San Francisco - Alison Bing [109]
415-252-5753; 393 Hayes St; 11am-7pm Tue-Sat, 1-6pm Sun; 6, 7, 21, 71
Contemporary folk art by Mexican and Chicano artists mix traditional techniques and new ideas at Polanco, from Artemio Rodriguez’s woodcuts of Day of the Dead skeletons sporting Mohawks to a traditional ex voto painting on tin showing before and after portraits of a transgendered friend by Fernando Guevara. Don’t miss the Oaxacan devil masks embedded with actual goat’s horns and teeth, or the Frida Kahlo–esque earrings of silver hands cupping tiny hearts.
NANCY BOY Map Beauty Products, Local Maker
415-552-3802; www.nancyboy.com; 347 Hayes St; 11am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat & Sun; 5, 21, 42, 47, 49
All you closet pomaders and after-sun balmers: wear those products with pride, without feeling like the dupe of some cosmetics conglomerate. Clever Nancy Boy knows you’d rather pay for the product than for advertising campaigns featuring the starlet du jour, and delivers locally made products with effective plant oils that are tested on boyfriends, never animals.
GREEN ARCADE Map Books
415-431-6800; www.thegreenarcade.com; 1680 Market St; 11am-7pm Tue-Sun; 6, 7, 21, 71
Everything you always wanted to know about foraging for mushrooms, composting with worms and running for office on an environmental platform, but were afraid to ask. This bookstore emphasizes helpful how-to books over eco-apocalypse treatises, so you’ll leave with a rosier outlook on how you can make the world a greener place.
ISOTOPE Map Books
415-621-6543; www.isotopecomics.com; 326 Fell St; 11am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 6pm Sat & Sun; 6, 7, 21, 71;
The toilet seats signed by famous cartoonists over the front counter show just how seriously Isotope takes comics. Newbies tentatively flip through Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware in the graphic-novel section, while fanboys load up on Berkeley’s Adrian Tomine or the latest from SF’s Last Gasp Publishing and head upstairs to lounge with local cartoonists.
DARK GARDEN Map Clothing & Accessories, Local Designer
415-431-7684; www.darkgarden.com; 321 Linden St; 11am-5pm Sun-Tue, to 6pm Wed-Sat; 6, 7, 21, 71
Not sure what to wear to your Victorian-theme wedding or your Marilyn Manson tribute band’s debut? Dark Garden might have your answer, as long as you don’t need to take any deep breaths and can get help with the lacing (not exactly a cinch, no matter what they tell you). Corsets are made to order and surprisingly comfortable, especially the va-va-voom velvet numbers.
MAC Map Clothing & Accessories
415-863-3011; 387 Grove St; 11am-7pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; 5, 21, 42, 47, 49
‘Modern Appealing Clothing’ is what they promise, and what they deliver with structured looks from Belgian minimalist Dries Van Noten, pop-art patterns from Van Beirendonck and silk dresses with midnight-blue forest silhouettes by Tsumori Chisato. The staff are on your side, rooting for you to rock these designs, steering you away from looks that don’t quite click and enjoying the contact retail high when you find something from the 40%-to-75%-off sales rack.
RESIDENTS APPAREL GALLERY Map Clothing & Accessories, Local Designer
415-621-7718; www.ragsf.com; 541 Octavia Blvd; noon-7pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm Sun; 6, 7, 21, 71
Local designers at design-school prices make eclectic SF chic easy at this certified-green cooperative boutique. Take your pick of limited-edition screen-printed tees, locally made designer dark denims (no sweatshops here, thank you), clever reconstructed vintage dresses and designer jewelry in silver, gemstones and recycled comics.
MIETTE Map Food & Drink
415-626-6221; www.miettecakes.com; 449 Octavia Blvd; 11am-7pm; 6, 7, 21, 71, F
Pure candy heaven: racks of licorice twists, a table of artisan chocolate bars and a fully stocked cupcake counter. Tots load up on Pixie Stix and chocolate fire trucks, while adults ogle salty French caramels and dark chocolates spiked with chili. Ask for help first, so that you don’t get caught with your hand in the candy jar.
LAVISH Map Gifts, Clothing & Accessories
415-565-0540; www.shoplavish.com; 540 Hayes