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May 13, 2020
By Dan Rosenbaum

Good News, With Love, From San Francisco


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Our commutes are a lot shorter these days. On most days, they consist of waking up, traveling to the kitchen, transferring to our stand-up desks (a.k.a. our countertop), and then moving onto our living room couch, with a few roundtrips to the refrigerator and back. Today, however, we took a much-needed detour to gather some uplifting updates. You'll want to read this.

While the 24-hour news cycle can seem all doom and gloom, here in San Francisco, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel—or through the fog (his name is Karl, by the way). There is good news out there, and it is not in short supply.

We're going to use this space to share the good news from San Francisco and around the world to brighten your day and spread hope. While our city is only 49 square miles, the welcoming, bold, colorful and innovative San Francisco spirit lives on in all of us. San Francisco is not going to let a shelter in place order to stop us from living our best life.

May 13, 2020

Good News in San Francisco

Coffee Break Good News
San Francisco resident Ben Ramirez is taking advantage of his block's topography to make essential workers' days a little brighter. Since his kitchen window is at just the right height, Ben is serving free coffee to postal workers, healthcare workers, and others who come down the street.

Dance Party Good News
In the nearby East Bay, DJ Ryan O has modified his business to become the region's first "drive-up DJ". From an acceptable distance in people's driveways or front yards, DJ Ryan O is leading dances, games, and activities for neighbors of all ages.

Million Meals Challenge Good News
Last week, Alaska Airlines partnered with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office to donate 40,000 repurposed onboard snacks to Bay Area families in need. This effort is part of a larger initiative the airline launched earlier this month called the Million Meals Challenge.  By combining Alaska Airlines Foundation grants and onboard food, Alaska Airlines has donated a million meals to local communities.

Summer of Love Good News
Local retailer Love on Haight is producing its own line of tie-dyed face masks. You can protect yourself and your neighbors while still sporting Summer of Love styles!

Good News Around the World

Fresh Kicks Good News
Normally, Nike is designing sneakers for the likes of LeBron James; but now, they're shifting production to address the needs of other superstars. The sports apparel giant has not only designed a sneaker for healthcare workers that's designed to hold up on a 12-hour shift, they have also donated 30,000 pairs to doctors, nurses, and first responders nationwide.

Public Park Good News
When people are clamoring for fresh air and sunshine, how do you ensure that they're maintaining social distancing? Austrian landscape architect Chris Precht thinks he has the answer: hedge mazes. By filling public parks with labyrinths that keep visitors apart, Precht thinks we could hasten a safe return to the outdoors.

Supermarket Sweep Good News
For people living in remote communities, sheltering in place can present real challenges. Toshua Parker decided to help out his neighbors in the tiny seaside town of Gustavus, Alaska by sailing—yes, sailing!—to the nearest Costco and filling his barge with $20,000 worth of food and essential supplies.

April 23, 2020

Good News in San Francisco

Crushing Good News
Crushing, as in crushing the curve of the coronavirus in the Bay Area. San Francisco took aggressive actions to implement social distancing protocols early on during this crisis and they are working. What we’re seeing in the Bay Area looks less like a curve, and more like a flat line. Other cities across the country and around the world are beginning to follow our example.

Hospitality Good News
In the spirit of hospitality, San Francisco City Hall and many hotels, attractions and venues illuminated themselves in purple light, the official color of hospitality, the last three Mondays. It looked something like this. It was so well supported that the city has decided to continue lighting up iconic landmarks in purple lights through the end of May.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco Good News
Tony Bennett is asking Bay Area residents to come together for a mass sing-along to his signature tune, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” at noon on Saturday, Apr. 25, in honor of the frontline workers responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Open up your windows, join in, and share yourself singing with #SingOutSF . You don't want to disappoint Tony.

Good News Around the World

Kiss Your Loved Ones Good News
Missing your loved ones, especially when quarantining alone, can be heartbreaking. Ken Benbow in the U, has taken the novel approach of sleeping with a framed photo of his late wife, Ada, who he lost in 2019. Kia, a 17-year-old caregiver at the Thistleton Lodge where Ken lives, noticed the photo and decided to give him a special gift. Sit back and watch the magic unfold.

The Earth is Healing Itself Good News
We grumble about the effects that staying indoors has on our social lives, but one amazing side effect is that the Earth is healing itself. Satellites orbiting the Earth have documented a discernible drop in air pollution. With fewer cars on the road, fewer planes in the sky and fewer factories open, humankind is giving the planet a much-needed breather from CO2 emissions. There are even reports out of Venice, Italy that you can see the bottom of the canals and the fish swimming in them.

April 9, 2020

Good News in San Francisco

Hospitality Good News
Think back to your last visit to San Francisco. Who was the first local person you interacted with? We bet it was someone at your hotel. The front-line hospitality workers across our city are a huge part of what makes your visitor experience so special. Right now, those people are facing quite a challenge. To show public support and appreciation for all they do, buildings and landmarks across the city have been lighting up purple, the official color of hospitality. San Francisco is always beautiful, but you've never seen it like this. Word is that Toronto will be following our lead next Monday. Good ideas are like that; everyone wants to jump on them!

Music to My Ears Good News
While sheltering-in-place, members of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band turned their homes into recording studios so that the band could play music together during this COVID-19 crisis. Check out the band performing the Official Ballad of San Francisco, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” as a message of love and to serve as a reminder of the strength we have when we work together as a community.

Drag Race Good News
The Stud, the iconic SoMa neighborhood bar, had to close their doors but they aren't letting that stop them from having a good time. The bar will move its weekly drag show “Drag Alive!” online, with a Twitch stream taking place every Saturday, 6:30–8 p.m.

Color Outside the Lines Good News
Local software engineer and transit fan, Chris Arvin, has come to rescue us from our boredom and delivered us a creative outlet. Now you can color inside the lines and give BART and Caltrain the makeover you always thought it deserved. No need to remove those fabric seats.

Good News Around the World

Art Lovers Good News
Getty Center in Los Angeles has challenged its audience of art lovers to recreate a work of art with objects and people from your home. The social media challenge was reportedly inspired by the Dutch Instagram page Tussenkunstenquarantaine, which translates to “between art and quarantine”. The results are pretty amazing. Here are just a few of our favorites. Follow #tussenkunstenquarantaine for more.

The Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy Good News
The Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are essential workers, so says New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, bringing a sigh of relief to children everywhere.

Iron Man Good News
Meet Bill. He's defeated the Spanish Flu, lived through the Great Depression and World War II, and now survived COVID-19. Yes, if you've done the math right; that makes him 104-years-old.

Not to be outdone, fellow World War II veteran and 97-year-old Chuck has a case of the dancing feet and he just had to shake it out for us.

April 2, 2020

Good News in San Francisco

COVID-19 Good News
Out of an abundance of care, San Francisco was the first city to declare a state of emergency at the end of February and the first city to announce a shelter in place order. Good news! Two weeks into the order there is evidence that we are flattening the curve. Doctors at area hospitals are now reporting fewer cases than they expected to see at this point, and officials credit the lockdown with stemming the tide of patients they feared would flood into emergency rooms. Here are four things San Francisco did right. San Francisco businesses are also stepping up to the plate when it comes to protecting our homeless population. The Bay Club, a tennis club in the SoMa neighborhood, is providing a roof over the heads of unsheltered people for the foreseeable future. That's the love and generosity we love to see in our city.

Small Business Good News
While people can't visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (where fortune cookies were invented!), the business is sending their cookies and their good fortune to the first responders as a thank you for all of their work. And for those wondering about San Francisco's oldest restaurant, the Tadich Grill, it is still around and hasn't let go of a single employee yet.

People Being Good People Good News
While the toilet paper roll shortage is as bad as it was when we all first hunkered down, San Franciscans went to great lengths to lend a hand while still abiding by the shelter in place order.

Even former city supervisor, Jane Kim, is lending a hand. She's recruiting volunteers to help deliver food to seniors in need. Here's how you can volunteer.

A forever San Francisco ambassador to the world, Armistead Maupin, author of the "Tales of the City," will be reading the first chapter of "Mona of the Manor," the book he is currently writing. Tune in tomorrow, Apr. 3 at 5 p.m. GMT, on Facebook.

Good News Around the World

Good News From New York
Love in the time of corona can still be found even if you have to follow social distancing guidelines. Take a page from New York freelance photographer, Jeremy Cohen, and you, too, can woo someone from more than six feet away. Check out part one before moving on to part two and three

Good News From the UK
James Campbell needed to get out of the house for his 32nd birthday, so he did just that and ran around his 20-foot backyard. In a total of five hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds, he finished his first backyard marathon and raised $32,000 for the National Health Services in the process.

Good News From our Four-Legged Friends
Dogs love to relive their glory days and no one exemplifies that more than Kirk, a professional border collie, who jumps for joy watching himself compete on TV. You gotta take a look at this cuteness.

Stay tuned for more.

With love, San Francisco

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