Around Town

The San Francisco Bay Area is a wonderful place to live. Here are some ideas for fun things to do around town.

Surf's up! Get the latest in local surfing conditions at Surfline.com. The easiest surfing beach near San Francisco is LindaMar Beach in Pacifica. If you need to rent boards there, be sure to go to Sonlight Surf Shop at 575 Crespi (650-359-0353). The owners are extremely friendly and helpful.

Places to swim: Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto, the USF Koret Center in San Francisco. Fog City Masters has workouts at the St. Ignatious High School pool. Or try the Bay at Aquatic Park near Fisherman's Wharf at the South End Rowing Club (SERC) or the Dolphin Club. These clubs are open to the public on alternate days.

Best places to ice skate: Yerba Buena ice rink in San Francisco above the Moscone Center and the Oakland Ice Center which has both an NHL rink and an Olympic size rink. On the Peninsula there is the Ice Oasis in Redwood City. Palo Alto also has Winter Lodge, a cute outdoor rink open from late September through mid April. Here is a list of all the Northern California ice rinks.

Want to play? to practice the art of winging it? How about making a fool of yourself in front of people who will cheer loudly for you? The Bay Area Theatresports School of Improv may be just the place for you. Other ways to stretch your creative spirit are improvisational singing with Rhiannon and free-form painting with Michelle Cassou and the Painting Experience.

My favorite activity for physical, playful fun that also nurtures the spirit is Aikido, a Japanese martial art based on the philosophy of conflict resolution. Two great places in San Francisco to learn and practice Aikido are Aikido of Noe Valley at 26th and Castro and Suginami Aikido, South of Market at 11th and Minna. The best place to learn Aikido in the Penninsula is Aikido West in Redwood City.
A great foundation for all martial arts and a strengthening, meditative practice can be found in the art of Tai Chi. San Francisco hosts a terrific Tai Chi school at 8th and Folsom, the Inner Research Institute with instructor Martin Inn.

Mind a little noisy? My favorite peaceful place to sit is Green Gulch Farm, an extention of the San Francisco Zen Center, located a half mile from Muir Beach in Marin Green. Gulch has public sittings on Sunday mornings with a dharma talk and lunch following. SF Zen Center in the city has sittings every morning and evening Monday through Friday. Another place for meditation and retreats is Spirit Rock in Marin County. Spirit Rock is home to Jack Kornfield who teaches and writes extensively of the spiritual path. For South Bay folks, there is the Mount Madonna Center in the Santa Cruz mountains.

For the extreme Northern California experience, there is the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, south of Carmel.

Need a good mechanic for a Japanese car? Try Japan Auto Service in San Bruno.

Finally, where to park in San Francisco? The city-owned parking lots offer the best rates.