I probably started dreaming about living in San Francisco when I was old enough to watch television. Or it might have been the stories that my Grams used to tell me, about the white city on the hills, and how it glowed and glistened in the sun. She had the opportunity to visit San Francisco when my Uncle was here and thought it was so clean and beautiful. She never tired of telling me about her short visit. My Uncle on the other hand didn’t have such a great view from out his window at San Quentin.

Unlike my Uncle, who just wanted to hightail it back to the safety of home after the miracle of his release, which involved some begging on the part of my Grams and a her church pastor and, I think, a promise never to return to the state, I was not beholden to such promises. I was hellbent on getting as far away from my home in the backwoods of WestPA as fast as possible.

I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1985 (after a diversion on the Central Coast just south of Big Sur and in Sonoma County just north of SF) and most of the stories and information on this site are from my daily wanderings around the area.

Of all the places that I write about on artist-at-large.com, San Francisco and The Bay Area is the region that I know best. It is my front yard and my back yard and I know it both as an outsider and insider. One of my favorite attractions to The City and the surrounding area is that it has a beauty that is both gritty and urban as well as rural. Within twenty-five minutes of downtown San Francisco you could be hiking amongst the murals of The Mission District or hiking on a trail high above the Pacific Ocean with only trees and critters for company.

Back in the early 80s, my initial attraction to the area was its bohemian reputation, but I soon found that this was a place that I could call home. Some of the things that keep me in San Francisco and the reasons I think you should visit are: its large mix of world cultures and languages, the beauty of its landscape, the food, the coffee and cafes, the architecture, The City’s ability to be sophisticated and funky at the same time, the neighborhoods, its literary and artistic legacy, and above all – a sense that magic really can happen here.

– Kimberly

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All of my stories in the San Francisco section of artist-at-large.com have been written from my personal experiences living in this beautiful and dynamic place. It’s that way for any of the writers and their stories published on this site.

artist-at-large.com wants to encourage you to get out and explore San Francisco on your own. There are many tours and groups with whom you can travel to the city, but there is so much more here to experience. A guide will take you only so far and very quickly. One of the most pleasant things to do in San Francisco is just to walk aimlessly, ride MUNI, wander around, take the time to absorb the cityscape. So, get out on your own and experience the history, the architecture, the culture, the local food and color of this remarkable city. Go to Fisherman’s Wharf if you must, but I sincerely hope that’s not the only part of San Francisco that you will see.

Even though I’ve decided to use WordPress to build the new version of the site, I am hoping that the theme will keep you from thinking that it is a traditional blog. The stories and information presented here are written in a way that is meant to be valuable over a long period of time, like a magazine or guidebook that you keep by your desk and flip through when you need information, or just want to daydream. Comments on any of the posts are welcome at any time so if something moves you, please let me know.

What’s on When is the newest section on the site. It is the place where arts events, exhibitions, and general travel news is posted on an ongoing basis. If you are a gallery or an artist, to get your event posted in this section, just use the handy form on the Submit Your Event page  or send us your press release as text in an email with an attached event .jpg.

I’ve moved the San Francisco reading recommendations directly to the Shop, the amazon partnered store on the site, where you can look through titles or purchase not only books to research your trip, but your cameras, or your Moleskines for taking notes and sketching.  In any case, your purchases are what keep this site alive.

Share your stories and experiences about a place in the comments area on each post. Please keep comments on the topic of the post or story. Please use the comments area for all travel questions rather than emailing me personally. The comments are checked daily for posts and your questions will get answered a lot faster.

If you’d like to write a guest post, or be a regular contributor to the site, please see the Submission Guidelines.

And, once you get back, please consider commenting on the stories, or adding your answers to the With Eyes Open Survey Questions.

For more information about the site as a whole, click here.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy your travels to San Francisco.

Contributors to the San Francisco section of artist-at-large.com

Kimberly Kradel – Lead artist-at-large

Bryan Stillman – Writer

Patrick Lydon – Contributor