Every year on the second weekend of June since 1978, the streets of the Haight Ashbury district are a buzz with thousands of visitors, all there to celebrate the warmer temperatures with a bit of live music and some arts and crafts. Mix in a variety of places to grab something to eat and drink and it’s clear why so many arrive every year for the festivities. Haight Street is awash with a diverse crowd of hipsters, hippies, yuppies with strollers, a bit of grunge, and pretty much everything in between. |Haight Street Festival|

Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, the Financial District is abuzz with live music and revelers celebrating the holiday, ushering in the warm Spring weather ahead. This stretch of Front Street, in between California and Sacramento streets, right by the Embarcadero Center, is sealed off from vehicular traffic, and is packed to the brim with patrons downing drinks from either Schroeder’s Cafe or Harrington’s Bar and Grill. The crowd is a mixture of fancy dressed professionals unwinding after a long day at the office and those that are clad in more festive green garb. Live music and flowing beer are definite selling points, but just remember that admission is free so it’s best to come a bit early to avoid the rush of the office crowd. Live music usually entails a cover band, so if you’re a fan of classic rock, you’re in the right place.

With the help of rival gang Chang Sings, lawyer Gracie Law (Kim Katrell), and Chinatown tour bus driver with mystic powers Egg Shen (Victor Wong), the heroes are caught in the middle of a deadly rivalry that has been waging on for centuries. Defeating the Wing Kong won’t be easy, as the leader David Lo Pan (James Hong) is an immortal spirit with a team of three henchmen who posses the power to harness the elements. Lo Pan seeks being mortal again, which can only happen once he sacrifices a woman with green eyes to appease his demon god. The journey to victory is harrowing, yet whimsical, and Kurt Russell plays the part of a cocky, mullet-haired Jack Burton perfectly. Big trouble is brewing so “Just remember what ol’ Jack Burton does when the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake. Yeah, Jack Burton just looks that big ol’ storm right square in the eye and he says, Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it.”

Modeled after a square in London, South Park was constructed in 1855 as an exclusive residential community comprising of seventeen mansions plus townhouses that surrounded an oval shaped grass area. The community featured the first paved sidewalks and streets in the city, and originally had a windmill in the middle of the park to pump the water to the residences. After the 1906 earthquake demolished most of the Rincon Hill neighborhood, warehouses, nightclubs, and industrial buildings replaced the mansions of this once tony neighborhood. Over the years, dot com companies, restaurants, retail, and upscale lofts and condos have moved in to bring the splendor back to this charming little district within a district. While much has changed in the neighborhood, I love this part of the city for its tree-lined streets, a park with a playground and grass area, beautiful architecture, great restaurants to grab a bite and some unique shops worth exploring.

Specializing in upholstered furniture and case goods made with sustainable products, Cisco Home features the hand crafted designs of Cisco Pinedo. Based in Los Angeles, the family run business also has design showrooms in Southern California, Florida, New York City and Hayes Valley. The Hayes Street store has a beautiful lofted ceiling that helps showcase their selection of unique chandeliers. Their sofas and chairs are well crafted, and their bed frames would make a great addition to any bedroom. I love that many of their case goods have this distressed look that often comes from using reclaimed wood. One of my favorite designs would be their chandeliers made from old wine barrels, just the thing to complete the look in a chic loft or contemporary home. |Cisco Home|

Following three years of construction at a cost of $500 million, the California Academy of Sciences re-opened in late 2008 and is the largest platinum-rated LEED certified public building in the world. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, the 400,000 sf structure was constructed with over 20,000 cubic yards of recycled concrete, 11 million pounds of recycled steel, and wall insulation made of recycled denim. The finished structure produces 50 percent less waste than the previous building, rainwater is recycled for irrigation, natural light is utilized in 90 percent of occupied space, and 60,000 photovoltaic solar cells help power the building.

Public space at the museum is divided by the the Steinhart Aquarium with its four-story rainforest ecosystem, Morrison Planetarium, the Kimball Natural History Museum and the living roof. There is also a penguin habitat located within the Natural History Museum. Local SF residents can visit the museum for free on specified days based on what district they live in, dates can be found on the Cal Academy web site. Free admission to the facilities are also available every third Wednesday of the month. |CA Academy of Sciences|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 9:30am – 5pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm

What started out as a local company that only made wallets is now a diversified brand that makes menswear, bags, sunglasses, watches, belts and accessories. All of their menswear, which includes shirts, blazers, jackets, and hoodies, are either made locally in Burlingame or by their tailors in New York City.

Their line of watches and sunglasses are mostly made in Italy and have this retro quality to them. Using Italian leather and waxed canvas for their line of bags and briefcases, the result is rugged yet sophisticated. Accessories include zanny cuff links, retro radios, even ipod cases. |Hlaska|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 11am – 7pm
Sun: 11am – 6pm

The Ferry Building could possibly be the most picturesque location in the city to spend a productive morning buying fresh and local produce straight from the farm. For many restaurants, farmers markets are an important place of reference for sourcing seasonal ingredients at their best, so it should be no surprise to see these same ingredients that were sampled that morning gracing the menu for evening dinner service. Perhaps that is one of the best gauges of how well a restaurant takes advantage of what’s local, available and at its best. The vendors that occupy these coveted booths at this market are some of the best in the area, and it’s always worth perusing this market for the delicious samples. Each farm has their own specialty and certain vendors are present on specific days so plan accordingly by checking.

Some of my favorites include |Frog Hollow Farm| for their amazing stone fruits, dried fruits, jams and marmalades. |Far West Fungi| with their changing varieties of mushrooms. |Heirloom Organic Gardens| for Asian vegetables, beans, and lettuces. |Allstar Organics| with their heirloom tomatoes, squashes, and peppers. |Dirty Girl Produce| for amazing dry-farmed tomatoes, strawberries, haricot verts and other beans. Artisans and Purveyors include |Acme Bread Company| for delicious pastries and bread. |Cap’n Mike’s Holy Smoke| for amazing smoked fish and |Cowgirl Creamery| for their selection of artisan cheeses. The selection of vendors at the market varies by the day of the week, |CUESA| has a full list of purveyors and farmers for reference. |Ferry Plaza Farmers Market|

Hours of Operation:
Tues: 10am – 2pm
Thurs: 10am – 2pm
Sat: 8am – 2pm

Walking along Hayes Street, I happened to come across a very special little flower shop, one unlike any I have ever seen. Upon entering Birch, one immediately notices the striking black interior walls, contrasted by the spectrum of bright colors and fragrances emanating from the beautiful flower arrangements that fill the store. Every corner invites a further look, from its wall of hard to find design and fashion magazines from all over the world, to the selection of unique stationary, vases, and objects d’art that are fit for any gift giving occasion. Owner Torryne Choate has a definite skill for creating strikingly beautiful arrangements of flowers, not to mention a knack for keen visual merchandising. |BirchSF|

Hours of Operation:
Tues, Wed, & Sat: 12pm – 6pm
Thurs-Fri: 12pm – 7pm
Sun: 12pm – 5pm

With sweeping views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from its front yard, the Legion of Honor is the perfect setting to showcase some priceless works of art spanning over 6,000 years. Located in Lincoln Park, the museum was erected in 1924 as a 3/4 replica of the Palais de laLegion d’Honneur in Paris and was a gift to the city by Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. While the permanent collection includes ancient works from Egypt, the Near East, Greece, the Aegean islands, and Rome, the main draw would be their collection of fine European art. Featuring works by Rembrandt, Degas, Renoir, Monet, Pissaro, Cezanne, Picasso, and Van Gogh, the museum also owns a vast collection of ornate antique furniture pieces from various periods. The museum’s collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures is impressive and includes some of his notable works such as the Thinker and the Kiss. |Legion of Honor|

Museum Hours of Operation:
Mon: Closed
Tues-Sun: 9:30am – 5:15pm