PROXY

Wander along Octavia Street in Hayes Valley and you’ll probably notice the open space at its center dotted with renovated shipping containers; though it may sound like it wouldn’t be a retail hot spot, it definitely is. Proxy is a temporary two-block project that “aims to mobilize a flexible environment of food, art, culture, and retail,” which means that businesses develop, evolve, and move in and out of the shipping containers that serve as their storefronts. In this way, the businesses mirror the contemporary cultural curiosities and the vast diversity within San Francisco. Juicing is popular right now—visit Juice Shop. Artisan ice cream and coffee are renowned throughout the city—have some at Smitten Ice Cream or Ritual Coffee Roasters. San Franciscans care about their health and fitness—work out at Basic Training or take a bike tour of the city with Streets of San Francisco Bike Tours. Visit the website—or better yet, the two blocks of Proxy itself—to get to know all the current vendors and art installations, and keep an eye out for the outdoor movie screen going up this summer.

Gourmet eats are on the go in San Francisco. The city’s most famous food truck organization, Off the Grid, has different locations on different days, but in the summer the Fort Mason event on Fridays and Picnic at the Presidio on Sundays are two ways to sample fare from many trucks all in one place. The year-round SOMA StrEat Food Park is always in one location and provides picnic bench seating surrounded by trucks. Throughout the city, locals find their way to popular food trucks like Mama’s Empanadas, JapaCurry, That Chairman Truck, and El Tonayense Taco Truck. The web site Roaming Hunger allows you to find your favorites at any day and time.