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Ditching your car in San Francisco could save you $1,536 a month

Locals stand to save more than those in any other major U.S. city by choosing transit over a car.

Transit

San Franciscans who rely on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="public transit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/transit" data-vars-content-id="a682d8e5-382c-4040-9e03-2fcdd333a5e1" data-vars-headline="Ditching your car in San Francisco could save you $1,536 a month" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/transit" target="_self">public transit</a> instead of owning a car could save more than $18,400 a year — the most of any major U.S. city, according to a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.apta.com/press-release/households-that-ride-public-transit-can-save-14100-annually/" data-vars-content-id="a682d8e5-382c-4040-9e03-2fcdd333a5e1" data-vars-headline="Ditching your car in San Francisco could save you $1,536 a month" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.apta.com/press-release/households-that-ride-public-transit-can-save-14100-annually/" target="_blank">report</a> from the American Public Transportation Association.By the numbers: That&#x27;s roughly $1,536 a month back in your pocket.

Exclusive: How small businesses in California use AI

Companies nationwide, big and small, are figuring out how best to incorporate AI.

News

Small businesses in California are embracing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AI" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/05/ai-employee-purpose-productivity-ceos" data-vars-content-id="e3aa6661-724a-427e-be5e-1a8d8db6239d" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: How small businesses in California use AI" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/05/ai-employee-purpose-productivity-ceos" target="_self">AI</a>, but how they&#x27;re using it and what they&#x27;re willing to spend varies, according to Goldman Sachs data exclusively shared with Axios.The big picture: Companies nationwide, big and small, are figuring out how best to incorporate AI into their workforces and what that means for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="productivity" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/29/ai-jobs-roles-mckinsey?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="e3aa6661-724a-427e-be5e-1a8d8db6239d" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: How small businesses in California use AI" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/29/ai-jobs-roles-mckinsey?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_self">productivity</a>.

Are you an SF news whiz? Take our quiz

From a street name change to a multibillion-dollar power struggle, San Francisco gave us plenty to talk about this week.<ul><li>But how closely were you paying attention? Take our weekly news quiz to find out.</li></ul>

San Francisco's Bottom of the Hill saved from closure by new owner

The new owner plans to preserve its independent spirit.

San Francisco&#x27;s beloved Bottom of the Hill isn&#x27;t going anywhere after all. The Potrero Hill rock club, which <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced plans to close" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/03/sf-music-venues-closing-bottom-of-the-hill-2026" data-vars-content-id="322ac981-457e-46f4-a91b-d6fda8311a98" data-vars-headline="San Francisco&#x27;s Bottom of the Hill saved from closure by new owner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/03/sf-music-venues-closing-bottom-of-the-hill-2026" target="_self">announced plans to close</a> at the end of 2026, has found a new owner who intends to keep the venue open, Coyote Media <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.coyotemedia.org/bottom-of-the-hill-sold/" data-vars-content-id="322ac981-457e-46f4-a91b-d6fda8311a98" data-vars-headline="San Francisco&#x27;s Bottom of the Hill saved from closure by new owner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.coyotemedia.org/bottom-of-the-hill-sold/" target="_blank">reports</a>.Why it matters: The news is a rare bright spot for the city&#x27;s struggling independent music scene, which has seen <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="longtime venues shutter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/30/thee-parkside-announces-official-closure-sf-bay-area" data-vars-content-id="322ac981-457e-46f4-a91b-d6fda8311a98" data-vars-headline="San Francisco&#x27;s Bottom of the Hill saved from closure by new owner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/30/thee-parkside-announces-official-closure-sf-bay-area" target="_self">longtime venues shutter</a> amid rising costs, changing nightlife habits and growing competition from corporate promoters.

San Francisco's former downtown mall eyed for AI data center

Nearby businesses fear the mall's proposed transformation won't bring back badly needed shoppers.

San Francisco&#x27;s shuttered <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="downtown mall" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/22/san-francisco-centre-mall-final-store-closing" data-vars-content-id="3146c9f2-5b7d-4873-9af8-b3cde1d411f0" data-vars-headline="San Francisco&#x27;s former downtown mall eyed for AI data center" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/01/22/san-francisco-centre-mall-final-store-closing" target="_self">downtown mall</a> could get a second life hosting an AI data center, a proposal that&#x27;s raising questions about what the city wants from one of its most important redevelopment sites.Why it matters: The former San Francisco Centre mall has become a symbol of downtown&#x27;s struggles since the pandemic.

Throwback Thursday: The San Francisco landmarks built over forgotten graves

As San Francisco expanded, cemeteries gave way to development — but not every grave was relocated.

Culture

San Francisco is famously short on cemetery space today, but that wasn&#x27;t always the case.The big picture: Before parks, homes, museums and college buildings filled much of the city, people were buried across San Francisco — sometimes beneath places we now visit without a second thought. And some of them might still be there.

Spooky season is arriving earlier in San Francisco

The region ranked among TaskRabbit's top markets as Americans hired help for elaborate displays.

As Halloween displays across San Francisco get more elaborate, more people are outsourcing the job of building them.The big picture: Halloween is becoming a bigger, longer affair, with Americans starting the festivities well before Oct. 31. And they&#x27;re going big.

Cole Valley's pie contest is serious neighborhood business

From Swedish cheese to spiced apple, locals put their best pies forward at the night market.

Neighborhoods

I can now add &quot;pie judge&quot; to my résumé, though I&#x27;m not sure my first assignment prepared me for just how seriously one can debate a crust.State of play: I joined the judging table at the second annual pie-baking competition during the Cole Valley night market last week.

More summer concerts could be coming to Golden Gate Park

A new deal lets the Outside Lands promoter extend the summer festival season.

More big music festivals may be coming to Golden Gate Park each summer thanks to an agreement that would let the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Outside Lands" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/05/13/outside-lands-food-2026-original-joes-balboa-cafe-perrys-san-francisco" data-vars-content-id="0fe6be36-a427-4659-be5d-1fc63ed9cb62" data-vars-headline="More summer concerts could be coming to Golden Gate Park" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-francisco/2026/05/13/outside-lands-food-2026-original-joes-balboa-cafe-perrys-san-francisco" target="_self">Outside Lands</a> promoter host additional concerts through 2029.Why it matters: City leaders see the shows as a way of generating revenue for parks and local businesses while building on the success of Outside Lands. But for some westside residents, it could also mean more weeks of traffic, noise and road closures.

San Francisco's coolest new cafés offer more than coffee

From vinyl listening lounges to flower workshops, these cafés are built for lingering.

Things to Do

San Francisco&#x27;s trendiest new cafés are offering much more than a caffeine fix. These four newcomers are turning coffee runs into all-day experiences.Why it matters: As people seek more community-focused <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="third spaces" data-vars-click-url="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-rise-of-third-places-reshapes-how-americans-spend-summer-days/" data-vars-content-id="c5751390-e34f-42fe-84d1-6fcae8a1902e" data-vars-headline="San Francisco&#x27;s coolest new cafés offer more than coffee" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-rise-of-third-places-reshapes-how-americans-spend-summer-days/" target="_blank">third spaces</a>, a new crop of cafés is pairing high-quality drinks with experiences that encourage people to stay awhile.

Inside San Francisco's off-leash dog culture war

San Franciscans have found a new thing to fight about.

What started as one San Francisco resident&#x27;s frustration with off-leash dogs has evolved into <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a site" data-vars-click-url="https://sfdogtracker.com/" data-vars-content-id="3ed38bc5-1377-4cd8-8877-7eff460c5e64" data-vars-headline="Inside San Francisco&#x27;s off-leash dog culture war" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sfdogtracker.com/" target="_blank">a site</a> for reporting such sightings and a heated online fight over leash etiquette and public space.State of play: The SF Dogtracker site is linked on laminated signs that its creator, who goes by the alias Sean Layne, has hung near parks across the city.<ul><li>Layne told Axios he launched it in February to force city officials to take leash enforcement more seriously amid rising dog bite incidents and a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="lax dog culture" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1mj9x5v/epidemic_of_entitlement_has_sf_dog_culture_gone/" data-vars-content-id="3ed38bc5-1377-4cd8-8877-7eff460c5e64" data-vars-headline="Inside San Francisco&#x27;s off-leash dog culture war" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1mj9x5v/epidemic_of_entitlement_has_sf_dog_culture_gone/" target="_blank">lax dog culture</a> that encourages <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rule-breaking behavior" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/sf-dog-owners-breaking-law-restaurants-20381936.php" data-vars-content-id="3ed38bc5-1377-4cd8-8877-7eff460c5e64" data-vars-headline="Inside San Francisco&#x27;s off-leash dog culture war" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/sf-dog-owners-breaking-law-restaurants-20381936.php" target="_blank">rule-breaking behavior</a>.</li></ul>

We visited San Francisco's AI-run store so you don't have to

At Andon Market in the Marina, an AI named Luna runs pricing, hiring and sales.

Step inside <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Andon Market" data-vars-click-url="https://andonlabs.com/blog/andon-market-launch" data-vars-content-id="8ade8a4f-d35d-4666-97f3-9f82277f1ada" data-vars-headline="We visited San Francisco&#x27;s AI-run store so you don&#x27;t have to" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://andonlabs.com/blog/andon-market-launch" target="_blank">Andon Market</a> in the Marina and it looks like any other boutique with mediocre home decor. Look closer and the boss running the store isn&#x27;t in the room.The big picture: This Anthropic-backed, first-of-its-kind retail experiment is part store and part social experiment, designed to test whether an AI model can run a business.

San Francisco drivers respond: To tow or not to tow?

Many locals say they tow immediately, while others wait before escalating.

Few parking missteps trigger backlash in San Francisco faster than a car blocking someone&#x27;s driveway.We asked readers to weigh in: When someone&#x27;s blocking your driveway, do you tow or give the driver a chance to move? And street parkers, what&#x27;s fair game?<ul><li>Here&#x27;s what you said.</li></ul>

How to keep your dog safe during coyote pupping season

Pupping season brings more sightings and defensive behavior.

Environment

It&#x27;s peak pupping season in San Francisco, which means more visible and territorial coyotes guarding their baby-filled dens.Why it matters: Pupping season can lead to more sightings — especially in and around parks — and tense encounters with dogs, which coyotes see as potential threats.

Neighborhoods

San Francisco's former downtown mall eyed for AI data center

Throwback Thursday: The San Francisco landmarks built over forgotten graves

Spooky season is arriving earlier in San Francisco

Cole Valley's pie contest is serious neighborhood business

SF farmers market shoppers are obsessed with croissants and kimchi