Word of Mouth: Coffee and Art in San Francisco

Within the Mission District and SoMa neighborhoods, our favorites are all within walking distance of each other

Much can be said of San Francisco, California‘s fourth-largest city, where culture abounds and the crowded streets afford ample opportunity to wander and find gems along the way. Strewn about are art institutions, small galleries, and coffee shops—and the independent ones are often on par with the better-known destinations. They’re scattered throughout the city, up and down its steepest hills and in the trenches of …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

From greener carparks to public art, scientific breakthroughs and custom cars, news from around the web

Turning Big-Box Store Parking Lots into Urban Farms French design firm Studio NAB has proposed the Car Parks 2.0 concept, which strips away asphalt in the acres and acres dedicated to big-box store parking lots, in order to expose the soil trapped beneath and utilize a portion for urban farming. The concept envisions two other sections: one where the community can grow and another where …

Justkids + Camille Walala’s Colorful Gas Station

The corner of Grand Ave and 11th St in Fort Smith, Arkansas has been transformed by women-led global creative house Justkids and French artist Camille Walala. Named Walala Pump & Go, the ’50s-era gas station is now a bright, bold and playful piece of public art. The colorful patterns that now cover the structure were inspired by the artist’s “travels, the Memphis movement, optical art …