Podcasts about lower haight

Nato Green started hanging out at San Francisco comedy clubs when he was in eighth grade. Nato's parents met when they both still lived in the suburbs of Chicago. They got married in 1968 and moved to San Francisco soon after that. Nato says that they “were in the counter-culture, but bad at it.” What he means by that is they didn't take their subversive lifestyles all the way like many of their peers did. But they were definitely left-leaning folks. They settled in Noe Valley, which was quite a different neighborhood back then. It was much more working-class than it is today. Think: blue-collar Irish- and Italian-American families. They had their first kid, Nato, and five years later, their second, his younger brother. When Nato was in middle school, his parents split up. He went with his dad to live at 22nd Street and Dolores, and then up to Bernal Hill. He split time between there and his mom's house in Noe Valley. Nato is quick to point out that Bernal Heights was also very different back then. There were even unpaved roads on the hill when he was a kid in the Seventies. Today, Nato uses history and some pop-culture references to date his own memories here in San Francisco. He remembers things like the Mosone/Milk murders and ensuing “White Night” riots, to name just one. The Forty-Niners' string of Super Bowl wins in the Eighties are another. Nato admits that he wasn't the best big brother. He lists off some of the SF schools he attended—Rooftop Elementary, MLK Middle School, and Lick-Wilmerding High School, where he went on a scholarship. His dad worked to the SFUSD for 35 years and worked on desegregation, among other things. He also taught in SF public schools. Nato says he was a “sensitive, depressed kid.” He read a lot, especially comic books. He graduated from high school in 1993, when the local music scene was overtaken by thrash/funk. Bands of that genre were plenty. Nato went to those shows, where he was able to, anyway. He wasn't yet 21. The first indie comic book store in The City was on 23rd Street in the Mission—The SF Comic Company, and two doors down was Scott's Comics and Cards. Nato became a Scott's regular. Others who hung out there a lot became his buddies. The SF band Limbomaniacs lived next to Scott's. Nato goes on a sidebar here about how bands in the thrash/funk scene never really blew up, mostly owing to what a uniquely live experience the music was. In 1990, when the Niners won the Super Bowl in a blowout, the Limbomanics played with guitar amps at the windows of their Victorian on 23rd Street, facing out. As Nato tells it, skater kids poured out of that house, and other neighborhood kids flocked to the scene. A mosh pit soon emerged, of course, on the asphalt. Nato goes on another quick sidebar here about all the different neighborhoods and scenes interacting on a regular basis. At least when he grew up, they did. Nato's main modes of transportation in San Francisco were his feet and Muni. The main bus lines were the 24, the 49, and the 67. His high school was on Ocean Avenue, but he mostly hung out in the Mission. One of his good friends lived in Lower Haight and had a car, so Nato would sometimes take Muni over there. That buddy with a car would also swing by and pick up Nato and his friends. They'd often go to the west side of town and hang out in coffeeshops. Nato rattles off several of those shops, also letting us what occupies those spaces today—Farley's (still there), Higher Grounds in Glen Park (still there), Higher Grounds in The Mission (closed), Café Macondo (Gestalt today), Blue Danube (still there), and the Horse Shoe (empty today). There's another sidebar about Jello Biafra. Nato says, “Don't meet your heroes.” As mentioned up top, he started hanging out at comedy clubs in The City when he was in eighth grade. There was a show on KQED called Comedy Tonight that featured local comics. Originally, the show was shot at Wolfgang's (now Cobb's), but it later moved to Great American Music Hall. Alex Bennet was on Live 105 in the morning and Comedy in the Park was drawing 50,000 people to the Polo Fields. There were five seven-nights-a-week clubs in SF, and at least five more around the Bay. People made a living as regional headliners. Around this time, Nato's eighth grade science teacher's roommate was the doorman at Cobb's. Word got around to that guy that a kid was into comedy, and so he started taking him to that club. He saw comedians such as Greg Proops, Dana Gould, Paula Poundstone, Mark Pitta, Johnny Steele, Will Durst, Greg Behrendt, and Margaret Cho. He watched these folks, some of them anyway, become headliners. Check back next week for Part 2 and the conclusion of our episode on Nato Green. We recorded this episode at Nato's home on Bernal Hill in January 2025. Photography by Nate Oliveira

"Town Hall: A Black Queer Podcast" dives into the topic of truth and consequences. Join Peppermint and Bob the Drag Queen as they explore the ramifications and punishments Black queer people often face when honest about their experiences in the workplace, at home, and in society. This episode features interviews with Gene Gragg (@pepsi_jenner), a Black and non-binary individual from San Francisco's Lower Haight district, who shares the consequences of political protest as a Black queer person, and Nate (@_bandidobae), an army veteran turned advocate and real estate professional, who recounts his military service and discharge under the discriminatory “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/TownHallABlackQueerPodcast If you like the show, tell your friends! You can text, email, tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/TownHallABlackQueerPodcast Follow us on Instagram: @TheTownHallPod Learn more about Black Queer Town Hall: https://www.blackqueertownhall.org Special thanks to our Production Team: Executive Producer, Tracy Marquez. Senior Producer, Charlene Westbrook. Producer, Cory Nixon, and Post Producer, Amelia Ritthaler. Music by Lafemmebear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chloe Sherman's eyes are intense, but not the way you might think.   Chloe, who's been taking photographs since she was young, was born in New York City. Her mom and her mom's mom were both New Yorkers, and her dad was from Chicago, with his family going back generations there. When she in was grade school, the family moved to Chicago, where Chloe was raised by aunts and grandparents as well as her parents, just like she had been in NYC.   It was the Seventies and her parents were hippies. They soon headed west, taking their family to Portland, Oregon, where Chloe spent the rest of her grade school days.   Chloe says the move was fine, but that she felt like more of a city kid, and so it took some adjusting. She and her brother visited back east a lot. He ended up going to college there, and Chloe started school in Connecticut and then Boston before realizing that she'd become a West Coaster.   We talk about life in Portland, how it's easier to be collective-minded and communal because it's more affordable than bigger cities. This of course has an effect on who's drawn to cities like Portland. With an abundance of young people, folks tend to band together.   Chloe ended up going to Portland State. One weekend, she took a trip to San Francisco after reading about our city in a zine she got at Powell's Books in her hometown. We take a conversational detour at this point to talk about zine culture back in the late-Eighties and early Nineties.   In high school, she had dabbled in dance and music, but knew she didn't want to pursue either performing art. She says she loved art and did some photography, but got more serious about that after high school.   In those aforementioned zines, she learned all about the bike messenger culture here in The City and was captivated by it. On that weekend trip down from Portland, she visited Lickety Split Couriers, which was Lynn Breedlove's bike messenger company. Chloe ended up working at another messenger for two weeks, but soon gave that up entirely. "San Francisco is instant death if you're not a pro," she says. We talk a bit about bike messenger culture in SF back in the Nineties. The service was essential to downtown during dotcom, but you'd hardly know it these days.   Breedlove told Chloe, "Go to the Bearded Lady Cafe," which she did. And it changed her life forever. It was there that she found her community. Chloe moved to San Francisco right after that visit to the cafe on 14th Street in the Mission.   She lived with friends until she finally got her own place in Lower Haight. After Chloe was established here, friends from Portland followed her to The City. Her world was expanding around her. She says that she looks at photos now from back then and sees concentric circles of friends.   The SF Dyke scene flourished through the Nineties. But then people grew up, got priced out, and The City changed. Many businesses closed with those changes.   Check back next week for Part 2 to hear more about that thriving, bustling, Mission lesbian scene that Chloe captures so well and so prolifically in her photography.   Photography by Jeff Hunt

CVS is shutting down its location in San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood, the pharmacy chain said Wednesday.The store at 499 Haight St. will close on Jan. 11, Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for CVS Pharmacy, told The Standard. Employees are being offered other roles at the company, and prescriptions will be transferred to the CVS at 701 Van Ness Ave., around one mile away.The closure is part of a broader effort announced in November 2021 to reduce CVS's national retail footprint by about 900 stores as customers buy more online."Maintaining access to pharmacy services in the communities we serve is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions," Thibault said in an email. "Other factors include local market dynamics, population shifts, a community's store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community."Support the show

In Part 3, we meet Vesuvio bartender Joanna Lioce. Originally from Newport, RI, where her dad was a rock critic, the family moved to LA when he got a job with the Times down there. They landed in Orange County, in fact, a place Joanna left as soon as she could. In fact, the day after she graduated high school, Joanna went to Europe. While she was away, her dad got a job at the San Jose Mercury News and her mom, a pediatric nurse, worked as a public-health official in Berkeley. Joanna was in Europe shortly before Sept. 11, and though she had planned to stay overseas longer, the event made her wonder … but mom said “don't come home.” On a family trip to Ireland when Joanna was 8, she had decided that she wanted to be a bartender. Now it was 2002, and she dropped her bag at a hostel and got a bartending job at O'Shay's Merchant, a pub across the street from the Brazen Head in Dublin. She stayed in Dublin until Christmas, then returned to SoCal, where she had fronted a Riot Grrrrl band called Julia Warhola. But by now, several band members had started doing heroin, so she quit the band and moved to the Bay Area where her family was. Joanna first went to school in the Peralta System in the East Bay, then she got into SF State, where she eventually got her degree. She also finished college at Cambridge in England to study Shakespeare. While going to SF State, she moved to the Mission, specifically 18th and Linda near the Women's Building. She found the place through a Craigslist ad and ending up with six roommates, none of whom she knew previously. Her room set her back only $400, but she wasn't feeling it. From the Mission, Joanna moved to Lower Haight. And 13 years ago, she settled in to her place on Nob Hill, where she lives today. She had a job, hosting then bartending, at Stinking Rose in North Beach. She liked it all right, but when her boss gave credit for a makeover of the bar that she had done to a male co-worker, she knew she had to leave. She gave her two weeks' notice and went for a drink at Vesuvio. While there, a bartender she had befriended offered her the job. She was 21. It was 2003. She's been working at Vesuvio ever since. Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Mike recalls memories from the last half of 1994. Topics discussed include: Working at Think Skateboards, Wade Speyer, Phil Shao, pre-drawn graphics, Eric Ricks, Dan “Cancerman” Drehobl, lip tricks, High Speed Productions, Paul Zuanich, being good at one thing, Fausto Vitello, The Widowmaker, meeting Jake Phelps, skater bar, Ben Lovejoy, getting hit by cars, Albuquerque visit, getting a tattoo from Dan-O, Wizdom, Balinese masks, breakup with first girlfriend, breakup sex, Printtime, Rubylith film, color separations, exposing silk screens, bent screens, vinyl printing, Stephanie, The Pink Projects, Officer Dave “Nasty” Nastari, getting mugged at gunpoint, Tribal Gear chain wallet, Lower Haight, Morgan, Sunday acid trips, Terence McKenna video, Folsom Street Fair, Icon, Candy Canes, Columbus and Broadway, Felon taking punches, 90210 and Melrose Place, Come Unity rave, The Idjut Boys, Cool World rave, Silvia, part-time ravers, Funky Tekno Tribe, Chill Zone, Energy Drinks, range of music at raves.

It's been a long three years without Anthony Bourdain, but his impact on our lives is still strongly felt. So we were super excited to watch Roadrunner, the documentary that chronicles his life, directed by the one and only Morgan Neville (spoiler alert: we LOVED it). In this episode, you'll get our thoughts on the film, and then hear some highlights from our epic SF Bourdain Pub Crawl that we did shortly after his death in 2018. We hit up some of Anthony Bourdain's favorite places in the city, including Red's Java House, Tadich Grill (where we were joined by the great Liam Mayclem), Buddha Lounge, Li Po Cocktail Lounge, Sam's Pizza and Burgers, Toronado, and Zam Zam. Don't forget to find showtimes near you for ROADRUNNER, in theaters on Friday, July 16th!You can follow ROADRUNNER the film on IG & Twitter & FBYou can follow Liam Mayclem on  IG & Twitter & FB--Be well, stay safe, Black Lives Matter, AAPI Lives Matter, and thank you for getting vaxxed!--Buy us a cup of coffee!Subscribe to our channel on YouTube for behind the scenes footage!Rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts!Visit our website! www.bitchtalkpodcast.comFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Listen every other Thursday 9:30 - 10 am on BFF.FMPOWERED BY GO-TO Productions 

​In this podcast, Gillian picks up where she left off in Part 1, with some bartending jobs she had while she went to college. After she graduated, she took up an offer to go to the Dominican Republic. What started off as a trip turned into four years on the island. Next came her move to The City in 2005. Gillian shares some of her first impressions of San Francisco, contrasting those with ideas she had formed mostly from TV and movies growing up. Upon moving here, she immediately fell in love with the "artists and dreamers" she was lucky enough to meet. Then Gillian shares the story of opening Casements. She met her eventual business partner, Séan O'Donovan, when they both worked at Nickie's in the Lower Haight. The two often talked about opening their own place back in the day. Gillian left Nickie's to help open Virgil's on Mission about 10 years ago, and she left Virgil's to go into business with a friend making Bloody Mary mix. She then helped Wes of Wesburger and also helped open a few other bars around town, but she always held onto the idea of opening her own Irish bar. After getting support from Séan and another bar owner, Gillian asked the owners of Gas Light if they would sell. They did, and Séan and Gillian got the keys in early November 2019. They had a soft opening and ran for a couple of months, having their official opening on Jan. 19, 2020. Six weeks or so later, COVID-19 hit and they had to shut down. Now that we're on Lockdown 2.0, Casements is offering food and drink for pick-up every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please support this rad indy bar and help it ride out this storm so that it can open on the other side of the madness. We recorded this podcast at Casements Bar in the Mission in December 2020. Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

EPISODE 52 - MuffinbakerGuest: Clyde AlwaysClyde Always is a surrealist artist, author and entertainer who, for purposes of amusing, inspiring and/or uplifting his fellow human beings, writes and recites modern TALL tales and publishes original works of illustrated literature, paints awe-striking dreamscapes, and dazzles San Franciscans daily as a juggling, unicycling, ukulele-strumming madman-about-town. He also hosts the Youtube series ‘Need a lift?’. His most recent book is titled: Samantha Muffinbaker and the Funny Land of Flinck: A Tall TaleReach out to us here…You can reach Sergio Novoa personally HERETheme song by http://djolgat.net

Akela Douglas is a Sacramento native and graduate of California State University Sacramento with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance. She is currently a professional hairstylist and has created beautiful looks for numerous brides, models, hair shows, music videos, magazines, and even New York fashion week. In 2014 Akela relocated to San Francisco to expand her career. It paid off because in July 2017 she opened her own salon in the Lower Haight neighborhood of San Francisco and last October opened Akela’s Hair Studio in the Marina. She also travels throughout the country as a Brand Educator for world renowned Wella Haircolor Company.    As an adult Akela decided to revisit her love of pageantry. She was crowned Ms. California World 2019, and then went on to win the Ms US World Pageant last November. She is also the first African American woman to win this title!  During her reign she will travel the country promoting her social platform: “The Importance of Mentoring and Encouraging Women into Leadership.”  She was inspired to choose this platform from her experience with Big Brothers Big Sisters as “Big” to Catherine a 14 year old straight A student in the East Bay.

Bitch Talk had a great time chatting with bar owner and bloody mary  maven, Gillian Fitzgerald. Gillian is the co-owner of Casements Irish Bar - a brand new drinking establishment in the heart of the Mission district of San Francisco, and  a bit of an old soul when it comes to talking about her love of the City, it's bar culture, and how past San Franciscans used to drink. Gillian has a fantastic bartending history in around SF including one of our old haunts Nickies in the Lower Haight. We're pretty sure we've run in to her in one of our old nights out on the town because sitting down and swapping stories with her felt like talking with an old friend.  Enjoy our conversation with Gillian and head to Casements any night of the week - their happy hour starts at 4 pm Monday - Friday, and they have a full menu of classic Irish fare to boot.  Follow Casements on Instagram here.Follow Proud Mary on Instagram here. Casements Bar - 2351 Mission Street - San FranciscoVisit their website for full calendar and menu! --Let us know how we're doing: therealbtpod@gmail.comVisit our website! www.bitchtalkpodcast.comFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Listen in every Monday from 6:00 - 6:30 AM on BFF.FMPOWERED BY GO-TO Productions     

2nd episode of a weekly series on local characters. Jimmy is a beloved family member of the S&W convenience store team in the Lower Haight.

Steven Hollifield walked into a kitchen dish-pit, found it magical, and remained in food service his entire career. He now runs two kitchen-based businesses, Seismic BBQ and South Basin Kitchen, and joins us to discuss how he got his start, shares some sobering realities of owning a catering business in San Francisco, and of course, talks barbecue, from sauces to its place in American history. Learn about the value of a good partner, great suggestions for great meals, and why even the chefs at Michelin-rated restaurants go to... Taco Bell? Links and Show Notes Seismic BBQ (https://www.seismicbbq.com)—“BBQ so good, you’ll swear the earth shook” South Basin Kitchen SF (http://southbasinkitchensf.com) CCSF (http://www.ccsf.edu/)—City College of San Francisco Front of house vs. Back of house (https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/5/front-of-house-vs-back-of-house.html)—“The front of the house, also called the FOH, refers to all actions and areas that a customer will be exposed to during their stay at a restaurant, such as the lobby and dining area.” “The back of the house, also known as the BOH, encompasses all the behind-the-scenes areas that customers will not see. This acts as the central command center in a restaurant because it’s where the food is prepared, cooked, and plated before making its way to the customer’s table.” Greasy spoon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greasy_spoon)—“a small, cheap eatery – either an American diner or coffee shop, or a British cafe – typically specializing in fried foods and/or home-cooked meals.” Michelin Guide (https://guide.michelin.com/en) Pastry chef (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastry_chef) Memphis Minnie’s (https://www.memphisminnies.com/) BBQ, Lower Haight, San Francisco Stage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_%28cooking%29) — An unpaid internship when a cook or chef works briefly, for free, in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and cuisines. Sole Proprietor vs. Partnership vs. LLC (https://www.legalzoom.com/knowledge/limited-liability-company/topic/llc-sole-proprietor-partnership-comparison) Right of First Refusal (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rightoffirstrefusal.asp)—“a contractual right, but not obligation, to enter into a business transaction with a person or company before anyone else can. If the entity with the right of first refusal declines to enter into a transaction, the owner of the asset who offered the right is free to open the bidding up to other interested parties.” Sweat Equity (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sweatequity.asp) Profit Sharing (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/profitsharingplan.asp) Craig’s List (https://craigslist.org) Poached Jobs (https://poachedjobs.com)—Food, Drinks, Jobs Sous Chef (https://jobs.morningadvertiser.co.uk/article/kitchen-hierarchy-different-chef-titles-explained/)—“The sous-chef de cuisine is second in command, and translated it literally means ‘under chef’. The role will typically overlap with the head chef’s, but the sous chef will tend to be more hands on and actively involved in the day-to-day running of the kitchen; the sous chef will also fill in for the head chef when they are off....” 401(k) (https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/401k-info.asp)—“a retirement savings account that allows an employee to divert a portion of his or her salary into a long-term investment account. The employer may match the employee's contribution up to a limit.” The Gig Economy (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp)—“In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career.” Pared (https://www.pared.com/)—Making restaurant life easier A Guide to American Barbecue Sauce Styles (https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/05/barbecue-sauce-regional-styles-mustard-vinegar-tomato-white-sauce.html) A Comprehensive Guide to Barbecue Sauce Across the Country (https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/201302/regional-barbecue-sauce-styles-from-kansas-city-to-the-carolinas/) Restaurant Gary Danko (http://garydanko.com/)—“award-winning combination of classic French cooking, thoughtful and inventive use of local ingredients and personable yet impeccable service.” Brisket (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisket) Pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_butt) Cultural appropriation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation) The Soul of Food, Slavery’s Influence on Southern Cuisine (http://ushistoryscene.com/article/slavery-southern-cuisine/) Franklin’s BBQ, Austin TX (https://franklinbbq.com/) Pecan Lodge (http://pecanlodge.com) The List: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas, Texas Monthly (https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/the-list-the-top-50-barbecue-joints-in-texas/) J&R Manufacturing (https://www.jrmanufacturing.com) Steven’s smoker: J&R Little Red Smokehouse (https://www.jrmanufacturing.com/products/smokers/the-little-red-smokehouse/) Big Green Egg (https://biggreenegg.com/) Prime vs. Choice vs. Select cuts (http://www.primesteakhouses.com/how-usda-grades-beef.html) https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/slaughter-cattle-grades-and-standards Taco Bell (https://www.tacobell.com/) Maison Baume (https://www.maisonbaume.com) Palo Alto, Michelin 2 star Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS) (Please consider making a donation (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate)) Pig in a Pickle (https://piginapickle.com/), Corte Madeira, CA, first in Bay Area (https://kcbsradio.radio.com/blogs/jeffrey-schaub/pig-pickle-corte-madera-restaurant-named-michelin-bib-gourmand) to be named Michelin Bib Gourmand (https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-california-2019-bib-gourmand-selection) Boulevard (https://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/), San Francisco, CA Farallon (https://www.farallonrestaurant.com/), San Francisco, CA Perko’s Cafe Grill (http://perkos.com/), Redding CA Nom Nom Now (https://www.nomnomnow.com/)—“Fresh food for healthy pets” Easy Caterer (https://www.ezcater.com/catering/pvt/seismic-bbq-3) Our thanks to Steven for joining us. You can find Steven at Seismic BBQ (https://www.seismicbbq.com) and South Basin Kitchen SF (http://southbasinkitchensf.com). Thank you for listening. You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram: Lettuce Wrap: @lettucewrappod (https://twitter.com/lettucewrappod) / @lettucewrappod (https://instagram.com/lettucewrappod) Christine Doerr: @christinedoerr (https://twitter.com/christinedoerr) / @neococoaconfections (https://www.instagram.com/neococoaconfections/) Tammy Tan: @spicehound (http://twitter.com/spicehound) / @spicehound (https://www.instagram.com/spicehound/) or email us at lettucerwrappod@gmail.com (mailto:lettucerwrappod@gmail.com). That’s a wrap! Amazon (https://amzn.to/2DBzg5j) and other links may be affiliates. Purchases help support the show. Special Guest: Steven Hollifield, Seismic BBQ.

In Episode 6, we chat with Flash Coughlin, Head of Workplace, at Envoy. We’ll talk about why he centers hospitality within his workplace experience strategy, how he kept Twitter operating with a complex network of extension cords on the eve of their new office opening, and why peanut butter and chocolate is the perfect food.About Flash CoughlinFlash is a self-proclaimed East-Coaster, born in NYC and raised in New Jersey. After finishing up school at the University of Vermont, he packed up his car and moved to San Francisco. That was 15 years ago, and he now calls the Lower Haight neighborhood of the city home. His career here in San Francisco has been in non-profits, hospitality, food and beverage, and of course, tech. He spent his first seven years working in Procurement Management and the last eight in Workplace and Facilities Management.Show notes and related linksDanny Meyer, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in BusinessSpokeDensityStudio OA BIG About EmpoweredWhat does it take to radically transform and disrupt our workplaces? How can we bring about the changes we need and wish to see in the physical and virtual spaces we spend over a third of our waking lives in? Empowered: Envisioning Workplaces That Work explores what thriving, diverse, and innovative workplaces look and feel like, and what makes them tick. Spoiler alert: it’s the people. In conversation with the folks doing this vital work, join me, Susannah Magers, a content creator at Envoy, as we engage in timely discussions about the workplace experience and celebrate those who challenge the status quo in all aspects of the contemporary workplace through the lens of the all-important human elements. Hear workplace experience leaders, creative problem solvers, and other cultural producers reveal how they create the workplaces they want to see in the world: their wins, pain points, and all the moments in between.Find Empowered OnlineWe all have a story to tell. You can read Empowered episode recaps on the Envoy blog, as well as discover more resources on how to challenge the status quo in your workplace.

Storyteller Thea Selby has lived in the Lower Haight since 1999. She's a mom, a member of the City College of San Francisco's Board of Trustees, and, as you'll learn in this episode, a tireless advocate for the art that has defined her neighborhood for decades. Listen up as Thea walks us through the tumultuous history behind the Love in the Lower Haight mural project

Some of you may remember Silly Pink Bunny, a sculpture by local artist Jeremy Fish, which held court in the Lower Haight until 2013. Jeremy joins us on the podcast today to tell the story, in his own words, of the bunny's evolution from a goofy pink (and occasionally peed-on) neighborhood fixture to the revered bronze bunny sculpture it is today. Buckle up for a story that connects art, taggers, grand theft bunny (that's a thing, right?), crowdfunding, community, and condos into one so-San Francisco story.

Musician and hair stylist ChrisO moved to San Francisco in 2003. Among the odd jobs he had before he learned to style hair, he took a job at mayoral candidate, ex-supervisor, and ex-state senator Mark Leno's sign shop in the Castro. In this episode, Chris will talk about working in that shop. Then he'll share observations on San Franciscans' odd relationship with their appearances. We recorded this podcast in Chris's apartment in Lower Haight in April 2018. Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Chris will share his experiences being in San Francisco bands. Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Today's episode (E30) features Jay Bordeleau, Tim Hagney, and Chef Isaac Miller of Maven. The trio meet with Menu Stories host Rebecca Goberstein to discuss what music has to do with food, what wine has to do with cocktails, and why the Lower Haight was the perfect neighborhood for this polished restaurant-bar. Subscribe to the Menu Stories podcast on menustories.com. Music provided by Ben Sound.

Happy Birthday to our CEO Tim Sae Koo! Our next monthly mix is spun by Mike Bee. It was mixed live with no edits on 9/3/15 using two Technics 1200 turntables & a Pioneer DJM-700 mixer. All vinyl! soundcloud.com/mikebee https://instagram.com/vinyldreamssf/ Tracklist: 1. Cos/Mes - Hey Yah (ESP Institute 2011) 2. Jonty Rose - Horizon (Tusk Wax 2015) 3. Mirror People - Reaction! (Tiago's "Zawa Dub" Remix) (Hands of Time 2011) 4. Steve Cobby & Trudie Dawn Smith - We Start Over (Apiento & LX Remix) (International Feel 2015) 5. Ben La Desh - Lotion (Plumage 2015) 6. Junktion - Fling Cleaning (Razor N Tape Reserve 2015) 7. Finnebassen - Baby (Ron Basejam Remix) (House of Disco 2013) 8. Carrot Green - Mariama (CG's Norwegian Retake) (Brazilian Shakedown 2015) 9. Knightlife - Don't Stop (Cutters 2014) 10. Food Pyramid - Oh Mercy (Inhalt Live at the SSL Remix) (Emotional Especial 2015) 11. The Gino Fontaine - Revnorev (Pete Herbert Remix) (Revno 2014) 12. An-2 - Wings (Vital Version) (Theomatic 2006) 13. Bufiman - Die Mumie (Fasaan 2015) 14. Flying Men - Only Love (Flying on the Dancefloor Dub Mix) (Catune 2015) 15. Khidja - Never Seen The Dunes (Emotional Especial 2015) 16. Tronik Youth - Pain Relief (Hardway Bros Minus 8 Remix) (Nein 2014) 17. Moebuis & Neumeier - Jiro (Prins Thomas Miks Pt. 1) (Endless Flight 2010) 18. Flash Atkins - Drug Empire (Paper Disco 2015) 19. Harvey Sutherland - Bermuda (MCDE 2015)

Travis Sigley is the founder of Cuddle Therapy. If you are in need of some cuddling and willing to pay a fee, this is the service for you. The idea for a professional cuddling service came to Travis when he was a stripper in the City. He noticed that most people were not in the club for sexual reasons, but because they were seeking intimacy, touch, and someone to chat with. So Travis started Cuddle Therapy to offer his clients physical touch in a safe, loving, and trusting environment. If Travis could cuddle with anyone in San Francisco, who would it be? He tells me on the show. Travis had plenty of other interesting stories up his sleeve. About two weeks ago, he started wearing shirts for the first time in 8 years and had a topless tea party to celebrate the occasion. The shirtless era led to plenty of awkward moments. Travis tells me about spending a winter in Paris and trying to get through airport security without a shirt. We recorded our conversation at the Tea Oasis, which is a tea house in the Lower Haight that Travis just opened up. Travis also lives in the Lower Haight. He shares his favorite spots in the neighborhood and throughout San Francisco.

Fayette Fox recently published her first novel, "The Deception Artist". The book is literary fiction about childhood and make-believe, truth, and lies. It's told through the eyes of an eight-year old girl named Ivy who has a vivid imagination and tells lies so that people will like her. Ivy is telling the story of her ordinary family life in the Bay Area during the 1980's recession. But just like many other ordinary families, Ivy's family has some problems and things start to come a bit unraveled at home. The book was originally published in the UK by Myriad Editions in 2013 and was just published in North America by Roaring Forties Press. Fayette's debut novel has received great reviews and been short listed for several awards. Fayette has also lived in London where she commissioned guide books for Lonely Planet. She has traveled the world and shares some of her favorite stories on the show. Fayette recently moved to Oakland but lived in the Lower Haight before that. She shares her favorite spots in the hood and throughout San Francisco.

It's that time again! Which reminds me... we're rolling out a new feature this month. It's a little something we refer to affectionately as "twice as many episodes." Starting... NOW! We will be releasing a new episode every two weeks. Now, i know what you're saying. "Twice as much memekast? Won't that like... rip a hole in the universe or something?" And it might. I, for one, am willing to take that risk. To mark the occasion, i contacted a very skilled agent, and founder of one of our favorite corporate allies, benchun of False Profit, LLC. For those who don't know, False Profit hit San Francisco in 2000 like a 7.5, with a relentless series of aftershocks at their corporate headquarters at 43 Norfolk lasting five years. During that time, benchun held down a two-year run of Wednesday's at Wish (with Halon of Fake Science), later called Samurai Soundsystem (with Joe Encarnacion of BFamily Records). He started FP's monthly Dividend events at 26Mix, later moving them to Nickie's in the Lower Haight. Dividend continues under the direction of other FP agents, currently at Anu. He also started their monthly happy hour at Il Pirata, Equity, with Boreta from Nexus. He was instrumental in orchestrating the legendary Priceless campout. He also rolls with the Space Cowboys, has rocked the Unimog in BRC, Tahoe, Breakfast of Champions... Yeah, the list totally goes on. But you get the point. Checkit: memekast mk011 » 1 February 2007 » benchun Anything Can Happen - Wyclef Jean (benchun edit) Skin on the Drum - Spearhead (Bassnectar Remix) Player's Club - Rappin 4-Tay Moveup - Si Begg Loose Tips - Seiji vs. Q-Tip Autumn - Rena Organ Dance - Digital Underground + DJ Shadow (benchun mash) Black Ice Cubes - White Label Ms. Hill - Talib Kweli Hip Hop - Dead Prez Upcoming: Friday 02.02: Fresh @ Shine memekast_mk011_200702.mp3