San Francisco - Alison Bing [165]
MAGIC THEATRE
Map
415-441-8822; www.magictheatre.org; 3rd fl, Bldg D, Fort Mason Center; 22, 28, 30
The Magic Theatre is well known for taking risks and staging provocative plays by such playwrights as Bill Pullman, Terrence McNally, Edna O’Brien, David Mamet and longtime playwright-in-residence Sam Shepard. Watch the next generation of playwrights and provocateurs break through in professionally staged works written by teenagers as part of the Young California Writers Project.
MARSH Map
415-641-0235; www.themarsh.org; 1062 Valencia St; tickets $8-35; 8pm Thu-Sun; 14, 26, 49
The Marsh is a hive of creativity. One-acts and one-off stagings of works-in-progress involve the audience in the creative process. This is San Francisco experimental theater at its most exciting. A sliding-scale pricing structure allows all to participate. Also offers workshops.
RED POPPY ART HOUSE Map
415-826-2402; www.redpoppyarthouse.org; 2698 Folsom St; 24th St Mission
It feels like a house party you’ve stumbled upon by accident, where guests are instead performers still in rehearsal mode. The little corner storefront is open to passersby; inside you’ll find art in progress, musical performances and occasional film screenings. Check the lineup on the website, or just wander in. If you dig open studios, this is a very cool concept and a great way to meet local artists.
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SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
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SPECTATOR SPORTS
BASEBALL
BASKETBALL
FOOTBALL
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
BICYCLING
GOLF
RUNNING, WALKING & SKATING
SAILING & WINDSURFING
SWIMMING & SURFING
TENNIS
WHALE-WATCHING
INDOOR ACTIVITIES
ICE SKATING & BOWLING
YOGA
OTHER ACTIVITIES
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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top picks
San Francisco Giants game
Kabuki Springs & Spa
Lindy in the Park
Midnight Rollers
Sunday bicycling in Golden Gate Park
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What’s your recommendation? www.lonelyplanet.com/san-francisco
San Franciscans love the outdoors, and with good reason. The low-rise city’s topography perfectly lends itself to exploration, with lots of open space, parks, beaches and woodlands. Locals hike to remote hilltops to find the perfect picnic spot, sail the bay’s glittering grey waters and stroll arm-in-arm down foggy beaches. On Sundays, Golden Gate Park is ground zero for outdoor fun, with Lindy dancing, roller boogie, and all manner of human-powered vehicles gliding down the park’s wide boulevard, John F Kennedy Dr. You’ll never be at a loss for something to do outdoors, even during winter’s rains when the Pacific positively thunders – a thrilling sight.
Mountain-biking got its start in nearby Marin County, and every weekend thousands of cyclists cross the Golden Gate to explore the Marin Headlands. Inline skaters make a sort of commando raid every Friday night along the waterfront, and cyclists jam city streets on the last Friday of the month for the controversial Critical Mass – locals love to mix politics with fun. Spectator sports are big too, especially when the Giants make it to the World Series, but even then don’t expect the post-championship riots that happen elsewhere (with the notable exception of the infamously wacked Oakland Raiders fans across the bay). When SF teams win, you spot an occasional band of happy, screaming fans. When they lose, most shrug their shoulders and shift their attention to the beauty that surrounds them.
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SPECTATOR SPORTS
There are two types of sports-viewers in San Francisco: those in stadiums, and those in bars. Much as we love catching a Giants game at awesome AT&T Park (right), we’d be remiss not to point you to local gin mills such as Bus Stop, where you can get into the psyche of local sports fanatics. When you want the real deal, book tickets through team websites, or try Ticketmaster