SFist reads the weeklies! We even report them so that you don't have strain your eyes reading them yourself. It has become clear that it's not really a balanced relationship. We read the weeklies, so it only seems fair that they should read SFist. Give AND take people!

As part of this plot, we are pleased to bring you an interview with Lessley Anderson who writes for SF Weekly. Even if she didn't love the Musee Mechanique as much as SFist, her gig at the paper would maker her cool in our eyes. Lessley is a native of the Bay area, which means you should read her best of picks extra carefully. Keep your fingers crossed that lots of Lessley Anderson features will grace the pages of SF Weekly soon and help them win "Weekly of the Week".

Name
Lessley Anderson

Introduce yourself in one sentence
I'm a feature writer at a local weekly who enjoys
hanging out with dissipated intellectuals, reading and writing about
cults and crime, running on mountain trails, making Deviled Eggs, and reclining on the Getty's rug.

Age and Occupation
30, journalist

Home Town
San Jose, CA

How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
I grew up in the South Bay, went back East for college, then moved to
SF in 1997. I currently live on Dolores St. I moved to SF because when I was growing up my cool cousins lived here.

Favorite website
www.rickross.com

Favorite dot com or local business
Palenque - the Mexican art store on Hayes Street

What I'm currently Reading
The Claverings by Anthony Trollope

Best Deal in San Francisco
the public pools

Favorite mode of transportation
cable car

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Craig Ventresco

Favorite local hangout
Zeitgeist Bar and Muddy's Coffeehouse on Valencia @ 24th St.

SF has the BEST: People. They, for the most part, don't care how much
money you make, but whether you are a good conversationalist. They have their own unique style. They're independent thinkers. They're cynical, funny, and usually eccentric.

You've never lived in SF until:
You've seen God in Golden Gate Park.

Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
Matt Gonzalez, man of mystery.

Best solicitation from a pan handler:
By their definition, solicitations from pan handlers cannot be "best." I will - and have - given bills in large denominations to street musicians, however.

You can tell someone is a local here IF:
they're smoking pot inside a bar.

SF would be soooo much better if only:
There were more journalism jobs

Best Burrito:
the shrimp burrito at Papalote

Best Restaurant:
Zuni, but that's too obvious. I really like Swan's Oyster Bar, and also Memphis Minnies.

Best movie scene filmed in or about SF:
The scene in Harold and Maude where Maude falls down the chute at the old Sutro baths.

I want all the SFists out there to know:
That both men and women should not be shy of wearing retro hats.

Tell us a San Francisco Story:
One time I was at the old Musee Mechanique, by myself. One of my favorite things to do is to activate the old whachamacallit player piano thingies, b/c they're so clangy and jangly and I like ragtime piano music. When I got there this one time, this homeless guy was doing exactly what I was going to do, activating my very favorite player piano. It was playing super loud, the song was Sweet Georgia Brown, and he was rocking out, clapping his hands and dancing all over the place, in ecstasy. Who knew that someone would feel the same way I did? and that it would be some crazy homeless guy?

Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
who is your favorite street performer