Remembering Jimmy Lyons

This Back Story is a paean to an old friend, Jimmy Lyons. His name may not resonate with some of you unless you have attended the Monterey Jazz Festival. Jimmy was the founder and ... Read More

Reynolds Rap

Bureaucracy Inc.: If you think getting around the city is tough, try working with them

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

You hear a lot these days about how hard it is just getting around San Francisco between the construction, the traffic, and the congestion. The bottom line is that San Francisco is... Read More

North Beach Journal

It’s the season of the itch

By Ernest Beyl

Just as The New York Times always reminds us on its front page, here’s “All the News That’s Fit to Print” this month. Actually, it’s all the news I co... Read More

Editor's Note

Father’s Day: The me-too holiday

By John Zipperer

Unverified legend has it that the first woman on the planet came into existence as something of an afterthought. God reportedly took a rib from a sleeping Adam, the first man, and ... Read More

Features

Quality of life issues: District Two Supervisor Mark Farrell on growing pains, parking plans, and the future of his native city

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

On a sunny San Francisco morning, District Two Supervisor Mark Farrell sits in his City Hall office surrounded by San Francisco Giants memorabilia and framed America’s Cup po... Read More

Features

Street festival season in the city

By Lynette Majer

Summer in San Francisco brings not only chilly weather but also our favorite neighborhood street festivals. You’ll find arts, crafts, food, music, and more as well as some ne... Read More

North Beach Journal

The times they are a changin’ in the old neighborhood

By Ernest Beyl

A REQUIEM FOR CAPP’S CORNER The evening of Tuesday, March 31, I sat in the bar at Original Joe’s in North Beach with my friend, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carl N... Read More

Back Story

Hollywood’s San Francisco roots: The enduring love of SF film

By Ernest Beyl

This is the third of a three-part series. Here’s an update from Parts one and two: San Francisco narrowly missed becoming the film capital of the world. Perhaps it’s ju... Read More

Reynolds Rap

Yes, Suhr, it’s time for you to go

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

“In my 30 years plus in law enforcement, I have seen a good deal of misconduct by police officers. I have seen scandals. But the level of the problems and the frequency of th... Read More

North Beach Journal

Cheers to Capp’s Corner

By Ernest Beyl

UPDATE: A SHORT REQUIEM FOR CAPP’S CORNER The evening of Tuesday, March 31, I sat in the bar at Original Joe’s in North Beach with my friend, San Francisco Chronicle columnist ... Read More

Back Story

Moviemaking in San Francisco: A love affair with Hollywood

By Ernest Beyl

This is the second of a three-part series. Here’s an overview of Part 1: San Francisco narrowly missed becoming the film capital of the world. Perhaps it’s just as well... Read More

North Beach Journal

Good news and bad news — more on Mama’s and Capp’s Corner, a new supervisor, and a Primo Angeli retrospective

By Ernest Beyl

This month I have some good news and I have some bad news. Let’s get right to it. Here are some of the most important things that have happened (or not happened) recently in ... Read More

Bellingham by the Bay

Rod McKuen: A man for all seasons

By

When I first met Rod McKuen, the renowned poet-songwriter who died in January, I had to ask him, “What was it like to have Sinatra record one of your songs?” McKuen spu... Read More

Back Story

Moviemaking in San Francisco: A love affair with Hollywood

By Ernest Beyl

This is the first of a three-part series. San Francisco narrowly missed becoming the film capital of the world. Perhaps it’s just as well. The city has enough narcissism and ... Read More

North Beach Journal

Kerouac and Cassady, Capp’s Corner, and the Angela conundrum

By Ernest Beyl

January was an interesting month for your rambling Sketches columnist. Word came that Grizzly Peak Press in Berkeley will publish my book “Sketches From a North Beach Journal... Read More

Features