Lifestyle

It beat out New Orleans, Chicago and other well-known cities for the honor.

Night markets have exploded in popularity over the past few years in the Bay Area. Many local downtowns and shopping districts have invested in night markets as a way to regain the foot traffic of the pre-pandemic years. In this episode, we go to the Story Road Night Market in...

Only a week after his prized pastrami shop Delirama shuttered earlier this year, owner Cash Caris was ready to get back in the saddle. The two years leading up to this moment had been tumultuous to say the least. He’d poured his heart and soul into his brick-and-mortar pastrami shop, Delirama — the logical thing to do following the wild success of its pop-up predecessor, Pyro’s Pastrami. After famous foodies including Omar Mamoon, J. Kenji López-Alt and a Vice Munchies film crew sang the pastrami’s praises online, his new deli on Solano Avenue became an instant hit.

As the Bay Area's residents seek fresh event spaces, those willing to venture a tad outside the city limits may find a gem in Carver County. According to a recent social media post from Carver County Parks, Paradise Commons at Lake Waconia Regional Park has opened its doors as a reservable facility for all sorts of revelries.

POOL PARTY … When Team Sheeper took over operations of Rinconada Pool in 2017, not everyone cheered the move. The company made its foray into Palo Alto in 2015, when the city had a hard time staffing the popular attraction at its eponymous park. Two years later, as the city was preparing to give Team Sheeper operational control over the pool, the company faced criticism from the Rinconada Masters, a swimming club that had been at the pool for decades and whose members were concerned about getting pushed out. Since then, however, things have gone swimmingly. According to the city, the number of monthly members who come to Rinconada for lap swimming has gone up by 52%, from 190 in 2018 to 288 this year. The city has also seen increases in open swim visits (up by 33%), and swim lessons (up by 23%), according to data from the Community Services Department. Responses from customers have also been largely positive. With the city preparing to sign a new five-year contract with Team Sheeper, the city surveyed the group Friends of Rinconada to get their opinions about pool operations. Of the 40 who responded, 36 said they were in favor of renewing the contract. City staff is also onboard and is recommending a five-year renewal, which the City Council will consider on Oct. 21. Under the proposed deal, the city would not pay Team Sheeper to operate the pool. Rather, the company would make money by collecting revenues from customers and remitting a share of its revenues to the city. The share would depend on total revenues earned, according to staff.

Artists from the Bay Area Mural Program designed and painted the mural.

A petite Western burrowing owl is no match for a big bulldozer. In a major step toward protecting the unique ground-dweller from loss of habitat around the San Francisco Bay and four other regions, the California Fish and Game Commission recently voted to make the owl a candidate for protection under the state Endangered Species Act.

Travis Gienger explained that tough weather this year made growing the pumpkin difficult, but he still managed to win first place

Jon Jang Architect together with Niche Interiors has designed this inviting modern house for a couple relocating from San Francisco to enjoy a larger property in Menlo Park, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The homeowners desired a modern home yet wanted it to be warm, welcoming, and durable where guests (and kids) would feel at ease.

The Bay Area is gearing up for a vibrant celebration of Filipino American culture with FAHM Jam 2024, set to take place on Friday, October 18, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM in San Jose. This lively event, organized as part of Filipino American History Month, promises to be one of the largest Friday night celebrations in the region, paying tribute to the rich heritage of the Philippines and the contributions of Filipino Americans in Silicon Valley.

Defending champion Travis Gienger from Minnesota triumphed at the 51st annual Safeway World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, securing the top prize with a massive 2,471-pound pumpkin. Just 8 pounds shy of his world record from 2023, Gienger’s giant gourd earned him a cash prize of $22,239, which...

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... This weekend catch concerts with Palo Alto-raised star Remi Wolf, New Wave rockers Modern English, folk-pop singer-songwriter Melinda Kausek, The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol and Borromeo String Quartet; see a unique flamenco show bringing together top artists from Spain and celebrate the book arts — and make books — at the Book Arts Bazaar.

Andrew Mann Architecture, along with Sherry Williamson Design, has reimagined this home for an artist and her family with environmentally conscious design in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The project included a complete interior and exterior renovation, inspired by the simplicity of New England colonial architecture. The property features clean lines and eco-friendly design features throughout.

Let us pause for a moment to appreciate beer in the Bay Area. In the East Bay alone there are dozens of breweries with beers honoring the area’s diverse cultures and rich history. The proliferation of area breweries in the past decade is proof that this is an area of doers, DIY folks, backyard brewers who have turned their hobbies into viable businesses, and people who want to share the fruits of their labor with their community.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Portola Bistro is bringing a fine dining experience blending French, Italian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine to the Ladera Country Shopper in Portola Valley. Owners Allen Isik and Dino Tekdemir, who also own Barbayani Taverna in Los Altos, opened the restaurant in the former space of Portola Kitchen, which closed in March after 20 years in business.

The Midnight Diners is a regular collaboration between KQED food editor Luke Tsai and graphic novelist Thien Pham. Follow them each week as they explore the hot pot restaurants, taco carts and 24-hour casino buffets that make up the Bay Area’s after-hours dining scene. If you wondered what everyone...

Carlmont students and community members saw months of work pay off at the seventh annual Belmont Water Dog Run, a volunteer-led fundraiser. In addition to 5K and 10K timed races, the community event featured a 1-mile course for younger runners and a Fido course where pups raced alongside their athletes.

There were no tickets sold with all six numbers in Wednesday evening’s SuperLotto Plus drawing, pushing the estimated jackpot for Saturday’s drawing to $32 million. A ticket with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, was sold at a convenience store in Newark in the San Francisco Bay Area and is worth $35,512, the California Lottery announced.