San Francisco is a city that's constantly reinventing itself. In fact, it's a full-time job just keeping up with all the changes and new additions to one the country's most exciting cities. Here's just a sample of what's new to see and do.
Attractions
The biggest news is the recent opening of the de Young Museum. The new building has a dramatic copper and glass fa¿ade and an observation tower that rises 144 feet above the treetops of Golden Gate Park (really, you have to see this architectural masterpiece). Designed by the renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron and Fong & Chan Architects in San Francisco, the new de Young provides San Francisco with a landmark art museum to showcase the museum's priceless collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, as well as art of the Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. Also be sure to visit the new 3,700-square-foot de Young café, where you can get a real taste of the Bay Area. The cafe menu is a reflection of the cafe's pioneering "Farm to Fork" program which sources foods from within 150 miles of the kitchen where it is prepared. The list of suppliers reads like a "Who's Who" of Northern California's artisan food and farm fresh movement. For more information call tel. 415/863-3330 or log onto www.deyoungmuseum.org.
For the entire month of April the Exploratorium (my favorite museum) is paying homage to the centennial month of San Francisco's legendary 1906 earthquake with Magnitude X: Quake Science and Survival. It will feature a series of exhibits and programs covering the science, structural engineering, and human dimensions of earthquakes, including an interactive demonstration of real rescue dogs, tips from survival experts, and a quivering, large-scale Jell-O model of San Francisco by artist Liz Hickok (How can one resist?). For information call tel. 415/397-5673 or visit www.exploratorium.edu.
The Cartoon Art Museum at 655 Mission St. is pressing political hot buttons with its latest exhibition, Why Do They Hate U.S.? It's an international perspective on American politics & culture -- elections, George Bush, Iraq, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hurricane Katrina -- via more than 100 cartoons from 25 countries. It's on view until April 30 March 26. [Editor's Note: the exhibit is closing a month earlier than expected, but the museum is always worth checking out.] For more information call tel. 415/227-8666 or log onto www.cartoonart.org.
The long-awaited Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is now open. More than a decade of planning went into the 20,000-square-foot museum located on the ground level of the St. Regis Hotel at 685 Mission St. The museum highlights the global influence of the African Diaspora on art and culture through interactive, permanent, and changing exhibits, as well as special programs. It's a virtual crossroads for people from around the globe, and a repository of information for all who wish to know about the African Diaspora. For more information call tel. 415/358-7200 or log onto www.moadsf.org.
The Museum of Craft and Folk Art has recently relocated from Fort Mason Center to 51 Yerba Buena Lane, between Third and Fourth Streets off Market Street. The museum and store, offering high quality contemporary crafts by established and emerging artists working locally and internationally, will be open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 11am to 7pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 5pm. For more information call tel. 415/227-4888 or log onto www.mocfa.org.
Tix Bay Area, which offers half-price-day-of-performance tickets from their Union Square location off Powell Street (tel. 415/430-1140), has expanded its services to an online half-price ticketing program. A select group of tickets is available on the Web site, www.tixbayarea.com. Purchasers simply need to go the site, select and pay for the show, print out a confirmation, and enjoy the performance. There is also a limited selection of half-price tickets available in advance through the website.
A new three-hour tour called San Francisco Movie Tours visits 65 locations made famous by current blockbusters and classic San Francisco movies. Departing from Pier 43 1/2, the 23-passenger "theater on wheels" takes you to such famous spots as where Kim Novak plunged into the water in Vertigo, Robin Williams' home in Mrs. Doubtfire, streets from the famous chase scene in Bullitt, and the apartment Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart shared in Dark Passage. Guests watch real movie clips on the luxury motorcoach's big screen while viewing the actual location. For information call tel. 877/258-2587 or log onto www.sanfranciscomovietours.com.
Another new tour that might interest you is the Urban Safari of "places you normally wouldn't go," backed up with commentary that delves into "things you normally wouldn't know." Hop into the zebra-striped Land Rover for a four-hour tour that includes treks to famous movie sites and distinctive Victorians, murals, and architecture. Should it prove a little chilly, riders can cuddle up in leopard-print throws. All tours can be customized and include a snack, beverage, rest stops, digital photos, and a parting gift. For more information call tel. 415/282-5555 or log onto www.theurbansafari.com.
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