A local’s guide to San Francisco

by Sarah Feldberg

If a city can soul-search, San Francisco is deep in it. It’s grappling with obscenely expensive housing, tech bros enthroned in their fiefdoms and a steady stream of artists and bohemians fleeing across the bay.

But the rumors of its spiritual demise have been greatly exaggerated. The town that birthed the Summer of Love is still fiercely original — a place where you’ll find plaques dedicated to stray dogs, where Día de los Muertos drapes graveyards in marigolds and leather-clad men parade down Folsom Street, where restaurants earn the highest accolades and specialize in cinnamon toast. Even the fog has a name.

Hop a cable car, climb a secret staircase, eat a dim-sum feast or wander with no itinerary and let San Francisco charm you. Just remember to wear layers.

Minnesota Street Project

Spanning three warehouses in the formerly industrial Dogpatch district, this three-year-old complex hosts 13 permanent art galleries as well as a handful of pop-ups. Artists and exhibits are constantly cycling through the minimalist interior, and on any given day you might find an installation of imaginary creatures by local school children, experiential art in augmented reality or a performance artist floating inside a glass sarcophagus in a white gown.

BTW: Ponder what you’ve seen over a tasting flight around the corner at Harmonic Brewing.