Do you know your bracket from your cornice? Mister SF’s Splended Structures includes a guide to understanding SF’s ornate Victorians. All of the City’s beautiful building are landmarks – some official, others only sentimental. Continue to Classic Galleries…

Here’s the SF-based artist and designer Famous Melissa out on the Bay at dusk in May, 2008. Tomorrow’s towering San Francisco rises behind her. What made Melissa famous? She was featured in People magazine for designing a dress made out of computer chips. Heart of the City celebrates the unique personalities inexorably identified with San Francisco. Continue to Classic Galleries…

Sean Penn famously stayed in character while working on Milk, the biopic of Harvey Milk for director Gus Van Zant in 2008. Some Castro neighbors got tired of their ‘hood being referred to as “the set.” They also complained that the production catered its own meals instead of supporting local restaurants. But, when it came to time appear on camera, Van Zant had plenty of extra extras. Heart of the City celebrates San Francisco in the Cinema. Continue to Classic Galleries…

In exchange for literary recognition and free side dishes, Laura Albert pretended to be JT Leroy, a boy, an abused child prostitute turned-author. What a world. We’re just pretending this is LeRoy body-double Savannah Knoop, author of “Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT LeRoy.” Do we get fries with that? Heart of the City celebrates even the dubious of contributions and contributors to San Francisco’s rich literary history. Continue to Classic Galleries…

The view; the city; the VIEW; the City; it sees itself and can’t look away. Heart of the City celebrates the most beautiful corners of San Francisco. Some are famous, many are not, all are fleeting. Continue to the Classic Galleries…

The Book… Guy. Ever since I was called a Nazi by a nervous browser at the Green Apple Bookstore on Clement Street – something I owe to an extreme haircut I got along the Prinzengracht while in Amsterdam for Queen’s Day – I have to refer to the Forever After Books (1475 Haight, pictured above) as The Book… Guy. If you come here you’d better be prepared to check even your smallest bag, and don’t loiter, take photos, remove books from top shelves without assistance, or ask any questions about the signs. Also, no roller skates, bicycles, strollers, bare feet, or guitars. Heart of the City acknowledges all levels of infamy in San Francisco’s catalog of notoriety. Continue to Classic Galleries…

Lucky Penny, 2670 Geary Blvd., best 3 am pork chops and scrambled eggs.

If you’re like Mister SF, you know where you can find the perfect burritto – you know, the cylantro is just right and onions so sweet. But how will you ever replace the dry cleaner that knew how to fold stuff exactly your way before it closed (on YOU) after 20 years? There are a million “best of” lists, but the only one that matters is your own. Heart of the City celebrates all the local businesses that help make San Francisco’s neighborhoods what they are. Continue to the Local Joints Classics…

The San Francisco SPCA was the new kid on the block in 1868! Heart of the City celebrates San Francisco’s venerable institutions alongside the new and notable. Continue to Classic Galleries…

1085 Sutter Street

RIP Tappe’s Sutter Street Bar and Grill, 1085 Sutter Street; closed in 2006 after 53 years in the Tenderloin, including a stint as one of the first fern bars. Jeff and I clogged our arteries there every Sunday for years and were fortunate to capture the last breakfast on camera. Heart of the City celebrates all the beloved favorites that go too soon, along with those that lingered. Continue to Classic Galleries…