Amazing independent library. They have such a great span of material in such a small space. Great…read moreimage resource where you can copy and use anything in the whole space without worry of laws and other issues. I think what made this library so special to me was browsing through a section on maps and urban planning and suddenly turning around to find a whole area of books on Detroit. *heart* What a surprise. It's nice to see someone on the west coast care about poor old Detroit. :) Definitely coming here again.

I spent maybe 2 hours exploring, and a large part of that was digging through a box with hundreds…read moreof old punk flyers and zines from the late 70s/early 80s. They also have most issues of Punk Planet, which started in 1994, in their music/punk section. I could spend hours just reading those. I also found a book that spent almost 200 pages exploring why people eat dirt. Get lost in this place and just have fun exploring!

Harrington Galleries has always stood on the corner of 17th street and Valencia across the street…read morefrom El Toro Taqueria for decades. Harrington Galleries has been selling furniture in San Francisco since I was a kid. Most recently I saw it covert into an art gallery by The Drawing Room. What caught my eye inside was art works called " Hostess Twinkie Pigeon", "Disapproval Bunny " and an eagle mannequin wearing USA yoga gear doing yoga pose titled " Freebird". Entering the art gallery there are lots of art paintings on the wall. You will also see books of all kinds inside. They also have some interesting art sculptures. The art exhibit is called " Art is Light" and it's electric inside with thought provoking art. The Gallery Hours are Thursday- Sunday from 11am- 7pm. Go to "heart "of the District known as the Mission in San Francisco and look at some" art "on 17th street and Valencia come by car, feet , scooter , bike, or "BART"and look at some furniture and then some books about culture, politics, wine, and "Mozart" Over the years I seen the Mission District "bloom "it's got a revival with the " tech boom "and places with art spaces like the "Drawing Room"and San Francisco is not dead it's got more alive and I don't see no "tomb"

Amazing design museum, special collections library, type design school, and small gallery that…read morepacks a punch! The exhibits are very typography oriented (hence the name "Letterform Archive"), with events online and in person. They offer special rebates and NARM* for members depending of membership level. You can sign up for tours, research visits, , or connect with the speakers in the In-Person Salons and lectures that happen every now and then. If you are a vaguely visual person or are a super type nerd, this place will spark joy. If you are a deeper set introvert, you can also browse their so far digitized collection on their Online Archive, and/or watch their incredible lectures/salons online. There is something for everyone. Anyone! The gallery has changing exhibits that go from the works from specific designers (currently: Piet Zwart; Jack Stauffacher before) to the designers of famous design schools (the school of Bauhaus), or a very niche exhibit like Graffiti Zines of the 90ies, and more intense topics: Typographic Messages of Protest (my favorite exhibit so far). I think it's good to go on a Free Admission Thursday, if you are not sure if you'll be that into the current exhibit, or pay 10 bucks if you appreciate the effort of the setup and org as a donation. It's a non-profit, they can use it. (*= that's the North American Reciprocal Museums Program, not the North American Registry of Midwives.)

Wish the experience at the Bauhaus Typography exhibit was better today, but unfortunately, it…read morewasn't worth the $10 admission + Eventbrite fees. It's a very small room on the 4th floor, with a nice collection, but not much there. I was hoping for there to be a 2nd or larger room, nope. No public restroom, and unfortunately, the woman working the front desk could not offer a suggestion as to where to go in the entire building (none we could find), nor could she suggest an actual business that might be an alternate location to go. On the sidewalk? Where do other people go? Would have been nice to have some customer service in that area or have some info on the website or Eventbrite page.

One of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco…read more When I first visited, it was the only bookstore I had seen to carry "Supernatural" by Joe Dispenza. I was intrigued but purchased some of Thich Nhat Hanh's perfect mini meditation series instead. Fast forward a few years later, Joe Dispenza is *everywhere* and has brought meditation and the pineal gland into mainstream consciousness. You can find his books in almost every corporate bookstore in the country. This is just a testament to the innovative prescience of SF Zen Center's bookstore curation. You may wander in, unconsciously drawn by the sheer miracle of this specific, narrow stretch of street being lined with THE HAPPIEST TREES IN THE ENTIRE CITY, and like me, begin absentmindedly browsing the bookstore and eschewing certain titles that stand out to you for being too "woo" for your self concept at the moment. And maybe in a few years, those titles will be some of the country's bestsellers and SF Zen Center was one of the first places to debut it. Who knows? All I know is that I take SF Zen Center very seriously as a community knowledge hub, and they are doing very important work in a world and, certainly, a city that massively needs more zen. The resources offered here are at the forefront, and as knowledge ripples out and becomes more mainstream, it's likely you could learn it here first. Minimum, browse this incredible bookstore and take in the sight of the stunning garden for a meditative, beautiful afternoon. The trees, flowers, and birds are absolutely basking in gorgeous energy baths -- and it is visible.

A beautiful and inspiring bookstore well stocked with some of the best books about Buddhsism and…read morerelated areas of study and interest. I've purchased many books for myself and many gifts for friends from this wonderful little store. Nice meditation stuff too--zafus, mats, etc. Staffed by helpful and knowledge Zen students. All good..

Wonderful Pens, Pencils, School Supplies, Notebooks, Paper, Decor, Art Supplies, Gift wrapping…read moresupplies, Office Supplies, Folders, Frames, and of course Stationary among other items. The staff know what they are talking about for any product questions you may have, and they are happy to arrange bulk orders if you need. I did so for my small business. Support your local, independently owned shops like this one, where you can walk in, get what you need, and have a bit of human interaction!

Nice little family owned Stationary store on Solano Ave. the people running the store are always…read morefriendly and helpful. There aren't many small independently owned stationary stores left in the Bay Area so this is much needed. Street parking only. Prices are fair.

This is a great place to get free books for your classroom. My mentor, a retired OUSD teacher, told…read moreme about this place when she first started working with me. Since I have enough books in my classroom, I visit once a year and gather new or like-new ones for my students as Christmas presents. This non-profit gets donations from some of the following places: 1. Barnes and Noble book drive 2. Half Price Books 3. Regular people 4. Book drives at schools While they don't have a limit on how much you can take at once, they do have a limit for the following: 1. Board books- no more than 10 2. Hot picks- no more than 10 3. Spanish books- no more than 10 They open once a week on Tuesday and once a month on Saturday. I highly recommend this place to new teachers.

Hands down, THE best place to get free books for our young readers in pre-school and up to high…read moreschool. They offer all types of genres, non-fictional, fictional, educational, popular, classics, hard cover, paperback, and picture books! The staff are super friendly and will be more than happy to help you find something interesting and/or have great suggestions for your young learners.

I was a member for a little over two years. I learned screen printing there and I'm genuinely…read moregrateful for that. There's a lot to like about Compound and I'm bummed that I got such a sour taste in my mouth right at the end. Pros: - Fantastic equipment covering a huge range of making and printing. REALLY nice setup for screen printing. Bummer that you can only do water based but it makes sense overall from a mess and fumes standpoint. - Open at all hours - which is nice - Matt and Lena are friendly and welcoming when you join and were generally friendly to be around Cons: - At $250 a month, I paid over $6,000 total even though times/eras would naturally happen and I'd not use it for 2-3 months. This really stings. Month after month it just felt like too much for what it actually was. - Often times, you end up having to wait a long time to get certified to use certain things. Was frustrating that something as simple as the conveyor drier needed a $50 course + waiting for many months when it could be taught in 5 min. - Communication is fairly slow on support tickets. When I was leaving I couldn't locate my flat pack storage area as I hadn't used it but wanted to make sure it was clear since my friend had missed clearing hers out entirely. The owners didn't know where it was either - Almost always empty. Great for working but not great for meeting people or feeling like part of a community. When I occasionally would talk to people , they would often say 'so odd that this place is always empty.' - The message board is pretty much only used for griping about cleanup vs. anything very inspirational or community oriented. Sour taste right at the end for me: I accidentally left a new thing of emulsion in the screen printing fridge. I emailed them, waited 5 days, then followed up, then waited another 5 days, messaged on Instagram, then biked over in person. I saw Lena in the gallery, tried to wave her down, and she ignored me and walked the other way. I asked the front desk if I could speak with her and was told she was busy, leave a note. I left a note. Never heard back. I eventually just ordered another one and moved on. It's not about the $30. That's obviously trivial. But it's just frickin harsh. I spent a lot of money at that place over two years, cleaned up, and was friendly and can't even get a basic response? I wasn't badgering them... I sent one email, waited, and followed up at a normal cadence. Even a 'sorry, we had to clean out the fridge!' Anything. The fridge was packed to the brim with old emulsion that no one bothered to clean up, if anything it would help to free up some space. My friend had a similar experience, she accidentally left something behind (I think in her flatpack area as well) and instead of a simple heads up email... they charged her extra months. She had to fight/plead to get that removed. How you treat people when they are suddenly no longer paying you $250 a month says a lot... The equipment is genuinely great and if you're going to use it constantly, I'd still say its worth it. It's a gem of a spot in many ways! But if not, I'd look into more focused + more affordable spaces elsewhere like ace makerspace or a slew of others that have popped up. And whatever you do, don't leave anything behind !

The Compound Gallery is a (hidden?) gem of the Bay Area. It's *free* to enter/browse and there are…read morepieces here ranging from affordable to pricier. 1) I enjoyed David Fullarton's collection, "Everything's Getting Worse and I'm Not Helping," as well as browsing local artisans' pieces. The curation of this gallery feels cohesive. The pieces here are rich with meaning -- great conversation starters, so it's definitely an excellent place to bring a friend or two. 2) I wish I caught the name of the owner/director I met there yesterday -- he was so warm and a great host! It was my first time, and he took the time to briefly show me around the different areas of the gallery whilst entertaining my questions about the history of the gallery/its artists. He also shared upcoming events and exhibitions (artist talks, for instance), inviting me to stay connected! 3) Parking here is pretty great (I was at the gallery on the weekend). There's also a small park across the street -- great place to hang out and debrief after enjoying The Compound. I highly recommend The Compound Gallery -- I know I'll be back soon.

Interesting place. Lots of stuff! Some good finds. A bit overwhelming and lots of people with not…read moremuch personal space.

They have a great selection of materials, from fabric (what I'm usually looking for) to notions to…read morechildren's play materials to funky collectibles to actual sewing machines and earrings made from their supplies (presumably). I attended a craft night there and hope I get to again soon!