SF History

From Protest to Puke: The Debasement of SantaCon
For those who don’t participate, SantaCon is an annual spectacle, mildly disorienting and mostly foul. If you’ve ever seen a cluster of self-saboteurs in Santa costumes collectively heaving over a gutter or stumbling about in a daze, you’ve likely been privy to the awe-inspiring merriment of SantaCon. As a writer

The Dark & Disturbing History of the St. Francis Hotel
The Westin St. Francis Hotel looms on the edge of Union Square, bearing silent witness to flocks of tourists and shoppers who likely know nothing of its history. Built in 1904, the St. Francis Hotel is now known to be one of the most haunted hotels in California. Many notable

Speak Truth to Power With City College’s Journalism Classes, Now Enrolling Students
Editor’s note: Enrollment is now open for the Spring 2022 semester, which starts January 18. Classes are remote and free for SF residents through Free City. You can see some of CCSF Journalism students’ work from the Spring 2021 semester published across 48hills, KQED, The Guardsman, and San Francisco Bay

The Untold Story of Filipina Women’s Contributions to SF’s Housing Rights Movement
One of San Francisco’s first major fights for housing rights took place just 40 years ago, which culminated on the night of August 4, 1977, when 3,000 activists and students from SFSU and UC Berkeley formed a chain-linked human barricade to protect the I-Hotel residents who were being evicted to

SF Muni Operator Breaks Down the Shang-Chi Bus Fight, Play-by-Play
One Muni operator’s analysis, fact-checking, and commentary on what the SF Chronicle described as the ‘second-best San Francisco car chase of all time‘ has won over the hearts of Marvel enthusiasts and public transit advocates alike. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings features a martial arts fight scene

Last Gasp’s Ron Turner Publishes “Mind Candy for the Masses”
Last Gasp has been bending minds since 1970, and is known to be one of the world’s oldest and largest publishers of underground books and comics. The publisher’s motto is “Mind Candy for the Masses,” so consider it your counterculture dealer. Last Gasp is saluted for its ‘lowbrow’ comics and

SF Chinatown Showgirl Cynthia ‘Empress’ Yee Is A Living Legend
“I think people come to Chinatown because they expect a Disneyland atmosphere,” Cynthia Yee says. “When they see it’s just a neighborhood, a community with restaurants and daily life, they wonder.” Yee is a tour guide with the award-winning Chinatown Magic Tours, but she was once herself at the center of

The Best Dates You Can Go on This Weekend (Alone or With Others!)
Every Tuesday our subscribers get this awesome roundup in their inboxes. You should sign up right here to make sure you never miss a thing. Lucero is coming to the UC Theatre! Since forming in late the ‘90s, this group of Memphis road-dogs has mixed heartfelt lyrics with the sounds