SF bloggers recommend places to visit in the city after lockdown
Pier 23 Cafe, San Francisco, CA. Image credits to Clara Rice & Pier 23 Cafe.
April 24, 2020
As we now enter a second month of this shelter in place protocol, many people have come to reminisce about the places and things they loved to do in San Francisco. From spending a Saturday picnic filled with music and dogs running around at Dolores Park or hiking up the trails of Twin Peaks. Yes, I just named two very tourist activities to do in the city. Nonetheless they’ve become a staple among many well-known locations that we’ve come to reminisce during the long days of all this.
“I’m not usually extremely active on Instagram (quarantined or not) or feel pressured to post every day. Normally, I would post stories of local coffees shops, lunch and dinner spots, workout classes and anything else I find interesting throughout the day,” said Sanjana Krishnakumar, a San Francisco lifestyle Blogger (@sanjkumars).
Krishnakumar, 24, moved to the city around August of last year prior to living in Portland for a couple of years. Her content displays creative interests away from her full-time job, which she loves, but describes as “heavily analytical.”
“I initially started my Instagram as a food blog where I’d post healthy recipes and work with local restaurants. Over time it evolved into a lifestyle blog where I started posting more about beauty/fashion, travel, fitness and work/life balance,” Krishnakumar said.
“I have always been very into narrating a story and capturing a moment via photography or videography. My Instagram and my blog are merely just a fun way for me to express my creativity within fashion, home decor, travel and food,” – Monica Neary
Born in South Lake Tahoe, but now a San Francisco resident, Monica Neary (@dinesinstyle), 28, is a lifestyle blogger whose last few years have been spent focusing on art in a big city.
After living in New York for four-and-a-half years, she’s back to continuing her education at City College for Fashion Merchandising, but said that may shift given our current state of economy.
“I have always been very into narrating a story and capturing a moment via photography or videography. My Instagram and my blog are merely just a fun way for me to express my creativity within fashion, home decor, travel and food,” Neary said.
These city bloggers detailed some of their favorite spots and activities they miss and recommend once this lockdown and social distancing is lifted:
Rooftops.
“I love rooftop bars and luckily San Francisco has some pretty good ones. I would recommend: Everdene, Sens, Charmaine’s, Cityscape and The View Lounge,” Krishnakumar said.
“I am really looking forward to seeing my friends and family. I miss going out to bars and trying new cocktails,” Neary said. “Specifically, smaller businesses and restaurants and cafes around the city. Peacekeeper, a beautiful bar near my apartment, has an expandable roof that opens up and you can see the sky. It’s one of my favorite new spots in the city, the architect did a beautiful job renovating the space.”
Brunch.
“There are so many great brunch spots in San Francisco. Since I’m new to the city I still have a lot of exploring to do, but some of my favorites are: Marlowe, The Rotunda, Dunya Mediterranean and Pier 23 Cafe,” Krishnakumar said.
“Cafe Reverie in Cole Valley. You can get so much bang for your buck at this spot. They have a beautiful patio and an incredible menu for a decent price and the staff is wonderful. A great brunch spot and they’ve been there for years,” Neary said.
Neary also discussed what she described as a great bakery in Glen Park called Destination Bakery. She boasts that they make the best pieces, croissants and cookies and being able to “smell them from down the street.”
In the Mission, she spotlights La Palma with their tasty tacos and handmade tortillas. Along with a hidden spot to get some spicy mango topped with mango ice cream from Mitchell’s.
“I hope these local places survive the lockdown because they make up the San Francisco community. As much as I love a good Chipotle bowl, the spots that I enjoy the most are not chains,” Neary said.
Exploring the City.
With the limits that’ve been enforced on us, daily runs and walks have become a recent pastime for folks like Neary and her fiancé.
“The beautiful thing about this city are the hills, which create these sort of hidden spaces and walk-ways in every neighborhood that a lot of people living here don’t know about. We have been falling in love with this city, as peaceful as it is, without the hustle and bustle. It’s our time to work through our anxiety and get some fresh air,” Neary said.
“Even though San Francisco has a great city vibe, I love that there are still plenty of things to do outdoors. I would recommend Bernal Heights, Golden Gate Park and Battery Spencer,” Krishnakumar says.
For now, as we’ve been made to keep tight in shelter for the time being, the restraints can be tedious and make us irritable while we try to make the best of our situation. For those like Krishnakumar, the fun in exploring our creative interests can dwindle.
“San Francisco has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. It has not only been a great city to explore with so many restaurants and beautiful places to shoot, but it has allowed me to collaborate with a large variety of businesses and photographers and meet so many amazing people. I’m excited to continue exploring the city when the lockdown is over and can’t wait to share my experiences,” – Sanjana Krishnakumar.
“It’s been more challenging staying active on Instagram now, since my day mostly consists of walking to the kitchen, walking to my desk and walking back to the kitchen. But it’s given me the opportunity to connect with some of my followers, post home-cooked recipes, share posts from shoots I’d done in the past and collaborate/connect with small businesses,” Krishnakumar said.
“I’m finding new ways to create visual content with my tripod and the items that I currently already own. Since I’m now unemployed, along with the entire team I was working with, I don’t have the luxury of spending money on non-essential goods. My content will probably change every week, given the fact that we don’t know what to expect for the … foreseeable future. The economy is shifting and what I was doing before in retail and fashion may have to shift completely, as there may not be such a need for that type of service,” Neary said.
Her content at the moment has been about fostering her creative spirit through the home. Whether it’s cooking recipes from cookbooks she’s had for years, stylizing her closet or doing a segment on how to stay organized and fresh during lockdown.
“Additionally, self care and promoting the simple fact that it’s OK to not be doing the most right now. You know there are a lot of people who are being negatively impacted right now during this lockdown and global pandemic. This isn’t a vacation,” Neary said. “At the same time, it’s that fine line of also having this freedom of luxury that allows me to have the bandwidth and headspace to learn something new while practicing social distancing. The time I have is a luxury and I don’t want to waste it. So I’m trying to share that process, as authentically as I can right now.”
Living in a city that encompasses so much vibrancy that’s rooted in the various communities and cultures that inhabit much of what makes up San Francisco shows to provide great material and richness in exploring one’s creative interests.
“San Francisco has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. It has not only been a great city to explore with so many restaurants and beautiful places to shoot, but it has allowed me to collaborate with a large variety of businesses and photographers and meet so many amazing people. I’m excited to continue exploring the city when the lockdown is over and can’t wait to share my experiences,” Krishnakumar said.
“The community and the people around me enrich my content. The beautiful thing about San Francisco is that there is so much history and culture here,” Neary said. “I feel so incredibly lucky to live here.”
