WHAT WE LOVE
That we’re all social animals
Despite the beauty of our surroundings and our playful natures, both people and pets here have somehow found themselves cooped up in offices and backyards most of the day. It’s outrageous, really. Daily life as one big stupid leash law. Are we going to take that lying down? Not a chance. Instead, we’ve pioneered the LEASH-FREE WATERFRONT PARK. Stretch your legs. Mix it up. It’s all yours now.

Point Isabel is the nation’s largest off-leash park, where every day is a wagfest. Located off the Central Avenue exit in Richmond, the park invites responsible owners to stroll along an inlet, one eye on the view of San Francisco, the other on their well-socialized dogs as they sniff and chase each other. Hardy pups splash into the water to retrieve balls and sticks, while their land-loving comrades cheer them on with friendly barks. www.ebparks.org/parks/ptisable.htm.

If you and your dog prefer to roam alone, the Albany Bulb is the place for you. This former dump, located at the west end of Buchanan Street, is strewn with found-object art installations. While Butch sniffs around, you can lose yourself in the rusty bicycle wheel sculptures, the views of the Golden Gate and Marin, and the heady scent of wild fennel. The beach at the southeastern end is a popular canine swimming spot. www.ebparks.org/parks/eastshpk.htm.

City dogs have the run of many parks, but San Francisco’s Fort Funston is the one sandy stretch of beach that has literally gone to the dogs. Just off Skyline Boulevard., it’s packed with joyful pets reveling in the sea air and salty spray. The park service recommends leashing dogs, but judging from recent visits, no one seems to be following that advice. www.fortfunstondog.org, www.nps.gov/goga/fofu.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
We never really throw anything away
While most of the country is still getting used to recycling glass and aluminum, in the Bay Area, even rubble has a second life. Builders and home owners pounce on antiquated fixtures that elsewhere would be abandoned. Old furnishings and appliances are reincarnated, too, for here the past is indeed a prologue.

A veritable game preserve for retired clawfoot bathtubs, Ohmega Salvage is the foremost source in Northern California for HOUSEHOLD VICTORIANA, selectively reclaimed from houses undergoing remodeling and cleaned up to their turn-of-the-century splendor. The high quality comes at a price, yet many are willing to pay it: Ohmega’s wide selection, in two large warehouses and yards, ensures one-stop shopping for balusters, doorknobs, and much, much more. 2400 San Pablo Ave. and 2407 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, 510-204-0767, www.ohmegasalvage.com.

Items donated to SCRAP—or Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts—are seldom destined to retain their original purpose. Shelves and bins are stocked with odd lots of wood from frame shops, leather from upholsterers, and tile from interior designers, among other items. It’s all sorted simply by material in order to inspire CREATIVE ADAPTATION by the buyer. SCRAP is the cheapest materials resource in town for the sorts of DIY projects—from mosaic floors to mason-jar windows—popularized by ReadyMade and Martha Stewart Living. 801 Toland St., S.F., 415-647-1746, www.scrap-sf.org.

Acquiring around 15 tons of used home furnishings, electronics, construction materials, and other cast-off stuff per day, and selling off approximately two to four tons, Berkeley’s Urban Ore deals in JUNKYARD COLLECTIBLES at big-box-store volume. Condition is decidedly as-is, but Urban Ore’s democratic attitude toward merchandise is matched by an almost socialist zeal for affordability: stained glass is as likely to be as much of a bargain as aluminum siding. 900 Murray St., Berkeley, 510-841-7283.

Indulgences of a bygone age, old-growth Douglas fir and handmade red-clay bricks are difficult to obtain new at any price, yet large quantities are recovered from demolition sites each year by the ReUse People, a nonprofit organization that works with homeowners and contractors to salvage every last board, pipe, and fixture. While ReUse is primarily a source for STURDY BUILDING MATERIALS, its vast selection of doors and windows is also worth browsing. 9235 San Leandro St., Oakland, 510-383-1983, www.thereusepeople.org.

Community Thrift is the sort of place where you can buy a coffee table for the price of a cappuccino. A piano might run you as much as a handful of CDs, and you might pay more for a new lightbulb than a lamp from the shelves of this CLUTTERED SECONDHAND SHOP. The Mission district location ensures a steady flow of retro furniture and bric-a-brac, often in the bodacious ’70s color palette favored by denizens of the nabe. 623 Valencia St., S.F., 415-861-4910, www.commu­nitythrift.bravehost.com.

To experience the dual joys of reclaiming space and getting free stuff, sign up with Freecycle. You’ll get hooked up with people who have things you need or need things you have. www.freecycle.org.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
Our bartenders are reinventing the cocktail
The mai tai and the martini were both concocted here, and Bay Area cocktail menus are still shaking it up. You’ll find new drinks like the Twilight, along with some you’ve only heard your grandparents mention. Whether on the revival or revolution end of the spectrum, our mixologists know how to light up the night.

On the old-school front, Todd Smith, bar manager and partner in the soon-to-open speakeasy Bourbon & Branch, focuses on forgotten classics like the WHITE LADY, a frothy mix of gin, Cointreau, egg white, and lemon juice. Fans of Smith’s work at Cortez can rest easy: his CUCUMBER GIMLET is staying on the menu. Cortez, 550 Geary St., S.F., 415-292-6360.

Carlos Yturria and crew at Range shake their way through an inspired list that gets a new drink every night. Linger over the TWILIGHT, a delicate combination of Chopin vodka, peach liqueur, and a splash of rosé. 842 Valencia St., S.F., 415-282-8283.

Even you nondrinkers can get seriously decadent and still keep your halos. Millennium serves an impressive array of nonalcoholic “restorative cocktails” that will have you respecting yourself in the morning. LIQUID SUNSHINE packs a citrus kick, and gets a dousing of agave and Siberian ginseng. 580 Geary St., S.F., 415-345-3900.

Scott Beattie, bar manager of Cyrus, has a lock on obsessively sea­sonal cocktailing. He sources his ingredients as a chef at Chez Panisse would, getting lemon balm and Indian Red peaches straight from the farms. For his CREOLE WATERMELON, Beattie muddles watermelon and then blends it with vodka, lime juice, and chili powder. He serves the sharp, sweet, and spicy result straight up. 29 North St., Healdsburg, 707-433-3311.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
That the latest boom in SoMa is in…museums
The big museum in the park got most of the press last year, but meanwhile, the YERBA BUENA ARTS DISTRICT, in SoMa between Market and Howard and Third and Fourth, is becoming a true cultural nexus. New museums have opened and established ones have relocated, institutions are renewing themselves and future ones—like the Jewish Museum—have broken ground. All this action has created a vortex that’s drawing in art lovers and those in search of history.

“The new energy in the neighborhood is palpable,” says Yerba Buena Center for the Arts executive director Ken Foster. “There are more tourists, more residents, new businesses, and more foot traffic. As a result, we’re attracting more people, and it’s an incredible time to be here.”

So many museums in such a small area means more opportunity for all. “We hope that all of the organizations in the Yerba Buena area will work with one another, rather than competing,” says Rene de Guzman, visual curator for YBCA. He’s thinking of cooperative events, such as the re­­cent joint ticket withthe Cartoon Arts Museum and even a universal pass to all the museums.

“I can’t think of a better place to be in terms of collaboration and support,” says Denise Bradley, executive director of the Museum of the African Diaspora, which opened in the St. Regis Hotel in December. She cites, as one example, the Yerba Buena Black Panthers exhibition, during which MoAD cohosted the book signing for ex-Panther Kathleen Cleaver, while YBCA held a progressive party with MoAD called From the West Coast to the Ivory Coast.

If you had the stamina, you could spend an entire day in this patch of concentrated culture. Imagine checking out the Music in Comics show at the Cartoon Art Museum and the exhibition of African American quilts at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in the morning, stopping for lunch and the Matthew Barney show at SFMOMA, dropping by MoAD to take in the work of photographer Gordon Parks, and capping the whole excursion at the hip opening night party for Cosmic Wonder at Yerba Buena. (One of these days, you’ll be able to take a break in a sculpture garden atop the SFMOMA parking garage. San Francisco’s Jensen & Macy architects are working on it now.)

Speaking of those YBCA parties, check out this month’s bash celebrating the opening of Cosmic Wonder, which exhibits the work of a new generation of artists who are using hypnotic patterns and imagery to explore the great beyond. Besides jamming out to music by Soft Circle and Feathers, the coolest kids in town will be taking part in the beloved group levitation game Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. July 14, $12 in advance, $15 at door. YBCA, 701 Mission St., 415-978-2787; Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission St., 415-227-8666; MoAD, 685 Mission St., 415-358-7200; Museum of Craft and Folk Art, 51 Yerba Buena Ln., 415-227-4888; SFMOMA, 151 Third St., 415-357-4000.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
That soon we’ll be able to work (or play) anywhere, anytime
Thanks to a bold initiative by Mayor Gavin Newsom to catapult San Francisco into the age of boundless digital communications, pretty soon everyone in the city will have FREE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET—provided they can get their hands on a wi-fi-ready computer. The city hopes to begin construction by the end of the year on an extensive set of wireless receivers that will eventually cover all 49 square miles of San Francisco. Of course, the city can’t manage this solo; it’s banking on the economic might and technical know-how of the folks over at Earthlink and everyone’s favorite search engine, Google. Chris Vein, the city’s director of telecommunications and information services, says the project could reach completion as early as summer 2007. Until then, look up San Francisco on www.wififreespot.com/ca.html for some current spots with free access to tide you over.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
The setting can’t be beat
Storied city mansions with views of the bay, vineyard hideouts overlooking not just a pool but the whole sweep of wine country—when Aunt Esther in Wisconsin fantasizes about an OVER-THE-TOP SPECTACULAR SETTING for a special event, the picture in her head is one we can access with relative ease. Especially if we’re willing and able to lay out big cash.

Skip the impersonal hotel ballrooms next time you play host: you could be chatting up guests by an infinity pool or sipping cocktails surrounded by Ming Dynasty antiques instead, with the help of Mint Locations. This firm represents private estates across the Bay Area for events, films, and photo shoots. At prices ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 a day, Mint can put you in a quiet home on Stinson Beach or a cutting-edge industrial loft in San Francisco. The House Above the Clouds, perched on its own hill, offers 360-degree views of wine country below; the Château de Piedmont, a mansion owned by a Chinese rock star, has a chandelier in almost every room. You’d have to own a mint to actually live in any of these places, but with Mint Locations, they can be yours for a day. 403 San Rafael Ave., Belvedere, 415-671-9091.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
The DIY philosophy has infiltrated every corner of our lives
The Arts and Crafts movement has a long and storied history here, stretching back to the early 20th century, when Julia Morgan and her contemporaries made their design mark on the Bay Area. More recently, our democratic roots and our sense that design shouldn’t be reserved for the aesthetic elite has given rise to our lively DIY movement. In this increasingly plasticized, premolded, branded world, we’re putting our hands in to shape our own environments. “There is a lot of mental foment around here focused on inventing yourself and the world around you,” says Shoshana Berger, editor of ReadyMade magazine.

Naturally, when Berger and film editor Anthony Saxe decided to tie the knot, it was to be a DIY affair. The wedding took place in a barn circa 1915, at Bar-or Ranch in Point Reyes. Inspired by the cowboy theme, Berger searched toy stores and online antique shops for miniature barn animals. She drilled holes in them and set them in trays of wheatgrass for her centerpieces, with a different animal for each guest table. Chocolate horseshoe favors were packaged in glassine envelopes; several days before the wedding, the couple held a stamping party, where guests stamped each envelope with “We got lucky.” The incredibly fragrant Jewish huppah was made of Meyer lemon, kumquat, and eucalyptus branches and leaves. Other highlights included a Ding Dong wedding cake (an idea taken from the pages of ReadyMade), and an unused vintage 1950s cowboy-theme guest book.

Granted, a wedding is the acid test for do-it-yourselfers. But, Berger says, “it’s gratifying—you get what you put into it. It was a lot of hard work and then I sloshed my way in Dolce & Gabbana pumps through the mud. But in the end, we were over the clouds.”

Inspired by Berger’s sweet story but not sure where to start in mastering a craft? Classes, workshops, even “gyms”—where you rent storage space for your projects and time to work—abound in our DIY mecca.

There’s finally an economical, space-saving solution for people eager to craft furniture, art, and more out of wood—from the garageless apartment dweller to the suburban stockpiler whose garage is crammed with unused power tools. Sunnyvale’s new 4,000-square-foot Sawdust Shop houses a DIY WOODSHOP stocked with state-of-the-art equipment and a woodworking store that sells any supplies needed for your projects. It also offers classes in case you need a jump-start. Monthly membership dues are $85, and classes cost from $85 to $150 (including materials). Start with a basic skills class and graduate to project-based classes. You’ll walk away with things like wooden pens, tables, sleds, and mantel clocks. Open 72 hours per week, the shop is staffed with friendly, helpful folks ready to consult on tricky situations. 452 Oakmead Pkwy., Sunnyvale, 408-992-1004, www.saw­dustshop.com.

Somehow, words seem more meaningful when they’re written on beautiful paper you made yourself. Novices can try their hand at pouring pulp in the old-world-style PAPERMAKING facility of Magnolia Editions, a print studio and gallery in Oakland that represents the likes of contemporary artists William Wiley and Chuck Close. Magnolia conducts a handful of small workshops and classes (10 students per class, tops) each season. Introduction to Papermaking, a weekend-long workshop (12 hours, $140), covers history and technique in the morning and has you making paper by the afternoon. In Beyond Lamps, discuss wabi-sabi—the Japanese principle of imperfect beauty—while building a lantern that’s far beyond the scope of anything you’d find at Home Depot, using bamboo and your own handmade paper (six hours, $90). 2527 Magnolia St., Oakland, 510-839-5268, www.magnoliapaper.com.

Are your fingers itching to form and solder a gold wedding band? Whether you’re a novice to the jewelry trade or a veteran looking for new skills, check the classes at the Revere Academy. German-educated jeweler Alan Revere brought old-world traditions and craftsmanship to San Francisco in 1974, and now students come from all over the world for the academy’s intensive classes or to attend the spring Masters Symposium. “We focus on the techniques of JEWELRY MAKING,” says Assistant Director Christine Dhein. “Students need to learn the alphabet before they can write a poem.” 760 Market St., Ste. 900, S.F., 415-391-4179, www.revereacademy.com.

From 1930s-style cloche hats to chic holiday creations, DeAnna Gibbons teaches the basics of fit and form in her popular MILLINERY CLASSES. Her studio, Brimming Over, has kept San Franciscan heads fashionably covered for 16 years, and Gibbons has outfitted both the San Francisco Ballet and Opera. But don’t let her credentials intimidate you. The three-session workshop will guide you through the fundamentals of hat making, and you’ll emerge with a chapeau of your own design. For info, contact Gibbons at brimmingover@yahoo.com.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
We’ll always love words on paper
We’re a bunch of bookworms: it’s said that Bay Area citizens buy more books per capita than folks in any other part of the country. We flock to book fairs—antiquarian, anarchist, and otherwise. We’re so fond of books, sometimes we even make them from scratch.

Whether you’re a dabbler or a monk who’s spent the past 10 years hand-lettering books, get yourself to the San Francisco Center for the Book, the first studio of its kind on the West Coast. Celebrating its 10th anniver­sary this summer, the center enrolls over 2,000 annually and offers more than 300 classes. Mail Arts 101 (three hours, $67) and BOOKBINDING I (16 hours, $215) present an introduction to the craft. Old hands can expand their skills with Secret Belgian Binding (six hours, $95), which they’ll leave with a handmade sketchbook or journal and the warm feeling that comes from making something that will endure in a disposable society. 300 De Haro St., S.F., 415-565-0545, www.sfcb.org.

Tucked away in a former Heinz Ketchup factory in West Berkeley, the Kala Art Institute has been fostering Bay Area art for over 30 years. The many artists whose works grace Kala’s gallery give more than 65 small classes and workshops annually in the institute’s LARGE PRINT STUDIO and state-of-the-art electronic media center. Kala’s wide-ranging course list covers printmaking, digital media, stone lithography, and book arts. The institute has classes in everything from website creation (two weekends, 24 hours, $360) to woodblock printing (one weekend, 14 hours, $250). Plus, you’ll love the free talks given regularly by Kala’s artists in residence. 1060 Heinz Ave., Berkeley, 10-549-2977, www.kala.org.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
Our beauty mavens make it fun to look fine
The local cosmetic artisans around here understand that California beauty is effortless, clean, and fun. We’re too busy to spend a lot of time fussing with our look—we barely have time to squeeze in a mani-pedi, much less blow out our hair into straight, silky sheets. Give us the keys to the five-minute face, and we’re on our way.

Jun Chung, JAPANESE HAIR-STRAIGHTENING wizard, makes simply gorgeous a snap. Five hours in his chair at Maiden Lane Salon will get curls or frizz to chill out and give you no-fuss hair. First, he applies a relaxer and rinses. Then he uses a straight iron on every single strand, applies a neutralizer, and does a final rinse. And voilà, you’re a wash-and-go girl—for about eight months, anyway. Chung’s trick is using different levels of straightening for each client. Master stylist Alex Chases points his high-rolling clientele to Chung to have their lives transformed. 111 Maiden Ln., S.F., 415-981-2426.

At 25, Marissa Shipman was mixing shea butter, beeswax, and castor oil in her kitchen sink, creating her first lip balm. Dreaming up nostalgic scents to add to theBalm’s Plump Your Pucker TINTED GLOSSES, she developed the pretty, pink Water My Melon and the new, to-die-for champagne shimmer of Root Beer My Float. She also branched out and has perfected a best-selling beauty line, including timeBalm concealer, which treats blemishes while you sleep, and Stain­iac rouge products that quickly perk up cheeks and lips. It’s all made for urban women who crave simplicity. “It doesn’t take an hour to look pretty,” says Shipman. www.thebalm.com.

With the growing demand for organic products, how does a com­pany stand out from the other do-gooders in the crowd? San Francisco’s Juice Beauty does it with an ECOCONSCIOUS, JUICE-BASED SKINCARE LINE made from tropical fruits farmed by indigenous people in the rainforests of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras, among other places, and local fruits from organic family farms in the United States. Creator Karen Behnke recommends the Green Apple Peel with raw cane sugar and white willow bark for its exfoliating and antioxidant benefits. Since arriving on the scene in 2004, Juice has been touted by the Hollywood set, who love the age-defying antioxidants, essential vitamins, and hydroxy acids; we love that flawless skin can be guilt free. www.juicebeauty.com.

We wish all makeup could have a sense of humor. If it were up to glam twins Jane and Jean Ford, creators of Benefit Cosmetics, it would. “Our mantra has always been ‘Laughter is the best cosmetic,’” says Jean. They may be our MOST SUCCESSFUL LOCAL BEAUTIES, with counters worldwide from Berlin to Nashville, but they started here in San Francisco with one store, The Face Place, in 1976. Renamed Benefit in 1990, their company has blown up big, but they’ve kept their fun spirit. “Touch me then try to leave” body cream and an eye shadow called “My date’s my brother” endear them and their products to Bay Area girls. The mini “fake-it” kit has all of Benefit’s most coveted concealers and enhancers, like High Beam highlighter (pale pink liquid shimmer to make the skin luminous) and Boi-ing under-eye camouflage. Packaged in a cute little polka-dot case, the kit is a perfect pick-me-up for a long night out. www.benefitcosmetics.com.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
When we call our sports extreme, we really mean it
New Yorkers think adventure means trying that new Turkish dive in the East Village. We think it means swimming with sharks.

Big-wave surfers flock here from around the world for bone-crushing rides at Mavericks, cross-country maniacs have been twisting their ankles in the torturously beautiful Dipsea race since 1905, and we like to do our diving in the Red Triangle, known for the world’s highest rate of white shark attacks. But somehow, most of us survive to tell the tale—again and again.

It sounds like the plot of an action flick: a decorated Brazilian ground fighter and former boxing champ known as “The Pitbull” transforms an old motorcycle shop in San Francisco’s Mission district into a successful MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO. But it’s the true story behind Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, one of the first Gracie gyms in the Bay Area (today there are five, including the newest in Berkeley). Here, athletes learn the Brazilian form of this ancient martial art. Gracie’s method focuses on ground fighting and is designed to maximize leverage so that a smaller person can defeat a larger one. Led by Gracie himself, the school houses a boxing ring and a half cage worthy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pro fighters from Brazil train there year-round. But grapplers of all levels can hit the mats—the Valencia Street gym also teaches beginners and kids. Getting bruises has never been so much fun. Monthly rates start at $90. 178 Valencia St., S.F., 415-552-4777, www.ralphgracie.com.

KITEBOARDING has taken the Bay Area by storm, and local wind worshippers have jumped aboard with both feet strapped in. From the shipping channels offshore San Francisco’s Crissy Field to beaches such as Stinson and Waddell Creek to Peninsula spots like Third Avenue in San Mateo, colorful kites now bloom on virtually any gusty spring or summer afternoon. Harnessing the wind isn’t a breeze, but instruction helps. “Don’t be afraid to get lessons,” says Gabe Brown, former editor of Kiteboarding magazine and a certified instructor. “What you learn will translate to money saved on gear not destroyed.” Consider getting started at Kite Wind Surf rental shop near Crown Beach in Alameda. There, the winds are generally mellower, the water’s warmer, and you can take advantage of a long, sandy shoreline as well as jet ski support. 430 Westline Dr., Alameda, 510-522-9463, www.kitewindsurf.com.

Going face-to-face with a 20-foot, two-ton great white shark may not be on everyone’s wish list, but if it’s on yours, this is one of the few places in the world where you can do it. The Farallon Islands, 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco, is the best place in the nation to dive with great white sharks because the presence of elephant seals almost guarantees a sighting. Would-be shark adventurers can jump into a SHARK CAGE to protect them and view these creatures up close with Incredible Adventures—no diving experience necessary—during September, October, and November. Day trips leaving from Tiburon will run you $875, with all equipment except a dive mask provided. 800-644-7382, www.incredible-adventures.com.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
Tranquility is always just across the bridge
You’re dying to get up to Mendocino but can’t sneak away any further than Marin. No matter. Sometimes it’s the spots right in our own backyard that provide the perfect fix. On the drive up from the city, the landscape transforms, the temperature rises, and the weight of the world falls away.

Nestled into a tranquil stretch of shoreline within the Marin Headlands, Kirby Cove is one of those MAGICAL RETREATS that’s a stone’s throw from the traffic and bustle of the Golden Gate Bridge. Managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the cove and surrounding grove offer day-use facilities, as well as four overnight campsites. The sound of distant foghorns lulls you to sleep, and you wake to a prime view of the iconic bridge. For weekend camping, reserve four months ahead, but consider that the site also makes a perfect midweek getaway—after your night in the woods, you can get up early and still make it to work on time. The season runs April 1 through October 31. Reservations and Information: 800-365-2267, www.nps.gov/goga/camping/kirby.htm.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
The ways we make going away (and coming home) a breeze
With three major airports at our disposal, virtually everyone’s a jet-setter around here. So we were bound to come up with some crafty tricks for making flying as hassle-free as possible—from the ground up.

What good is a newly remodeled airport without AFFORDABLE AIRPORT PARKING? Thankfully, you can still find lots near SFO that cater to travelers on a budget. Before your next jaunt, check out Park SFO’s website (www.parksfo.com), where clicking on Print gets you a pass good for one day of free parking. The daily rate ($12 indoors, $10.95 outdoors) includes shuttle service to and from the airport. For trips of two weeks or longer, consider heading to the Best Western El Rancho Inn & Suites in Millbrae the night before your flight. There, $142 buys a night’s stay for two, room-front shuttle service to SFO, and 14 days of free parking. (If you apply the cost of your room to parking, that works out to a little more than $10 a day.) After that, it’s just $5 a day to continue parking at the inn. And if you return from your trip too tired to drive home, you can crash at the Best Western again and get a discounted rate of $74. Park SFO, 195 N. Access Rd., South S.F., 650-871-5571; Best Western El Rancho Inn & Suites, 1100 El Camino Real, Millbrae, 650-588-8500, www.bestwestern.com.

The CHEAPEST PARKING OPTION is so obvious, you’ll kick yourself for not trying it earlier: BART long-term parking. For a mere five bucks a day, you can leave your car at any of 23 stations—maybe Orinda if you have a Beemer and MacArthur if you drive a beater—and hop a train to SFO or OAK. After you book your flight, just go to www.bartparking.com. Then choose your station and dates, pay by credit card, and print your parking permit, which you leave on the dashboard when you go. And be sure to smirk a little as you speed past the traffic jams while riding the rails to the airport.

For those living the lush life, XOJET is reinventing the timeshare—at 40,000 feet. The perks of a partnership in this sleek fleet of luxury aircraft? Seventeen new PRIVATE PLANES at your beck and call that can simultaneously fly five execs from five locations to San Francisco to be wined and dined; a 24/7 private client services line; catered meals with carefully paired wines; no blackout dates; and seven new Citation X jets, the fastest business jets currently in use, which will get you from SFO to JFK in four hours. The cost? From $500,000 to $2 million per year. CEO Paul Touw brought his Silicon Valley start-up acumen to the aviation industry in 2001, giving us the benefits of jet ownership without any of the storage and maintenance hassles. 866-669-6538, www.xojet.com.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
Cool technology! (Who cares whether it’s useful)
Apple gave us computers that even Luddites could operate. Google made the world our library and spawned a new verb. Tech is in our DNA. But not all of our creations are practical; after all, sometimes geeks just want to have fun.

Where’s a cab when you need it? Apparently, in the financial district or the Tenderloin, according to the Exploratorium’s GPS-driven Cabspotting project. The WEBSITE AND ART PROJECT is a real-time look at the current whereabouts of San Francisco’s 450-plus Yellow Cabs and creates wispy renderings of their traveling patterns over time. While it could help you figure out where to wait the next time you need to hitch a ride, Cabspotting could just as easily serve as a trippy insight into the social, economic, and geographical patterns that make up the city by the bay. www.cabspotting.org.

And while we’re on the subject of technology and social patterns, here’s a phenomenon that probably hasn’t escaped your notice: virtual interaction. Sure, your kids socialize in chat rooms and IM constantly, but when was the last time they waved at their online companions across a packed dance floor? For protective parents, San Francisco–based Doppelganger has an alternative to letting your teen head to the Mission on Saturday night. The software start-up is releasing the Lounge, a VIRTUAL NIGHTCLUB PROGRAM that lets teens dress up, pick their own dance moves, and hang out with other cyber partygoers from around the world. The simulated nightclub environment is hotter than any Tokyo disco, with a hot tub and music—though users still have to provide their own awesome sound system. www.pcdmusiclounge.com.

 

WHAT WE LOVE
Getting to work can be a country drive
Whether you ferry over from Larkspur, wind through eucalyptus groves on the road from Half Moon Bay, or bus it through St. Francis Wood, COMMUTING here doesn’t need to be all about you and your Treo. Moving toward the city in the morning light rewards those who slow down, step outside their own heads, and make a little piece of art out of the mundane.

Photographer Jock McDonald learned to do just that after he relocated with his family from the city to a farm in Sonoma, inheriting a 47-mile-each-way drive to his SoMa studio. “Taking the same road back and forth every day—those sorts of repetitive things make me absolutely starkers,” McDonald says. “I tried to make friends, waving to the people who were always on the road with me at 6:30 in the morning, but some of them just flipped me the bird.”

That’s when McDonald started getting up even earlier, building time into his drive to stop the car, get out, and take a look at all the things he’d been speeding past. “I wanted to be doing it right at that moment when it’s not night, not morning,” he says. McDonald started photographing this otherwordly time of day, when most of us were still hiding under the covers.

“The velocity of life we participate in is pretty extreme,” McDonald says. “Not just the driving, but what’s going on inside the car, too—the cell phone, the music, the BlackBerry. We’re completely encapsulated.” As he persisted in slowing down his commute, he became more in tune with a world he’d overlooked before: “The birds are commuting, the cows are going about their daily routine.”

The photos from McDonald’s commuting series were taken on his route along Highways 12, 121, and 37, and Interstate 101. “One day, my mother-in-law was driving north on 101 and saw me stopped,” McDonald says with a chuckle. “She called me on my cell phone and asked if I’d broken down. I had to try to explain my project to her.” Well, it beats explaining other reasons to be out at the crack of dawn to your mother-in-law.