Julia Millay Walsh | November 25, 2011 8:15 amSaturday at 11 a.m., The Fairmont San Francisco will unveil its 2011 gingerbread house with an official ribbon cutting by children from the local Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Make-A-Wish Foundation. The extravagant Winter wonderland measures 22' by 23' and is nearly double the size of last year's house (shown), which was the largest in the state. Led by Executive Chef JW Foster and Pastry Chef Stephan Sullivan, the house was constructed with 7,500 homemade gingerbread bricks, 1,200 pounds of icing, and 650 pounds of colorful candy.Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 24, 2011 8:30 amWhile the holidays may bring peace, joy, and happiness, for partner-less people, the holidays can also be an unflinching reminder of your loneliness and failure to meet age-appropriate milestones. Finding a match ain't easy, and for a lot of reasons many of SF's busy, social people aren't even looking for one. So one smart, single, 28-year-old Mission dude came up with a work-around: a Craigslist ad titled, "WANTED: Holiday Girlfriend."Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 23, 2011 11:50 amExecutive Pastry Chef Jean-François Houdré of the Westin St. Francis (335 Powell St., 415-397-7000) unveiled his signature 15-foot, rotating holiday sugar castle in the hotel's main lobby this morning, and it will be on display through Jan. 3, 2012, for your eyes to see! The castle, which resembles a French château, was originally created in 2005 and grows larger and more spectacular every year.Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 21, 2011 4:30 pmIf you're looking for a nontraditional way to spend your Thanksgiving this year, or you just want to make post-pumpkin-pie plans, San Francisco has a lot to offer in terms of alternative engagements. From a sunrise festival to a wee-hour dance party, here are a few turkey-free fetes happening in SF on Thanksgiving day.Occupy Alcatraz
On Thanksgiving day in 1969, Alcatraz Island was the scene of another "Occupy" sit-in: a troop of Native Americans gained control of the island and demanded the land be returned to them, proclaiming that it belonged to their tribes, according to the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. The event, which lasted 19 months, brought attention to American Indian civil rights issues.Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 21, 2011 12:36 pmI don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated by historical photography. And when that black and white, tattered imagery captures the place where I live or a place where I have spent time, the appeal is even stronger. So I was thrilled to discover Old S.F., a brilliant website that allows us to browse the San Francisco Public Library's incredible SF Historical Photograph Collection online via a map underlay. The creators of the site essentially associated latitudes and longitudes to about 13,000 images, taken between 1850 and 2000, in the collection.Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 18, 2011 3:30 pmGet Thanksgiving table inspiration from Dining by Design. — Six Twists
Meet sand artist Jim Denevan at Anthropologie tomorrow! — Refinery29 SF
A build of a giant Lego Yoda kicks off in Union Square this weekend.Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 17, 2011 3:35 pmWhether you're needing a fashion fix, looking to get a jump-start on your holiday shopping, or wanting to brush elbows with the art world's hippest crowd, there's a grand plan on the agenda for you in San Francisco this weekend. Come check out what's happening.
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Julia Millay Walsh | November 17, 2011 8:00 amI'm giving up flight delays and Northeastern chill this month in favor of a San Francisco staycation. My friends and I will be hosting an orphan Thanksgiving for all of the lonely transplants and friends stuck working over the holiday — want an invitation? While I won't be checking any bags next week, I am considering doing some travel — to a destination perhaps just a MUNI ride away.Read More
Julia Millay Walsh | November 11, 2011 2:40 pmThe SFMOMA makes an adorable tribute to 11.11.11. — SFist
What wines to pour at your Thanksgiving dinner this year. — Six Twists
Check out more than 20 local Instagram feeds you should follow!Read More
Anna Monette Roberts | November 11, 2011 9:35 amWe live in a wonderful city full of fruits and nuts, so crazy and unusual sightings are just part of daily life for SF dwellers. Here are some hilarious tweets from San Franciscans who are willing to admit that the liberal attitude toward sex, drugs, and rock and roll is what it is here. Join the chat of which occurrences you've experienced #onlyinSF.Read More