This is What a San Francisco White Christmas Would Look Like
Images via Wells Fargo Holiday Magic
The odds of a white Christmas in San Francisco proper may be next to zero, but it's easy to pretend that snow is on its way with a holiday website from Wells Fargo that turns any scene you can imagine into a snowy wonderland. From Twin Peaks to Dolores Park, the city looks pretty good decked out in pine trees, presents, and a layer of white. Of course, it's all make-believe—or is it? Forecasts are calling for a dusting of snow in the Bay Area at elevations above 2,000 feet.
Bridging San Francisco's Cultural Divides Through Art
Visual artist Phillip Hua is bringing San Franciscans together by blending photos of residents who are polar opposites and displaying them on MUNI buses. The project, We Are San Francisco, was commissioned by arts nonprofit San Francisco Beautiful, and the assembled portraits fill the bus real estate normally reserved for ads. While riders generally avoid the gaze of fellow passengers, it's hard to look away from the haunting, stitched-together visages that marry people from different worlds.
Condos More Likely Than Subway Extension for North Beach
A rendering of the proposed The Palace at Washington Square circa 2013 via nc2studio
There has been talk of a subway extension to North Beach for some time, but a new report says that there has been no progress on turning that talk into a reality. Supervisor Julie Christensen, who was voted out of office last month, commissioned the report to find out if the city would be able to purchase a necessary parcel of land at 1731 Powell St. to extend the now-under-construction Central Subway line. But the report says that the owners of the land are eyeing their own redevelopment.
Curbed Cup Second Round Results! Here are the Final Four
Voting for the Curbed Cup has narrowed the field to our Final Four. Next week, Excelsior, NoPa, Tenderloin, and Bayview will face-off to determine the winner of the 2015 Curbed Cup. Based on preliminary results, it's looking like the Excelsior is (once again) the neighborhood to beat—but after winning a tough battle with Inner Richmond, Bayview has shown it's a worthy opponent.
2015 Decor Trends: Things We Loved And Loathed
A renovated 1850s prefab cottage in St.Kilda, Australia, which features very white interiors, reclaimed wood wall paneling, and an open plan. Photo by Andrew Wuttke via Jost Architects.
What a year 2015 was for design trends. Entrenched ones (open-plan interiors, exposed brick walls, etc.) marched on, undeterred by the rise of newer styles and thinkpieces sounding the alarm of their imminent demise. Others, like the midcentury mania that reached a fever pitch in the era of Mad Men (which premiered in 2007, in case you've forgotten in the years since) or the passion for plywood as surfacing, seem to be slumping off into the horizon.
Lucky Penny Diner to Close This Week as New Building Heads In
Rendering of the Lucky Penny's replacement from RG Architecture, via HoodlineLucky Penny, the 24-hour diner at Geary and Masonic, is set to shutter by the end of this week to make way for new housing. The diner's replacement will be a seven-story building designed by RG Architecture with 21 two-to-four (yes, four!) bedroom apartments over three floors. The rest of the space will go to office and retail, and there will be two levels of parking underground.
A Bird? A Plane? A Holiday Miracle? Nope, It's Just Flying Trash
NEW PHOTO: Mysterious light flying across the West Coast sky tonight. More at 8 p.m. on KRON https://t.co/v2563vnr3J pic.twitter.com/zViBDoqmqY
— KRON 4 News (@kron4news) December 23, 2015
Social media sites lit up last night with reports of a "mysterious, streaking light" in the Bay Area sky. Speculation whizzed about just as fast, with UFO-minded people videotaping, photographing, and tweeting images of a pitch-black horizon pierced by a blurry spot of light. This morning, the flying object has been identified, and the explanation is pretty pedestrian: It's a piece of garbage.
5 Architecture 'Experiences' to Give to Your Loved Ones
Interior shot of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House in Los Angeles, CA—Photo by Elizabeth Daniels
A recent article on Fast Company makes a strong case for why it's better to give someone experiences instead of things: an experience tends to produce longer-lasting positive emotions, feel more unique, and create opportunities for bonding. Well, while we're huge fans of fabulous, highly-giftable products here at Curbed, we're also inclined to agree that seeing, feeling, and doing something in person is invaluable, especially when it comes to all things architecture and design. So, here now, just barely in time for Christmas but applicable throughout the new year, are a few ideas to get your creative gift-giving juices flowing.
Sue Bierman Park to Host Live Super Bowl Performances
Photo via Super Bowl 50 Host Committee
The Super Bowl's Fan Village will be set up at the very tip of Market Street from January 30 through the first week of February, and nearby Sue Bierman Park on the Embarcadero just got the go-ahead to join the fray with live performances during the same time period. The park will have a stage hosting musicians during the day and most evenings, according to Hoodline. All of the performances will be free and open to the public.
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Expert Advice: How Big Will El Niño Be and When Will It Hit?
An El Nino-powered storm pounds the pilings of ocean front homes on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., in this Dec. 5, 1997, file photo. AP / Reed Saxon
As we close in on the holidays, thousands are waiting for something beyond presents under a tree. Many people are anticipating a storm that they are hoping will be a drought game changer for California. Each new round of rain (the latest passing through today) has readers asking is El Niño here? We've written about what the infamous winter storm is and its predicted impact. The only question that remains: When is it going to arrive? We went to NBC Bay Area's Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri for some straight talk.
Curbed Cup Elite Eight: (10) Inner Richmond vs. (13) Bayview
Half the field has already been eliminated in the Curbed Cup, our annual award for the San Francisco neighborhood of the year. Today we will have two matchups—with the polls left open for 24 hours—and by Wednesday only four contenders will be left vying for the prestigious award. Let the eliminations continue!
Inner Richmond photo (left) via San Francisco Days; Bayview photo (right) via Fun Cheap SF
We continue the competition with a face-off between the Inner Richmond and Bayview. Vote to decide who will advance to the next round!
Tourist Hotel to Replace Sixth Street Residential Hotel
Currently, 996 Mission St. is a squat two-story building on the corner of Sixth Street that houses a sex shop, a few takeout places, and a residential hotel. But plans have been submitted to raze the building and replace it with an eight-story tourist hotel with ground floor retail and 105 guest rooms. According to the preliminary application, the residential hotel units will be relocated down the street to 1011-1019 Howard Street, another residential hotel. 
Curbed Cup Elite Eight: (11) Tenderloin vs. (14) Marina
Half the field has already been eliminated in the Curbed Cup, our annual award for the San Francisco neighborhood of the year. Today we will have two matchups—with the polls left open for 24 hours—and by Wednesday only four contenders will be left vying for the prestigious award. Let the eliminations continue!
Tenderloin photo (left) via SF Fun Cheap; Marina photo (right) via SF Recreation & Park
We start the day by pitting the Tenderloin against the Marina.
450 Hayes Debuts Floor Plans Filled With Angles and Shapes
The new condos at 450 Hayes Street will have a prime location right in the middle of Hayes Valley when they open next year. Many will also have some very distinctive floor plans, with surprising shapes and angles making up many of the condos' corners. Plans for all 36 of the units, which range from boxy one-bedrooms to elaborate penthouses, were just released, and they are for most part not your standard squares. 
Signs of the Times: Designing the Gender-Neutral Bathroom
The United States has witnessed a sea-change in the visibility of the transgender community over the last few years. From the prominence of celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox to increasing acceptance of and accommodations for transgender youth, the fuller, more fluid range of gender identity is being expressed and welcomed in the public sphere more than ever. But in the midst of so many doors opening, there's one, the bathroom door, that's often awkward, unavailable, and occasionally risky to enter. A world where restrooms are typically broken down along a male or female binary (as opposed to just gender-neutral facilities) presents a privacy and safety challenge for transgender individuals, and a design challenge for architects and others.
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- EditorMary Jo Bowling
- Associate EditorTracy Elsen
- Features EditorSara Polsky
- PhotographerPatricia Chang
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