Your California

Locals Talk

Wanda Whitaker

Age: 51
San Francisco


When I took the Hotel Matchmaker test these are the words I selected:
Serene/Soulful, Creative/Eclectic, Stylish, Worldly/Sensual, Visionary/Artistic
My favorite activities include:
Hiking, walking beaches, reading non-fiction and spiritual books, attending independent film festivals and community theater, painting and drawing, traveling, meditating and listening to a range of genres of music.
I was born and raised in:
The Washington Metropolitan Area
I currently live:
San Francisco's Potrero Hill
What do I do to make a buck?:
Self-employed as a cause marketing consultant and event planner.
5 things I love about the San Francisco Bay Area:
(1) Diversity - The Bay Area is comprised of a diverse population of people from various lifestyles and backgrounds representing different regions of the world. Within each major group or classification are sub cultures that emerge with their very own self expression and uniqueness. This presents a tolerant and "free" environment for one to reach their highest potential of self-discovery and authenticity.
(2) Natural Beauty - One of the most aesthetically beautiful places in the world adorned with stretches of natural coastlines, magnificent parks such as Golden Gate Park and Big Sur, spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean and colorful cityscapes featuring some of the world's most well known landmarks including the Transamerica Building and Golden Gate Bridge.
(3) Village Atmosphere - It has the feel of a village or European city with quaint neighborhoods reflecting the personalities of its inhabitants. Each community has its own small markets, coffee shops, cafes and restaurants. The city is relatively small and compact so everything including entertainment venues are located close in proximity resulting in short travel time.
(4) Robust Array of Entertainment - The city offers a wide variety of entertainment from the symphony to spoken word. A great outdoor venue is Stern Grove where concerts are free and you can bring your own blanket food and drinks. Another good "catch" is an act called, "Ledisi" at Bruno's (2389 Mission Street, 550-7455) or Café Du Nord (2170 Market Street, 861-5016). She captivates her audience with a wide range of vocals and tones blended in with neo-soul, jazz and rhythm and blues arrangements.
(5) Great Dining - There are lots of restaurants to choose from including those serving ethnic and international cuisine. Emmy's Spaghetti Shack (3355 Mission Street, 206-2086) has some of the best spaghetti in the world. The atmosphere is quaint with a small bar, cozy booths and tables. Positioned in the center of the space are some of the most popular Bay Area DJs spinning alternative, neo soul, Old Skool tunes, reggae, funk and R&B beats./dd>
My favorite local hidden treasure you shouldn't miss:
The Oxygen Bar - A great place in SOMA/Mission District to drink delicious herbal concoctions, breathe clean oxygen, get a massage, eat raw food and listen to a collection of world trans beats and enhanced shaman new age music. The atmosphere attracts trendy spiritual and healthy people. (795 Valencia 255-2102)
My perfect day spent in the San Francisco Bay Area:
Starts out with a visit to Glide Memorial Church (330 Ellis, 674-6000) on a Sunday morning. Here you can become alive with the spirit of gospel music and soulful sermons. It is quite a phenomenal sight to view hundreds of people from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds literally run to find seats next to each other with no apparent discretion. Afterwards, I'd take you on a scenic drive down the southern coast to visit the rustic town of Half Moon Bay. Here we'd stroll in and out of quaint gift shops, boutiques, and art galleries. We would stop to have breakfast at a small café along the street. Afterwards we'd travel further down the coast stopping at some of the beaches to enjoy the view or walk in the sand until we got to another small town called Pescadero. Pescadero is famous for their delicious artichoke bread which you can get at the local market there. Then we would head back up the coast to the City to dance to live salsa on the patio and drink margaritas at El Rio (3158 Mission, 282-3325): Your Dive. It's only for the open-minded. This is a magical place because it feels like a tropical haven in the midst of a dive. We'd end the night with an old fashioned American meal at Home Restaurant (2100 Market Street, 503-0333) by the fireplace.

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