Rush hour is about to get worse.

Why it matters: With thousands of people descending upon the Bay Area this week for the Super Bowl, there's little chance your daily routines won't be impacted.

• But fear not, we're here to walk you through the worst of it.

State of play: It might be time to consider cycling or jogging (awful, I know) instead of driving. Getting to and from downtown is gonna be a pain in the butt.

• Most NFL-sponsored events are taking place in the corridors around Moscone Center, Yerba Buena and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
• Hotels are clustered around Union Square, SoMa and the Embarcadero, so expect traffic delays and crowds there, too.

What to expect: If you're taking Muni lines such as N Judah, T Third Street, J Church and K Ingleside you'll probably get squashed more than normal since they provide service downtown.

• Rideshare prices will likely spike in the evenings, especially since riding a Waymo will likely be a bucket list item for many tourists.

The intrigue: Depending on how tapped into pop culture you are, one upside is potential celebrity sightings. In addition to the artists scheduled to perform, a host of sports icons and Hollywood stars will be on the ground for festivities.

• Big names include Shaq, Post Malone, Kehlani, Guy Fieri and Bad Bunny, of course, as well as 49ers Hall of Famer Steve Young and former New England Patriots quarterback legend Tom Brady. (Did you know he's a Bay Area native?)
• Who knows, maybe Taylor Swift will grace us with her presence at her fiancé Travis Kelce's Sports Illustrated party on Thursday. (It'll be at Public Works, in case you want to stake out.)

Pro tip: For those not watching the Super Bowl, you might be able to take advantage of specific windows of time for counter-programming.

• Consider booking a dinner at a high-end restaurant, checking out a new museum exhibit or going grocery shopping when the game kicks off on Sunday.
• Or, you know, just stay home until the roads clear out Monday morning.

Full story

Whether you're planning to party it up or dodge all the chaos, the Super Bowl is gonna be the talk of the town this week.

• We'll be your eyes and ears inside some of the biggest events taking place.

📸 Shawna grew up watching the San Francisco 49ers. The Super Bowl was always the biggest spectacle and an opportunity to bond with her dad.

• Though she's mourning what could've been, she's excited to see the glitz and glamour in action, including behind-the-scenes moments she never could've imagined.

🎶 Nadia isn't really a football fan, so she can't speak much to that. However, she is so excited for the halftime performance and seeing Bad Bunny rep Puerto Rico — and Latin America as a whole.

• She also can't wait for Green Day's exclusive performance at Pier 29 on Friday.

🦅 After years of watching the Super Bowl from home (and even at bars back in Australia on a Monday morning, when it aired) Claire is excited to finally be experiencing a Truly American event up close.

• The highlight? Being on the field for the half-time show! The lowlight? Dealing with all the traffic when the game is done!

🪧 Protesters across the Bay Area participated in a nationwide boycott against ICE. Students walked out of classes, protesters gathered at Dolores Park and more than 70 businesses in San Francisco closed in solidarity. (SF Standard)

🏢 Anthropic has signed a lease to occupy the massive downtown office building at 300 Howard St. (SF Chronicle)

🦠 Archbishop Riordan High School canceled classes until Feb. 9 amid a tuberculosis outbreak.

San Francisco may be 49ers territory, but on Super Bowl Sunday, pockets of the city will sound like Seattle and New England.

Danny Coyle's, an Irish bar in the Lower Haight, didn't set out to become San Francisco's unofficial Seahawks headquarters.

• The shift began decades ago, when a fan asked co-owner Brian Coyle if he could watch a Seahawks game on the TV. The word spread and the crowds followed — and never left.
• "We've had a lot of regulars ... for the past 15 years," he said.

At Connecticut Yankee in Potrero Hill, the New England identity is baked into the bar's name.

• The historic bar from 1907 has long been a haven for Northeasterners.
• "There is no bigger Patriots bar on the West Coast than Connecticut Yankee. No joke. It gets bonkers for games," co-owner Tony Cooney told Axios.

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We've put together a list of our favorite Super Bowl dishes, because we care about the snacks as much as the score.

🥑 Nadia's guacamole is a crowd favorite.

• Mash ripe avocados with plenty of lime juice, finely chopped red onion, finely minced cilantro, one jalapeño and a diced tomato. Add salt to taste.
• In honor of Bad Bunny's halftime performance, she also recommends making arroz con gandules and tostones — crispy, twice-fried plantains. For the rice, use pigeon peas and don't forget the sofrito — it's what gives all Puerto Rican food that iconic sazón!

🍖 Claire swears by this barbecued pork ribs recipe and uses a spice rub mix from Gorilla BBQ in Pacifica.

🌶️ Shawna's family opted for chips and salsa when they tuned in to the three times the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl post-2000.

• Though they lost every time, the spicy pico de gallo was always a hit.

🍲 Our editor Geoff stands by the humble Mississippi pot roast.

• On the morning of, toss a four-pound chuck roast into your crockpot. Add a packet of ranch dressing powder, a packet of au jus gravy mix, a stick of butter and a few pepperoncini peppers.
• Throw that on low and then go live your life for eight hours. When you return, shred the meat and serve with some rolls and provolone.

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