Slowly exploring the new "neighborhood"

San Francisco is a BIG city. Much larger than one would imagine. Thus, it has a lot of different neighborhoods, often divided by just a few blocks. My first internship was in the "China Basin" down by the ball park and my new one is in the "Financial District," a few blocks south of Market. Technically, both are identified as SOMA (South of Market) but the blocks that separate the two define them a lot. The closer to Market St. you get, the more lively you get. The closer to AT&T you get, the calmer you get (and more homeless people); well except for Game Days.

The thing that I am discovering about San Francisco is that it is one of the most diverse food places in the world. In fact, several magazines in the last few months have been featuring it as the "new food capital of the world" (please don't quote me..I just remember this statement, not the publications it was in). So naturally, a food loving gal like me would want to look around. Of course, as much as I love food, I am notoriously picky. Like crazy picky. But even if I can't find something on the menu I like/would eat, I do like to go in and see what it's all about.  My new office is surrounded by TONS of little restaurants.

My first morning, I didn't have to be in the office until 9 am and had been told that no one really arrived before then. So, because I didn't have a key and didn't want to stand next to the door until someone came, I went to the cafe next door to get some breakfast (I am horrible about eating before I leave the house these days - 6:30 am breakfast makes this girl hungry again by 9 am). It was adorable and called Bay Area Gourmet. I didn't notice until later that day that they had a huge "GRAND OPENING" sign fluttering in the ever-present San Francisco breeze. It was interesting because they offer "personal drip coffee." Now, I am a coffee drinker, at all, but I found this process fascinating. The lady would scoop a cup full of coffee beans, put it in the grinder, slip a filter in a little holder with the beans in it, place a cup underneath and then pour boiling water into the coffee grounds and whisk them up, thus letting the very freshly brewed coffee drip right into the customer's coffee cup. I had never seen anything like it. And yes, I know, I am verrrryyy easily amused and fascinated. But hey, it's all about new experiences.
There is also this sandwich place called The Toaster Oven, who specializes in, you guessed it, toasted sandwiches. And I tried one the other day and even with my pickiness, I found it delicious. There's also a soup place across the street called San Francisco Soup Company, that is literally a door a counter and a menu. That's it. No seating area, hardly any room inside for any type of line. I must try it. My coworkers frequent there and the soup always smells delicious. Also, Specialty's is around the corner on New Montgomery. Now, I know this is a chain but I really hadn't been there much and have now fell in love with their chocolate chip cookies (only gotten them once..but oh goodness they were good.) What interests me so much about this particular location is the people who work there. The few times I've been in there (my agency orders snacks from them for client meetings), it's always all guys working and most of these guys look like the total opposite of what you would expect from a bakery worker. Specifically, they're all covered in tattoos and would look more comfortable in a store, well any other place than a bakery. But they are the nicest guys! Gotta love SF :).

So, since I have pulled away from writing about the books I have read (I swear I'm going to pick that up again), I will write about the little food places around my new place of employment.

Enjoy! And come visit me in SF!!

Ch-Ch-Changes

Ch-ch-changes

My, my, my what a difference a month makes, huh? Well, I can officially say that as of today I am working at H3O Communications as an intern, having finished my previous internship with Fineman PR last Friday. It was a great experience and I am forever grateful to the Fineman team for teaching me so much. For reasons that don’t really matter, I took my leave of them and started today with H3O. I’m really excited to work with this new agency and they’re a bit bigger so I feel a little more comfortable. I’m still in SF, working further into the city than before and so far, I like it. Yes, I can see a construction crew out of my window at all hours of the day and the noise gets a little loud but sheesh this part of the city is so ALIVE. There were so many people surrounding me when I walked here this morning and even the office I’m now in seems alive. It’s got at least 4 different colors on the walls and the desks are set up in an awesomely collaborative way. In fact, even though everyone has an “assigned seat” people move around to work on projects and such. A good chunk of the staff have been in a meeting all day (unfortunately it’s the chunk of the staff and client that I’ll be working on…as a first day-er, I wasn’t in on the meeting) but it’s a big space that gets filled up. I really like it.

Life otherwise is pretty much the same. I work all day so I’m out of the house most of the time. Weekends are my veg-out time. I like it. This past weekend was a 4 day weekend, due to the leaving of one job and starting another mid-week and I have to say (and this scares me) I was so thankful to be going to work this morning that I didn’t care that I was still waking up at 5:30 a.m. and rushing to catch the train. Ahhh, routine. I did get a lot done this past weekend (and quick break) but mostly I relaxed. It was nice. You have to remember to give yourself some relaxation/me time or you’ll go crazy. I know that already and I’m not even in a full-time, salaried position.

I am excited about going home next weekend for a much needed family time break. My wonderful parents are throwing me a graduation party, since I have not only graduated but also got a job (how’s that for having my ish together?) and it will be wonderful fun with all the people I love and miss the most, the people who have surrounded me growing up and encouraged me in my college and post-college life. I can’t wait J. So that was slightly a random post, but hey I got one in right? Ciao, belle.

(P.S….I miss Florence so much still, that I constantly dream about it. As soon as financially able to, I’m running back there and will probably hug the glorious cobblestone that covers my favorite city).