Tucked in the back of the DeYoung Museum's garden is a hidden oculus buried underground that provides a moment of either meditation or social overload. I am sure 99% of people miss that the entrance to the Turrell Skyspace is behind a hedge in the back right corner of the De Young's garden.
Down a long ramp, you enter a curved high walled walk that finally opens to a small domed room with an oculus open to the sky. The thing about the skyspace that makes it special is that the experience changes every time I enter. The light of the day and season changes the look and color of the inside. If it is raining it's wonderful to see the drops fall through the circle in the ceiling. But the biggest impact is who happens to be there with you.
If you are alone, it is a beautiful meditation. If you are visiting and happy children are there it becomes an echo chamber of excitement and joy. I have been there when groups were chanting and when people couldn't figure out what they were supposed to do. Every visit is a performance in the round and unique.
Find your way with 156 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
I love coming to Alamo Square in San Francisco and getting a yummy park coffee from Lady Falcon Coffee Club and their converted 1940s bread truck!
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"The Spire" in The Presidio in San Francisco is one of the many reasons to come visit. A natural skyscraper, it reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are...
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I've never been to a cafe that made me feel as if I had been teleported to another place than "Stable Cafe" in San Francisco... Felt like I was in Italy!
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"Saint Frank Coffee" in San Francisco feels like an airy museum on the inside. I always leave with a few bags of coffee and an iced latte in hand...
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"The Mill SF" with its red brick exterior gets one curious straight away! I come here for their awesome toast, especially the cinnamon sugar toast!
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TIme has almost forgotten the "Presidio Pet Cemetery" in San Francisco, with pet hedge stones & names from when this was an active Army base...
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What makes "SPRO Coffee Lab" in San Francisco and its food truck special is their specialty crafted coffee drinks & artisanal goods. It's a gem of a spot!
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"Pearl 6161" is a restaurant in San Francisco in an old laundromat. Its Mediterranean-meets-California vibe, the high ceiling and the tiles... I'm in love!
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"Park Life" in San Francisco is an art gallery space with fun arts & crafts supplies and home décor that will jazz up your home! So much to enjoy here...
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When I can hear the sound of spare coins jingling, I get an itch for a real pinball fix and head to the Haight and Free Gold Watch in San Francisco...
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When I want to know if the fog is coming in under the GG bridge in SF, I walk over to the public deck at UCSF's Helen Diller Medical Center...
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When I am in Golden Gate Park in SF, I almost always stop for a few minutes at the 6th avenue skate park to watch the skaters dance to the music...
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156 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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