Axios San Francisco

January 30, 2026
⭐️ The star of the show — Friday!
🌤️ Today's weather: Partly sunny with highs near 60, lows around 50.
🎧 Sounds like: "My Jinji" by Sunset Rollercoaster.
Today's newsletter is 1,013 words — a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: 💔 Thee Parkside to close, for good
Well, it's official. What we most feared is coming true — Thee Parkside is closing, for good.
Why it matters: For decades, this gritty Potrero Hill dive bar and venue has been the place to catch live punk, metal and indie music.
- Its closure is a major blow to a neighborhood already bracing for the loss of Bottom of the Hill.
- Thee Parkside is slated to be replaced by "a buncha condos," according to an Instagram post from the bar's account Wednesday.
What they're saying: "We can sit at the bar and talk about how this city is becoming so homogenized and soul-less," the Thee Parkside crew wrote in the post. "We can reminisce and pet dogs and eat tater tots and we can plan for the revolution."
Between the lines: If this series of events sounds like déjà vu, that's because it is.
- Thee Parkside becomes the latest SF staple to make way for new development.

Catch up quick: Thee Parkside owner Malia Spanyol — who's been keeping the joint running for years — attempted to buy the building after the owner died last year, but was outbid by a developer who swooped in with a nearly $1.33 million offer.
- "This neighborhood will be pretty boring with both us and Bottom Of The Hill gone, but I feel like we're just one more small business dying in this city: The culture, the 'weirdos', the arts, the working class are all going to be gone," the crew wrote in their post, in which a man is seen graffitiing the phrase seen below.

What's next: The exact closing date remains unclear.
- Live music will end in late March, after which the space will operate as a bar for a short time.
If you go: Stop by before they're gone for good at 1600 17th St. Open daily, hours vary.
2. 🍜 All hail Thanh Long's garlic noodles
It's officially crab season, but that wouldn't mean much without one unassuming restaurant that gave rise to a quintessential fusion dish.
Why it matters: In a city that prides itself on its culinary diversity, Thanh Long stands out as a foundational San Francisco restaurant that continues to influence the food scene today.
State of play: The longtime Outer Sunset eatery was founded by Vietnamese immigrant Helene An and her family in 1971.
- An's recipe combines classical French techniques with Southeast Asian flavors to create garlic noodles ($16), paired with Dungeness crab ($88).
- The noodles are rich, springy and savory, drenched in an umami butter-garlic sauce that pairs perfectly with a whole crab doused in black pepper and fried shallots.
- The basic ingredients of the family-held recipe include some combination of garlic, butter, oyster sauce, soy sauce and Parmesan cheese.
The big picture: At a time when Vietnamese food was still largely unfamiliar to many Americans, the dish offered an approachable entry point that helped bring it into the mainstream.
💭 My thought bubble: I love enduring places like Thanh Long that feel nostalgic and celebrate the immigrant journey behind San Francisco's food culture.
If you go: Hours vary. Open Wednesday through Sunday at 4101 Judah St.
3. The Wiggle: 🚘 Waymo services starts at SFO
🚘 Waymo began offering robotaxi rides at SFO yesterday. The service will be fully rolled out over the coming months. (SF Standard)
- In other Waymo-related news, an incident in which one of the company's vehicles hit a child in SoCal last week has triggered a federal probe. (Washington Post)
🪖 Salesforce has signed a $5.6 billion, 10-year contract with the U.S. Army.
- The San Francisco-based company will help the military modernize its software and provide access to technologies like Slack. (KRON 4)
🛣️ Carpool lane hours on Highway 101 in the North Bay will change from 5-10am and 3-7pm to 6-9am and 3-6:30pm starting in February. (SF Chronicle)
👟 Allbirds, a shoe and apparel brand loved by Silicon Valley tech bros, closed its last brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco. (SF Standard)
4. 🪧 Boycott targeting ICE starts today
San Francisco activists join those nationwide today calling for no work, no school and no shopping to protest ICE.
The big picture: Organizers of the national shutdown are pushing for the boycott as part of a larger protest movement against ICE after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, amid other killings.
State of play: Today's San Francisco boycott begins at Dolores Park at 1pm and calls for a "national day of action" with "no business as usual."
- It comes a couple days after hundreds of Bay Area students took part in school walkouts condemning federal immigration authorities' actions.
- Backers of similar movements emphasize spending boycotts of corporate stores and brands rather than local businesses.
The intrigue: Congress also faces a partial government shutdown as Senate Democrats — and some Republicans — weigh rejecting any spending bill that includes DHS funding.
5. 🎉 Your Super Bowl event guide
The Super Bowl frenzy is about to take over the Bay Area.
Football fan or not, here's what's happening ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.
🎤 Super Bowl Opening Night: Celebrate the two Super Bowl teams at their only public appearance before the game.
- 4pm Feb. 2 at the San Jose Convention Center.
🏈 BAHC Live! San Francisco Fan Zone: This event will feature giveaways, sponsor activities and live performances throughout Super Bowl Week.
- 3-10pm Feb. 3-7 and 10am-10pm Feb. 8 at Yerba Buena Gardens and the YBCA Forum. Tickets start at $40.
🍻 Downtown First Thursday: Kick off the weekend with a Super Bowl edition of the monthly block party, featuring performances by Austin Millz, a Gen Z versus Millennial DJ battle, happy hour specials and more.
- 5-10pm Feb. 5 along 2nd Street between Market and Howard streets.
🧠 Shawna is trying out the Great Big Game Show this weekend. Wish her luck!
🧖♀️ Nadia had a relaxing time at Onsen, a Japanese ryokan-inspired bathhouse and restaurant with a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
🎤 Claire can't wait to host drag bingo at 540 Bar in the Richmond tomorrow. Come through!
This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.
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