Great Places

These are a few of their favorite things:

Christina Augello: Everything along the city’s western shoreline — 37 Ocean Beach, the Pacific, the Great Highway “and then some.”

Salvador Acevedo: 38 San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, especially the Redwood circle, “a mystical, special place in the middle of the city, quiet and perfect for meditation.”

Daniel Derrick: “When you’re stressed out and it’s beautiful outside, 39 Golden Gate Park will mellow you out.” Derrick also recommends Bay Area Paintball (1864 Rollins Road, Burlingame, 650-552-9939), about 25 minutes south of San Francisco. “Lots of fun. Trust me. Stings a little, but fun.”

Ben Fong-Torres: Grooves Vinyl Attractions, 40 1797 Market St., 436-9933, hasn’t a single CD for sale but is “crammed with albums covering every kind of music and corner of the entertainment world as well as posters, books and ’60s collectibles.”

Jewelle Gomez: Dolores Park, 41 between Dolores and Church streets, 18th to 20th streets, “a great sun spot, great views of downtown, always someone hanging out,” plus performances or music on the weekends. Another pick: monthly Radar Reading salons, curated by Michelle Tea, at the Main Public Library, 16 100 Larkin, 557-4400, and at the Eureka Valley Branch Library, 42 3555-16th St., 355-5616, where audience members who ask a question get a home-baked cookie.

Roberto Y. Hernandez: Balmy Alley, in the Mission District 43 between Treat and Harrison and 25th & 24th streets, lined with “colorful, meaningful murals”; all of 24th Street between Mission and Potrero for its “warm, beautiful people” and a long list of delights: “fresh tortillas, menudo soup, lowriders, mangos, fresca, tortas, pan dulce, pollo asado, paleteros, pupusas, flan.”

Michelle Tea: Jessica Lanyadoo Intuitive Counseling, 44 684 Guerrero St., 336-8354.“It’s a mind-blowing experience to work with Jessica, who uses astrology, tarot and medium work to counsel you through hard times and give you perspective on your life and inherent nature.”

Jennifer Yin: Seward Street Slides, 45 Seward and Douglass streets, superfast rides on concrete slides built into a hill: “A hidden gem that’s maybe not so hidden after it was outted on Yelp” — online reviews by real people of nationwide entertainment venues, shopping, services and more). Also 46 Japantown, “hands down one of my favorite destinations in S.F. Kappa is a divine restaurant hidden away above Denny’s. Go there and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into another world.” And 47 upper Grant Avenue with its specialty food stores, charming homes, tucked-away alleys, glorious views. “Very San Francisco.”

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