A 2 Clement Muni t-shirt available at Park Life (220 Clement). $26

Some local links to get you through your Wednesday…

• Turkish / Mediterranean restaurant Troya (349 Clement) will be opening a second location on Fillmore in the former Vivande and Citizen Cake space. EaterSF reports that it will be more “modern and hipper” than the original. Troya Fillmore is targeting an April 2012 opening.
• Oozora Sake House didn’t last, so veteran shabu spot Shabuway will be taking over the space at 5120 Geary according to GrubStreet. It will be the fourth opening for the Shabuway chain, and let’s hope experience wins out. The last two shabu concepts in that space have failed.
• How many people are needed to truly make a meeting “public”? SFCitizen says more than one but that’s all that showed up at the recent meeting about the upcoming renovations at the Stow Lake Boathouse which includes a new cafe. There was some buzz about it in the Chron but in reality, they’re the same plans and drawings we saw in July of last year. Still, exciting that it’s finally happening.

Photo by Elijah Ellis

• Free adult classes start at the Richmond Village Beacon on January 30th. Ballroom dance, yoga, tai chi, knitting, computers and English (ESL) instruction – all free! View class schedule
• Kisha Studio (210 Clement) has a spring sale event this Saturday. Free champagne, and hair mini makeover sessions from 1-5pm (call 422-0468 for an appt). Plus 10% off any purchase when you mention the Richmond Blog.
• Supervisor Mar’s latest resolution to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday was about the Grammy Awards and their limited selection of musical genres. No word yet on the Board’s reaction.
• SFCitizen reports that there will be a public meeting on January 26 about the remodel of the Stow Lake Boathouse. Hall of Flowers, 7pm.
• SF Rec & Park is planning a free tribute concert to Warren Hellman on February 19 from 11am until 5pm. Location will be either Hellman Hollow or Ocean Beach parking lots, depending on the weather. Organizers also hope to stream it live online.
• Feeling lucky? Enter to win a Green Apple $20 gift card from FunCheapSF.

The bridge from George Washington High School’s campus. Photo by Hugh Stickney

Some local tidbits for your Monday off work:

• The Surfrider Foundation is hosting an Ocean Beach volunteer cleanup event on Sunday, January 22 from 10am until 12noon. Meet up at Stairwell 17 across the Street from the Beach Chalet Restaurant if you want to help out.
• Bison unite! The new, young, hip bison were released from quarantine and joined their elders in the main paddock. Cute but still one of the strangest things we have in Golden Gate Park.
• A dramatic fire took place on 42nd Avenue and Balboa very early Sunday morning. Flames were bursting out of the building, SFFD had to cut through a neighbor’s wall to control it, and two firefighters were injured. To top it off, the one woman who lives there ran off and is MIA.
• Cafe Mereb (1541 Clement) is no more but the dust barely settled before a new tenant will move in. I saw some construction going on there Sunday and Grubstreet reports that a place called “Chomp & Swig” will be opening soon. No word yet on the menu or when it will open.
• Seedstore clothing on Clement is having a 50% off winter sale from Jan. 21 – 29. Attend their kick-off party the night before on Jan. 20 from 5-8pm and you get an additional $20 off purchases over $200.
• The Academy of Sciences is changing their free day policy this year. Rather than one weekday a month being free, they’ll offer four Sundays during the year: February 5, June 3, September 16, and December 9. Why the change? “To target more working families, who were previously unable to come on the Wednesday free days. We hope that this change to weekend dates will allow a wider range of people to attend,” says the Academy website.

  Don’t worry – they’ll still be offering free days each Spring and Fall to residents based on zip code. For 94118 and 94121, our first free days will be May 11, 12, and 13.

• Burma Superstar to expand… again! They’ve got two restaurants on Clement, one each in Oakland and Alameda, and Eater SF reports they’ll be opening a Valencia Street location this year. Tea leaf salad for all!
• Artful reminder: The Pissarro’s People exhibition at the Legion of Honor closes this Sunday.

Sarah B.

From Monday through Friday of this week, Argonne Elementary School (680 18th Avenue) is hosting their annual “Holiday Book Fair”. Shop their large selection of preschool through middle school grade books and gifts, in addition to adult titles including many cookbooks.

The sale is on daily in the school library from 8am until 3pm, and on Thursday night, they are open late until 8pm.

Proceeds benefit the Argonne Parent-Teacher Organization whichs support the school’s extracurricular programs.

Sarah B.

The evening will feature deep discounts on apparel, complimentary ice cream, free beer and wine, delicious Mexican hot chocolate, events highlighting books, music, original artwork, and home decor, and more than a few surprises.

Participating merchants include:

Green Apple Books – Complimentary beer and get a free tote bag when you spend more than $25.
Seedstore – Complimentary libations and free gift-wrapping.
Park Life – Free drinks, and a raffle to win a piece of original artwork or one of two limited edition prints (free raffle ticket with every purchase).
Blue Danube Cafe – Mexican Hot Chocolate will be $3, as will all beers and their house-made Sangria.
Fecal Face’s FFDG Gallery (New! 248 Clement)
Foggy Notion Gallery (New! 275 6th Avenue) – A special sneak peek of recycled leather and vinyl goods, Mittenmaker collection, and works from other great local designers. Plus free drinks.
Toy Boat Dessert Cafe – Free kiddie size cone of their Chocolate Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream.
Kumquat Art – Free treats and free gift-wrapping.
Abracadabra Lingerie – 30% off their unique lingerie from Japanese and European designers and locally made sleepwear.
Dirty Trix
Rockit Room – Draft beers will be $3 and they’ll also be slinging a number of festive $3 shot specials, plus tasty bites.
Cumaica Coffee – 50% off all coffee and espresso drinks

Come out on Thursday night to support your local businesses, get some holiday shopping done, and meet your neighbors!

Sarah B.

Three businesses on Clement Street are participating, with special offers for shoppers on Saturday:

GREEN APPLE BOOKS | 506 Clement Street
As big chains have come and gone, Green Apple Books, a much-beloved Clement Street landmark since 1967, stays fresh. Perennially voted the city’s favorite bookstore—it’s a damn good place to spend a few hours browsing new and used titles. Read the staff-written “shelf talkers” for hilarious reviews and recommendations.
OFFER ON 11/26: Free canvas bag with the mention of Small Business Saturday and a purchase of $25 or more. 506 Clement St.

PARK LIFE | 220 Clement Street
The Inner Richmond’s Clement Street is lined with off-the-beaten-path gems like this neat shop and gallery, favored by locals and savvy tourists. Owners Jamie Alexander and Derek Song’s sprawling shop – housed in a turn-of-the century former furniture store – sells neat little home furnishings, limited – edition art books and fabulous T-shirts and sweatshirts.
OFFER ON 11/26: 10% off all items.

SEEDSTORE | 212 Clement Street
Founders Jennifer and Cynthia Huie have an obvious affinity for classic Old-West Americana, as evidenced by their collection of contemporary lines with an old-school feel and expertly selected vintage items and jewelry. Seedstore offers a selection of men’s and women’s Americanmade lines like Penfield and Tanner Goods, as well as hard-to-find accessories like Pendleton Woolen Mills’ line of National Parks blankets.
OFFER ON 11/26: 20% off all full-priced merchandise.

Happy shopping!

Sarah B.

[via SFist]

L to R: Modern Twist home accessories, Textile artist Susan Eastman, Kendra Renee jewelry

Beginning Friday, the de Young Musuem in Golden Gate Park will host its fifth annual Holiday Artisan Fair, showcasing work from fine artisans in the Bay Area, as well as an expanded selection of accessories, tabletop wares, books and stationery from noted designers and publishers – including Chronicle Books.

The following artists/studios will participate in this year’s fair:

Jewelry: Rosalia Baltazar-Schoemaker*, Susan Kinzig, Denise Peacock, Kendra Renee*, Philippa Roberts, Alice Roche, Wendy Verlaine*, Pamela Wiston, Mashka Zelichenok*

Textiles: Deborah Cross, Susan Eastman*, Kevin Harris

Home Accessories: Randy Comer*, Modern Twist, Lisa Neimeth*, Still Life, Cuong Ta*

Books: Chronicle Books

*New artists in this year’s fair

The fair will be held this Friday (9:30am – 8:30pm) and Saturday (9:30am – 4:30pm) in the de Young’s Piazzoni Murals Room. Admission is free and museum members receive a 10% discount on all purchases.

If you can’t make it to the museum to start your shopping, don’t miss out on their Cyber Shopping Week, where you can get 15% off all regular price items for one week only (November 28th, 2011 at 12:00 AM PT to December 4th, 2011 at 11:59 PM PT). Shop the Museum Store online and enter the code CSW11 at checkout to receive the discount.

Sarah B.

Next Monday night, Green Apple will host an after hours sale and event in honor of the release of Haruki Murakami’s new magnum opus, 1Q84. It was originally published in three volumes in Japan but will be one huge! book when it lands on shelves next week.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s—1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.

On Monday, Green Apple will stay open beyond their usual 10:30pm closing time to celebrate the release. Shoppers can purchase the book at the stroke of midnight and while they’re waiting, cruise outside the store to the nearby taco truck for some food and beer.

Anyone who pre-purchases the book – either online or in the store – will be treated to a free taco and beer on Monday night. The book is available for $30.50.

As an extra added bonus, anyone who buys their copy of 1Q84 before midnight on the 24th will be entered to win a raffle drawing for one of 10 AUTOGRAPHED COPIES of the book. That’s a signed first edition of a Murakami novel – a big deal! If you’ve already bought the book and you win the raffle, they’ll swap it for an autographed version.

Are you a Murakami fan? Let us know if you’ll be lining up for the midnight sale next week!

Sarah B.

St. James will be hosting a used clothing sale from 8am until 12noon. Browse through some gently used clothes for kids age up to 5 years old. Plus free coffee and baked goods to fill you up.

St. James School is located at 4620 California Street near 8th Avenue.

Sarah B.

A handbag by Dsenyo, who offers contemporary handbags
and accessories celebrating African Textile design and sustainable fibers.

This Friday and Saturday, the de Young Museum Store will host their inaugural Fair Trade Bazaar, showcasing fair trade products from around the world.

The event will feature about a dozen vendors selling jewelry, textiles, native handcrafts and accessories that reflect on the museum’s multicultural collections.

Museum store director Stuart Hata explains, “The de Young Museum store is proud to organize the inaugural Fair Trade Bazaar as an educational complement to the Museum’s renown collections of native arts from around the world. Working with local Fair Trade merchants and the kind assistance of the Fair Trade Federation has allowed us to present a diverse range of fair trade product for the Museum’s audience to shop and support.”

Participating vendors include:

Craftspring – Central Asian arts & crafts
Dsenyo – African bags/accessories
Gianna Fair Trade – Southeast Asian tabletop/textiles
Globally Minded– Mayan jewelry
Good Paper – Multi-ethnic stationery
Jolom Mayaetik – Mayan textiles
Mayan Hands – Mayan crafts
Ock Pop Tok – Laotian textiles
Oryjin – Laotian jewelry/scarves
Tribal Home – African baskets
Woven Promises – African textiles
Yellow Label Kids – Nepalese kids crafts
Zanmi Lakay – Haitian arts & crafts

Many of the vendors at the event are members of the Fair Trade Federation.

The Fair Trade Bazaar will take place in the Piazzoni Murals Room in the de Young Museum on Friday 9:30am until 8:30pm, and on Saturday from 9:30am until 4:30pm. Admission to the event is free and museum members will receive a 10% discount on all purchases.

Sarah B.

Zanmi Lakay Haitian Arts Crafts