Local Icons
Castro Theatre’s Iconic Neon Blade Sign & Marquee Official Relighting (June 19)
Local Icons, Reopening, San Francisco On June 19, 2024 celebrate the official re-lighting of the Castro Theatre’s iconic neon blade sign and marquee, as part of Another Planet Entertainment’s restoration and renovation efforts. On Wednesday, June 19 beginning at 7pm, Frameline48’s Juneteenth Opening Night Film and Block Party will coincide with the official re-lighting of the more...
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Iconic Giant Dipper Roller Coaster Turns 100
Celebrations, Local Icons Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s iconic Giant Dipper roller coaster is celebrating its 100th anniversary on May 18, 2024. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has announced a summer of celebration in honor of the Giant Dipper’s 100th anniversary. This summer the Boardwalk will celebrate the legendary wooden roller coaster with oceanfront fireworks on more...
Over 1,000 Sea Lions Are At Pier 39 Right Now
Bay Area Favorites, Local Icons, San Francisco, Wow Thanks to SF Gate for sharing the news that Pier 39 is seeing an influx of sea lions on its docks. On Monday, May 29, Pier 39 counted over 1,000 sea lions, which is the highest recorded number in 15 years. The number of seal lions ebbs and flows each season; Pier more...
Iconic SF Queer Bar, The Stud, Finally Reopens
Bars, Bay Area Favorites, LGBTQ+, Local Icons, Reopening, San Francisco Thanks to NBC Bay Area for sharing the news that San Francisco’s The Stud bar has finally reopened. The Stud, the country’s only cooperatively owned nightclub, had been in operation for 54 years when it shut down in May of 2020. After a four-year closure, the historic LGBT bar finally has more...
SF’s Famous Revolving Rooftop Restaurant Is Finally Spinning Again After 17 Years
Bay Area Favorites, Eat & Drink, Local Icons, Reopening, San Francisco Thanks to the San Francisco Chronicle for breaking the news that San Francisco’s famous revolving rooftop restaurant atop Hyatt Regency San Francisco on the Embarcadero is finally reopening. The former Equinox restaurant opened in 1973 to much fanfare for its futuristic floor which slowly rotated offering panoramic views. Each rotation around was more...
Bruce Lee Statue Coming to SF’s Chinatown?
Artsy Fartsy, Local Icons, Lunar New Year, Only in San Francisco, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco, Stop Asian Hate Thanks to SF Gate for letting us know that a determined group, led by Bruce Lee memorabilia collector Jeff Chinn, is actively collaborating with the Bruce Lee Foundation to bring a butt-kicking statue of the martial arts legend to San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite statues scattered globally, including in Hong Kong more...
SF’s Iconic “Golden Boy” Pizza Opening New Spot
Brand New, Eat & Drink, Local Icons, San Francisco Thanks to Eater SF for sharing the news that San Francisco’s iconic North Beach pizza joint Golden Boy Pizza is opening up a new location. The newest location will be at 1447 Taraval Street in the Parkside neighborhood, which was formerly home to another Italian foodie spot, Marco Polo Italian Ice more...
SF’s Classic Rooftop Cocktail Lounge “Starlight Room” to Reopen in 2024
Eat & Drink, Local Icons, Reopening, San Francisco Thanks to SF Gate for sharing the news that San Francisco’s historic Starlight Room is set to reopen. The glamourous rooftop bar, on top of Beacon Grand, formerly the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, opened during the Prohibition era in 1928. It was the celebrity hotspot of its time with regulars like more...
Sen. Diane Feinstein Public Memorial & Funeral at SF’s City Hall (Oct. 4-5)
Bay Area Favorites, Brand New, Community, Goodbye, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died last week at the age of 90, will lie in state Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at San Francisco City Hall and a public funeral service will now be held Thursday on the steps of the building. On Wednesday, the public will be invited to pay more...
SF’s Ferry Building to be Raised 7 Feet to Protect from Sea Level Rise?
Bay Area Favorites, Bay Area Updates, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco, Uplifting, Wow Thanks to NPR for letting us know about San Francisco’s bold (and expensive) new plan to protect the important city buildings in case sea levels continue to rise. And so SF’s iconic Ferry Building may soon be getting a lift. Although there are no actual plans or specific proposals in place more...
A Massive “Sky Heart” Tribute to Tony Bennett is Coming to SF
Bay Area Favorites, Celebrations, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, Outdoorsy Antenna Theater’s “Heart of San Francisco” has appeared over the Golden Gate Bridge for several years. It is drawn by a sky-writing plane, one-mile high. It is meant to be a virtual manifestation of the essence of San Francisco’s soul and visionary spirit. For 2023, the Antenna Theater will dedicate The more...
SF’s Iconic Red Lanterns Return to Chinatown
Brand New, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco Back in early 2023 the hail and wind from the atmospheric river in San Francisco left the iconic red lanterns on Grant Avenue in shreds. The Chinatown Merchants Association had installed these lanterns on Grant over 10 years ago and had become just as important a symbol of Chinatown as more...
SF’s Iconic Cable Cars Celebrate 150th Anniversary
Bay Area Favorites, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco By Olivia Wynkoop Bay City News San Francisco’s iconic cable cars celebrated a century-and-a-half in style after city leaders, public transit fans and historical reenactors kicked off a birthday celebration downtown on Wednesday. Learn More: Celebrating 150 Years of Cable Cars The cable car, known today as a classic symbol of San Francisco, more...
SF’s 127-Year-Old Anchor Brewing to Close Down
Bay Area Favorites, Goodbye, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco, What's Closed / What's Open By Jeff Ballinger, Bay City News A landmark company in San Francisco has turned off its taps. Anchor Brewing Company officials announced early Wednesday that it will cease operations and liquidate the business — established in 1896 — citing economic factors including declining sales since 2016. The company gave employees 60-day notices more...
SF’s “Sutro Tower” is 50 Years Old Today (July 4)
4th of July, Local Icons, Only in San Francisco, Outdoorsy, San Francisco Sutro Tower, the famed 977-foot-tall beacon of communication, celebrates a half-century of standing tall above SF’s skyline on July 4, 2023 From its lofty perch atop Mount Sutro, the tri-pronged steel leviathan has been piercing the clouds and delivering clear signals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area since 1973. Dubbed “Sutro Tower”, more...
