The Bay Area is my home. Here are my favorite joints in SF for coffee, photography, and food.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

• 24th & Mission BART station: this whole area is my favorite playground. Also favorite of Jack Simon and Joe Aguirre. I shoot most of my street portraits around here. Honestly, this is the only neighborhood I personally like to shoot street photography in.
• Yerba Buena Park: good light, colorful backgrounds, in SOMA. Second favorite place to shoot street photography.
• Montgomery street: get a coffee at Workshop cafe, and shoot the suits around here. The financial center, good energy here.
• Tenderloin: very edgy and lots of drug addicts here. Just don’t be dumb shooting here. Stop by BOOK AND JOB GALLERY and say hi to my friend Carson. If you want to shoot a street portrait in the Tenderloin, just ask permission.

COFFEE

• PHILZ: the original on 24th street. Get the “new manhattan” coffee, stronger than crack cocaine.

  

• HAUS Coffee: my favorite coffee shop in mission. Good espresso and meeting point for workshops.
• Sightglass coffee: In SOMA on 7th street (South of mission)– beautiful wooden high ceilings, get your beans here. Great espresso, and no wifi– but good to do work at. Super inspired by this place.
• Blue Bottle: I like the Mint Street one. Super high ceilings, all white, and great espresso.
• 4 Barrel coffee: I like Valencia location. Good drip coffee, and beautiful decor. Very crowded however.
• Ritual coffee: on Valencia street. A bit far, but lovely spartan interior, and very quiet. Good to read a book or work on your laptop.

FOOD

• Wise Sons: classic Jewish diner. Go to the one next to the 24th and Mission BART station.
• Mission Chinese Food: on mission and 18th street. Affordable-ish hipster Chinese fusion food. Really good.
• Burma Love: Great Burmese food, on Valencia.
• Burma Superstar: a bit crowded but very good. Get the tea leaf salad.
• Farmhouse Kitchen Thai: affordable and delicious Thai food in the mission, on Florida street. Had my birthday dinner here. Colorful interior, and friendly staff.

TO DO

• Leica store SF: cool brick walls, and good photo exhibits. Play with some cameras here too.
• SF MOMA: Best modern art museum, absolutely breath taking.

Why I love SF

I grew up in Alameda, and my home base is Berkeley. I have the 510 Bay Area in my blood.

I love SF: good coffee, open minded folks, and relatively small and down to earth. The mission is my favorite place to hang out.