I have a confession to make: I prefer city magazines from New York than city magazines from the Bay Area. I really don’t know why; I mean, it’s not like I’ll ever make it to the Broadway shows these New York critics rave on about. I’ll never make it to that New Yorker festival, and I can forget about going to some hip new bar in downtown Manhattan. I should really make an effort to read San Francisco publications instead. Sure they’re young in comparison, but they have to start somewhere, right?
With that spirit in mind, I picked up the latest San Francisco Magazine yesterday from the newsstand, and lo and behold it was their Best of the Bay issue. While I do prefer the San Francisco Bay Guardian’s version, the list was still pretty informative. I must say they were probably targeting readers with some serious dosh with this list (Private Yoga Instructor on a Best of Fitness list? Not everyone has $900 to spare on a single one-on-one session), but there were some surprises.
One such surprise was GreenCine, a San Francisco-based DVD rental service that offers indie titles not normally found on Netflix. Very nice. Passport Cosmetics looks cool too — it offers travel-sized solutions so that you don’t look too haggard coming off the plane. What seriously surprised me though, was The San Francisco Tool Lending Center. It’s basically a tool library — that’s right, you can check out anything from drills to hammers just like you would books. Fix up that shelf, then return the tools. The Best Food list didn’t have too many surprises for me (Universal Cafe, Farmer’s Market, Kelly’s Burgers, etc.). Finally, there was a fairly modest list of non-profits. Excess Access, for example, is an online service that matches donations with wishlists.
This is a list of reader’s picks that the magazine printed. Mostly fluff material but good for a laugh. As I’ve said though, I definitely prefer the Bay Guardian’s listing. It’s a lot quirkier and has a more diverse list. But if you’re curious like me, the San Francisco Magazine list might still have some surprises for you. If the $3.95 price tag for the magazine is too steep, split it with a few friends ;)

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