While we have some stunning green spaces in San Francisco, like Dolores and Golden Gate Parks, the parks I’ve been particularly excited about lately are on a much smaller scale. Tiny urban parks, or parklets, have been popping up along some of San Francisco’s busiest streets. Occupying space that used to be reserved for cars, I’ve come across several of these miniature oases outside of coffee shops and cafes. They provide a perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee and take a break from the usual bustle of the street.
Curious about where these tiny spaces got their start, I looked into the brief history of the parklet. From what I can tell, the movement began in 2005 when design studio Rebar installed a single parking space-sized park in a metered spot for two hours. That first installation led to Park(ing) Day, an annual event where people across the country create temporary parks in parking spaces. And from there, more permanent mini-parks began to take hold.
If you aren’t able to enjoy these particular parklets as a Bay Area resident, don’t worry. They are showing up in other cities as well, like the newly opened Logan Parklet in Philadelphia, which was actually funded through a Kickstarter campaign. And if you think your neighborhood could use a bit more green space, consider taking part in Park(ing) Day 2013 this coming September. It’s not too soon to start planning!
{Images above via SF Pavement to Parks}
{Image above via Logan Parklet Kickstarter}
{ Image via Camp Grounded }
I know, it’s only the second day of spring, but I’m already thinking about summer—specifically, summer camp. That’s right, summer camp. It’s not just for kids anymore! The other day, Twitter conversations about a couple of summer camps for grown-ups caught my attention. (Participants in the online chatter included @rena_tom, our market editor, and @jojotastic, a contributor to our blog. And you can follow us @anthologymag!)
Camp Grounded will be happening in mid-June on an 80-acre property in Mendocino County, California. Organizers encourage attendees to ”Trade in your computer, cell phone, Instagrams, clocks, schedules, and work-jargon for an off-the-grid weekend of pure unadulterated fun.” Activities will range from yoga, writing sessions, and barefoot baking to hiking, stargazing, and rock-wall climbing.
While The Unique Camp also advocates unplugging from technology and takes place in June as well, it has an emphasis on entrepreneurship (“Take your business and your ideas to the next level,” reads the website). The four-day creative conference in Big Bear, California, will offer workshops on topics such as finding investors, product photography, and being a great boss, plus camp favorites such as archery, horseback riding, and poolside lounging.
Just the thought of going to summer camp puts a smile on my face. And now I’ve got the urge to watch Moonrise Kingdom again!
{ Image via The Unique Camp }
by Alexis on February 21, 2013
One of the many things I love so much about the Bay Area is the abundance of terrific food. Be it at grocery stores and farmers’ markets, or from food trucks to Michelin-starred dining rooms, we know we’re lucky to have such a wealth of options. When I saw painter Kelly Waters was celebrating the Bay Area food scene in an upcoming show, my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked her if we could share a preview here.
Kelly, who obviously also has a love affair with San Francisco food, wanted to get out from behind her computer more and decided the project to get her going would be to paint Bloody Mary’s from many of her favorite spots around the city. The range of subjects grew from there, and now the collection includes fresh ingredients and iconic dishes from her favorite spots. The resulting watercolors are beautiful and delicious! Kelly’s put together a show which opens tonight (6-9pm) at Pot + Pantry, and will run through March 21st.
{All images from Kelly Waters}
When Meg, Alexis, and I were planning last year’s trip to Philadelphia—which you can read all about in Issue No. 10/Winter 2013—we asked about half a dozen locals for suggestions on things to do and places to visit. As a result, our days were jam-packed, and we were basically eating nonstop. (I can’t tell you how many people raved about the salted caramel budino at Barbuzzo! Luckily for those of us who don’t live in/near Philly, Bon Appétit published the recipe a few years ago.)
The images featured in the Issue No. 10 travel story were taken by Courtney Apple, who is not only a wonderful photographer, but was a terrific Philadelphia tour guide. (That’s her below, trying to get just the right angle for a shot of the donuts and fried chicken at Federal Donuts.) While Courtney was the professional photographer for our trip, Meg took a ton of pictures on her iPhone as well. Here are just some of her favorite snapshots around town.
P.S. Did you know that the city’s nickname, The City of Brotherly Love, is rooted in the literal meaning of the word “Philadelphia” in Greek?
I was thrilled to see that The Bold Italic is kicking off its new event series, SF Film Redux, with a screening of So I Married an Axe Murderer. My personal collection of DVDs is pretty small, but the 1993 Mike Myers’ comedy classic is among the movies I own. I love watching it and spotting all of the places in San Francisco. (Side note: When we were planning our wedding, my husband and I considered the Swedenborgian Church, where the wedding scene was filmed.)
In addition to enjoying the flick itself—shown at The Roxie next Wednesday, January 23—the $21 ticket gets you: a drink at Dalva and samples of charcuterie from Fatted Calf. Plus, there will be trivia questions and prizes awarded throughout the evening. So even if you’re not as big a fan of So I Married an Axe Murderer as I am, there are other reasons to get excited about The Bold Italic’s SF Film Redux series!
