new orleans lart

new orleans lart, originally uploaded by spacedog.

lart looks so mischevious in this photo.. perfect, seeing as she just sneaked her champagne glass out of the wine bar and was sipping spanish sparkling wine on the street.. carefree and laughing until we heard screams behind us. it was the waiter yelling "hey you" and i told lart we have to split up. so she walks away and i turn around to face the charges. the waiter hands me lart's passport saying she left it at the table. i thank him and go find lart laughing out loud..

fugazi's house!

fugazi's house!, originally uploaded by spacedog.

walking downtown for the first time made me so homesick for new york. although none of the buildings are as tall as nyc skyscrapers they are all made of stone unlike the houses in the mission and it felt like walking down broadway from 14th st to houston.. but far less shops and people. downtown closes early like LA.. fugazi! what does it mean? well the first floor houses London Wine Bar.. America's Oldest Wine Bar. of course we went in and had a glass of wine before relazing we were gonna miss Shortbus if we didnt haul ass...

lower 24th st

lower 24th st, originally uploaded by spacedog.

after my job interview at sugarloaf coffee i walked up 24th street from bryant to mission and was overwhelmed with the historically kitsch buildings.. from sweet smelling mexican bakeries to pupusaria usulutan to this bright record store that was closed.., if yr coming to sf talk a long walk down 24th street sampling the foods and coffee and architecture..

tartine lunch

tartine lunch, originally uploaded by spacedog.

yowzers! thanks to lisa for warning me about the super nyc-esque cafe tartine on 18th and guerrero. the coffee is strong and self serve, the place is always packed and the food oh the food. olive bread with guyere cheese, ham and cheese croissants, baby little salad, picked carrots and the most amazing pressed oily sandwiches. i felt like a rabbit with the long carrots and the leafy greens sans fork. hunting for a table was stressful but thanks to a sweet lady we scored a spot outside in the warm sf shade.

dream tea

dream tea, originally uploaded by spacedog.

and here is the tea lady who prepared our dream tea from water, ginger root, lemon juice, mint leaves and honey. she had this little metal canister which she fed twigs that smelled clean when she burned them and had a switch that controlled the flame level.. hot and tasty!

wish/dream writin

wish/dream writin, originally uploaded by spacedog.

once we entered the small bright tent the woman whose installation this was told us to write a dream or doubt down that would then be placed in a fire that was used to boil water for our dream tea. jamie dicatate while jeremy wrote down "happy and healthy"...

tent signs

tent signs, originally uploaded by spacedog.

well we saw the signs and the white tent coming off the wall with sticks in jars of rocks as supports.. enter to drink your dreams and doubts. so we did...

mural

mural, originally uploaded by spacedog.

eagle. woman. bombs. skulls. lady liberty? red white and black. i like this mural the best. your interpretation?

street fair

street fair, originally uploaded by spacedog.

a street fair to celebrat the sycamore street art murals between valencia and mission. the locals artists have been painting the murals on this street since last month. i think its an everyday project. whenever i walk by they have the ladder out and punk music blasting and a crew of cute kids. the center of the fair was a performance space where it got too crowded to cross because bands were playing so we didnt get to see the food stands!

fancy park sitter

fancy park sitter, originally uploaded by spacedog.

again for sophie. female fashion at its highest in dolores park.. fancy brick leather boots and leaf print dress. her friend who sat down to quickly was sf bike rider with cuffed jeans and black hoodie.. cute but typical..

lioness

lioness, originally uploaded by spacedog.

roar! this over dressed lady is pouncing her man who was reading a mauve book that matched her outfit.. we thought this looked scandalous and i had to be the voyeur once more.. the courting didnt get much heavier than this but the sun makes people do wicked wicked things..

jamie wobble

jamie wobble, originally uploaded by spacedog.

beginner wobbles are always funny. describing how to wobble is even better.. this is jamie.. he heard of my wobbleheads and wanted to try it out.. this is photo 3 and the lips are off center which is good, but lack of jowls cheats jamie from full wobblehead potential..

fruit shelf view

fruit shelf view, originally uploaded by spacedog.

just look at that view.. this is what i see everyday, and it still floor me. the bluest skies and palm trees and green grass.. welcome to the fruit shelf of dolores park, so called because of the gay that go tanning every day in speedos.. shame they hog this area with their greasy bodies, this is the finest view of sf in the park!

jew face

jew face, originally uploaded by spacedog.

i've walked by this building many times on my way to dolores park.. its on 19th between valencia and guerrero.. amy from janam tea in jersey city went to england with her mum recently and snapped a bunch of building face photos. fitting as amy is jewish and this is a pretty mosaic face.. the tiles actually reminded me of the doorway tiles amy glued to the doorways at janam.. how i miss our morning tea time and gossip..

moz

moz, originally uploaded by spacedog.

well we know morrissey aka moz has hordes of latin american fans, so seeing this silkscreened on a priority mail sticker in the heart of the mission wasnt too shocking. seeing it posted outside a bikeshop made even more sense. viva hate!

safety pin

safety pin, originally uploaded by spacedog.

the muni ride to berkely wasnt too horrible. i sat across from this man, notice the extra large real safety pin in his ear.. he was traveling from england and kept cursing about missing his connecting train/flight.. faux hawk and dressed in black head to toe!

school girl

school girl, originally uploaded by spacedog.

again i dont do the whole sneaky photos of kids thing well, and after a bunch of shots in minus a flash and sun this was the best one.. so you can see this was no ordinary school kid.. the tin toy story lunchbox and striped socks over blue stockings(NYC!), a black messenger bag and grey cardigan.. sophie eat yr heart out!

strawberry shortcake

strawberry shortcake, originally uploaded by spacedog.

no one for taking pics of unassuming children.. but how cool is this kid sporting strawberry shortcake. i must have snapped four different shots and this was the best one. damn red pole.

brick house

brick house, originally uploaded by spacedog.

now here is a building material you dont see often in san francisco. BRICK! is red... a gallery i think.. there are tons of them down on 16th and rhode island.. fancy furniture and home furnishings.. you can tile yr kitchen and get a latte at axis cafe.. hrmm..

roofless

roofless, originally uploaded by spacedog.

descending the hill of 16th st i noticed this roofless structure with a glimpse of that archetypical skyline.. also the PRIDE logo caught my attenion and the acronymn is fading but who knows what Bay Metro Trouble Report Reduction Team is?

looking south

looking south, originally uploaded by spacedog.

alright going for super tourist here.. looking toward the bay.. and more peachy houses and hills.. 4 star video is down then up a hill. right now they are hosting an photography exhibit upstairs dealing with halloween and death.. october love song by chris and cosey. download it!

looking east

looking east, originally uploaded by spacedog.

same hilltop different direction.. downtown sf with skyscrapers and nightly washed sidewalks. lots of cranes and construction but notice the spanish tiles recreating the rivera feel.. its quiet and super family oriented here. i saw a woman walking her dog while pushing a baby carriage.. you try

looking back

looking back, originally uploaded by spacedog.

well i decided to walk to potrero hill since i heard the views are stellar.. and after i crossed the 18th st bridge i looked back and snapped this pic of sunny mission and the rest...from the top of the hill you got a 360 view of hills and valleys and downtown.. kinda like the south of france.. minus the cheese and olive carts...

bridge over trafficked highway

bridge over trafficked highway, originally uploaded by spacedog.

well when i got the top of another hill on 18th st i climbed a staircase and crossed this bridge over a trafficked route 101. OUTHUD on the headphones and another blue skied afternoon. on the other side a bunch of school kids watched me walk by all touristy with camera in hand and big smiles...

avant record store

avant record store, originally uploaded by spacedog.

ahh the little guy in the mission who has the most diverse collection of cds in the smallest space possible. most of the cds have carefully typed reviews by the workers at aquarius. i think i have stopped in everday since arriving in sf and each time i grab a handful of used cds and quickly decide i dont need them and place them back on the shelf. not to mention the super rare new reissues of spanish soul and funk from the 60's or the UK DIY punk new wave compilation or the unreleased folky female lps they have playing as you shop. i need to work here.. did i mention its a block from my house!

mission halloween

mission halloween, originally uploaded by spacedog.

so halloween is a huge holiday here in sf. and most of the houses in the mission have some sort of decorative theme for the trick or treaters. strange since the leaves dont change color here and the houses are all so bright and cheerful. its nice to get a bit of gloom and spider webs every other house or so.. after snapping this pic the children of the house came and got scared when their dad turned on the spooky sounds effects in the tree..

zine shop

zine shop, originally uploaded by spacedog.

needles and pens.. the local zine/DIY shop where you can bring yr homemade crafts and fashions for commision or trade. today i dropped off sophie's last zine, Americas Dreaming 11. and i picked up a bunch of local zines as well. and when ingrid was in town we bought patches and postcards. in the rear of the store is an art space for locals to hang whatever they please.

best burritos

best burritos, originally uploaded by spacedog.

alright it was dusk so the photo is a bit darker.. but farolitos is the best taqueria in the mission and possibly all sf.. located on 24th and mission, i tried the al pastor super burrito last month and have been back three times since moving here. ingrid likes the tostadas which come with refried beans, avacado, salsa, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and yr choice of meat all for $2.70... expect lines around the clock but they stay open til 2am which never happens in sf. oh and the orchata agua fresca is perfection in a cup.

best bookstore

best bookstore, originally uploaded by spacedog.

phoenix books! another noe valley find.. next to martha brothers and co. they have a huge selection of novels and cds and zines. not to mention the discount table where i picked up "flaming iguanas" by nj native erika lopez who spoke at the feminist conference at rutgers! the day i was here i heard the best folky girl mix ever and was reminded of that same mix idea i promised jasmine! its coming!

best coffee

best coffee, originally uploaded by spacedog.

a local coffee chain that brews some strong stuff. during the mornings and weekends this shop has lines and crowds of families sitting in and outside talking and rocking baby carriages.. had a coffee here the first day i was in sf and overheard two guys talking about nyc and "the mean energy and it has" oh well, some cities need to be honest.

twin peaks

twin peaks, originally uploaded by spacedog.

welcome to noe valley.. in the distance you can spy twin peaks, two man made mountains.. noe valley is the park slope of sf. family oriented and station wagons.. and home to streetlight records another business i want to work at.. they are having an octoberfest street fair at the farmers market in two weeks.. i can pumpkin pick in a parking lot.. missing terhune orchards more than ever..

shopping for work

shopping for work, originally uploaded by spacedog.

too bad the fire truck cut off the "GE" in buffalo exchange. no matter i applied for a job here on monday, had an interview on tuesday and another interview tomorrow. they are a mom and pop thrift store with 33 locations in the usa... this is where i bought my depeche mode shirt for 6 bucks! also they give dental insurance to part time employees.. rock!

goodwill headphones

goodwill headphones, originally uploaded by spacedog.

so it was ingrids last full day in sf and we took the 33 bus from dolores park to haight and ashbury... the historic corner that bred the hippie movement.. now replaced by the gap and ben and jerrys.. remember hippies are now yuppies... since all the stores dont open til 11am we wasted time in the goodwill store, me picking up records and ingrid a sweet leather briefcase/laptop case, guitar pedal and these stereo headphones unsure if they even work!

pink victorian

pink victorian, originally uploaded by spacedog.

alright this house is around the corner from my apartment. and never noticed i can see it from my bedroom window.. the stairs lead up to a candy cane porch with two bright pink doors. if sophie lived in sf this would be here house. the surrounding porches are decorated with halloween decorations that i'll post here..

valencia whole foods

valencia whole foods, originally uploaded by spacedog.

valencia whole foods provided me with my first weeks worth of food. on the expensive side for produce but the granola and fig newtons are cheap! located on the corner of 21st and valencia, across the street from ritual coffee and open late! last night i bought some yogurt, a locally grown avacado and a gallon of water all for 4 bucks.. the blue building it's housed in is kinda art deco eh?

home fer reals

home fer reals, originally uploaded by spacedog.

sophie wanted me to post a pic of my front door. the grey gate under the rooms for rent sign is it. conviently located next to a salvadorean bakery my hotel/motel/apartment is up two flights of stairs and filled with bakery smells.. the street traffic is minimum and noise levels are low for the mission... across the street is a lil punk rock record store with sonic youth bootlegs and old record players for sale.. i found a 99 cent disco record from the philippines with two patrick cowley covers!

baristas

baristas, originally uploaded by spacedog.

ok snapped in secrecy without a flash, this photo captures some the baristas at ritual coffee. a bit voyueristic.. but you get an idea of how bright this place is and the line is hella long. also they leave glasses for water, most cafes in sf do, this would never happen in nyc...you might get annoyed with the timers constantly going off and then realize they are roasting the coffee beans as you sip yr soy latte to built to spill.. yeah how d.i.y. can you get...

ritual coffee aka home

ritual coffee aka home, originally uploaded by spacedog.

ritual coffee roasters. introduced to me by ani/emi/deets the first time i visited sf... they make all their coffee in french presses.. so its kind of muddy/silty which i love... there is always a line and they dont add flavors, which is how coffee should be served, BLACK. most customers are on laptops or reading and the music ranges from t-rex to yo la tengo.. why would i ever leave?

thrift store score!

thrift store score!, originally uploaded by spacedog.

this photo was taken for nahal. yeah i found this at buffalo exchange for six bucks. idiots. not my favorite album/tour but since DM was playing while we were shopping it just made sense. and wouldnt want martin gore on their chest? check out his flawless first ep Counterfeit..

boyskout

boyskout, originally uploaded by spacedog.

yeah hoodie! after scarfing down tostadas and burritos from the best tacqueria in sf ingrid played some guitar parts she is learning this week from her new band.. Boyskout. go see them on tour in a month. too bad i cut off the new shoes she bought earlier that day. for some reason i was making janis joplin/jim morrison jokes porch sitting in sf playing guitar.. break on through..

acrobats

acrobats, originally uploaded by spacedog.

first you ask what are these kids doing? practicing their daily exercise routine? training for the olympics? rather, posing for me in front of huge palm trees. although i also captured these two falling i decided to post the fruits of their labor.

kitten

kitten, originally uploaded by spacedog.

half asleep when this kitten was dropped off to us by a lady who was registering voters for the november elections. just born a few weeks ago this tiny girl cat crawled right up to ingrids belly and fell asleep. we couldnt leave the park until her owner came back, although the thought of stealing hello kitty was tempting...

mantra

mantra, originally uploaded by spacedog.

ingrid snapped this one. i should be job hunting and resume building but instead i sleep and get tan.. to my right is dolores park high school. they were putting on a new spanish roof while i was resting. no shoes and not ashamed.

dolores park

dolores park, originally uploaded by spacedog.

like a seraut painting.. minus stipples.. this park is not one for shade but speedos rather. the upper left hand corner which cannot be seen in the photo, thankfully, is called the fruit shelf. tanning men in speedos.. hide yr children! someone told me october is the best month in sf, i am beginning to believe them..

defying gravity

defying gravity, originally uploaded by spacedog.

well cats and dogs do get along as seen in this lovely photo of fighting beauties.. when they're not wrestling daria and ingrid talk gender and bad habits and drink iced lattes... we are sitting at dolores park cafe, see the palm tree reflected in the window... yeah its always sunny here..

right hand view

right hand view, originally uploaded by spacedog.

the view from my window looking right.. thats the mission in front of you and in the distance is downtown. the weather has been great the past three days, sunny and warm, the rain has stopped for now although last year sf got more rain than seattle... again the brighton parallels persist.

mirror mirror

mirror mirror, originally uploaded by spacedog.

the room came with a dark brown dresser and a smaller white dresser, a night table and a mirror. i bought a small pink ikea lamp today minus lampshade and a fiestaware mug for granola and milk breakfasts.

beachy hotel

beachy hotel, originally uploaded by spacedog.

i moved into this seasidesque hotel room in the mission.. 20th and valencia next to a salvadorean bakery, a good sign since my mom and grandma were born in santiago de maria, near the usulután region of el salvador. small but unihabited for the past two years, recently renovated and sunny. i had to move the bed to avoid late night tv shows from the neighbor.

bathroom

bathroom, originally uploaded by spacedog.

ahh the clawfoot tub hidden behind that curtain would have made anyone happy. a window that opened to an airshaft. tight squeeze but everything fit.

kitchen

kitchen, originally uploaded by spacedog.

saikat and randi's kitchen is very white and antique looking. it reminds me of brighton. the amount of sunlight is out of control. apparently after the earthquake of 1906 their building was rebuilt, but the designers kept the pre-1906 look.