If you're visiting a place away from, a place such as our gorgeous City of San Francisco, one of the most difficult challenges you'll face is finding a place to stay.
 
That is, it's challenging if you're trying not to go broke while you're doing it! Sure, you could just cozy up in a nice room at the W Hotel (in fact, we encourage it! But you must pay the cost to stay with the boss) or just give a call to the Holiday Inn and be done with it, but there must be some cheaper ways.
 

Yesterday, my son's nanny told me he was exchausted from navigating the "vortex of douchebags" at Tartine Bakery -- harsh words from someone watching your infant son!  I know what he means (yes, he's a "manny"), but still, Tartine is one of the best bakeries in the U.S., and, as an infrequent customer, does that mean that I'm included in that vortex?

All sobering thoughts (but I keep going back for those awesome morning buns!).

Unfortunately, I really can't vouch for their burgers -- they might be awesome for all I know!

The rain is torrential, positively Biblical (at least by San Francisco standards), what do you do?  Play in the flash flood that formed outside your house?  Slide down the muddy hills in Dolores

Sports Basement on Bryant street will soon be offering free CPR certification in Spanish (it is already offered in English).

We've said it before, but we'll say it again:  Free beats Cheap anytime!  It goes without saying, really, but it bears repeating.  And what's a better way to get something for free than by just giving it up?  We're referring, of course, to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Gas-Free Fridays.  It's not that you need a special excuse to leave the car behind when you're commuting, or otherwise travelling around the Bay, but SFBC's Gas-Free Fridays campai

Maybe the title of this post should be "Cheaper Rent..."  After all, San Francisco, as you know, is not a cheap place.  And the #1 expense for most folks is rent - that huge chunk of change you fork over every month to the person (or faceless corporation) that owns the building you live in.  (Hell, even if you"own" your place, it's the bank that really calls the shots -- and they won't even fix your toilet if it backs up!)

Every now and then,  Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (a subsidiary of the Unilever soap company) gives away sundaes at their scoop shops (There's apparently more of them in SF than I thought, accordi

As you may know, the SF Bay Guardian is the leading & original weekly "alternative" newspaper here in San Francisco.  They're feisty & venerable, bringing a real local perspective on the issues that matter (or should matter!) to San Franciscisans.

In addition to being absolutely free, walking is the best way to see San Francisco.  (Sure, the cable cars are fun, but $5 a ride with no transfers is too rich for our blood!)  Really, you have to put on your comfy shoes, pick a neighborhood, and hoof it to get the real fee