderloin Station for the San Francisco Police Department, told The Daily Beast he was “grateful” for the mayor’s call for action. He said that while there have been police-led efforts in the past to address issues in the Tenderloin, what feels different to him is what he called an “all-hands on deck approach for a sustained period of time” that would also involve other city agencies and community organizations.

San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott said during Wednesday’s press conference that there has been a longstanding struggle to balance enforcing laws in the Tenderloin and getting people help. And while he said there will still be an effort to connect people with needed mental-health and substance-abuse services, there is also now a green light to seek enforcement. “People will not be allowed to smoke meth, to smoke fentanyl, to inject heroin in their arms in public spaces,” he said.

But looming behind the relatively unified front—at least this week—between the police department and the mayor were long-standing tensions over justice in a city known both for progressive politics and gilded liberalism.

Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, the local cops’ union, told The Daily Beast Breed’s statements were further proof of the “failed experiment” to defund the police and welcomed her words. “I’m glad the mayor has finally publicly acknowledged that things are, for lack of a better word, out of control,” he said.

“This is not fear mongering. This is reality.”

— Tony Montoya

While he agreed that there needed to be more police in the Tenderloin, he said the calls for more bodies would have to be backed up by resources. “Unless they’re going to make that financial investment, right now they’re just placating some of the community that are putting pressure on them,” Montoya told The Daily Beast. “At the end of the day, put your money where your mouth is what I say.”

Hamasaki, the local police commissioner, said he was not surprised about the police department’s embrace of Breed, arguing her recent statements were an “early Christmas present” to Montoya and the union, which he accused of overstating problems with crime in the city and the Tenderloin area to call out liberal policies. That is, doing what cop unions tend to do across the country.

“Our crime numbers are lower than a lot of big cities in liberal and conservative districts,” he said. “It’s not a reflection on the government. It’s just a reflection of what’s happening across the nation.”

“This is not fear mongering. This is reality,” Montoya pushed back, in response. He noted that many issues in the area are not new. “But that’s no excuse not to try and find solutions and address it now.”

According to data from the San Francisco Police Department, homicides and thefts have seen rises in recent years in the city across the board—mirroring rises in crime nationwide.

According to the agency’s dashboard, the city has seen a 15 percent year-over-year increase in homicides in 2021 and an 18 percent increase in larceny theft. In the Tenderloin area, homicides are up 13 percent compared to 2020, and burglaries and motor vehicle thefts are up about 7 percent each.

The rise in certain crimes so far this year comes after an already significant city-wide increase in 2020, where homicides were up 17 percent compared to 2019 and burglaries and motor vehicle thefts were up nearly 40 percent compared to 2019.

But what has been more striking, according to city data, is the prevalent drug use and calls for help in the Tenderloin area. According to a recent city report, since Jan. 2020, more than 20 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the city have occurred in the Tenderloin.

According to an emergency declaration released by Breed on Friday, overdose deaths in the city as a whole have increased 200 percent since 2018. In 2020, the number of deaths from drug overdoses in San Francisco exceeded the number of people who died of COVID. The proclamation cited an increase in fentanyl use as a large reason for the deaths. According to the proclamation, the substance was a factor in more than 70 percent of the overdose deaths between January and October.

In the Tenderloin, the proclamation stated that emergency medical calls for service for a “sick person” have increased more than 150 percent between June and November compared to the same period in 2020, and medical calls for service for all reasons during this time period also increased.

On Thursday evening in the Tenderloin neighborhood, a day after Breed’s announcement, the city’s heightened contradictions seemed to be on display.

On one street, tents pitched wall-to-wall crowded both sides of the sidewalk, forcing foot traffic onto the street among strewn trash and debris. In another corner, someone sat slumped on a sidewalk next to an overstuffed suitcase spilling its contents, while someone else appeared to be passed out on the bench in a bus shelter.

Nearby, however, in the windows of restaurants and bars, affluent-looking urban professionals could be seen socializing as if all of this was completely normal.

Those who work in the area every day, like Andrew Bloom, director of operations for Brenda’s Soul Food, a restaurant in the Tenderloin, told The Daily Beast they’ve noticed the neighborhood “nosedive” during the pandemic. Among other things, he cited the widespread selling and consumption of drugs in the street at all times of the day, as well as petty theft and, in some cases, violent incidents.

“It’s not just like a couple of guys now. It’s literally like crowds of people. ”

— Andrew Bloom

Bloom acknowledged the area has always struggled with drug use and homelessness in the 11 years he’s worked there. But he called the problem “manageable” in the past, and said that’s changed.

“The whole neighborhood has just been really worse than ever,” he told The Daily Beast.

Bloom described dealers frequently attempting to hawk drugs to him daily, and large numbers of people using hard drugs in doorways, streets, and alleys. “It’s not just like a couple of guys now,” he said. “It’s literally like crowds of people.”

Amanda Michael, owner of Jane on Larkin, a cafe in the area, chalked up the change to the increased sale of fentanyl in the area and a lack of drug enforcement and police presence that became more apparent during the height of the pandemic.

“It was kind of like this perfect storm,” she told The Daily Beast, adding that more tents began popping up in the streets and she could see drug dealers going from tent to tent from her store window. “It was heartbreaking because you just saw this real downhill turn for a lot of people.”

Both Bloom and Michael said they were pleased to hear Breed’s comments this week, but they hoped it would lead to a real change, instead of mere politicking. “I’d like to think it’s real,” Michael said about Breed. Still, she said, she’s worried it might just be “grandstanding.”

Of course, some residents are calling “bullshit” on the mayor, too.

Del Seymour, a longtime resident who leads walking tours in the area and runs a nonprofit to teach coding to many people he says are homeless, said Breed’s talk wasn’t all that stirring to him.

“This is like the fifth mayor to have vowed to clean up the Tenderloin,” he said. “So, I’m not really expecting a lot out of this.”

Seymour, 75, said that until he turned his life around 13 years ago, he spent many years in the Tenderloin homeless, selling and using drugs in the streets there. Given his own history of arrests, he said, he fears the mayor’s new tune won’t help those struggling with substance abuse in the area.

“I really don’t want to see another war on drugs,” he said. “Drug use is a disease, it’s not a crime.”

Seymour said he knows the mayor believes this, and cited her investments in treatment centers and social services in the area in the past. But he said the “publicity event” on Wednesday seemed like an effort to “bow down” to special interests.

During her press conference, Breed acknowledged that the city has always been a “compassionate” one that prides itself on “second chances and rehabilitation.”

She said her new initiatives would also encompass more support for people experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental health issues. But she also took a strong stance and said the compassion would only go so far: “Our compassion should not be mistaken for weakness or indifference.”

Tracey Mixon, 50, a Tenderloin resident who works as a peer organizer for the Coalition on Homelessness, said she agrees with others that things have gotten worse. Particularly when it comes to people dying and being on edge or prone to unpredictable outbursts—and this, she said, can be explained by what drugs are out there.

“There’s been a state of emergency in the Tenderloin for 40 years. It’s always been a state of emergency. ”

— Tracey Mixon

“You can talk sense into a crack user and tell them ‘kids are coming,’” she said. But with fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine as the drugs of choice, it’s not quite so simple.

Mixon was deeply skeptical of Breed’s plan and its likelihood of success, however. She said she’s lived in the Tenderloin too long and has seen and heard similar pronouncements before.

“There’s been a state of emergency in the Tenderloin for 40 years. It’s always been a state of emergency,” said Mixon, who said she can remember at least “two or three” grandiose announcements of a crackdown before this one.

“They do this every few years,” she said. “They make it seem like there’s gonna be something big. From that, it’s like it becomes cool or quiet and a little bit peaceful for a while.”

Nonetheless, Mixon said she feels the wrong people will be targeted by Breed’s plans and doesn’t feel that more police is the right approach to deal with the issues. “I get what Mayor Breed wants to do,” she said. “That’s not what we need here.”

The post How San Francisco Misplaced Its Cool and Panicked About Crime appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Enemy Confidential: Seattle Seahawks Look to Cool Down Surging San Francisco 49ers in Week 13

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 02:50:47 +0000

When Russell Wilson and the Seahawks defeated Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers at Levis Stadium 28:21 in Week 4, the two rivals seemed to be going in opposite directions and the road team aggressively found their move to post halftime for 21 points explode .

But since then the script has been turned upside down. After a tough loss to an understaffed Arizona squad in Week 9, San Francisco climbed to sixth place in the NFC thanks to a three-game winning streak, while Seattle fell to the bottom of the league, losing six of the last seven competitions and eliminating them almost got out of the playoff competition.

What has changed for the 49ers since the first match? Over the past three weeks, coach Kyle Shanahan’s side has aggressively returned to their bread and butter, relying on rookie running back Elijah Mitchell and Swiss Army Knife Deebo Samuel to storm nearly 175 yards per game. With the ground play to compliment him, Garoppolo was extremely efficient under the middle, getting a pass rating of 117.0 while completing 71 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception.

“They play the ball a lot more than they have and, especially in the last three weeks, as much as anyone else in football,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Wednesday. “They’ve found tremendous success at that. They’re a good perimeter team, they’re basically a zone running team, but with their dedication, they have man-block schemes, gap-block schemes, and they go along with a variety of things.” their perimeter people too, so they’re really committed. “

Meanwhile, San Francisco has given up 15 points per game defensively as it defeated the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville and Minnesota in consecutive weeks. Victory in the sales battle was critical to that success as the team intercepted three passes and won back a trio of fumbles and had a plus-five advantage in sales margin.

As the two bitter rivals prepare to meet again at Lumen Field, here’s a closer look at the Seahawks’ upcoming Week 13 opponent, including series history, additions / departures, key metrics, and Carroll’s rating of the 49ers.

Series history

46th meeting of the season. The Seahawks have dominated the series, winning 28 of the previous 45 regular season matchups while beating the 49ers in the 2013 NFC Championship Game.

Since that playoff game seven years ago, Seattle has won 13 of the last 15 games between the two rivals, including last season’s streak of home and away wins against San Francisco. The 49ers’ last win in the series came in December 2019 when they defeated the Seahawks at Lumen Field 26-21, keeping tight end Jacob Hollister out of the end zone in the final seconds to claim an NFC West title. San Francisco’s longest streak in the series was four games from 2010 to 2012, while Seattle won 10 straight from 2014 to 2018.

What’s new

Departures: San Francisco’s biggest loss came to the coaching staff when announced defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was hired as the new head coach of the New York Jets, taking on several assistants. Defensively, the team underwent significant changes in secondary school, allowing seasoned cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Akhello Witherspoon to go free. Along the defensive line, former first-round pick Solomon Thomas moved to the Raiders, while Kerry Hyder moved teams within the division to sign with the Seahawks. On the offensive, receiver Michael Bourne raced to New England and running back Tevin Coleman followed Saleh to New York.

additions: The 49ers’ biggest splash came weeks before draft weekend, when General Manager John Lynch packed up several first rounds to trade with the Dolphins in third place overall. While speculation raged about the team’s interest in Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, they instead selected Trey Lance, the South Dakota state star quarterback, as a possible heir to Garoppolo. San Francisco upgraded the inside of its offensive line to protect anyone below the center and signed Pro Bowl center Alex Mack. To replace Sherman and Witherspoon, former all-pro Josh Norman was signed before the start of the regular season, while former Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam has signed a two-year deal. Before the trading deadline, the team acquired the defensive end Charles Omenihu from the Texans for a sixth round draft in 2023.

Injury report

While San Francisco has plenty of momentum on its side en route to Seattle, the team will forego several key players in Sunday’s rematch. Top receiver Deebo Samuel, who has already overshadowed 1,000 yards this year, was dismissed with a groin injury, while all-pro linebacker Fred Warner was listed as doubtful playing with an Achilles tendon strain. Another key linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, won’t play on Sunday with his own groin problem either.

Within the scheme

With Kyle Juszczyk one of the few remaining real full-backs in the NFL, the 49ers deployed more double-back staffing than any other team in the NFL, and that trend has continued in 2021. So far, they have 21 and 22 employees used 43 percent of their offensive snapshots, second only to the Ravens. While a large part of the league mainly uses 11 employees, the 49ers with these groups only occupy 45 percent of their offensive games in 26th place.

Hailing from his father Mike Shanahan’s coaching tree, Kyle Shanahan still invokes more than any other running concept outside of the zone. But during his four seasons at the top he slowly mixed in more strength and counterattack concepts to further diversify the hectic attack. In fact, they ranked in the top 10 for performance and counter-run rate in 2020 according to Pro Football Focus, and the Seahawks should expect a steady dose of both in this upcoming rematch.

With Saleh in the lead, the 49ers heavily preferred Cover 3 and Quarters Coverage looks out of their base defense on early downs and didn’t flash much in those situations. But in obvious passing situations when they were playing nickel or dime packages, they put in more cover 1 looks with man underneath and were also much more aggressive with the lightning, putting five or more defenders on the third highest rate after the quarterback third place sent. They ended up in the EPA’s top 10 on all downs.

In 11 games under Demeco Ryans, who replaced Saleh, the 49ers haven’t changed much in terms of coverage systems. They still use cover-3 single highs (39.9 percent) and quarters (19.8 percent) mostly on early downs, and remain one of the least aggressive blitz teams as they only have 21.5 percent of their additional defenders Snaps per Pro Football have sent reference. Unlike in the last two years, however, they could not generate such constant pressure with four man storms and, according to PFF, have the second least total pressure in the league.

In numbers

31.6: 49ers points per game since week 10, third best in the NFL

3.84: Yards after contact per rush by rookie Elijah Mitchell, second best among the qualified runners

530: Yards of contact from Deebo Samuel, third most popular among NFL receivers

38.3: Third down conversion rate, 20th among NFL teams

6th: Sacks allowed percentage on the offensive line of the 49ers, 19th in the league.

10.4: Yards allowed per reception, ninth lowest in the league

2.96: Yards after contact by opposing runners, 27th in the NFL

1.36: Passing touchdowns per game allowed, tied for the seventh-fewest in the league

62: Touchdown percentage in the red zone for opponents, 19th in the league

100: Quarterback pressure, the second least among 32 NFL teams

Carroll’s thoughts

–On the advent of rookie running back Elijah Mitchell: “Well, they were really effective. The signing to the Rams a couple of weeks ago was really obvious that they are really looking for the running game, they are making great strides in the past three weeks, they are getting more yards every week and he was right in the middle of it. It’s tough and has really good speed. Everyone who runs for them looks great and that’s because they have a real commitment to it. They show and run the ball a lot and he is currently the leading ball carrier. “

– On Nick Bosa’s return to form in his third NFL season: “He’s as active as ever. You move him around more. You play him on the other side. We saw him a little above the center. You’re really trying to position it effectively. He’s a really good player and has a great engine. His power to fortify things he has, he just adds it to his rushs, along with the speed, makes him really very difficult. We have to take care of him. We have to make sure we know where he is and include him in our protective recordings. “

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Admor HVAC Inc. retains Hawaii clients cool, smiling

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:08:24 +0000

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Not everyone knows Admor HVAC Inc.

But you certainly know the daughter of the owner and her catchphrase “I love my Fujitsu”.

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“It’s interesting because I have a job in retail, but I wear a mask all the time and people only recognize me by my eyes,” said Keli Santos. “People say, ‘Do I know you from anywhere?'”

This “somewhere” has naturally appeared in commercials for and with her father Drew Santos since she was three. There was no turning back.

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“And that one picture got the whole ‘I love Fujitsu’ phenomenon in a nutshell,” said Drew Santos, President of Admor HVAC. “Nobody was doing TV commercials at the time, and I wanted to do things outside of the box and really shake up the industry. So we started producing our commercials. “

The popular TV commercials took Drew on an unusual journey that began after visiting a customer when he was a young man selling air conditioners in a small warehouse in Halawa. It turns out that this customer changed his life.

“He said, ‘What is your dream?’ And I told him I wanted the largest HVAC wholesale company in Hawaii. I want to be a superstore, ”said Drew. “So he took me to Sand Island in his car and opened a 30,000-foot warehouse and said, ‘Is this big enough for your dream?'”

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It was then that Drew began writing his own story. He decided to start an advertising campaign with himself, the Fujitsu brand and his daughter Keli. Keli admitted that some of the ideas seemed pretty cheesy.

“What if you see dad posing with all the models? That’s a big eye roll, that’s a big eye roll, ”Keli said and laughed. “All my friends say, ‘Is that your father? ‘And then I say,’ Yeah, but it’s okay, I love him, he’s my father. ‘ I have to love him, no matter what. “

Although business is booming now, according to Santos, there are many challenges along the way. The greatest thing is to gain the trust of your customers as a recognized outsider.

“I think it comes down to working hard and always doing more than your competitors are doing. Work when they’re loose, I never get complacent, ”Drew said.

It’s a work ethic that his entire team shares, he says.

“I couldn’t build this business without an incredible team of people. Some of them with us 25, even every 28 years. They gave their heart and soul. I really appreciate that, and I really appreciate that, ”Drew said.

Back to his number 1 spokesman, she really loves her Fujitsu, and for good reason. Fujitsu sends Keli to college.

“It really is. For everything I got, I thank Fujitsu for everything,” said Keli with a laugh. “I love my Fujitsu.”

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Metropolis Slickers Lose Their Cool Selecting Cherries in Brentwood Throughout Warmth Wave – CBS San Francisco

Mon, 31 May 2021 08:02:21 +0000

BRENTWOOD (KPIX) – The cherry harvest in Brentwood is the one weekend of the year when many city slicker farmers are allowed to play. This year, Mother Nature arranged for weather to add some realism to the romance.

For many in the Bay Area, picking their own cherries on U-Pick farms like the Bacchini fruit tree is a Memorial Day holiday tradition. Six-year-old Isabella Hastings said it could be a little difficult.

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“Because they have to be dark red,” she explained.

Thanks to COVID-19, picking cherries in Bacchini this year was only possible with prior reservation.

Ken Hagan, co-owner of the farm, said online appointments would need to be set up last season. Since then, they have found that limiting the amount has its advantages, such as keeping things from getting too competitive.

“People would actually get possessive of a particular tree and try to keep people away,” he said with a laugh. “It was a very interesting experience for me.”

It still got quite hot on Sunday thanks to the sun and a high pressure system moving over the state. By noon the temperature was in the mid-90s and Hagan said that was ironic because the season so far has been very mild.

“We’ve actually been cooler so far,” he said. “Today we should reach 100 degrees, I think, and tomorrow even hotter. So that will accelerate the maturation of things. “

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It also sped up Darrel Chak as he tossed a box of cherries over to his car and returned to the coolness of his Daly City home.

“I got here around 11 am,” he said. “We’re here maybe an hour and a half and in this sun it gets a little hot!”

On the other hand, Steve Argilla, who lives in Hayward, likes to come to farmland. He said he considers it a fun life experience and doesn’t even care about the heat, although he admits he’s not prepared for it.

“In the Bay Area, closer to the bay, do we rarely get that kind of heat to say I’m ready for any kind of heat like this? No, ”Argilla admitted.

Hagan says the month of May has gotten hotter in recent years. He says this year’s weather pattern – cool temperatures with a warm up on Memorial Day – is actually what it used to be.

What draws people from the city to the cherry plantations every year? There is something satisfying to the soul braving the elements and spending time harvesting your own food, but for most people the heat – like the farm itself – is nice to visit but they don’t want to live there.

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“The great thing is that it’s only an hour’s drive away,” said Hagan. “I mean, you can just get out of here, experience it, and you’ll be home tonight.”

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Lin-Manuel Miranda Geeks Out About All of the Cool Theater Stuff in Mary Poppins Returns

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:27:11 +0000

“Who would ever imagine a Mary Poppins sequel?”

That was the big question that came to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mind when director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca introduced him to a role on their upcoming musical, Mary Poppins Returns.

Inspired by the stories of PL Travers, the film is set about 25 years after Disney’s legendary nanny left the Banks family for the first time. After a great loss, the adult Michael (Ben Whishaw), his three children and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) need Mary back more than ever. Miranda stars in a film as Jack, a lamp spotlight and former apprentice of Dick Van Dyke’s beloved chimney sweep Bert, who accompanies Mary and the children on their adventures.

Fortunately, from the moment Miranda heard that Emily Blunt was going to follow in Julie Andrews’ footsteps, Miranda was hooked on the idea of the sequel. And then Miranda went on his own adventure, one that his family moved to London, played him to Van Dyke himself, and offered the kind of experiences beyond a theater freak’s wildest dreams.

Was it a “yes” on the spot?
There was a “yes” on my mind right away, but nothing is a “yes” right away when you’re married. It was a “go home, talk to Vanessa, do we want to move to London, do we want to make this our life for a bit?” She was all-in. Then it was a “yes”.

What was the second thought that came to mind after you signed up?
“Will we have the tools for that?” That’s why Rob Marshall, who came out of the theater, was such a godsend. It was like rehearsing a Broadway show, only we had more time. You’re a theater site so I’m going to tell you all of the cool plays.

You’re welcome.
Before everyone was occupied, we did a week-long workshop in Disney’s room while Aladdin went on. It was just us and the best theater actors. We had one of the Matildas, Oona Laurence, as one of the Banks children. The late Marin Mazzie sang the role of Meryl Streep before Meryl signed up. We tested the material.

We had nine weeks of rehearsal in London and on the first day they give me and Emily a hat and stick and we just start. By rehearsing it like a Broadway show, we became a company. When we were filming, I felt totally ready.

What did Rob do on set that you would like to incorporate into your future projects?
What I’ve seen from him is how you use theatrical principles to run a movie set. Rob works the same way I enjoy working with my staff on Hamilton. That means the best idea wins. He has a brain confidence. He has his partner John DeLuca and three employees, co-choreographer Joey Pizzi, assistant choreographer Marlon Pelayo and associate choreographer Tara Nicole Hughes. Marlon will choreograph me with me, Joey will work with the dancers, and Tara will wrestle with the kids, but they all serve Rob’s vision. When I was tick, tick … BOOM! Directed, I mentally trusted my brain as I watched Rob at work.

And then Dick Van Dyke goes on set. Was there a point where you said, “Be cool, Lin!”?
Yes, but I also know that there is no point in Dick Van Dyke’s being cool. To be honest, I went sideways. I only dealt with Broadway stuff. My first big break was Conrad Birdie in sixth grade, so I said, “How was Chita Rivera?” and talk about how much this original recording of Bye Bye Birdie meant to me. It’s just bubbly and serious and always has been. If you think I’m busy, this guy did 34 episodes of the Dick Van Dyke Show, filmed Mary Poppins on his hiatus, and he was in Bye Bye Birdie as Albert Peterson, and that role is really hard to lift. We complained about this grind.

The day he was on set was really special. It was the only day Rob really went broke. We never felt any pressure. We just felt, “This is a great movie, these songs are great, let’s just serve Rob.” In the film, Dick Van Dyke has a monologue and he finished it. We all waited for Rob to say cut, but nothing happened. It’s because Rob cried and couldn’t tell. We all lost it, of course, but Mary Poppins was Rob’s first film so it’s hard for him to direct Dick Van Dyke and come full circle from that first film.

How did you react when you first heard the score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman?
Marc and Scott were born to write this score. Everything Marc learned about orchestrating he learned from the Mary Poppins album. It’s really visceral. When I said “yes” to the job, I showed my son the original film for the first time. The music starts and my son gasped for breath. Children don’t gasp. Old ladies in the opera gasp for air. But this boy heard these French horns and left [gasps]. It was a real gasp. That was the same reaction Marc had.

Excited to play Alexander Hamilton again and do it in Puerto Rico?
I’m really. I’ve been scared all year, and really scared. Fear that working on the theater wouldn’t survive another hurricane season, fear that the ticket site would crash – it didn’t crash – fear of all the things that are beyond my control. Now I’ll just become Hamilton and I remember that the two hours and 40 minutes that I was on stage on that show was the most fulfilling and relaxing time of my life because my only job was being Hamilton, and he needs all of my focus.

So much of your own work is focused on heritage issues and what we leave behind. How is Mary Poppins Returns contributing to this?
It’s funny because it’s not what I was thinking about when I took the job. I just thought, “I’m going to learn so much from Rob Marshall and Emily Blunt and all of these amazing people.” But it’s wild that there will be a generation who think of this as a set of two films. When I think of Mary Poppins on that fluffy white Disney VHS, I think this can sit next to it, and I’m proud of that.

Emily Mortimer, Nathanael Saleh, Pixie Davies, Julie Walters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joel Dawson and Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns.
(© Jay Maidment)

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