<< Besties 2019
24 • Bay Area Reporter • April 4-10, 2019
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Besties: Shopping
From page 20
Best Variety Shop
Apothecarium in the Castro is a repeat winner. Readers like its mellow vibe and wide selection of products, including flowers, edibles, and more. Other locations include the Marina and South of Market. It offers products for medical and recreational use. In February, as the B.A.R. reported, the Apothecarium announced it had entered into an agreement to be acquired by a publicly traded Canadian corporation. The acquisition, valued at $118 million in cash and stock, was made in a joint news release by the Apothecarium and TerrAscend, a Toronto-based biopharmaceutical and wellness company that is focused on the cannabis market and operates a number of other entities, including a manufacturer and distributor of hemp-derived products. The transaction is pending approval from regulators in California and Nevada, according to the Apothecarium. The Apothecarium, 2029 Market Street, San Francisco. (415) 500-2620. https://apothecarium.com/.
This is a new category this year, and Cliff ’s, a mainstay in the gayborhood for decades, is the winner. The family-owned store is beloved by locals and visitors alike. Stop by to peruse the eclectic mix of goods for the home and garden. Its website noted that the store carries everything from hardware and tools to cookware, garden supplies, toys, crafts, and gifts. It is recognized as a San Francisco Legacy Business. Cliff ’s Variety, 479 Castro Street, San Francisco. (415) 212-8400. cliffs-variety.business.site/.
The Apothecarium
Best Gym
Fitness-SF
Fitness-SF in the Castro again won this category. The over 16,000 square foot facility offers two floors of tools and equipment to keep a person’s workout fresh and challenging, according to its website. From free weights to cardio, the gym has it all. The gym also offers nationally certified personal trainers. Fitness-SF Castro, 2301 Market Street, San Francisco. (415) 348-6377. fitnesssf.com/location/castro/. Runner-up 24-Hour Fitness
Courtesy Apothecarium
The Apothecarium in SF remains a favorite of readers.
Best Cannabis Dispensary
Runner-up Green Cross
Cliff’s Variety
Courtesy AIDS/LifeCycle
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation operates Out of the Closet thrift stores in Oakland and San Francisco.
Best Thrift Store
Out of the Closet
Out of the Closet is a repeat winner. The stores – there are several in the Bay Area – are operated by the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Sales raise money for the nonprofit. Stores offer clothing, books, DVDs, and other items. According to AHF, 96 cents out of every dollar collected by the thrift stores directly fund the agency’s HIV/AIDS services in the U.S. and abroad. The Oakland store offers free HIV testing. Out of the Closet, 1295 Folsom Street and 1498 Polk Street in San Francisco. (415) 558-7176 or (415) 771-1503. In Oakland, 238 E. 18th Street, (510) 251-8671. outofthecloset.org. Runner-up Community Thrift
Runner-up Just for Fun
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years ago, Crossroads Trading Co. is back in first place, having been a runner-up in 2018. Customers sell their in-style, on-trend clothing and accessories for cash or trade credit on the spot. The website noted that stores are located in vibrant neighborhoods, each filled with the clothes you want at prices you can’t resist. Right now, shop for spring at one of several Bay Area locations. Its website features a selling guide and four ways to sell your clothes. In addition to San Francisco, there are shops in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Jose. Crossroads Trading Company, 2123 Market Street, San Francisco. (415) 552-8740. crossroadstrading.com/.
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Besties: Weddings
From page 20
Courtesy Crossroads Trading Co.
Crossroads Trading Company has lots of vintage clothing.
Best Vintage Clothing/Consignment Shop
Crossroads Trading Co.
After winning this category two
EARLY SPACE RESERVATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
Gooch
Gareth Gooch, who also photographs nightlife and other events for the Bay Area Reporter, won in the best wedding photographer category.
Best Wedding Photographer
Gooch
Longtime Bay Area Reporter photographer Gareth Gooch took home the top honor this year for being the person readers trust most to capture their special day. In addition to happy couples, numerous local nonprofits and event producers hire him to photograph their gatherings for posterity. To see various examples of his work and contact information, visit his website at https://www.garethgoochphotography.com/. Runner-up Steven Underhill
Courtesy WeddingSpot.com
San Francisco City Hall remains a favorite venue for wedding receptions.
Best Wedding Reception Venue
SF City Hall
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Couples tying the knot have various options for celebrating afterward inside San Francisco City Hall. The historic Beaux Arts building not only lends a location with grandeur to the occasion but also historic resonance. After all, it was where the fight for marriage equality became supercharged on Valentine’s Day in 2004 when thenmayor Gavin Newsom threw open the building’s doors to gay and lesbian couples looking to wed despite questions about the legality of his doing so. His decision turned what had been a courtroom battle centered on legal arguments into a monthlong walk down the aisle featuring loving couples, some of whom had been denied the right to publicly declare their devotion to one another for decades. For information about renting out the different venues SF City Hall has to offer, visit http://sfcityhallevents.org/ weddings. Runner-up Legion of Honor