Field Notes highlights the Tanforan Memorial’s history, Isaac Julien’s cinematic art at the de Young, SF’s cameo in '9 to 5,' Pescadero’s coastal charm, and Charlie’s Café—a vibrant Mission District spot bringing people together with food and music.
A local autistic youth's BART summer tour
Zayn, a youth participant in the Autism Transit Project, took followers on a BART journey highlighting his favorite spots — bagels near North Berkeley, a bookstore downtown, and frozen yogurt by UC Berkeley. Each spring, local autistic youth visit BART HQ to learn about transit and record station announcements for Autism Acceptance Month.
The Godmother of Japantown, and a champion for Japanese American rights
Aaron Kitashima, aka retired blogger AgentAkit, is encouraging the public to visit the Tanforan Memorial near San Bruno BART, where 8,000 Japanese Americans were held in horse stalls during WWII after being evicted from their Bay Area homes.
His grandmother, Tsuyako “Sox” Kitashima, was 23 when her family was incarcerated there. After four months, they were sent to Topaz in Utah, where Sox became a community leader and married her husband. After the war, she settled in San Francisco and worked for federal agencies.
Later, she emerged as a national advocate for reparations, hand-mailing thousands of letters, speaking publicly, and lobbying in D.C. Her efforts helped bring about the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which included an apology and compensation to survivors.
Known as the “Godmother of Japantown,” Sox also volunteered with senior groups and shared her story with students. She died in 2006 at 87. Her legacy lives on in her community—and in her grandson’s efforts to honor her at Tanforan. — KQED
A beloved Precita Park gathering spot
Charlie’s Café at Folsom and Precita, founded by Charlie and Kristy in 2001, has become much more than a neighborhood eatery. It’s a vital community hub that hosts events promoting social justice, art, poetry, and music, including fundraisers for Palestine and Ukraine.
During the pandemic, the café added a parklet and launched outdoor bluegrass jams that continue to draw locals on weekends. Whether fostering connections or offering a welcoming spot to relax, Charlie’s Café remains a cornerstone of District 9’s community life. — Jackie Fielder, Facebook
Coconuts and comebacks in the Mission
After 21 years selling fresh fruit and coconuts from a sidewalk stand near 22nd and Mission, Óscar Olguín has opened a tiny storefront just across the street. He and his wife invested $20K to launch What’s Up, Coco—his dream shop inside the old Grand Theatre building—eight years after a fire destroyed his first store.
A beloved presence in the neighborhood, Olguín built a following with his machete skills, affordable snacks, and quiet persistence through loss, bureaucracy, and skyrocketing rent. Now, with steady sales and no price hikes, he’s betting on a fresh chapter. “El sol brilla para todos.” — El Tecolote
A cinematic dreamscape at the de Young
At the de Young’s first-ever exhibition dedicated to moving images, British artist Isaac Julien transforms the galleries into a dreamlike cinematic maze. I Dream a World spans decades of his lush, politically charged work — from queer cowboy reveries to poetic meditations on the Black diaspora, migration, desire, and identity.
Visitors are immersed in multi-screen installations featuring archival footage, sensual tableaus, ocean waves, and references to everything from Langston Hughes to Blaxploitation film to Caribbean postcolonial life. For Julien, beauty has always been a radical act. — SF Chronicle
Greens, blooms, and flavor from the garden
Master gardener Anne-Marie Walker highlights the seasonal Asian greens and flowers fresh from her Marin garden that feed both pollinators and people—like spicy shiso, Komatsuna, and calendula.
Her nasturtiums make pesto and petal confetti; violas sweeten cakes and ice cubes. It’s a planting palette rooted in global cuisine, tailored to the Bay Area’s Mediterranean climate. — Marin IJ
A ship's annual voyage to China Camp
The Grace Quan, a hand-built replica of a traditional Chinese shrimping junk, recently made its annual sail to China Camp State Park. Vessels like this once filled San Francisco Bay, piloted by Chinese immigrants who brought boatbuilding knowledge from across the Pacific.
Built using techniques like fire bending and edge-joined nailing, the Grace Quan now spends part of each year docked at the historic fishing village where the Quan family once lived and worked. — NPS, Facebook
A slower pace in Pescadero
Pescadero is the kind of coastal town where redwoods meet tidepools, and artichoke bread is always fresh from the oven. Just south of Half Moon Bay, it’s home to trails, seals, berry farms, and a downtown that’s two blocks long — but packed with local charm.
Highlights include olallieberry pie at Duarte’s, spicy chai at Downtown Local, and goat cheese from Harley Farms. You can hike with elephant seals at Año Nuevo, forage tidepools at Pescadero State Beach, or even bunk at a lighthouse. — 7x7
A city, a commute, a legacy
It’s been 45 years since 9 to 5 hit theaters, and in its opening moments, downtown San Francisco steals the frame—orange-striped Muni buses, the Samuels Clock, a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of the Brown twins. Director Colin Higgins gave the city that brief cameo.
Higgins got his start in Bay Area theater, performed at SF venues while finishing his Stanford degree, and wrote Harold and Maude here. Though most of 9 to 5 unfolds in LA, the rush-hour energy of Market Street was his shorthand for working women everywhere. A small choice, but a lasting imprint. — SFGate
Top image: Installation view of 'Baltimore (2003)' in Isaac Julien: I Dream a World, de Young, 2025. Artwork ©️ Isaac Julien. Photograph ©️ Henrik Kam
Previously: Field Notes: Amy Tan Watches Birds, a Pop Star Emerges in Marin, and a Lost Gay Film is Found
