It's always interesting to take an "outside-in" look at our fine city, like when the L.A. Times wrote about the Haight a couple months back.
This time, it's the venerable UK-based that's examining our seven-by-seven, in an article entitled "City in a bottle: The strange half-recovery of California's prettiest city."
Ahhh, Economist, that sort of flattery will get you everywhere. As will amusing turns of phrase, like its reference to "Scruffy Oakland," the startlingly accurate description of the "queue outside Boogaloos" as "interminable," and characterizing the leisure industry as being "in fine fettle." Whatever that means. Silly Brits! So funny. So much snappier than we are. You just can't lose by reading this article.
The piece does tell a compelling story of what's been happening in the city. It focuses on signs of the "half recovery," presents the leisure industry as our economy's new cornerstone, and, somewhat troublingly, the goes into detail on changing face of our citizenry. And it signs off with a little note about the Gavster, who is described as "best known . . .for allowing gay couples to marry."
That's funny -- that's about 10th on our list of things Newsom is well known for. Hmmph. There's that "outside-in" perspective for you.
