San Francisco hacks to make your life easier

If the city's new Transit Center is starting to feel a little like Disneyland...now it even has an aerial tram.  A glass gondola is currently being tested at Salesforce Park, the multi-block public rooftop space at the Salesforce Transit Center (Salesforce bought the naming rights last week). When it opens in June, the glass tram will transport groups of 20 or less from the ground floor to the 5.4-acre rooftop park which includes an outdoor amphitheater, a cafe and a restaurant that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  If you're nervous about see-through transportation, the gondola won't be the only way to reach the rooftop park; there will also be various elevators and escalators located inside the transit center lobby to help ease the foot traffic expected in the Transit Center, which will connect eight Bay Area counties with 11 transportation systems.  According to a statement from Salesforce, “The Transit Center and City Park are a natural extension of Salesforce's urban campus, providing better access to and from SF, and a sprawling green park in the hub of downtown for all to enjoy.” See you in the park.   

2018 marks 50 years in Oakland for the Athletics and they're celebrating in a very colorful way. To honor their storied history in The Town, the A's have immortalized an East Bay legend in statue form. We're talking about Stomper, of course.   The project is called "Stomper in the Town" and features 50 six-foot statues of the mascot placed around Oakland. The Stompers all have different designs, as created by fan or artist submissions and a few of the statues will also be auctioned off at the end of the season to benefit the A's Community Foundation.  So far we're spotted Stomper at The Hive in Uptown Oakland, in front of Kingfish Pub and across the street from A Taste of Denmark. Let us know where you've seem Stomper around town!  Stomper is the newest man about The Town. Each of these were designed by a different local artist...so creative. #rootedinoakland #riseandgrind #oaklandathletics #athletics #thetown #oaklandloveit #nbcbayarea @athletics @stomper00 ⚾️🐘💚💛 #visitcalifornia A post shared by Melanie McMullen (@baysidemedia) on May 5, 2018 at 7:16pm PDT Oaktown stand UP! #Stomper A post shared by Nate Frey (@natecfrey) on May 6, 2018 at 9:47am PDT   Spotted a clam on hippie Stomper outside my house! Go shells!! Get shelled!!! A post shared by Monford The Mollusk (@ocdofemeryville) on May 3, 2018 at 2:50pm PDT #Art is everywhere...if and when you're looking 😎🎨🗺🎒 . . . .

It's been a year in the works, but Stonemill Matcha is planning to finally open at 561 Valencia Street (the former Bar Tartine space) this May.   Resembling a traditional Japanese cha-no-ma, Stonemill Matcha focuses on high-quality, stone ground matcha sourced from Kyoto, Japan and served in countless ways: Freshly whisked matcha, sparkling matcha, matcha lattes and cold-brew Sencha and Genmaicha on-tap. Pastries and sweet treats are under the direction of pastry chef Mikiko Yui (formerly of Statebird Provisions and Coi) and a partnership with Tartine Manufactory means matcha croissants will soon be the go-to breakfast for most of the Mission. Heartier dishes, including a Katsu Sando, come courtesy of chef Keisuke Akabori. Our signature drink to be, #sparklingmatcha is perfect for a warm day like today! We at #stonemillmatcha are always curious to find new ways to enjoy #matcha A post shared by Stonemill Matcha (@stonemillmatcha) on Apr 23, 2018 at 5:35pm PDT A curated retail section at Stonemill Matcha will also offer matcha starter kits, handmade ceramics and art by Japanese and local San Francisco artisans. For a first taste of Stonemill Matcha, exclusive sweet and savory pastries like matcha soft serve, matcha-blood orange tarts, and matcha almond cake will be available at Tartine Manufactory beginning Saturday, April 28. Hello!! We are excited to seeing you soon in May. Follow us for updates. . . . #stonemillmatcha #comingsoon #va

You’ve never seen Napa like this. A fleet of electric three-wheeled tuk-tuks, from brand-new tour company Laces and Limos, is hitting the streets of Napa Valley, ready to take you and your squad for a spin. A tuk-tuk (Bangkok’s stylish, modern-day rickshaw) can carry you and five friends through picturesque vineyards while making sure the trip is comfortable with heated seats and a waterproof hood. Choose from one of three packages: The Basic includes a two-and-a-half-hour ride ($55 per person) through downtown Napa, with stops at two tasting rooms and a distillery. The Classic ($75 per person) is a three-hour journey through the up-and-coming Coombsville wine region and includes three tastings. Finally, the Custom package (prices vary) allows you to build your own itinerary of wine tastings, food pairings, classes and more. Headed out for a special occasion? Tuk-tuks can be adorned with wedding colors, birthday balloons or bachelorette swag for an Insta-worthy day among the grapes. A personal designated driver is always included.

After an unanimous vote by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors earlier this month, Mayor Mark Farrell signed legislation on Monday officially naming the new Terminal 1 at SFO after Harvey Milk.  Though, it might take a couple of years before you can fly out of the new Milk terminal. The airport's main terminal—home to Frontier, Southwest, American and Delta Airlines—is currently undergoing a massive $2.4-billion rebuild, which began in June 2016 and won't be unveiled until the summer of 2019 (and that's just phase one). The whole project won't be done until 2022.  Still, plans to memorialize Milk are already under way. The new law mandates that the "Director of the Airport submit to the Arts Commission a plan for design and placement of artwork in the terminal memorializing the life and legacy of Harvey Milk" by September of this year. Not a bad way to remember the first openly gay elected official on the 40th anniversary of his death.  For more tasty improvements to SFO, click here.