The highest of recommendations. We were in a bind for our wedding venue and were able to secure…read morethis space for an extremely reasonable price. The various staff members were all so kind and accommodating, including allowing us into the space early. We only used the main performance space and it was breathtakingly beautiful. The combination of traditional and non-traditional was exactly what we wanted - the beautiful architecture of a church but the open floor plan and stage for our performance (which included some ballroom dancing, a string quartet, and singing).

This place is so beautiful! Great lighting and an open space for any event. Would recommend this…read morefor anyone holding conferences or small talk events! Love it!

This review is for the Chinese cultural center Store located on 667 Grant Avenue. This is a well…read morecurated shop in the middle of China town. Some highlights: - compact, pre-assembled to go mini kits - things like travel set, first-aid sets, hangover kits, and small everyday essentials. - mood-themed chocolate bars - stationery - small design items. Perfect store for unique gift assembly.

Came here to explore and learn but never again. We got so lost looking for an exit as most of the…read moredoors say "not an exit." Wound up walking into an employees only area for Hilton because the door had an exit sign on it. Finally just tried the door that read "not an exit" and exited the center!

I wish I had the time to get to know the JCCC more when we came here last weekend for Cherry…read moreBlossom Festival. It was super crowded so we could not really be able to get to look around much. But from what I could see this place was somewhere that attracted a lot of people with food and cultural displays. I will learn more about this place so I can participate in future events because it looks quite interesting!

These are MY peeps we're talkin' 'bout here. Don't you be talkin' no smack 'round here 'bout my…read morepeeps. It was actually Jamie W. who got me to come here for their Community Kitchen event. Several of us (and not all Japanese-Americans) came, and we were organized into teams to make delish country-style Japanese dishes. I was on the Fruit Sando team, and people were impressed with my whipped cream whisking capabilities. I didn't watch the Food Network for years for nothing. But the center is more than just food. It aims to preserve and promote all aspects of Japanese/Japanese-American cultural heritage, and their calendar of events reflects their charter. At a time when a tragedy like the Monterey Park shootings can occur without provocation, it's more important than ever to have a community-based non-profit organization like this in Japantown. RELATED - Exploring Japantown? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2C8Z4mZ

Attended the Nick Dong: 11 to 88 exhibit months ago. The center itself is spacious and airy…read more Beautiful space. Great exhibits. Not very expensive admission either. On some days, the center offers free admission to the public. Located inside the Yerba Buena Gardens and steps away from the SFMOMA.

My boyfriend and I had such a lovely date venturing into the city to experience the "Nick Dong: 11…read moreto 88" exhibit at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and it was absolutely mesmerizing! From the moment we stepped into the gallery, I was completely captivated by Dong's unique and creative approach to art. The way he seamlessly integrates technology to create these beautiful, immersive, and interactive installations is truly innovative. What made it even more profound was the clear influence of Buddhist philosophy woven throughout the artwork. We were particularly drawn to the fascinating Buddhist-influenced exhibit. The glowing lotuses were ethereal and meditative, creating a serene and almost otherworldly atmosphere. And the rotating room with mirrors? Absolutely brilliant! It played with perception and perspective in such a thought-provoking way, inviting introspection and a sense of interconnectedness that resonated deeply with the Buddhist themes. The entire exhibit felt like a journey, prompting reflection and offering moments of genuine awe. My boyfriend and I couldn't stop taking photos and videos. We love art that's both visually stunning and intellectually stimulating, with a touch of spiritual depth, so we were very lucky to see this exhibit.

I took Japanese classes here for a quarter…read more I wasn't aware that memberships auto renewed, but a year after I was automatically charged for the membership fee. On their website, I didn't find any way to cancel my membership, as there is no easy log-in button. Additionally, I learned that unlike most modern services, membership cancellations immediately stop the service the day off, so if you cancel one day after you get renewed, you are paying for nothing for the remaining 364 days. This is an innately predatory practice that no modern organization should engage in. Finally, in the state of California, businesses are actually required by law to send out a reminder before charging for a recurring service, which I did not receive. As for the class itself, I didn't learn as much as I thought I would, but I think that's just a mismatch between teaching style and my learning style.

JCC makes every effort to support the local Japanese community and increase knowledge of Japanese…read moreculture and language. I especially like their monthly online teaching sessions.

Big city ..more things to stumble upon ..for educators and tourists ...manilatown gallery meeting…read moreplace ..interesting and renovated ...weird city ..galleries are so delightful

I was just looking over the posters on the window when the young lady inside (Joy) invited me in…read more She proceeded to give me a tour and the history of the site. This can best be described as a medium sized Filipino art gallery/social club/culture center. It is free to enter, and definitely worth a tour just for the history of the site. Looking forward next time I'm in town to enjoy their Jazz on Thursdays.

Interesting free lecture series. I discovered this club on the Atlas Obscura website. They've been…read morearound for more than a century. Ansel Adams was a member. Check them out if you're an old book hoarder like me.

I had an interesting cultural experience visiting the Book Club of California recently. To visit…read moreyou have to set up an appointment. Kevin was a gentleman to show me around giving me a tour. They say don't judge a book by it's cover yet the beauty of the Book Club of California is they specialize in designing books with special attention being put on the cover design. I am glad I went. The selection of the books here isn't what I am into overall yet still am glad I had the chance to experience it. They have special events here so check out the calendar for various talks and happenings. https://www.bccbooks.org/programs/

I went there in 2018 and everything was great, the performance was awesome and I can't wait to go…read moreback the next Russian festival.

Every year I meant to go to the Russian Festival, but it was either too cold or something came up…read more This year, the weather was nice and the 22nd 2014 Sochi Olympics were going on in Russia, plus a friend was in town, so I made it a point to go this year and take her along to experience it too. I was actually quite impressed with the organization of this festival as it took place at the Russian Center on Sutter near Divisadero. The Russian Center is a building of several floors that accommodated authentic Russian food (loved the dumpling soup, beet soup, Russian beer and strawberry pie) with booths for shopping (handicrafts, nested dolls, pressed greeting cards, jewelry) and colorful decoratives, plus vodka tastings. Another floor had paintings and art, another floor had a stage where you could watch Russian dancing performances and a play, and another floor contained a museum with historical artifacts and displays and literature, and another section contained a library with neat old Russian books and literature. I thought we would spend an hour or two there to check it out, but we ended up enjoying several hours wandering with curiosity. And it was perfect timing with the Sochi Olympics! It is easy to get here on the Muni 2 or 24 lines. I understand there are dance classes and other activities here - I need to explore a little more! In the meantime, I cannot wait to come back for another Russian Festival!

What a fun, amazing find Clarion Music Center was - they really do have instruments from all around…read morethe world! Last month, I was wandering aimlessly around Chinatown and stumbled upon Clarion's recessed door on the corner of Sacramento and Waverly Place. I almost walked by it but then could hear some interesting music so, I decided to peek inside... Wow, it was a treasure trove of unique instruments and wonders that I had no idea what to do with! There were 2 employees - 1 said hello as I walked in and the other was playing a melodic flute thing... it was nice. Later, I watched them sound the Tibetan singing bowl also which was a treat. I musta walked around for over 30 min. I saw unique gongs, ukuleles, tong and taiko drums, wind instruments from all over the world and and and... I could go on. The only thing I should probably mention is please don't 'experiment' with instruments unless you know what you're dealing with. The employees must get so frustrated with people coming in a banging on stuff. In my 30 min, I saw them have to ask more than a couple of people not to bang on the singing bowls because it ruins the tone of the bowl (fyi - you run the wooden part around the outside of them). All in all, I'd definitely like to get back to this shop someday. I loved the little fun things they had for children and the learning aids they offered. One lil kid was going crazy for an inexpensive African shaker. Also, they had a basement set-up for music lessons, which is probably nice for instructors or students who don't have space. Definitely check out their shop... and website!! http://www.clarionmusic.com/ See ya there!

This place is in SF Chinatown. My friend wanted to visit it & I got to see this place for the…read morefirst time. It's full of instruments, especially Chinese ones & music of many cultures. They have Lion Dance Equipment, Chinese Instruments like the erhu, gong cymbals, taikos & didjeridus, world instruments, books, cds & videos. They also have Saturday Music Classes to learn to play the Chinese erhu (two string fiddle), guzheng (zither), dizi (flute), & yangqin (dulcimer). Classes meet on Saturdays from 5-6:30pm. Good for beginners: adults & children welcome. Hrs: M-F 11am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm

I've always been interested in Thai culture, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that San…read moreFrancisco has a cultural center, devoted to all of Southeast Asia. It's located in the Tenderloin, but that should not put people off. In lieu of going all the way to Bangkok, an urban nightmare, it's nice to know that there is a place like this right in the City! Very friendly people...