San Francisco has been known for its sky-high real estate and expensive restaurant entrées, which have made it difficult for residents to find good deals, but there are still several activities in the city that people can do for free or costs a maximum of $5.
SFFunCheap.com’s Johnny Hayes found several activities that are free, some of which most residents already know. However, there are many more good deals that a lot of people have no idea ever existed in the region.
First, Hamilton Pool allows children to ride its two water slides for only $1 each. Residents could also enter a lottery to win reserved seating at the beautiful Stern Grove Festival.
Hayes began keeping track of cheap and free activities and events in 2001 when he moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles. At the time, he did not realize that the city was in the middle of a recession. Hayes found it challenging to land a job, and he had no friends or contacts within the city.
Hayes said the one friend who got him to move to the city moved away just a couple of months after he arrived. He added he spent his days alone, bored, and lonely, trying to keep himself busy day after day, the San Francisco Gate reported.
Recently, the coronavirus pandemic has caused people to stay indoors and forced gyms to shut down. San Francisco residents could now go to the Kezar Stadium, which has been steadily housing more and more citizens who group together to work out.
One attendee, Justin Dunaway, has lost 40 pounds since he first came to the workout session. He said, “The first day I came out here, I threw up because I wasn’t active with any activities physically, you know, as far as high-intensity workouts.”
Christian Lewis, who weighs over 300 pounds, joined the program with the goal of changing his physique and change how people looked at him. He shared that most people stared at him with a different look that seemingly asks him why he is that big.
Demario Carter, a minister, founded the workout group because he wanted to give back to the community that has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Carter grew up as an athlete in San Francisco’s Western Addition.
The minister said that many residents lacked gym memberships to work out properly. Carter noted that the pandemic was not the only thing killing people, but that lack of exercise, diabetes, and high blood pressure could all be deadly if left alone.
Another resident, Shante Saulsberry, said the class has given her a more positive outlook mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
Carter’s church was formerly known as Hamilton Memorial and had recently been relocated to the East Bay. The minister said that the majority of the members of the class were not members. However, they have been in a good relationship with the church from the Western Addition and Fillmore neighborhoods.
The minister said that class was not about the money but was created to give back to the community. Carter said that despite the lack of opportunities to be healthy, they could find a way by working together.
As the holiday season approaches, Zoom, the online conference app, announced it would remove its timed meeting limit on Thanksgiving to give families more time to see each other. The company said the 40-minute time limit on its free meetings would be removed worldwide on November 26.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused most people to lose modes of communication with their friends and colleagues. Zoom has since provided an easy and efficient way of connecting people online, CBS Local reported.
