As one of the greenest cities in the country, San Francisco offers plenty of opportunities to do something good for the planet. Home to the Green Festival in April, the City That Knows How offers programs on proper tree pruning techniques, building strategies that save energy, water and money, how to reduce toxins, environmental justice and more. Plus, San Francisco is home to some of the world’s most innovative environmental legislation and initiatives. With all of the advances in green living in San Francisco, you’re sure to find several environmentally friendly restaurants, businesses and services throughout the city. Here are the top six green places in San Francisco.

GreenCitizen
What: GreenCitizen recycles electronics for a low fee or free of charge, depending on what the item is. GreenCitizen kiosks are located throughout the city for smaller recyclables such as batters, CDs, DVDs and printer cartridges, which can be dropped off for free. The company also destroys hard disks, erases cell phones and provides GreenCitizen collector boxes and recycling reward giftcards.
Where: 591 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105

Keetsa Mattress
What: Keetsa utilizes individually wrapped, recycled steel coil bases or pre-consumer recycled foam bases in its mattresses. The mattresses do not need box springs, which reduces mattress waste, and their compressed packaging means reduced shipping costs, a smaller carbon footprint and no delivery trucks.
Where: 271 9th St., San Francisco, CA 94103

Brilliant Earth
What: This jewelry store guarantees its diamonds are conflict-free, using Canadian diamonds, recycled gold, fair trade gold and ethical origin sapphires. Plus, Brilliant Earth donates 5 percent of its profits to communities impacted by the jewelry trade, in areas such as child labor prevention, gemology training, land restoration and medical aid.
Where: 12 Geary St., Ste. 605, San Francisco, CA 94108

The Green Arcade
What: A place with books, ideas and goods, The Green Arcade specializes in books on the environment, politics, sustainability, food, farming, select art and literature, urban planning, nature and children’s books. The shop also hosts awareness events, including book readings and lectures.
Where: 1680 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94102

Orchard Garden Hotel
What: The rooms at the Orchard Garden Hotel don’t just feel green; they are green. The LEED-certified hotel was built from eco-friendly construction materials such as wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as harvested in a sustainable manner. The hotel rooms feature California’s first guestroom key car energy control system that automatically turns off the lights to the room when guests exit. Plus, there are in-room recycling bins, recycled carpets, energy-efficient roofing, recycled linens and green bath products.
Where: 466 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94101

Speesees
What: This children’s clothing store uses 100 percent skal-certified organic cotton and low-impact and herbal dyes. Speesees’ factory in India is certified SA8000, a social accountabililty standard for decent working conditions that includes workplace safety, renumeration, fair working hours and more. For every dollar you spend, Speesees donates part of the proceeds go back to the Indian village where they manufacture for projects such as building playgrounds and buying school supplies.
Where: 2475 3rd St., Ste. 252, San Francisco, CA 94107

Sugar Beat Sweets
What: Who knew vegan cupcakes could taste so good? The baked goods at Sugar Beat Sweets are free of animal products, aiming to appeal to vegans and those with food allergies. Plus, the bakery uses local, organic and seasonal ingredients whenever possible in its baked goods. Cupcake flavors include mocha almond fudge, citrus dreamsicle, classic chocolate topped with vanilla buttercream and more.
Where: Currently online-only at order@sugarbeatsweets.com, but a storefront is coming soon

The Oakland A’s – If you are a baseball fan and prefer the American League over the National League, you might want to be closer to the A’s than the Giants. East Bay apartments will allow you to enjoy a game whenever you please without having to drive so far.

The View – The skyline of San Francisco is a beautiful thing, but if you live in the midst of it, how can you truly appreciate it. In East Bay, residents enjoy Beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay with the city skyline as a backdrop.

The Great Outdoors – The sky high Redwood trees at the Redwood Regional Park in the Easy Bay area offers excellent opportunities to explore the outdoors. Take in the natural beauty and observe the local wildlife. Or hit the trails for a day of hiking or horseback riding.

Education – While there are a some colleges located in the actual city of San Francisco, there are several options in the East Bay area as well. The University of California Berkley, Mills College, Chabot College and Merritt College are just a few in East Bay.

The East Bay area isn’t for everyone, but if you are looking for a new way to explore the San Francisco area, then try searching for apartments here. Or, just stop in for a visit.

Wondering what to get that man in your life this holiday season? It’s not always easy, we know. Buying a gift for a man can often be a daunting and baffling experience. It wouldn’t be so hard if they could just give us a few suggestions, but let’s face it, men aren’t known for being the most expressive creatures on the planet. Besides, there’s nothing better than surprising him with a gift he truly loves and truly does not expect. So, if you’re up to challenge, you’re going to need some help. That’s where we come in.

Ask the Right Questions. Buy a Great Gift!
Now, we could have made a holiday gift guide with thousands of different gift ideas presented in nice, orderly columns– and it might still be totally useless to you. The key to buying a great gift for your man is not to look for someone else’s quick answers, but rather to ask the right questions. Is your guy into electronics? Is he a reader? Does he play an instrument? Is he an avid chess player? No one knows your man like you do.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a Holiday Guy Gift Guide that truly works. It contains a series of key questions that, when answered, will help you think of some unique gift ideas that are just right for that special man in your life this holiday season. So sit down. Grab a pen. And start brainstorming!

Photo By: Brungrrl

Experience or Item?
This is a great question to start with. Would your man prefer a new surfboard (item) or a surfing trip (experience)? Would he like a new cd of his favorite band (item) or a chance to see them live (experience)? Perhaps you could give him both. Sometimes it’s fun to combine an experience with items of the same subject matter and make a thematic gift.

Clues?
Has he made any passing comments recently about wanting to catch that upcoming boxing match on pay-per-view or try that new golf club? Sometimes men will lay little clues out, just hoping you’ll notice? Imagine how pleased he’ll be when he realizes you actually did.

Replace or Replenish?
Did his iPod recently break? Has he run out of his favorite cologne? Is he still wearing those bottle cap glasses he got back in ‘78?

Hobby?
Does your man have a favorite past time: working on cars, practicing an instrument, playing a sport, etc? Is he missing any item that will help him in his hobby? Anything need to be replaced or replenished? He’s guaranteed to like any gift from this area.

Collector?
Does your man have a collection that he obsesses over? If so, is he missing any items in his collection? Is there a special piece that is hard to find? EBay and other online auction sites are great ways to find collector’s items.

Clothes?
Is he in desperate need of some new shirts, a coat, shorts, jeans? If so, sneak into his wardrobe, find the article of clothing in question (make sure to look for his favorite or the one you think looks the best on him), and write down the color, size, and brand. Buying clothes can be tricky so make sure you keep a gift receipt.

Charity?
Instead of giving your guy another Hanukah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas present, make a donation to his favorite charity in his name. A great online resource, Charity Navigator, can help you find just the right organization to give to.

Gift Card?
Some people may think these are tacky but, when given sparingly, I think they’re just fine. I personally don’t know one guy who would get upset at the chance to purchase whatever he wanted at Best Buy or the Apple store.

You?
Is there something personal that only you can give your man? Think domestic, like promising to cook every night for a month, or maybe a bit sexier (I’ll let your imagination run wild on that one). You could even create your own homemade gift card saying, “This card is good for ________,” and (if you trust him not to get too crazy) let him fill in the blank. You’d be amazed at how many men consider this their favorite gift of all.

Welcome to sunny California! Surrounded by water on three sides, the views of the Pacific Ocean and the Bay are breathtaking in San Francisco. Year round temperatures in this fair city range from 50 to 70 degrees with an average of 260 days of sunshine per year. And, if the climate of San Francisco doesn’t give you something to smile about, the economy will.

The city houses Fortune 500 company headquarters such as Wells Fargo, Gap, PG&E Corp., Charles Schwab, URS, and Levi Strauss. While tourism, financial companies, and retail headquarters make up a large portion of the economy, San Francisco is becoming increasingly known as a biotechnology hub and research center for the area with strong connections to Silicon Valley.

If you’re new to San Francisco or just want to learn more about the local flavor, restaurants, and housing options, check out the info below.

Photo by: Cris Pierry

Interesting Facts About San Francisco

• Denim jeans were invented in San Francisco. Developed as rugged clothing for miners during the Gold Rush.
• The world’s largest landlocked harbor is San Francisco Bay.
• San Francisco was the first city in the US to provide health insurance.
• The Golden Gate Bridge is the second longest suspension bridge in the country.
• The median household income in San Francisco is over $57,000, the third highest in the nation.

Top 10 Popular Restaurants in San Francisco

1. Gary Danko – $$$$
2. La Petite Deli
3. Ike’s Place – $
4. Sun Stream’s Coffee, Pastries, Smoothies – $
5. Sotto Mare – $$
6. Crepes A Go Go – $
7. Radio Africa and Kitchen – $$$
8. Little Star Pizza – $$$
9. Frascati – $$$
10. La Corneta Taqueria – $

Photo by: Eden

Top Green Spots in San Francisco

1. Paulines’s Pizza – Homegrown, homemade products
2. The Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market – Supports local farmers
3. Strybring Arboretum – Dedication to conservation and educational programs
4. Cafe Gratitude – Supports local farms and sustainable agriculture
5. Blue Bottle Cafe – Best organic certified coffee beans

Housing Options in San Francisco

The city maintains a high standard of living with a strong workforce of educated, high-income workers. The cost of living in the city is high, but it’s worth it to be a part of the unique culture of entertainment, education opportunities, performing arts, museums, world class shopping, and fine dining.

Top Pet Friendly Apartments

• Avalon Sunset Towers Apartments – $1745-$2940
• Parkmerced Apartments – $1850-$4665
• The Fillmore Center Apartments – $1510-$3565

Cheap Apartments in San Francisco

• Archstone Fox Plaza Apartments – Starting $1330
• Lakewood Apartments at Lake Merced – Starting $1394
• Northpoint Apartments – $1585

Luxury San Francisco Apartments

• Avalon Towers by the Bay
• Marina Cove Apartments
• Archstone South Market Apartments

Cultural Attractions of San Francisco

1. San Francisco Museums and Galleries
2. Parks of San Francisco
3. San Francisco Botanical Gardens
4. San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center
5. Alcatraz Island

Photo by: daryl_mitchell

Other Useful San Francisco Resources

• San Francisco Unified School District
• San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
• San Francisco Police Department Crime Maps and Statistics
• The Official San Francisco Website
• Visitors Guide for San Francisco

If you know of any other great spots in San Francisco or have any apartment searching tips to share, let us know in the comments!