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Best of the Bay 2011: BEST REFILL, NOT LANDFILL

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What does it take to win a gazillion green business awards? It certainly starts with a great concept, a seriously vetted supply chain, and a commitment to spreading the eco-word. It also helps to have a pleasing storefront in Noe Valley, cute and eager staff, luscious products, and bulk-store prices without the forklifts and doublewide shopping carts. Green 11, launched by married couple Marco Pietschmann and Bettina Limaco and inspired by a Rachel Carson observation (“For the first time in history, every human being is being subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception to death.”, offers soaps, cleaning supplies, pet food, shampoo, conditioners, and lotions, all ready for your refillable, affordable use. Bring your own containers or put for up a starter container at the store.

3980 24th St., SF. (415) 425-5195. www.shopgreen11.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST REFILL, NOT LANDFILL

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What does it take to win a gazillion green business awards? It certainly starts with a great concept, a seriously vetted supply chain, and a commitment to spreading the eco-word. It also helps to have a pleasing storefront in Noe Valley, cute and eager staff, luscious products, and bulk-store prices without the forklifts and doublewide shopping carts. Green 11, launched by married couple Marco Pietschmann and Bettina Limaco and inspired by a Rachel Carson observation (“For the first time in history, every human being is being subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception to death.”, offers soaps, cleaning supplies, pet food, shampoo, conditioners, and lotions, all ready for your refillable, affordable use. Bring your own containers or put for up a starter container at the store.

3980 24th St., SF. (415) 425-5195. www.shopgreen11.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST REFILL, NOT LANDFILL

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What does it take to win a gazillion green business awards? It certainly starts with a great concept, a seriously vetted supply chain, and a commitment to spreading the eco-word. It also helps to have a pleasing storefront in Noe Valley, cute and eager staff, luscious products, and bulk-store prices without the forklifts and doublewide shopping carts. Green 11, launched by married couple Marco Pietschmann and Bettina Limaco and inspired by a Rachel Carson observation (“For the first time in history, every human being is being subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception to death.”, offers soaps, cleaning supplies, pet food, shampoo, conditioners, and lotions, all ready for your refillable, affordable use. Bring your own containers or put for up a starter container at the store.

3980 24th St., SF. (415) 425-5195. www.shopgreen11.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST GEEKDOM: THE GATHERING

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It’s a constant nerd alert — not that that’s a bad thing — at Cards and Comics Central, a Richmond District shop where employees know the difference between vine whips and seed bombs and can explain why destroy effects don’t harm a cattank. Kids into Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, or Magic will be overwhelmed by the shop’s vast selection. Parents will be overwhelmed at the price tag — you can spend more than $100 on a single card, though assorted decks (available for under $10) might keep the average young collector sated. Check out the back room for the real action — pale adults playing Magic with an intensity you won’t find at most Vegas poker tables.

5424 Geary, SF. (415) 668-3544, www.candccentral.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST EVERYDAY KAN DO

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Peruse the labels of say, a kitty-shaped exfoliating washcloth or exquisitely lacquered bento box at Ichiban Kan, and you’re likely to see a Good Housekeeping seal of approval-style label trumpeting that the item won a design award in Japan. At times it seems like everything wins a design award in Japan, then the realization sets in that no other country seems to have dedicated itself so fervently to assuring that the everyday things of life — from paper clips to cooking utensils — be attractive, eminently functional, durable, and well-designed. When we want to load up on the best of the quotidian (we’re particular fans of the rolls of plastic wrap for $1), we come here.

Various locations, www.ichibankanusa.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST VINYL FLIPPERS

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Tweekin Records in the Lower Haight was one of the centers of Bay Area dance music culture for the better part of two decades. But besides the basic insanity of operating a specialty record store in these e-times, the Tweekin brand had gotten a bit ragged over the years. So it was a charge for vinyl lovers when Manny Alferez and crew stepped up for a reinvigoration, unveiling Black Pancake Records. Pretty much the same concept reigns: great funk, soul, house, techno, jazz, and even (gasp!) rock records, plus a friendly staff with some primo recommendations. Perhaps best of all, there are a couple of those rarest of beasts — listening stations. Yep, you can put the actual circular whatsit on the doohickey that spins around and hear it make the music, little Johnny. All without clickety-clicking on the wee mouse-thingy.

593 Haight, SF. (415) 626-6995, www.blackpancakerecords.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST SF AMBASSADORS

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After 57 years of loyally cheering and impatiently waiting, San Francisco Giants fans finally got their wish when our team became the 2010 Major League Baseball champs. And boy, did we represent the orange and black, from the superfans to the drag queens to the drag queen superfans. If the enigmatically dark beard of closer Brian Wilson or the maroon-colored thong of outfielder Aubrey Huff didn’t hook the nation on San Francisco funk, the fans would have picked up the slack. Gigantes devotees caught everyone’s attention — including that of a Texas reporter who couldn’t help but be amazed by the fans outside AT&T Park getting high on life, among other things. What do you say team, how about two in a row?

www.sfgiants.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST SECOND-CHANCE SENIORS

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If we treated old people the way we treat old dogs, Dr. Jack Kevorkian would have made a fortune. Every day people pack their old pals off to the shelter in their golden poochie years. Many of those dogs — who are healthy but just a step slower and more in need of patience — are euthanized. Muttville, a San Francisco rescue group started by legendary dog-saver Sherri Franklin, aims to change that. The organization takes older dogs from shelters and connects them with adoption-ready families. One look at the website and you’ll fall in love with all the well-worn woofers looking for nice homes — especially considering their potty training, mellow demeanors (Franklin makes sure the ones who’ve led rough lives are fully socialized before they’re adopted out), and underdog chances.

(415) 272-4172, www.muttville.org

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST BACKYARD BLISS-OUT

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We were sartorially spoiling ourselves among P-Kok’s clothing racks of fripperies when we heard that the garden-sauna space behind the store had been converted into a self-care community. Tall Tree Tambo is a gym of sorts — members pay either a monthly or more affordable yearly fee depending on how much they want to utilize the space, and drop-in rates are available — but there are no StairMasters here. Instead, the tranquil backyard zone is used for meditation, reiki, yoga, sitting in the sauna, and reconnecting to self. Everyone’s encouraged to bring their own expertise to amplify the space’s curative effects, and intimate classes in healing are held regularly.

776 Haight, SF. (415) 430-8285, www.talltreetambo.org

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST BACKYARD BLISS-OUT

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We were sartorially spoiling ourselves among P-Kok’s clothing racks of fripperies when we heard that the garden-sauna space behind the store had been converted into a self-care community. Tall Tree Tambo is a gym of sorts — members pay either a monthly or more affordable yearly fee depending on how much they want to utilize the space, and drop-in rates are available — but there are no StairMasters here. Instead, the tranquil backyard zone is used for meditation, reiki, yoga, sitting in the sauna, and reconnecting to self. Everyone’s encouraged to bring their own expertise to amplify the space’s curative effects, and intimate classes in healing are held regularly.

776 Haight, SF. (415) 430-8285, www.talltreetambo.org

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST QUEER EXHIBITIONISM

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It seems crazier than a Twinkie defense that San Francisco — one of the hottest of hotspots in terms of queer liberation and visibility — hasn’t had a history museum to preserve and explore all the wonder of LGBT life. Until now. In January, the 25-year-old GLBT Historical Society found a permanent space to display and interpret its vast archives of paper, photos, films, and audio recordings: the GLBT History Museum. The first of its kind in the U.S., the sleek storefront gallery may be small, but it packs a huge emotional and educational punch. From FBI files to feminist sex toys, radical activist pamphlets to old-school gay bar flyers, the museum’s lavender arsenal has ripped the lid off the often obscured queer past, and attracted tens of thousands of curious visitors (Britney Spears among them).

4127 18th St., SF. (415) 621-1107, www.glbthistory.org/museum

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST HYPERACTIVE HERO

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A one-time sports supplement entrepreneur who took the book bestseller lists for a ride with Four Hour Work Week — quit answering so many e-mails! — and then again with Four Hour Body — eat red meat, hello unbridled virility! — Tim Ferriss is clearly unfamiliar with the concept of specialization. In addition to being a career and fitness guru, he set world records in tango and regularly doles out info on his Experiments in Lifestyle Design blog on Mac viruses, luxury vacations on the cheap, and applying the philosophical lessons of Seneca to everyday life. The wisdom is always presented in the form of first person findings, a manic mishmash of Ferris’ life less ordinary.

www.fourhourworkweek.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST PLACE FOR KIDS TO BE — OR NOT TO BE

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Five-year-olds double, double, toil, and trouble. People too young to read Elizabethan English belt out the poetic lines of The Comedy of Errors. And generations of Bay Area kids get exposed to Shakespeare, literature, and performance in a way that makes even the most shy and inexperienced player feel comfortable. These are the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s summer camps. Their teachers are professional actors with extensive instructing experience, unafraid to split up lead roles so that more kids can get a shot at stardom — ages 4 to 18, all are encouraged to discover the Bard in their own unique, 2011 San Francisco way.

Various Bay Area locations. (415) 558-0888, www.sfshakes.org/camp

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST PARENT PEN

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The only way they’d be getting a more authentic Mission experience is if they slept on your roommate’s couch and ate a leftover burrito for breakfast. But parents are rarely down for things like that, so shack ’em up at the Inn San Francisco. The Victorian bed and breakfast is a quick walk from mural alley stalking and 826 Valencia-ing. Inside, rooms with a jewel-toned grandma motif look out over a peaceful backyard garden. Your folks’ll love the rooftop patio for catching those Mission rays after a hard day of tourism, and a huge complimentary breakfast spread will make it difficult to convince them to brave the line at Boogaloo’s. Rates start at $120 for two.

943 South Van Ness, SF. (415) 641-0188, www.innsf.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST HAPP(IL)Y( SELF-DETERMINED) HOUR

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Booze cruise to Asiento at 5 p.m. Every day, the first person into the Mission District bar at the designated hour of power gets to name their poison and their drink is added to the day’s happy hour specials. A soaring purple comet mural covers one side of Asiento — follow its trajectory and you’ll find classy cocktails, tapas, board games, and a comfy yet sleek neighborhood bar. Quietly gaining popularity in recent months as a friendly place to meet your building mates, Asiento also offers a late-night Sunday happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight for the hard-working service industry superstars among us. It’s even serves brunch.

2730 21st St., SF. (415) 829-3375, www.asientosf.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST NEW CHAIN GANG

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San Francisco: we party on Judgment Day, we party on drugs, we party on crooked streets and Big Wheels — and now we party on bikes. Hard. The San Francisco Bike Party slapped the scene silly at the beginning of 2011 with its monthly low-conflict costume-partied rides, invented in San Jose. (When does anything in SJ ever get props in SF? For this alone, SFBP deserves praise.) Call it the natural evolution of Critical Mass, call it an awesome Friday night with hundreds of velo-minded new friends, call it an excuse to make a hot toddy in a thermos. But SFBP riders call it one thing, and at the top of their lungs to boot: “Bike Par-TY!”

First Fridays of the month, 7:30 p.m., free. Check website for start location. sfbikeparty.wordpress.com

Photo by Erik Anderson

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST EMANCIPATION STATION

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Independent broadcast radio can be hard to locate on the dial these days. But we can still turn to KPOO, an African American owned and operated — and nonprofit — radio station. Since 1971 it’s been playing the silkiest, grooviest, most obscure soul, jazz, R&B, rap, blues, and gospel out there. KPOO also broadcasts weekly meetings of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, as well as community-minded interviews and event coverage catering to underserved audiences — y’know, Native Americans, women, LGBT folk, youth, and low-income listeners. Click over to 89.5 FM, pump up the volume, and listen. That’s the sound of freedom from corporate media, folks.

1329 Divisadero, SF. (415) 346-5373, www.kpoo.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST SENTIENT WEED WHACKERS

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From an environmental standpoint, herbicides and lawnmowers are unsatisfactory ways to control invasive plant species. Enter City Grazing‘s goats. The Bayview rental company offers a pack of furry, friendly billies to spruce up your degraded land. While the goats nibble plants, their hooves work seeds into the soil, maintaining beneficial organisms and obviating the need for heavy equipment — thereby minimizing soil disturbance and compaction. They trample dried brush, create natural mulch, and add organic matter to the soil. And don’t forget the cuteness factor. When was the last time your lawnmower bleated playfully, nibbled your sweater hem, and butted your thighs (without causing serious bodily injury)?

Port of San Francisco Railyard, 100 Cargo Way, SF. (415) 756-4233, www.citygrazing.com

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST GARDEN VARIETY HISTORICAL HOTBED

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With rock walls made from the stones of a medieval monastery, gravel beds, and balmy southern exposure, the San Francisco Botanical Garden succulent garden is one of our favorite places to bask in the heat like a lizard. But even here, the storms of controversy gather. The rightful ownership of the wall rocks has been disputed for decades — they’ve changed hands from Spanish monks to the megalomaniacal William Randolph Hearst to the City of San Francisco to an abbey near Sacramento to their current scattered locations throughout Golden Gate Park. Whew! Talk about your rolling stones.

Ninth Ave. and Lincoln, Golden Gate Park, SF. (415) 661-1316, www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

Photo by Ben Hopfer


Best of the Bay 2011: BEST CEREBRAL STROLL

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Joel Pomerantz has a lot of nerve asking people to think and walk at the same time. He also has a lot of nerd. In fact, he bills his ThinkWalks — designed especially for locals — as “nerdy tours for San Franciscans.” Possibly the man who coined “the Wiggle” to describe the city’s best cross-town bike corridor, Pomerantz offers sliding-scale strolls that explore what makes San Francisco such an unusual city. He thinks it’s because these parts boast a headlong collision of the urban and the natural — like the buried waterway under the Wiggle and the Mission District’s latent ecology. So buy the ticket and take the stride: fresh geography, stronger legs, and opened eyes ahead.

(415) 505-8255, www.thinkwalks.org

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST GRADUATION GUIDANCE

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Without a parent who has been through the applications, intense study schedules, and patently awful cafeteria food, getting through college can seem like a tough circus to ringlead for many high school students. Studies show that scholarly parents are a big factor in kids’ academic success. That’s why we give props to First Graduate, a nonprofit founded in 2000 that guides first-generation, university-bound students through a decade of life. From seventh grade all the way through college graduation, the low-income kids receive monetary support, tutoring, counseling, and career exploration opportunities. So far, 100 percent of participants have conquered high school and made it to year two of university — surely something that’s worth tossing those tassels in the air.

37 Graham, SF. (415) 561-3450, www.firstgraduate.org

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST WITHIN-SIGHT OVERNIGHT

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From the vantage point of Kirby Cove — a small, sandy shore on the southern edge of the Marin Headlands — day-trippers and campers can gaze at the topaz glow of the Golden Gate Bridge-framed city or look westward toward the infinite Pacific blue — maybe even China. Wave to the container ships — hello, Shan Hai, Evergreen, and Maersk Danang shipping lines! — from what feels like your own private beach. Just two warnings: plan ahead if you wanna pitch a tent — there are only four sites and reservations can fill up to three months in advance. And bring earplugs — sea dreams will likely be interrupted by the endearing but incessant sound of foghorns.

Battery Spencer, Conzelman Road, Sausalito. (415) 331-1540, www.parksconservancy.org

Best of the Bay 2011: BEST NEIGHBORHOOD NOM NOMS

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Every Mission District Sunday, a line forms for the Free Farm Stand‘s toothsome tenderheartedness. Founder Tree Rub has run the show since 2008, giving away thousands of pounds of mostly organic local produce from his garden to all who come. He believes everyone should have access to nutritious food, and that most of it can be grown right in our backyards. Apparently he’s not the only one: the stand is run by volunteers who often contribute their own homegrown surplus — from hummus to loquats to collard green seedlings to the free weekly bounty. The seed has been planted: last year FFS and other nonprofits opened an urban farm on Gough and Eddy streets that has added fuel to the food-giving fire.

Sundays 1–3 p.m. Parque Niños Unidos, 23rd and Treat streets, SF. www.freefarmstand.org