San Francisco

3 Urban Hikes in San Francisco

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San Francisco has so many really great urban hikes around the city. I’ve lived here almost 10 years and I’m still discovering ones I’ve never been to. Brita asked me to put together my favorite hikes in the city and test out their new water bottles, I was happy to. The Brita Water bottle has a filter in the bottle, which comes in super handy when you are stuck with a less-than-ideal water source. San Francisco is my favorite place in the world and even if you are visiting I recommend mixing one of these little hikes in with all the regular tourist sites. They all take less than an hour and have great sweeping views.

1. Historic Trail. This trail is great because it makes me feel like I’m not smack dab in the middle of a city. It goes through a really nice wilderness area and ends up near Sutro Tower. The trailhead starts at Stanyan and 17th and is just a set of wooden stairs tucked in between two houses on the street.

See more after the jump.

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Sfgirlbybay’s San Francisco Guide + Party Sources

One of the most common emails I get is “What should I do when I am visiting San Francisco? My friend Victoria just came out with a new app that is the perfect solution: SFgirlbybay’s Bohemian Modern San Francisco. Victoria is the creative genius behind SF Girl By Bay and knows this city up and down. Her shopping picks are flawless, so her new app couldn’t be more perfect. In essence, it’s designed to point users toward her hand picked lists of “do not miss” shopping locations around San Francisco. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, it will help you create a unique shopping experience that’s 100% San Francisco. The app came out this week, so make sure you check it out! You’ll find it in the app store under the name “SFgirlbybay’s Bohemian Modern San Francisco.”

I asked Victoria to share her three favorite San Francisco party sources and here are her picks:

1. I’d say Fantastico because their selection is so vast — from pinatas to pretty napkins, balloons and faux flowers.
2. I love the San Francisco Flower Mart for the freshest flowers. It’s so affordable and you can find unique branches and create your own mixed bouquets.
3. I love Nest for unique french glassware — I like to mix and match their handblown glasses.

first two photos from my Instagram and last photo by Victoria.

5 Tips for Apartment Hunting in San Francisco + Our Story

Here are my 5 Tips for Apartment Hunting in San Francisco and below you’ll find the story of how we got our apartment against the odds (there were 40 other applicants!)

1. Craigslist. There are two ways to find an apartment in San Francisco: Craigslist and Word of Mouth. Craigslist was invented here and is THE place to look. Everyone uses it for everything. What I like to do is figure out the neighborhoods I want to look in and then search in “Map” mode. Other Craiglist search tips:
-Pay attention to the listings that are vague or without photos. It is usually some nice old lady trying rent her awesome apartment on “that newfangled internet website.” Usually everyone ignores these listings so you have an even better chance. Our landlord didn’t even list the storage, backyard, parking or laundry! I had another friend who went to a listing that said “no parking” and when she asked about it, the landlord said “I guess we can make room for your car.” Sometimes the agency managed apartments are less flexible.
- Search for keywords like “view”, “sunroom”, “Mid Century Modern”,  ”Victorian” or “Dolores Park” without using the neighborhood search feature. You can find cool apartments that were mis-categorized and it helps you find cool houses in neighborhoods you would not have considered.
-If a listing has a phone number write it down. I had a friend who called a number two weeks after the listing was posted and they said “well that one is rented but I have one opening up next week.”

2. Word of Mouth. Everyone knows the best apartments are handed down from friend to friend as people leave the city. Ask everyone you know, post on Facebook, Twitter, etc. that you are looking. I’ve had great luck with this.

3. Keep in Mind Transportation – The big issue with living in San Francisco is the commute. I lived in the Haight when I first moved to San Francisco which only has bus service and my commute to the Ferry Building took an hour. Later I moved one neighborhood over to Duboce Triangle (near the Muni Metro trains) and my commute was cut down to 20 minutes door to door. Certain neighborhoods like the Marina are so great but the commute downtown can be tricky because of the bus systems. (Sometimes there are some nice express bus options but usually those are crowded.) Just realize some neighborhoods are much more ideal to live in than others for commute times. Same goes with bikes. Certain neighborhoods are better to live in if you plan on biking a lot (watch out for those San Francisco hills!)

click through for the rest of the story…

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Apartment Dealbreaker List

Few people would disagree that hunting for an apartment is the worst. I’m now on my eighth city apartment so I’m pretty opionionated about what’s important to me. The first thing I look for is something within my budget but after that my deal breaker list goes like this (in order of importance:)

1. Location: Must be in a fun location, with a fast commute. We don’t get out as much with kids so it is important to live in a fun neighborhood, the easier it is to go out the more you’ll do it.
2. Light: I lived in a cheap but dark apartment for three years and will never again. Natural light is higher on my list than a large apartment or laundry! My mood depends on it.

Click through for the rest of the list.

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My Party Closet: San Francisco Party

We San Franciscans love to love our city. So, I can’t think of a better party than one that’s centered around our favorite town. Like my other party closet parties, this one can put together in under an hour with a limited number of supplies. From your stash, you’ll need butcher paper, paint, a strand of white bistro lights, and a pretty tablecloth. Then, follow our DIY instructions (below) for painting a quick sketch of the Golden Gate Bridge as a party backdrop. After that, you’ll just need to run to the store to pick up a few simple flowers and a delicious pie.

Materials: Butcher Paper, Tape, Paint, Paintbrush

Cut off three large pieces of butcher paper and tape them together at the back.  Attach the paper to a wall to make painting easier.  Sketch out your image roughly with a pencil, then paint over in loose, broad strokes.  Don’t worry about detail, just get the general shape across.

To view my list of party supply essentials, click here. And don’t miss the other parties easily created through my party closet: the Rainbow Streamer Party and the Yellow Party!

Photography by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day
Art Direction by Jordan Ferney
Coordinated by Stacy Wichelhaus
Styling by Caitlin Barker
Crafting by Jessica Heywood
Assisted by Harper Casimiro