Interview: Pamela Cianci
Walking into a complete stranger’s house and asking to look around takes moxy. Doing it twice in one day is probably indicative of fundamental fearlessness. We can’t say for sure if Pamela Cianci is entirely free from fear, but she did once get to check out two houses she’d always walked by, just by asking. Food for thought next time you’re walking by that amazing Victorian.
When she isn’t exploring other people’s property, Pamela Cianci stays out of trouble running a consulting business, baking company, and writing for the Examiner, oh and occasionally advising Gavin Newsom. How she manages to do all of that and stay seemingly sane, is beyond SFist, but her determination to always be happy probably has a lot to do with it.
Name
Pamela Fishman Cianci
Introduce yourself in one sentence
I am an extroverted individual who promised myself that I would always be happy, and my definition of happiness is living well by enjoying others and building as many relationships as possible.
Age and Occupation
31. Marketing & Event Consultant, owner Outlined Consulting; Baker, owner Sugar & Spike Baking Company; Writer, Life & Style Tuesday's in the Examiner and Freelance
Home Town
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where, and WHY?
7 years, North Beach, fell in love with Northern California on trip here in 1996, lived in North Lake Tahoe for 2 years and then moved here to become "more professional" as it is so beautiful and there is so much opportunity
Favorite website
Google, it is just so easy to find things that you need or want to know
Favorite local business
OOMA boutique on Grant and Café Trieste, not too expensive, historical and very "cool"
What I'm currently Reading
Blink
Best Deal in San Francisco
The SF Flowermart
Favorite mode of transportation
Walking, I walk as often as I am able to
Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Grateful Dead
Favorite local hangout
Sweetie's, eclectic décor and free pool
SF has the BEST:
Views and landmarks.
You've never lived in SF until:
You've played 9 holes in Golden Gate Park then made a bon fire on Ocean beach or actually considered spending $900,000 on a one-bedroom flat.
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
Gavin Newsom, he does really care.
You can tell someone is a local here IF:
They are not huffing when they walk up hill.
SF would be soooo much better if only:
If there were less homeless people,cleaner streets in general and less expensive housing.
Best Burrito:
San Jose on Francisco.
Best Restaurant:
Albona.
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF:
The Game when he falls through the Palace and the car chase in Bullet, all of Jagged Edge....
Favorite artist to come out of the bay area:
Jerry Garcia
Favorite author to come out of the bay area:
Amy Tan
Place you always tell visitors to check out:
Ferry Building
Favorite Bridge in the area:
Golden Gate
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Walk to China Town and find some great local products to turn into a feast of a dinner.
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist:
nothing
I want all the SFists out there to know:
"Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing,you will forget the pose, and then where are you?" --Fanny Brice, American Actress and Singer 1891-1951
Tell us a San Francisco Story:
Yikes I have so many! This one is not that good but most of the ones I have are "off the record".....
What are the chances that on the same day I was able to see the inside of two properties I walk by regularly and covet? I was walking as usual and
completing random errands when I noticed that the door was open and a woman was sitting on the porch at the first "house" I asked if I could look around and she said yes, and it met every expectation I could have had. Shortly thereafter, as I continued my route I was walking by the second property and the door was wide open, I walked in and up the stairs. Inside I found the owner and asked if I could look around and he said yes, it too was as beautiful as I imagined. Perspective is everything, seeing both the inside
and the outside opened the doors to so much more.
Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
What is the best decision you have made in your life?