01
a bench · presidio
the fog bench above lobos creek
Concrete bench, no plaque, facing west. The fog rolls in from the right at 4:40pm most summer days. You hear the creek before you see it.
5 spots, alphabetical.
02
a bookstore · richmond
the basement at green apple after 9pm
Everyone knows the upstairs. The basement is quieter. The annex behind the staircase has the only copies of Robert Hass's first chapbook anywhere in the city, last we checked.
03
a kitchen · excelsior
the back counter at mitchell's, weekday afternoon
The line moves. The back of the freezer case has the seasonal flavors they don't list on the menu. Ube macapuno. Halo halo. Buko pandan if they made it that week.
04
a stairwell · north beach
the filbert steps at first light
The wild parrots come through around 6:50am most spring mornings. Bring coffee, not a camera. The light through the eucalyptus is the point.
05
a counter · tenderloin
the second-floor pho place above turk and leavenworth
No sign. Walk up the unmarked staircase between the laundromat and the corner store. Eight tables. Mrs. Tran has been making the broth here for twenty-three years.