Dorothy O'Donnell

There was plenty of community pride in the air in North Beach this past weekend.

Since opening late last summer in a quiet residential neighborhood, the bright, plant-filled cafe serving coffee and casual fare has blossomed into a popular hangout for locals and others lucky enough to stumble upon it.

Edge on the Square, a new contemporary gallery and cultural hub located in the heart of Chinatown on the corner of Grant and Clay, wants to show visitors a deeper cultural experience of the neighborhood.

The former Italian French Baking Company space is now home to The Hive San Francisco, an aerial arts fitness studio where you can take your exercise routine to new heights. Or just get a taste of what it’s like to be a circus performer.

Last weekend, specialty grocery store Luke’s Local celebrated the opening of its newest market in North Beach. Situated in a building on the corner of Green and Stockton that formerly housed a bank, it joins two other locations in Cole Valley and Cow Hollow.

Presented by the nonprofit Noontime Concerts — a separate entity from the church — the hour-long performances happen every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.

Thanks to neighborhood association North Beach Neighbors, 26 lucky small business owners recently benefited from free marketing support in the form of professional videos, photos, copywriting or guidance on using social media platforms like TikTok.

North Beach loves a party. So it’s only natural that during Mardi Gras, the neighborhood lets the good times roll with a scaled-down but lively version of a New Orleans-style second-line parade.

30-year North Beach resident Nader Parhizgari has recently opened Elena Mediterranean Cuisine, serving fresh and healthy Mediterranean home cooking, at 347 Columbus Avenue.

Thanks to muralist Natalie Gabriel, Carol Doda, the iconic stripper who shimmied her way to international fame as a topless dancer in the 60s and 70s has returned to North Beach in a new mural at wine bar Bodega.

The Grant Avenue Follies gained national attention in 2021 when they created their first music video — the "Gai Mou Sou (chicken feather duster) Rap" — and now they've partnered with AARP on a new video, "That Lunar Cheer."

Shake off the post-holiday blues with some high-energy fun courtesy of Club Fugazi’s latest production, “Ennio: The Living Paper Cartoon.”

Vacation owner Kristin Klein opened a sister shop, Work, with her friend and business partner Sam Poole. You’ll find Work just four doors down from Vacation at 1445 Grant Avenue.