San Francisco Police closed off streets around the intersection of Ninth and Brannan in SoMa around 11:10 p.m. last night after responding to reports of shots fired in the area. Officers arriving on the scene blocked off several streets in the area after more shots were fired from a roof on the Northwest corner of the intersection. The ensuing standoff lasted over two hours while an SFPD tactical unit and the SWAT team attempted to dislodge the shooters who were reportedly armed with an assault rifle. more ›

A 26-year-old woman who was jumped by two men in broad daylight while walking in SoMa managed to escape her abductors in a New Year's Eve incident that ended after the two suspects led police officers on a bumper car chase through city, Bay City News reports. The suspects, Jesus Duran and Javier Perez (ages 28 and 27 respectively), jumped the victim near the corner of Seventh and Minna after asking her for directions. After being thrown in to their vehicle and having her laptop stolen, the woman managed to bail out of the vehicle a block away at Eighth Street. more ›

In a bit of year-end bar news this week, we learn that Peter Osborne, the man behind such crowded Giants pre-game drinking spots as MoMo's, Pete's Tavern and Pedro's Cantina, has plans to expand his King Street empire in to something like a local version of a Dave & Buster's in the coming year. more ›

Billed "Avoid the 8" by SFPD, police will check for lushes behind the wheel this New Year's Eve at 8th and Folsom Streets. It will begin at 8:30 p.m. and end around 3 a.m. "All of the police departments that serve this great city have banded together against the death, injury, expense and family harm that drunk or drugged drivers so often cause. We could not be more serious about getting these dangerous people off the road and making San Francisco safer," said traffic Capt. Al Casciato of the San Francisco Police Dept. more ›

Typically held on the last weekend in September, milquetoast sex and fetish fete Folsom Street Fair will move its date for the first time in 20 years. Next year's butt blowout will take place on Sunday, September 23. Why? Well, according to queer publication The Bay Area Reporter, it's because of Oracle OpenWorld. "Organizers opted to move the festival, which draws hundreds of thousands of people each year, to avoid a scheduling conflict with Oracle OpenWorld, which will run September 30 through October 4." more ›

After almost a decade in Union Square, local lifestyle magazine 7x7 will pack up their staplers and Post-Its and move to SOMA—glorious, rad, joyous, dirty, homelessy, wealthy South of Market. The publication(s) will move into the old Chronicle Books spot at 680 Second Street, right next door to Ironside (home of the city's best Cuban sandwich.) But why the move? SFist asked Chloé Harris, 7x7's sparkling new executive editor, for more details. more ›

In fancypants news, a gaggle of tech ilk, public relations birds, and assorted media-ish types attended Fortune Magazine's 2011 "40 Under 40" fete at the Zynga headquarters in SOMA. (Think Out Magazine's OUT 100 list, only gayer and just as relevant.) Mayor Ed Lee, the dirty bottom to the tech industry's aggressive dom top, made a required appearance at the festivities. So did Google VP Marissa Mayer and Gawker's Ryan Tate. more ›

At Fifth and Mission, the development company behind the 5M project that has helped the Chronicle lease out the unused square footage of their offices is ready to move to the next phase of the development project: Turning the Chronicle building in to something other people actually might want to visit. more ›

Keith Brown, 21, was arrested on Tuesday at gaming company Zynga's after allegedly stealing an estimated $100,000 worth of equipment. Brown stands accused of taking company laptops, desktop computers and software. more ›

Behold, the city's first hyperlocal pet-centric paper-based calendar. Created by the bloggers behind the sprawling, formerly industrial neighborhood blog LiveSOMA and benefiting a local charity, the calendar features 12 months of bridges, puppies, high-rise apartment buildings and other neighborhood sights — canine and otherwise. As LiveSOMA explains the animal urges behind creating the calendar: more ›

The Chronicle's Michael Bauer used his Sunday column to throw some light shade at the W hotel's new dining experience, Trace. And what an experience it is. Taking over the old XYZ spot (the restaurant where Gavin Newsom used to dine privately, among other things), Trace opened this summer and jumped on the locavore food bandwagon with a resounding ker-plop. Take, for example, the restaurant's mission statement: "[T]houghtful culinary experience by fusing the vibrant, local personality of the Bay Area with our dedication to socially responsible food." more ›

An unidentified pedestrian "wearing a security guard uniform" on Sunday afternoon was struck and killed by a Muni bus at Mission at Fifth streets. According to reports, the man "crossed in front of the 14-L bus as it pulled out of the bus zone, a Muni spokesman said, and two sets of tires rolled over his legs. His lunch bag was found next to him." He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. more ›

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus is funny. Why? Well, according to the Wall Street Journal, he wants his early employees to return some of the stock they own before the company's initial public offering. With games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, the San Francisco-based company grew. Grew big. Billions of dollars big. However, now Pincus some of that sweet-nectar stock back. more ›

A little after 7 a.m. this morning, a pedestrian was hit by a car in the city's SOMA district. According to SF Appeal, "the accident was reported shortly after 7 a.m. at the intersection of Seventh and Harrison streets." The victim suffered a head injury in the accident. more ›

President Barack Obama's impending San Francisco visit for a fundraiser at the W Hotel this afternoon will result in several street closures for at least one hour. If you drive or ride on the following streets at noon today, please find an alternate route: more ›

Last night around 12:30 a.m, a GMC van reportedly traveling at 80 miles per hour through SOMA T-boned a Dodge Charger carrying six unbuckled passengers at the intersection of Tenth and Howard. CBS5 reports the van allegedly ran a red light before slamming in to the Dodge. Police suspect both drivers were under the influence at the time and a "large quantity of cocaine" was found in the van, which may have also been involved in an earlier hit-and-run incident less than ten minutes earlier in SFPD's Northern District. more ›

It is if you're David Chang. See, in a recent Wall Street Journal piece, the noted chef opined that Benu, SoMa's modern restaurant of well-executed divinity, could very well be the next El Bulli. Or Jack's Bistro. Or Roy's. (Ha! Kidding. Unless coconut shrimp still amuses your bouche, no self-respecting artisan mafia member likes Roy's. Perish the thought.) Wall Street Journal reports: more ›

Today at around 1:50 pm, there was a manhole cover explosion on Folsom Street at Harriet Street. Alert SF notes: "Folsom Street is closed between 6th and 7th Streets. Harriet Street is closed between Howard and Harrison Streets. Please avoid the area." more ›

A presumably mentally-unhinged lady went on a smashing at least three parked police cars this morning. The San Francisco woman was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism at 3:27 a.m. after a passer-by reported the vandalism to officers at the department's Southern Station," reports SF Appeal. more ›

SoMa's annual Folsom Street Fair was a wet one. Also, it rained. (Ha!) But seriously, folks, loads or sex fetish fans descended upon Folsom this weekend for their sex fetish fair. Even mayoral candidate Joanna Rees showed up to show off her legs. (Really, Joanna, you look amazing here.) So did Ross Mirkarimi, but sporting far too much clothing. Anyway, here are some photos from Sunday's slap-and-tickle festival. (It goes without saying, but some if not most of these photos are NSFW. You've been warned.) more ›

What with the (somewhat benign yet very popular) Folsom Street Fair approaching this Sunday, it's not shocking that Treasure Island Media, a local porn company that specializes in bareback (i.e., condom-free) adult entertainment, has been 86'd from Sunday's festivities. In fact, they've been banned for several years now. No, not for distributing films with such titles as Plantin’ Seed (Folsom Underground) or Dawson's 20-Load Weekend, but for having had actual sex acts inside their booths at past Folsom Street Fair. more ›

At around 1:50 a.m. this morning, near Folsom and 11th Streets in SOMA, a man was shot twice in the calf. As the 20-year-old victim was getting into his car, he heard gunshots, "and felt two bullets hit his right calf." He was whisked away to SF General for treatment of non-life-threatening wounds. more ›

On a particularly bleak stretch of 9th Street between Mission and Market Streets, the beige monolith of the SoMa Holiday Inn rises to the east, and a barren expanse leads up to what had been yet another big blank wall, now graced with a mural. The space was provided by the San Francisco Quaker Meetinghouse, with work carried out by Pancho Pescador and 67 Sueños, a group affiliated with the Quaker American Friends Service Committee. more ›

The Guardian Angels have landed on colorful 7th Street in SOMA. Their mission: prostitute wrangling. In their own words: more ›