Hawk hill in san francisco

Downtown San Francisco is in crisis. Large numbers of offices sit empty. Many stores and restaurants remain shuttered. Happy hours are a lot less, well, happy. There’s broad consensus that the city relies on a vibrant, thriving urban core, but the path to get back there is a lot less clear. How do we reinvigorate downtown San Francisco and shape its future? What bold ideas could bring new energy to the neighborhood? What opportunities does this precarious moment present? SFNext solutions journalism project and for a live conversation on March 30th at 6 p.m. Laura Wenus , host of the SFNext: Fixing Our City podcast. We’ll be joined by: Sujata Srivastava : San Francisco Director of SPUR, a nonprofit public policy organization focused on urban planning and research in the San Francisco Bay Area. Desi Danganan : Executive Director of Kultivate Labs (Kapwa Gardens) and lead economic development strategist for SOMA Pilipinas cultural district. Before the … [Read more...] about Chronicle Live at Manny’s Presents SFNext: How do we save downtown San Francisco?

Williams-Sonoma, a retailer specializing in kitchen and home furnishings, confirmed Friday that it will leave its downtown San Francisco location next year, becoming the latest big retailer to leave the Union Square area. The San Francisco Standard reported (original links): The Williams-Sonoma Union Square store will close in 2024, the retailer confirmed Friday afternoon. … Williams-Sonoma is one of many stores that have left or plan to leave Union Square, with several of them blaming street conditions and reduced foot traffic. News of the retailer’s closure comes after Nordstrom announced it would close both of its Downtown San Francisco locations. Whole Foods announced the closure of its flagship store at Market and Eighth streets in early April—just one year after it opened—citing deteriorating conditions locally. The store is reportedly to be replaced by another retailer, Chanel. However, the future of retail in the Union Square area is in doubt — not only … [Read more...] about Williams-Sonoma Latest Retailer to Leave Downtown San Francisco

Despite San Francisco’s typical May gray weather, foggy conditions couldn’t put a damper on Bay to Breakers ’ party atmosphere as thousands of runners, walkers and exhibitionists took to the streets Sunday. The 12-kilometer race, which winds its way through the middle of San Francisco , is only a race for some. Many took a more leisurely approach, weighed down by elaborate costumes and the sloshing of alcoholic beverages in their stomachs. Early risers, who were there for competition and to set personal bests, took off from the starting line at Howard and Main streets at 8 a.m. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE (Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE) (Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE) For full coverage, see our Bay to Breakers page . More News — Mysterious buyer purchases entire Calif. ghost town for $22.5M — Bay Area man, 61, arrested after I-880 road rage … [Read more...] about Photos show Bay to Breakers taking over San Francisco streets

Around 10:15 a.m., a sign along San Francisco ’s Panhandle tallied the number of naked Bay to Breakers runners. Fifty-four men, six women, the sign read. But if you were out on the streets the morning of the race, you’d know that the final total was likely much, much higher. Bay to Breakers is one of the city’s weirdest and wildest traditions , bringing thousands of people to the streets for a race that’s more akin to a citywide party . Coordinated rubber duckie onesies and other Halloween-worthy looks are the norm. However, sometimes the most eye-catching costume is no costume at all. The Bay Area is no stranger to nudists — any trip to Dolores Park is likely to result in a sighting of at least one naked person. It’s another level during Bay to Breakers, though, when those who embrace a clothing-free lifestyle less frequently come out in droves, even traveling from other cities, to enjoy blending in among the throngs of pre-noon partiers. In several interviews, … [Read more...] about ‘You can’t do this every day’: Nude runners descend on San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers

San Francisco police officers shot and killed 40-year-old Sergio Barrios following a three-hour standoff during which Barrios allegedly snorted cocaine and drank alcohol. The incident occurred May 19, but body cam footage was just released. The Daily Mail reported that officers received a call about Barrios at 2:20 p.m., alleging he was armed and burglarizing a home. RELATED: NOWHERE TO RUN TO: Suspect Caught by Dayton Police with Ohio Highway Patrol’s Eye-in-the-Sky: Credit: Ohio State Highway Patrol / LOCAL NEWS X /TMX When police arrived Barrios allegedly “snorted cocaine, drank vodka and wine, listened to music and watched videos” and officers looked on. He eventually took off his rosary and reached for his pistol, which is when he was fatally shot by an officer. KTVU’s Henry K. Lee tweeted police body cam footage: UPDATE: Body-cam & surveillance videos released in deadly shooting of burglary suspect Sergio Barrios, 40, near Bosworth & Cuvier by … [Read more...] about WATCH: San Francisco PD Shoots Man After 3 Hour Standoff

Bay to Breakers is a two-headed beast. There’s the 7.46-mile footrace that draws elite athletes from around the world to wake at dawn and speed across the city, and there’s whatever’s happening outside this liquor store on Divisadero and Fell Street at 10 a.m. A belligerent green M&M cries into her phone while spilling vodka on the sidewalk, as the Pope and Jesus make out nearby. At 8:35 a.m., Colin Bennie won the men’s race, finishing in 35 minutes and 49 seconds. He may go on to run the New York Marathon in the fall, or even compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. At 10.15 a.m., a naked man in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles body paint nearly fell off the roof of a Queen Anne Victorian while screaming along to “Baby Shark.” Who knows what his future holds. I’m posted up at what may be the epicenter of the madness, outside New Star-Ell Liquor store on Divisadero, around halfway along the race. It’s the last liquor store on the route for those who need to restock on … [Read more...] about Inside the last liquor store on San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers route