United States
I'm a freelance writer and photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love telling just about any kind of story, but especially enjoy writing features related to arts &culture, travel, lifestyle and health. I've also penned a personal essay or two.
Travel
The Pierside is perfectly positioned across Ocean Avenue from Santa Monica State Beach and the Santa Monica pier. Here's what it's like.
Steps from DOCO and Old Sacramento, the Kimpton Sawyer connects you to all the main attractions in California's capital city.
Wine may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sonoma. While you'll find plenty of excellent wineries in the county's Russian River Valley, this rural region boasts many other delights, especially along the scenic Bohemian Highway.
The Lost Sierra's promise of a less crowded, untamed version of alpine bliss had tantalized me since I'd first heard of it a few years ago. Situated among the rugged 8,500-foot peaks of the Sierra Buttes in Plumas County, it also boasts some 50 pristine, glacier-carved gems.
My 60th birthday. Typically, I celebrate milestone birthdays with some serious pampering. But I wanted to shake things up as I entered a new decade, one that felt especially significant. Old age was coming at me like an avalanche. How long would I be healthy enough to handle a demanding...
Portland's Chinatown is not the bustling Chinatown of San Francisco. But between 1870 and 1900, it was the second-largest in the country. Today the neighborhood, in Portland's Old Town district, is an eclectic mix of Asian and Western influences.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, San Francisco's always-jumping Union Square ups its game. A towering Christmas tree aglow with thousands of lights and ornaments rises from its center. Skaters whirl around an ice rink, grooving to holiday and pop music. Street performers entertain in and around the square.
You won't find meat or dairy items at Stanford Inn by the Sea. But you will find gourmet plant-based fare even meat eaters would enjoy at this resort in Mendocino. Pets are welcome, which is what first drew my husband and me to the inn 20 years ago.
My cycling skills and my ancient 10-speed clunker were a little rusty when I headed to Sacramento's American River Parkway for a recent solo ride. Luckily, you don't have to be in Tour de France shape to pedal the mostly flat, 32-mile trail that starts in the Old Sacramento historic district and ends in Folsom.
A week on a tropical island wasn't in the cards for my family last spring, so we did the next best thing: drove 20 minutes from our Mill Valley home to the town of Tiburon for an overnight bayside fix.
Once famed for its citrus groves, Riverside today is best known for its Festival of Lights. About 500,000 visitors will flock to the holiday extravaganza, which runs through Jan. 6. The fun centers on the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa and spills into the adjacent Main Street Pedestrian Mall.
San Diego's Pacific Beach has a split personality. On the ocean side, the energy is as pumped up as the surf during a southwest swell. But cross Mission Boulevard, the town's main drag, to Mission Bay, and it's a different story. Crowds are sparse, and the mood is as calm as the water.
Wine lovers appreciate Saratoga's laid-back sipping experience. But I wasn't hunting for a great new Cabernet or Pinot Noir on a recent visit to this peaceful town in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
As you approach downtown Mill Valley, you can't help but notice the dramatic sight of Mount Tamalpais rising in the distance. Easy access to some of Tam's most scenic trails make Mill Valley a mecca for weekend warriors. But even if you're not the outdoorsy type, this laid-back, Southern Marin encla...
Make like a monk and unplug from your hectic, always-connected life with a Zen retreat this New Year. Learn how to meditate, fine-tune your yoga practice, or just spend quiet time communing with nature. Here are five great spots to immerse yourself in a day or weekend of reflection and relaxation so...
Want to experience a new neighborhood in SF? Stay in one of these cozy boutique hotels, then explore your surroundings. Inn at the Presidio, the Presidio (pictured above) Housed in a handsome brick colonial where bachelor army officers once bunked, the Inn at the Presidio is now a fortress of com...
Lifestyle and Arts & Culture
Patricia Araujo turns her eye from familiar SoMa to the colorful buildings of Bogotá, Colombia.
A most colorful tour guide acquaints all comers with the neighborhood she's made home since the '70s.
Once a historic bakery, 1501 Grant now slings the finest English and Italian-language books in a much-needed community event space.
Live performances, art, and local vendors at the series from the new Music City complex aim to revitalize Lower Polk.
In 2019, Clara Hsu transformed her well-known Chinatown musical instrument store into a local arts powerhouse.
Originally organized by makers seeing more exposure, the fair claims first in closing off an entire street for art.
Residents of the Jones and Ellis area feel seen through the work of Harry Williams, Jr, and a new mural of his portraits.
Ariel Magidson and HK Elkhoudary's Senses in North Beach is creating a safe space for discussion and relief.
Katie Wakeman of SheWelds aims to bring back some of the artwork and flair that makes the city the city.
Gallery connects countercultures with a display of radical artwork by BPP's Malik Edwards and Katherine Campbell.
The former Italian French Baking Company space is now home to The Hive San Francisco, an aerial arts fitness studio where you can take your exercise routine to new heights. Or just get a taste of what it's like to be a circus performer.
Last weekend, specialty grocery store Luke's Local celebrated the opening of its newest market in North Beach. Situated in a building on the corner of Green and Stockton that formerly housed a bank, it joins two other locations in Cole Valley and Cow Hollow.
Thanks to neighborhood association North Beach Neighbors, 26 lucky small business owners recently benefited from free marketing support in the form of professional videos, photos, copywriting or guidance on using social media platforms like TikTok.
North Beach loves a party. So it's only natural that during Mardi Gras, the neighborhood lets the good times roll with a scaled-down but lively version of a New Orleans-style second-line parade.
The giant bikini-clad image of Carol Doda that flirted with drivers and pedestrians from the original neon sign marking the entrance to North Beach's Condor Club is long gone. But thanks to muralist Natalie Gabriel (@nattypaints), the iconic stripper who shimmied her way to international fame as a topless dancer in the 60s and 70s now graces the wall of Bodega wine bar (700 Columbus Avenue).
Some women their age may be slowing down. But the Grant Avenue Follies are busier than ever. Comprised of 11 Chinese American grandmothers, the cabaret troupe has been entertaining folks around the Bay Area and beyond since 2003. In recent years, they've also made a name for themselves as activists and rap video stars.
To the delight of vintage fashion lovers, several thoughtfully curated used clothing stores opened in North Beach in 2022: Vacation (@vacationSF), Via Margutta Vintage (@viamarguttavintage), and Missing Audrey (@shopmissingaudrey). And now there's one more reason for them to swoon. Last month, Vacation owner Kristin Klein opened a sister shop, Work, with her friend and business partner Sam Poole.
North Beach has always been a place where residents and business owners go out of their way to support one another. So it's fitting that, just in time for the holidays, neighborhood institution Tony's Pizza Napoletana and newish cannabis shop North Beach Pipeline have cooked up a fun and tasty culinary collab.
Next time you're craving an upscale wine-tasting experience, there's no need to trek to Napa or Sonoma. With the arrival of Eco Terreno's new Urban Tasting Room in North Beach's storied Jackson Square, you can sample delicious wines in a gorgeous setting here in town. And enjoy attentive service worthy of wine country's finest establishments.
Long before the stretch of Broadway between Columbus and Montgomery was peppered with strip joints, it was home to some of the city's most popular jazz clubs. With the opening of Keys Jazz Bistro last week, North Beach is once again poised to become a prime destination for jazz aficionados.
Women's knitwear designer Kenlynn Wilson doesn't shy away from color. While you'll find neutral and muted-hued pieces in her new North Beach pop-up (1522 Grant Avenue), her vibrant jewel-toned creations steal the show. Think cozy dusters, cardigans, tops, and ponchos in yellow, coral and fuchsia. Or form-fitting maxi dresses in bright green and orange.
Night owls, bar hoppers, and anyone else with after-hours munchies will soon be able to satisfy those cravings at a new North Beach restaurant. Americana Eatery (532 Green St.), a modern diner specializing in all-day breakfast, opened earlier this month in the former home of Ethiopian restaurant Massawa.
After a 10-year stint in the Outer Richmond, beloved restaurant Cassava has chic new digs in North Beach (401 Columbus Ave.). Known for creative, California-centric, three-course prix-fixe dinners, the eatery - owned by husband-and-wife team Yuka Ioroi and Kristoffer Toliao - reopened earlier this month in its new space.
The fog proved to be a buzzkill for the crowds that flocked to the waterfront Sunday to catch the Blue Angels' final Fleet Week performance. The marine layer's stubborn refusal to dissipate forced officials to cancel the popular show.
Clara Hsu, owner and executive director of the Clarion Performing Arts Center in Chinatown, wears many hats, and on October 8, she'll be helping to host a fundraiser for the arts center that will double as a fashion show for local designers.
Over the weekend, crowds flocked to the 32nd annual San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival. Presented by the Chinatown Merchants Association, the free two-day event celebrated Asian communities' long history of respecting the moon's mysteries and powers, including its role in producing bountiful autumn harvests.
This past Saturday, the sultry sounds of jazz wafted through the streets of the Tenderloin at two separate events. At the intersection of Turk and Hyde where the famed Blackhawk jazz nightclub once stood, the Noah Frank Quartet played at a small, low-key gathering.
Outside Lands wasn't the only place to catch rockstar performances on Saturday. Just down the road in Pacifica, a large crowd gathered at Linda Mar Beach to watch some incredible - and adorable - four-legged athletes compete in the World Dog Surfing Championships.
Once a week, American Bites restaurant in North Beach transforms into an Argentinian tango club, or milonga. Sorry - sneakers and jeans won't cut it at this club. Dancers show up in attire that fits the sophisticated, sensual vibe of the tango.
Until the beginning of this year, Secession Art & Design resided in a storefront on Mission Street. During its 15 years in the Mission-Bernal neighborhood, the combination gallery and boutique showcased work from more than 70 artists and designers - many of them local - and was also a go-to spot for art, clothing, and jewelry.
North Beach has deep counterculture roots. So maybe it's not surprising that an underground gallery and community art space dedicated to punk rock recently opened in a quiet alley off Grant Avenue. You won't find a mosh pit at Fallout SF.
North Beach may soon be San Francisco's go-to destination for fans of retro fashions. Since the well-received arrival of Vacation earlier this year, two more vintage clothing stores recently joined the neighborhood shopping scene. Last month, Missing Audrey Vintage opened at 1767 Stockton Street.
Jubilant participants and spectators took over Market Street during yesterday's 52nd annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade. According to the San Francisco police, an estimated 500,000 people gathered for the festivities. The theme for this year's celebration was "Love Will Keep Us Together."
Happy revelers welcomed the return of the North Beach Festival this past weekend. After a two-year hiatus, San Francisco's oldest street fair marked its sixty-sixth year by adding new attractions, such as performances by acrobats from Dear San Francisco: A High-Flying Love Story at Club Fugazi, a professional chalk artist competition, and a pet adoption booth.
Since opening in North Beach as a pop-up store specializing in Italian language books in 2017, Libreria Pino has outgrown several different locations in the neighborhood. Now, the bookstore's starting a fresh chapter in bigger digs that will serve as its long-term home.
Smartshops selling mushrooms and psychedelic plants have been a fixture in European countries like the Netherlands for more than 20 years. But until recently, you didn't see them in the U.S. Now North Beach is home to what may be the country's first smartshop.
North Beach resident and artist Jeremy Fish is excited about The Fish Tank, his new gallery and studio located at 1331 Grant Ave. But he's even more thrilled to be part of the renaissance his beloved neighborhood is experiencing now that the worst of the pandemic - knock on wood - is behind us.
North Beach has plenty of places to get your drink on. But until recently, if you were seeking a mellower high from a cannabis dispensary, you were out of luck. That's changed since North Beach Pipeline opened earlier this year. The store joins Pipeline's first location in the Sunset District.
Leave those ho-hum, mass-produced garments on the rack and amp up your style game with a unique gem from Vacation, North Beach's new vintage clothing store. Well, new to North Beach, that is. Prior to opening here at the end of February, the meticulously curated shop called the Tenderloin home.
Leave it to a hairstylist to know beauty when she sees it. Years ago, Julie Gebhardt, a stylist at Ringolevio Salon in Pac Heights, took a portrait photography class with the idea of learning how to take better snapshots of her family. But the photo bug didn't really click until she got her hands on...
Real Estate & Business
House deed vs. title: what's the difference between the two? The terms are often mistakenly interchanged or misunderstood in real estate. Perhaps the biggest myth is that the title to a home is an actual document stored in a drawer somewhere.
You've lived with your home's quirks for years: the toilet handle that needs jiggling after every flush. The electrical outlets that haven't worked in a decade. That red accent wall in the living room that's more dated than dramatic. Now that you're selling your house, you see these imperfections through the eyes of potential buyers.
You need to sell your home, but it's admittedly not in the best location. Despite your custom french doors, chef's kitchen, or other coveted features, you can't change the fact that your property backs onto a busy highway or that you're close to a landfill.
Only about 8% of people sell their home to someone they already know, but you personally want the buyer of your home to be your son, daughter, grandchild, or another relative - and you wouldn't have it any other way! If your budget allows, you may even desire to give your loved one a discount on the home's price.
Today's homebuyers can scroll through dozens of real estate listings on the web in a matter of minutes, which means you may only have one fleeting moment to get them to notice yours before they're onto the next. Those sweeping aerial drone images of your home's acreage and pics that show off your light-filled interior are sure to catch their eye.
Cash home buyers in NJ are clamoring for homes throughout the state, especially in the wake of the pandemic. So now is a great time to request a cash offer on your Dutch Colonial in Montclair so you can downsize to a waterfront condo in Jersey City, or whatever your housing situation may be.
On the surface, fast-cash companies in real estate may not have the most pristine reputation, but you're not crazy to consider selling your house for cash. As a rising number of companies provide cash offers for homes and improve experiences for sellers with advanced technology, the idea that you don't have to wait months to list and close on your house appeals to many stressed-out sellers.
You need to move ASAP and would prefer to sell your house fast with a Realtor®. But you're not sure where to begin your search for someone qualified. Plus, your house could use some TLC. The garage is overflowing, your bathroom hasn't been updated since the early 2000s, and your living room carpets aren't the freshest.
Before planting the for-sale sign outside their rental, California landlords should avoid violating any rules in this tenant-friendly state.
Learning that a parent or spouse has dementia can leave you reeling. Even if the symptoms are mild - Mom's been losing her purse more often and missed some appointments - you know the day is coming when she won't be able to manage her affairs or live on her own.
When a cherished tree must go, it can feel like losing a family member. To pour salt in the wound of your tree loss, you can expect to receive a pretty steep bill for the luxury of removing a sick, dying, or otherwise dangerous tree from your property.
The days when Tacoma's charms were eclipsed by Seattle, its sprawling cosmopolitan neighbor 34 miles north, are over. A growing number of homebuyers are discovering what locals like you already know - bigger isn't always better. And this puts you in position to sell your Tacoma house fast.
Essays
He chuckles and swivels around to grin at Sadie. She laughs at Grandpa's warped joke. Billy smiles. The conversation is as unreal as the mirage of water shimmering in the distance. It's the first time my brother's ever talked openly about his mental illness.
On Monday nights, I have a standing date with my daughter. That's when the popular podcast Crime Junkie drops a new episode about some gruesome murder or troubling missing person case. We listen together, 325 miles apart. Our love affair with Crime Junkie began two years ago when we still resided under the same roof.
When Dorothy O'Donnell tried to join a hiking group the email that followed was surprising at first, then it was infuriating. Recently, I joined a local Meet Up hiking group online. I did so because a friend wanted me to accompany her on one of their hikes.
I was scared for myself the day my 7-year-old tried to stab me. But not half as scared as I was for her. When the knife pierced the cover of the book I'd raised to protect my face, Sadie (not her real name) snapped out of her trance.
It was a three-hour drive from home when I got the text from my 16-year-old. "So, I think I'm going to that party tonight," she wrote. "And if I do, I think I'm going to drink. " I tried not to panic.
I've been spending some of my COVID-19 quarantine in Britain, my mother's homeland. In my head, at least. I had plans for a real visit this summer. Clearly, that's not happening. So I've been traveling there from the comfort of my sofa via memories of childhood trips, faded photographs and my mother's memoir.
I wasn't at my 5-year-old's school the day she started to rip off her clothes and twirl in the rain in front of the music room. But when her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Stapp, called to tell me about Sadie's latest episode of troubling behavior, I wasn't surprised. I'd witnessed plenty of similar incidents.
By Dorothy O'Donnell I sat with three other moms on ugly green wedges of modular seating in the lobby of the Stanford Psychiatric Services building. It was a Tuesday evening and we were waiting for our daughters to finish their first session of group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for kids with bipolar disorder.
A few months before my father turned 85, I received one of his rare emails. "All I want for my birthday is to be with all of my kids - I may not be around much longer," he wrote. "Figure out a date when we can meet in San Diego this summer."
It wasn't as if I hadn't been dumped before. Or ended my share of relationships that had disaster written all over them. But this particular break-up hit me harder than most, even though, technically, I wasn't the one being dumped. It happened at my eight-year-old's school on her first day of second grade, the hottest day of the summer.