Bay Area Updates
SF’s Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park May Be Renamed
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco Thanks to SF Gate for sharing the news that San Francisco’s Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park may be renamed. The picturesque man-made lake with pedal boats, a waterfall and Chinese pavilion was named after California Assemblymember William Stow, who was speaker in 1855. The politician, who was unapologetically and outspokenly more...
This is SF’s Last Ocean Beach Bonfire Night Until 2023
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco October 31st is the last night to legally have a bonfire at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. During the “No Burn” Season (which runs from November 1 to the end of February), bonfires are not allowed, but starting March 1, 2023 bonfires are back through the end of October with a more...
20% of Offices in SF Expected to Remain Vacant Thru 2026
Bay Area Updates, San Francisco By Eli Walsh, Bay City News Foundation One-fifth of offices in San Francisco are expected to remain vacant through at least 2026, but property tax revenue may not see a large reduction in the immediate future, according to a report issued this week by the city’s chief economist. In a response to more...
All the Food & Drinks Coming to SF’s New Tunnel Tops Park This Fall
Bay Area Updates, Eat & Drink, Outdoor Dining, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches San Francisco’s new favorite park, Presidio Tunnel Tops, which opened July 17, 2022, recently announced its full lineup of Presidio Pop-Up food vendors coming to the park through the end of the year. Most notably, San Francisco’s Fort Point is bringing their beers to the park. The local craft brewery will more...
Now You Can Finally Pay for BART Parking w/ a Credit Card
Bay Area Updates, Transportation BART is focused on making transit easier to use. Crews have made several upgrades to the fare collection machines to speed up the experience. Riders can now use credit and debit cards to pay for parking inside stations BART Add Fare Machines inside stations, which also serve as parking payment machines, now more...
SF Unveils Newly Restored 107-Year-Old Pagoda in Japanese Tea Garden
Bay Area Updates, Only in San Francisco, Outdoorsy The Japanese Tea Garden’s towering pagoda, one of the few surviving structures from the 1915 World’s Fair, has been revived to its former glory following a meticulous restoration. Public officials, history buffs, and members of the Japanese American community celebrated the completion of the two-year project Wednesday evening with a ceremony more...
BART Ends Mask Mandate (Again) on Oct. 1
Bay Area Updates, Masks, Transportation BART’S current mask requirement is slated to end when the mandate expires on October 1, but the agency’s Board of Directors approved a new resolution Thursday evening that would allow for the mandate to be reinstated when public health officials require indoor masking in their respective jurisdictions. But, as BART directors more...
Oakland Plans to Return Land to Indigenous Group
Bay Area Updates, Healing, Oakland, Outdoorsy Oakland has announced plans to return about 5 acres of land owned by the city to Indigenous stewardship. The Oakland City Council will hold hearings to consider conveying the site, known as Sequoia Point, to the Indigenous women-led non-profit, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, and the East Bay Ohlone tribe, Confederated Villages of more...
SF’s New Central Subway Opens “This Fall;” Four Years Late
Bay Area Updates, Transportation Thanks to ABC7 for sharing the news that San Francisco’s Central Subway is on schedule to finally open in “the fall” (No specific date has been announced, but SFMTA’s website says “October”). Well… supposedly “scheduled” for fall. But we’ve heard this before! The subway was supposed to open in 2018, then more...
6 Bay Area Cities Experienced Highest Temperatures Ever Recorded (Sept. 6)
Bay Area Updates, Outdoorsy Six cities in the greater Bay Area on Tuesday saw their highest temperatures ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service. The same cities were among seven that had record highs for September and among eight that set records for Sept. 6. In all, 21 record temperatures were set or tied more...
Single Map May Soon Connect All Bay Area Transit
Bay Area Updates, Brand New, Transportation Eli Walsh, Bay City News Foundation The Bay Area’s myriad transit agencies could soon utilize a single mapping system after the region’s transportation planning agency approved a contract to streamline transit information and guidance. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Operations Committee approved a $6 million contract Friday with the mapping company Applied Wayfinding more...
50 Mile “High-Speed” Rail (SF to San Jose) Moves a Step Closer
Bay Area Updates, Transportation By Eli Walsh, Bay City News Foundation The California high-speed rail governing board approved the final environmental documents Thursday for the San Jose-to-San Francisco section, completing clearance of the project’s Northern California leg. The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors approved the environmental impact report and statement for the roughly more...
Bay Area Whole Food Stores Installing Creepy Palm Scanners for Checkout
Bay Area Updates, Groceries / Supermarkets Thanks to SF Eater for sharing the news that Amazon is installing Amazon One palm scanners in at least half a dozen Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area. Amazon One is a free, contactless service that lets you use your palm to pay, enter, or identify yourself. In a Whole more...
Bay Area City Named “America’s Happiest City” for 2022
Bay Area Updates, East Bay Forget about leaving your heart in San Francisco. It turns out that Concord is America’s happiest city. An analysis released Thursday by HouseFresh.com, a site focused on improving residential air quality, placed Concord in the Number One slot. “The hometown of Tom Hanks is said to be a quiet and pleasant place more...
BART Testing New Unlimited Ride “Bay Pass”
Bay Area Updates, Brand New, San Francisco, Transportation, Travel The Metropolitan Transportation Commission — in conjunction with BART and all other transit agencies participating in the Clipper fare payment system — this week launched a two-year pilot program to study the impact of a single pass that will provide some 50,000 Bay Area residents free access to all bus, more...
