May marks 88 years since the Golden Gate Bridge first opened to the public.

Why it matters: The bridge is considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century and became a symbol of San Francisco that continues to attract millions of visitors each year.

• As an iconic landmark, it's served as a symbol of the city in TV shows like "Full House" and classic movies like Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "Vertigo."

Flashback: The bridge officially opened to pedestrians on May 27, 1937 before opening to cars the following day.

State of play: It was crucial in helping grow Marin County by providing a faster and more efficient transportation route across the bay. Prior to construction, ferry travel was the only option, which was often time-consuming and offered limited access.

Catch up quick: James H. Wilkins, a former structural engineer turned journalist, planted the idea for the bridge in 1916. He proposed designing a massive suspension bridge with a span of about 3,000 feet — which was unprecedented at the time, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

• Joseph B. Strauss, who became the chief engineer of the project, created the first renderings for the bridge in 1920.
• Construction began more than a decade later in 1933, according to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District.

Between the lines: Immigrant workers, many of Chinese descent, braved dangerous conditions and were instrumental in helping complete the bridge — though their names were initially left out of carved plaques honoring those who contributed.

The intrigue: The bridge runs for 1.7 miles and spans 4,200 feet, which made it the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time construction was completed in 1937.

By the numbers: Today, the 746-foot tall structure receives about 10 million people annually. Since it first opened, more than two billion people have crossed the bridge.

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Hotter summers are one of the most tangible ways we're experiencing climate change. San Francisco isn't exempt.

Why it matters: Higher temperatures pose health risks for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, the elderly and homeless people and ramp up the likelihood of extreme heat effects and wildfires.

Driving the news: Average summer temperatures between 1970 and 2024 rose in 97% of the 242 cities analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a climate research group.

• Among those cities, summers are now 2.6°F hotter on average.

Zoom in: San Francisco itself has seen average summer temperatures increase by 2.2°F since 1970. That figure reaches nearly 3°F for some other Bay Area counties.

• Meanwhile, Reno, Nevada (+11.3°F), Boise, Idaho (+6.3°F), and El Paso, Texas (+6.2°F) saw the greatest rise in average summer temperatures between 1970 and 2024.

Stunning stat: Over 60% of the cities analyzed now have at least two more weeks' worth of hotter-than-normal summer days compared to 1970.

• That includes San Francisco (28 more days).

The big picture: San Francisco, like many U.S. counties, has recorded upticks in average temperatures across every single season, including winter.

• The bump in summer temperatures, however, is happening in parallel with an increase in heat wave duration and frequency.

What to watch

📝 The San Francisco Unified School District will not implement a new equity-based grading system after receiving backlash from parents. (SF Chronicle)

🗳️ District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio will face a special recall election on Sept. 16 over his role in passing the controversial ballot measure to close the Great Highway to cars. (SF Standard)

💸 Mayor Daniel Lurie plans to close the city's budget deficit by cutting about 1,400 city jobs and roughly $100 million in grant and contract spending. (SF Chronicle)

Get outside and enjoy the nice weather this weekend by attending these events.

• Here's what to do.

🕺 Fridays on Front Street: The city's newest downtown block party will be hosting its first event with live music, food pop-ups and live screening of the Giants game.

• 4-9pm on Friday at 240 Front St.

🍧 Fort Mason Night Market: West Coast Craft and Off the Grid are teaming up to launch a monthly event featuring 100 retail vendors and nearly 20 food and drink options.

• 4-9pm on Friday at 2 Marina Boulevard.

🇮🇹 Festa Italiana: Celebrating North Beach's longstanding Italian community.

• 11am-6pm on Saturday and 11am-4:15pm on Sunday on Stockton Street between Union and Filbert.

More events

Specialty coffee is hard to find in a region that serves as the hometown of Philz and Peet's, among others. But a bustling Yemeni coffee shop in the East Bay is carving out a name for itself.

State of play: Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Company opened its first Bay Area location in Fremont last December.

• Yemeni people were among the first to cultivate beans to brew coffee, a history that is reflected on Qamaria's walls, which chronicle the timeline of Yemeni coffee brewing and the fields where its grounds are sourced.

What to try: The pistachio latte had the perfect balance of cream and nuttiness, with a smooth finish that wasn't too milky or sweet.

Yes, but: If you're not into syrups, don't order it.

Best bites: What really blew me away was the chocolate Dubai cheesecake.

• The cream cheese filling was rich but not heavy, topped with a delicious milk chocolate ganache and held together on top of a crispy kadayif base.

If you go: Open 8am-midnight Sunday through Thursday and 8am-1am Friday and Saturday at 4193 Cushing Pkwy in Fremont.