SF’s Historic 157-Year Old Cliff House is Closing Permanently
Unfortunately, Cliff House just broke the sad news that they will be closing their doors at the end of the year. Their last day is December 31, 2020.
The closure is only partly due to the pandemic. The Cliff House points blame at the National Park Service for delaying a long term concession contact. The current proprietors have been operating the restaurants for over 47 years, four years before it became part of the National Park System.
Sadly, there won’t be any last meals served at the restaurant. The Cliff House, perched atop Ocean Beach, attempted takeout service for about 10 weeks during the pandemic, but decided it wasn’t viable.
Health officials warn SF may run of ICU bed by December 27 if we don’t slow the spread
If the Covid-19 numbers continue to escalate at the current rate, the ICU capacity will be maxed out by December 27.
As of December 10, there were 123 Covid-19 patients across San Francisco, with 30 of those in the ICU. Unfortunately, San Francisco is encountering its highest surge to date with numbers climbing higher and higher due to the recent Thanksgiving holiday.
SF is averaging 140 new cases per day vs October saw only 34 cases. The recent surge is happening statewide; California’s hospital beds are already at 75% capacity. If the trend continues, not only will we be out of hospital beds, but there also won’t be enough doctors and nurses to care for the patients, nor anywhere to transfer patients.
The situation is dire, so we must slow the spread and continue to Stay-At-Home, wear masks, and keep your distance.
Lift your spirits with dazzling lights as The Bay Area shines for the holidays!
Winter is coming. The holidays are just around the corner and we all could use a little extra holiday cheer tolift our spirits and start looking forward to the new year (and the end of 2020).
While big tree lighting events and holiday festivals are mostly cancelled for this year or have gone virtual, you can still find plenty of twinkling holiday lights around The Bay to help you get into the holiday spirit.
Nov. 18 – Dec. 31, 2020 Westfield Centre, 865 Market St., Level 4 Under the Dome, SF FREE
San Francisco’s famous Inverted Christmas Tree, the 50-foot chandelier-like tree, covered in crystals, is back for the holidays under the iconic Emporium Dome.
Winter Wonderland Holiday Market: Friday, November 27, 2020 | 12 – 6 pm Christmas Tree Stroll: November 27 through the holiday season Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco FREE
New for 2020 – Pickup some gifts at the festive holiday market, and then take a self-guided Christmas Tree Stroll to see beautiful trees decorated by the talented students at the Academy of Art, up throughout the holiday season. *Please note, we haven’t confirmed if they’ll be lit, but what kind of Christmas tree doesn’t have lights? The square will also be decked out in holiday lights, starting on 11/27.
New for 2020 – The iconic 19-foot-tall, 152-foot-wide “Ghirardelli Square” sign recently returned to the square after a refresh with newly installed LED lighting that will allow for special colors whenever needed for the holidays or for special events or honors. We hope this means the sign will illuminate red and green for Christmas, and blue and white for Hanukkah.
December 10, 2020 to February 28, 2021 | Sundown to 10pm Possible extension to June 1, 2021 Peacock Meadow (between McLaren Lodge & Conservatory of Flowers) Golden Gate Park, San Francisco FREE
New for 2020 – A whimsical wonderland of 20-foot tall lighted trees will shine to honor the park’s 150th anniversary. It’s an immersive light experience where visitors can explore paths and sit under a grove of entwined sculptural trees while practicing social distancing.
Week of December 6-12, 2020 – January 31, 2021 The Exchange on Sixteenth (SoMA) 1800 Owens St., San Francisco, CA FREE
New for 2020 – The Kilroy Star’s 30,000 sparkling LED lights will illuminate the SF skyline and can be seen from miles away. The dazzling lights will configured to oscillate in various rhythms and patterns.
The Mission Bay Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure is holding a virtual Mission Bay Citizens’ Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Please find below, the instructions for attending the virtual meeting, the agenda items on page 2, and a land use map for reference on page 3. The highlighted portions of page 1 include links to access the meeting.
Our open-air market will launch with a thoughtful and comprehensive COVID-19 safety plan. The plan will include guidelines, protocols, and a modified program of activities that will evolve along with this situation but will reflect at all times the goal of helping to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the community, vendors, and staff.
The expansive lawns of Yerba Buena Gardens, located in the cultural heart of downtown San Francisco, will showcase colorful social distancing spheres by local artists beginning Friday, September 25, 2020 with the bold, enveloping “Infinite Center, infinite sun” by Tosha Stimage.
“Infinite Sun” Lawn Art & Social Distancing Circles September 25-October 25, 2020 Yerba Buena Gardens But note that the art will slowly fade away
Next art installation begins Friday, November 13th
Stimage’s images are the first in a series of installations of the Lawn Art Project by the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that oversees operations of Yerba Buena Gardens. The two debut installations are curated by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) and supported by a grant from the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District, with artist fees co-supported by YBCA.
Subsequent installations will involve a diverse collection of artists, shapes and eclectic designs. Stimage’s installation will be in the Gardens through Sunday, October 25, and will slowly fade with the natural growth of the grass to make way for the next installation.
The work of artist, designer, and architect June Grant will be on display beginning Friday, November 13.
“The Lawn Art Project highlights the vitality and strength of the Bay Area arts scene. It also encourages people to safely enjoy art outdoors, and the Gardens’ greenscape,” said Scott Rowitz, executive director of the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy. “The Conservancy is excited about exploring ways for artists and visitors to interact with art in a safe, clean, and inspiring natural environment. We feel so fortunate to have this big, beautiful lawn to use as a canvas. Tosha’s social distance-inspired designs are purposely larger so visitors can be within them, or view them as a source of inspiration.“
Nineteen of Stimage’s designs will be stenciled on the Garden’s lawn, which serves a green centerpiece adjacent to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and Waterfall, YBCA, SFMOMA, METREON and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Stimage said each pattern, which will be created with grass-safe paint, is a “12-foot explosion of color” with a repeating pattern that expands outwards from a central point, row by row, into the grassy esplanade.
“The design can be interpreted a number of ways — that’s always the intention,” said Stimage. “Seeds parachuting from a dandelion, the pull of a magnet, a star exploding, even molecules colliding. The image is just a symbol, where there ceases to be a point. It is the suggestion of infinite love radiating from each center, in a mutually shared space.”
