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Good News SF - May 12, 2023

Welcome to our weekly “Good News SF Newsletter." Wishing all the Mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day this weekend!
May 12, 2023

If you’re reading this, thank you for subscribing and reading about all the good things happening this week in the City by the Bay. This newsletter is currently a pilot as we are currently testing out Substack for our readers. Please let us know what you think and if we change platforms, we’ll keep you in the loop!

TONIGHT - BHANGRA AND BEATS HITS DOWNTOWN! It's finally here, the weekend we've all been waiting for - Bhangra and Beats, the first ever Indian Night Market in San Francisco. Check out what ABC7 had to say about event below:

Come out tonight to get some amazing food, fun cocktails, get a bhangra lesson and dance and listen to djs, learn how to put a sari on, and shop from local SF vendors. This is a fantastic way to finish out San Francisco's Small Business Week and to celebrate API Heritage Month with culture, fun and food with this event that is open to everyone and is FREE.

The event is produced by Into the Streets, a woman of color owned LGBT+ small business and Non-Stop Bhangra. It is a fiscally sponsored project of the nonprofit Livable City presented in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the City and County of San Francisco. 

Union Square is in Bloom!🌹 Have you been downtown to Union Square lately? The event that brings life to the heart of the city by the Bay has quite literally bloomed and is here to to stay for the Spring and Fall. Produced and organized by Union Square Alliance, this is the second annual event in this tradition that began from a rich history in San Francisco where flowers were handed out to visitors walking through Maiden Lane. Union Square Alliance’s mission with Union Square in Bloom is to bring back this colorful tradition with a modern twist every Spring!

While the gorgeous event goes from May-October, this weekend is the creme de la creme of Union Square in Bloom as thousands from all over the Bay Area and the world will come to Union Square for Mother’s Day. Families can come to Union Square on Sunday May 14th from 1-4 pm for Salsa Music, Dance, Drinks, Food, and Flowers — all part of the Union Square in Bloom festivities. You can register for this free event here.

From May through October 2023, visitors can also participate in an ongoing Union Square in Bloom cocktail event presented by Union Square Alliance called Bloom + Bubbles Passport. Each cocktail is carefully crafted to showcase the natural flavors and aromas of the flowers and herbs used, resulting in a sensory experience that’s truly unforgettable. And with a variety of non-alcoholic options available, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

City Making Progress on Ambitious Housing Plan. If you’ve lived in SF long enough, you know that one of the most critical things for our economy and for the future of our City is housing.

This week the Mayor rolled out her three month update on her ambitious Housing for All plan, providing updates on where we the City is on important legislation to move us in the right direction, and her thoughts on where we need to go. Check it out here.

On Location in SF with Jennifer Garner. Watched TV lately? Jennifer Garner’s show “The Last Thing He Told Me” is not only a bit thrilling and suspenseful, but also has some gorgeous shots of SF.

Conde Nast Traveler takes us to on a journey to each one in their latest feature “On Location: How ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ Follows Jennifer Garner From San Francisco to Austin” highlighting the beloved Ferry Building and local fav Blue Bottle Coffee. We love seeing SF featured so beautifully on the big screen (and small screen at home) and any opportunity for Hollywood to work with SFFilm and the SF Film Commission!

Another Way to Celebrate API Heritage Month! This week, a brand new museum dedicated to Chinese railroad workers in San Francisco's Chinatown just opened. Never formally recognized until now, during the 1860s, thousands of Chinese laborers helped connect parts of the U.S. through the transcontinental railroad.

This is a momentous occasion for the Chinese community and adds a wonderful new museum to our Downtown corridor, check out the coverage from ABC news here. The Chinese Railroad Workers History Center on Kearny Street in SF is now open.

Despite some of the negative commentary, prominant business leaders are investing in San Francisco. Chris Larsen, CEO of Ripple and Randy Howder, the co-managing director at Gensler are among a growing tide of business leaders that are currently investing in San Francisco during the city’s “rough patch.”

Larsen calls it a “transformation” we’re due for as the city goes through a kind of renaissance post-pandemic — his company Ripple recently just signed a lease for a new, 130,000 square foot headquarters downtown. Learn more about what he and others had to say here from ABC7.