I was stationed in Sacramento for four years in the late 70s, during which time, almost every…read moremorning, I read the San Francisco Chronicle. The Sacramento Bee was my local paper, and I read that too, but I'd grown up in the Washington, DC area, and the Chronicle, the de facto "newspaper of record" in Northern California, was analogous to the Washington Post, the "real" paper that we'd read at home. So digging into the Chronicle over breakfast, for national and international news, was familiar to me. The Chronicle informed, educated, and entertained me. Also, those being my later formative years, I was, to some extent, taught to read and write by Chronicle reporters and columnists, including: Carl Nolte, Art Hoppe, Bruce Jenkins, and one of my lifelong favorites, humorist and journalist Herb Caen. Times have changed, as have we all. The internet offers access to news and information that would have been unimaginable when I read The Chronicle, and anyway, I moved away, so the paper isn't as necessary to me as it once was. More to the point, I subscribed to the Washington Post for years, but I cancelled my subscription this year, as the paper deeply integrated AI into its content creation; and I still read the New York Times, but if they go too far down that road, I'll drop them, as well. Notwithstanding these things, the Chronicle is an important part of who I am, of how I think and say what I think, and when think about that, I'm grateful.

Updated review. Last month I received my credit card statement that the San Francisco Chronicle…read morecharged me $39 for a newspaper subscription. I had to call the credit card company to dispute the charge. Why? I have canceled the subscription several years ago. I haven't received their newspaper after that cancelation. To this date, no newspaper has been delivered to my home. The credit card company sent me a letter, notifying me that the $39 has been credited to my account. Yesterday I received an invoice from the San Francisco Chronicle wanting to charge me $76 with a new paid through date of June 28, 2026. Okay, I don't know why they want to sweat on me for $76 since I did not ask for a renewal subscription and there is no newspaper delivered to my home. I don't want the damn newspaper even if it were free. I will have to call their number (415 777-7000) to pick a bone with them. It looks like they are trying to prey on a senior citizen with their nonsense. Enough said!

This newspaper is a national treasure. The only place in the Bay Area to find the truth of who,…read morewhat, where when it's happening. I do miss the printed paper, but realize that online there could be a larger audience, etc. Indeed this paper should have an international audience. The substance, truth and relevance of their content is immeasurable. Much respect and gratitude to Willie and Mary Ratcliff.

Hello my brothers and sisters i have been down in the belly of the beast for a while I don't have…read moreany family support or any support at all i am reaching out to you seeking donations in any amount to get my basic needs all donations will be greatly appreciated I am asking you to bless a sister in need send donations in any amount to:PayPal.me/brie1337

I've worked in publishing, media and communications for more than three decades, and during that…read moretime I've met very few people with Ali Ghanbarian's combination of vision, creativity and entrepreneurial instinct. Ali has an extraordinary ability to recognize cultural trends long before they become mainstream. After earning a master's degree in engineering from UC Berkeley and beginning his career at Bechtel, he chose a completely different path--building businesses, creating communities and investing in creative people when few others saw the opportunity. For more than forty years, he has built SOMA Magazine into one of America's longest-running independent arts, culture and design publications. Along the way, he has helped discover, mentor and promote thousands of emerging photographers, designers, architects, filmmakers, musicians, writers, models and entrepreneurs who later went on to successful international careers. What impresses me most is that Ali never thinks conventionally. Every conversation generates new ideas, new business opportunities and new ways of looking at a problem. He has an unusual talent for connecting people, recognizing overlooked opportunities and bringing together creativity with business strategy. He's generous with his relationships, direct in his advice, and genuinely committed to helping talented people succeed. Those qualities are increasingly rare. If you're looking for someone who combines entrepreneurial vision, cultural insight, strategic thinking and an exceptional network built over four decades, I recommend Ali without hesitation. Simply put, if Ali Ghanbarian believes in an idea, it's worth paying attention.

Ali Ghanbarian changed my life…read more When I first moved from New York City to California, I was a young model trying to find my place in the industry -- and let's be real, at that time, most agencies weren't checking for Black models. Ali saw something in me when others didn't. He gave me my very first modeling opportunity, and it turned into a dream moment -- gracing the cover of SOMA Magazine on my first modeling go-see. Ali has always championed creative talent -- not just in San Francisco but all over the world. He has an incredible eye for individuality and a genuine passion for helping artists break through barriers. His support opened doors that changed the trajectory of my career and gave me the confidence to keep pushing forward. If you're a creative, an innovator, or an artist who feels unseen -- Ali is that guy. A visionary who helps others be seen, heard, and celebrated. -- Forever grateful,Goldie Dixon

Initially, I was afraid to come here because of all the bad reviews. It was my first time taking…read morethe ferry from SF to Oakland, and I didn't have a Clipper card, so I had no choice but to buy an actual ticket. Before I approached, I expected to get chewed out or at least glared at. I've been here twice now with no issues. On my first visit, I got a guy who was really friendly and helpful. He got me my ticket, and even told me which direction to go to and which port I should look for, without me having to ask. The second time, I got a guy who seemed to be in training with the first guy guiding him. The trainee was able to get the job done without a problem. I usually don't give places like this a review, but I felt the need to write up a good one, so others won't be afraid to come here like I had been and give them a shot.

It's actually a negative star. Like other reviewers have said, their customer service needs…read moresignificant improvement. The staff (woman) charged my 77-year-old mother-in-law $50 instead of $5, then refused to refund the $45 and told us to contact Clipper Customer Service. We did--and Clipper acknowledged how poorly the situation was handled. They documented the issue on our behalf and advised us to return to Bay Crossings to collect the refund. When we went back, there was a different 'unhelpful' employee (man). He told me he "knows his job better than I do" and claimed there was no way to verify the card was linked to my mother-in-law's clipper card number--which is BS, since they were able to pull up an account associated with another card. Once again, they refused to issue the refund. Avoid this place. Extremely poor service and accountability. The steal, even from retired old people!

While the Economist is a great source of news, they have increased their subscription rate far in…read moreexcess of inflation and have now decided to have their print subscription customers pay for the Economist to advertise itself (they substituted extracts from their 1873 magazine in the July 27th double edition in place of mailing out the August 3rd edition).

If anyone is considering purchasing a multi-year digital subscription for $445, be aware the…read moreadvertisement for this misrepresents the offer. Two times, separated by weeks, they were told this thru Chat. They agreed it misstates facts and twice said "IT" would fix it. Yesterday I received another email containing the same apparently deceptive "bargain". Whatever is the motive, the offer makes the price seem far better than it is. Given the effort to ask them to correct this, and their refusal to do so, the obvious conclusion is they choose to intentionally mislead the buyer with a known falsehood to add subscribers. If I am a math idiot, they've had two live opportunities to point that out. A sad commentary on what I believed to be a reputable enterprise.

One of the last remaining letterpress print shops in SF if not the very last. They take pride in…read morepreserving a manual printing process and their shop is an amazing resource for learning as well as picking up their curated stationary and art supplies. There is something quite cool about mixing ink and printing using plates, it's all easily visible from the front of the shop. If you know what blackwing pencils are they have them here and so much more. Fancy scissors, tons of erasers, and all kinds of writing instruments that have selected based on their history and functionality. Definitely worth stopping by to browse, you'll see stuff from all over the world. I would say these are more for the conneseiur and are priced as such and even though I didn't get anything I was tempted by some of their unique rulers. They also sell cards and posted that are printed in house, the prints would give your interior a nice analog vibe.

Was taken here as a part of the Heath Ceramics Workshop Tour on Friday, as its in the same building…read moreHeath Ceramics occupies. Probably never would've found it otherwise. Interesting place if you're in the vicinity. If you are in need of custom printing, some art supplies, or want to see some really old printing machines, come by. They can also give you estimates online as well. I bought a multi-colored pencil here for just $2.00. It's an interesting place to spend a few minutes, if you find yourself nearby, say after shopping at Heath. The staff is super nice too.

Vapid, socialite slick consumerist fodder…read more Content is Not for the typical Yelper. I canceled my subscription 2 months ago, but they're still sending it to me. Like I'm going to buy a $1million SOMA condo or a $50,000 diamond for my wife. Yeah right!

I'll never forget my first San Francisco magazine. I had just moved to the Bay Area, only to be…read moreheaded on a trip to New Zealand, and I was browsing the airport bookstore for reading materials when I saw it: the extra-large mag with a pic of Gavin Newsom on the front. I was glued to the pages the whole flight and subscribed the second I got back. Those were the heady days of my budding love affair with San Francisco, when the city could do no wrong and waves of discovery were washing over me at an almost unbearable rate. So the magazine was quite helpful for marinating my brain in the local flavor and gaining some semblance of orientation. But now, I've got a lot more personal experience with SF (and, let's face it, I've got Yelp), and the magazine isn't quite the eye-opener it once was. More importantly, though, the city (and, let's face it, Yelp's uber-populist medium/message) has turned me into something of an anti-consumerist eco-hippie, and the dream of high-society hobnobbing and owning that killer loft has palled considerably since I realized I was just being subjected to the incredibly paradoxical mass-marketing of luxury "lifestyles". Unfortunately, though, there are still a lot of Boomers (ok, and some young folks) in this city who subscribe to that dream, and SF Magazine is catering to them more than ever these days. So aside from the excellent "Reporter's Notebook" articles, there really isn't much to interest me anymore, and I find myself on the lookout for a Bay Area lifestyle magazine that caters to my *actual* lifestyle. Sorry SF Mag--to quote one of your ads, you may have overlooked nothing, but I don't actually want to overlook everything.

It is important for organizations like this to survive. There is some very good writing here, and I…read moreurge folks to check it out. We need alternatives to the Chron pablum and Bay Guardian knee jerkism. But the website is a mess, and has been since inception---and this is a predominately web-based outfit. I tried to send a message to the editor on the "contact" page, and the page just disappears when you hit "send". No confirmation. I later attempted to comment on a story, but the CAPTCHA image did not display. This is trying with two separate browsers--Firefox & Chrome (with a Mac). Also, you search "San Francisco news", or "Bay Area news" on Google or Bing, and SFPP doesn't come up (at least after 10 pages). It seems to me a decent website would be a fairly high priority for these folks.

2nd Print Edition comes out on Thursday, November 11, 2010 featuring in-depth reporting on Pier 70…read moreredevelopment and proposed development of the Cargill Salt Flats in Redwood City and more...

Excellent for legal notice publication. Mike, the legal notice guy, is knowledgeable, kind, and…read morehelpful.

What a great bunch of guys! They made the placement of my ad ISRAEL THE SECOND COMING a joyous…read moreexperience! Michael and Scott deserve an award oF some kind and at least a bear hug!

Legal Disclaimer - I am an avid weekly reader of the Anderson Valley Advertiser, East Bay Express,…read moreSF Bay Guardian and the SF Weekly. I am a Yelp Elite member and I have attended their events sober. I have eaten Pork in Danville. There's already an active thread and I'm sure more review posts will be forthcoming in response to this week's SF Weekly article on Yelp. Heck, some business owners who feel that they have previously been wronged by Yelpers might throw 5 Star "pay-back's a bitch" review grenades, while hiding relatively anonymously behind their profiles. I am of course disappointed that my reviews were not mentioned or that as a 50-ish single father, my life wasn't reduced to a cartoonish stereotype (like being labelled a narcissistic twit). At the same time, this me-too article (the first appearing in the East Bay Express) doesn't pretend to pass as journalism. And when you consider the SF Bay Guardian's relatively recent success in litigating some of the SF Weekly's business practices, it is often useful to consider the source of your information. One Yelp "friend" recently questioned my Yelp objectivity, based solely on my Elite Status. And over time, after having 3 of my own reviews pulled and complaining long and loud not only to the Yelp HQ, but once to Jeremy himself, I guess he forgot to tell me that to some, Elite Status might also mean Yelp Toad. Not this time.

I have read SF Weekly every Wednesday for as long as I can remember…read more Highly recommended over the Guardian or East Bay Express, both of which I find incredibly boring and bland. My favorite aspect of SF Weekly is for discovering upcoming live shows, be it a big stadium gig, or some obscure band that is playing Cafe Du Nord or Bottom of the Hill. This is what I used before the " interwebz" and gosh darn it, this is still gonna be my go to for " useful" " funny" or " cool" events in the Bay Area.