Matt Charnock
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SF queerdo and Dark Mode fan. | Founder of @Underscore_SF | Ex-EIC of @thebolditalic; former @SFist editor | Words in @thisisinsider, @Hoodline, etc. | He/They
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Articles by Matt Charnock
The Workweek Catch-Up: San Francisco Queer Man Reported Missing This Week Found Safe
Plus: A quick assemblage of (fake) homeless encampments sparked more than a few “311” calls in San Francisco’s Financial District earlier this week. Friends and family of 32-year-old Gabriel Carreon noticed his absence and lack of communication this past week had grown uncomfortably long; Carreon was last seen on July 7th around noon. Up until Saturday morning, he was reported missing in San Francisco.
17 Twinkling Places to See the Stars in the Bay Area
The stargazing is tops at these 17 lookout spots and observatories from Silicon Valley to Wine Country. A view of the stars from Mount Tam (Courtesy of @cookdog77) Muir Woods Beach Overlook There may be no better place to gaze up at the heavens than from the sands of Muir Beach. Those who wish to, say, smolder s'mores while stargazing can do so at the designated fire pits. Looking to gawk at the stars from a higher standpoint? Make a beeline to the rocky, cliffside Muir Woods Overlook.
California Condor Population Soars to Over 600 Individuals, First Wild Egg Laid in NorCal Over 100 Years Doing Well
The conservation success story of the California condor is one, quite literally, for the history books. Brought back from the brink of extinction, a population that once numbered less than 22 individuals has, through means of careful habitat restoration and captive rearing initiatives, grown into a population now estimated to be over 600 birds strong — an over 20% increase from previous estimates.
San Francisco’s Speed Cameras Are, Indeed, Working
Since speed cameras were first installed in San Francisco last February, an average of 40,000 speeding cars have been taken off the road each day. The survival odds between a 20mph car crash and a 40mph car crash are unnervingly stark. A pedestrian or cyclist struck by a vehicle traveling at school zone speeds has about a 90% chance of surviving that crash, with the odds of walking away without major injuries at about a coin toss.
Two People Just Rode Bay Wheels Ebikes From San Francisco to San Jose for First Time Ever
With 35 miles of estimated range, a pair of pro-transit enthusiasts tested the limits of Bay Wheels ebikes, taking two from SF to SJ … with at least a 16-mile range discrepancy in tow. San Francisco is an epicenter for the nation’s micromobility movement — set inside a region that’s changing and defining the future of car-free travel.
First Lady’s Documentary Flops in San Francisco With Only Dozens of Tickets Sold Ahead of Opening Weekend
Melania is expected to make around $3 to $8 million this weekend — way, way short of its $40 million production budget alone. Melania Trump’s evasion of her own husband (and most responsibilities as the First Lady of the United States) deserves admiration and study. Melania’s presence in the White House has remained sparse; she comes in, and through sliding glass doors, it seems, only to disappear moments after a press junket.
San Francisco Was Warmest Major City in Lower 48 Today While America Freezes
San Francisco will also be one of the warmest major cities in America over the next week or so as another Arctic storm barrels into the United States. Record-breaking temperatures and life-threatening winter conditions — mercury readings and snowfall that tens of thousands in Minneapolis are pushing through to protest ICE and its inhumane, fascist advancements on the midwestern city — continue to constrict the country.
SF Mountain Lion Internet Named ‘Jumanji’ Has Been Captured and Will Be Relocated
San Francisco police, animal control, and even SF Zoo vehicles encircled Lafayette Park earlier this morning to contain a lost mountain lion after the big cat was spotted in and around the area over the weekend and into Monday evening. With the help of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the young cougar was successfully trapped and subsequently tranquilized.
Rare Mountain Lion Sighted in San Francisco Near Popular Park, Billionaire’s Row
San Francisco is no stranger to wild things. The City’s official animal is an introduced species; sea lions draw hundreds of thousands of tourists each year to Pier 39; thousands just recently flooded Golden Gate Park to celebrate the iconic life of one albino alligator that called the seven-by-seven home for over 17 years before his untimely passing last month; the COVID-19 pandemic became synonymous with coyote sightings along empty streets.
Workweek Catchup: San Francisco Records First Homicide of 2026 After Mission District Shooting
Plus: Claude gets a new street named after him ahead of the remembrance ceremony, and the world’s biggest popstar could be coming to SF. On Thursday night, San Francisco police responded to a call involving a shooting at the intersection of 16th Street and San Bruno Avenue next to Highway 101. When officers arrived, on-site first responders discovered a victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
SF Food News This Week: Taco Bell’s Hyped, Waterfront Cantina Opens in SF Tourist Hot Spot
Plus: A beloved Chinatown staple closes, and yes … you can still find $1 wings in San Francisco. Taco Bell elicits one or two reactions from the general population: a feeling of utter jubilation, wrapped with young-adult nostalgia, or an opinion of disdain and disgust. Thankfully, the vast majority of us fall into the former — Crunchwrap dreams and bean burrito wishes.
5 Charming Cabins for a Cozy Winter Weekend in the Sierra Foothills
This time of year casts a certain white, effervescent spell over the Sierras. It's enchanting, but far from perfect camping conditions for the thermally-impaired among us. So, what's a nature-lover to do? Find a well-insulated, heated cabin. Wondernut Farm's quaint one-room cabin Overlooking the property owners' 115-year-old barn and garden, the guest cabin at Wondernut Farm is, perhaps, the perfect minimalist retreat for those seeking a bit of respite from our electronic devices.
Workweek Wrap-Up: Rare Severe Thunderstorms and Hurricane-Like Winds Hit SF Bay Area on Christmas Day
Hopefully, Santa wasn’t wearing conductive metal jewelry and had his sleigh grounded early Thursday before high winds and lightning strikes filled the skies above San Francisco. San Francisco is no stranger to wet December weather.
All SF Neighborhoods Affected by Blackout See Power Back On, PG&E Does Bare Minimum by Issuing Credits
After about 72 hours since PG&E first reported blackouts last Friday, all accounts affected by what’s colloquially become the Great San Francisco Blackout of 2025 have been restored — 130,000 households now, indeed, have power. Roughly a third of San Francisco’s residential population found themselves in the dark as a result of a vulnerable substation catching fire, though the utility has mentioned the “root cause” of the event is still under investigation.
Cal Academy Announces Date for Memorial of Beloved Albino SF Alligator
January 18th will see crowds gather inside Golden Gate Park to pay their respects to San Francisco’s famous, most beloved reptile, Claude. Claude’s sudden passing took San Francisco (and the nation … and the world) by surprise. At just over 30 years old, Claude, the all-white albino American alligator at San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, was a tentpole of the city.
And Just Like That, the Power Came Back on in San Francisco … Sans a Few Vulnerable Neighborhoods
As of Monday, December 22nd, the vast majority of San Francisco that suffered from Saturday’s historic power outage — a blackout that affected 130,000 households, leaving about a third of the city’s residents in darkness — have their lights back on. PG&E has restored the remaining Richmond District customers affected by the Mission outage. We expect to restore the remaining 3,800 customers by 6 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23.
San Francisco Goes (Basically) Dark With Most Parts of City Blacked Out, Over 100,000 People Without Power
San Francisco residents were thrown into the late 1800s on Saturday afternoon when blackouts began popping up across the city. PG&E, the utility with an essential monopoly on electricity in the SF Bay Area, first reported power outages shortly after 10 a.m. today, December 20th, with more zip codes going dark as the morning progressed. Update: We are working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting approximately 130,000 customers.
Gas Station Explosion Smokes SF Neighborhood, Nearby Businesses Closed
Residents of San Francisco’s Mission District were treated to a scene right out of a Marvel movie when a Shell gas station basically blew up on Monday.
Tap-to-Pay and ‘Grace Period’ Now Live on SF Bay Area Public Transit
Clipper 2.0, the long-awaited update to the ubiquitous rideshare payment system and method, went live in the SF Bay Area yesterday — bringing a host of modernized conveniences. First and foremost, riders will no longer need a dedicated Clipper Card to authorize payment through. Clipper 2.0 brings with it Tap-to-Pay, allowing riders to pay with, in addition to Clipper Cards, authorized debit and credit cards, whether in physical forms or inside digital wallets.
Hop in the car for the 12 best weekend getaways from San Francisco
Leaving San Francisco is hard—after all, it’s where we left our heart—but getting away for a weekend can be a fantastic choice. There are incredible destinations all around the city. Run north to see the beautiful cities on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge and penetrate into wine country, or head east for Lake Tahoe. Going south means visiting beach towns like Santa Cruz, Monterey and the ever-charming hamlet of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Famous All-White SF Alligator’s Cause of Death Revealed to Be ‘Extensive’ Cancer
Cancer doesn’t just affect us humans — the disease, too, remains one of the leading causes of death for animals, particularly reptiles. The collective mourning over Claude, the albino alligator that served as the California Academy of Science’s unofficial mascot for over 17 years, is not measurable by traditional forms. The Bay Area girlies are, in fact, grieving like they haven’t in ages. At 30 years old, Claude’s death surprised staff.
SF’s Famous All-White Alligator, Claude, Suffers Early Death at 30 Years Old
American alligators typically live well into their 50s and 60s in captivity, making Claude’s untimely death particularly tragic. We lost a real one yesterday during, ostensibly, the most joyful time of the year. Claude, the 30-year-old who’s called SF’s California Academy of Sciences home for over 17 years, tragically (and suddenly) passed away on Tuesday, December 2nd.
San Francisco Records Coldest Downtown Temperature in Over 100 Years
It’s been a particularly cold start to autumn in San Francisco. Recent thick fog conditions, coupled with already overcast conditions and abnormally cool atmospheric temperatures, have created a perfect recipe for cold snaps. This week alone, San Francisco recorded its chilliest day in over six years. San Francisco downtown high temperature was 50F Sunday, November 30, 2025. High temp 50F is a record low maximum temperature for the day, previous record was 51F in 1922.
You Can Basically Rent a Mobile Waymo Hotel in San Francisco
For about $200, you can rent a six-hour Waymo ride — which can double as your own mobile hotel nook, if you let your imagination go wild. San Francisco’s expectation as the robotaxi capital of the world continues its gravitational pull, complete with an ever-growing (and ever-changing) case of characters (read: companies) vying for a monopoly.
SFO Heavily Affected by Government Shutdown With Over 200 Flight Delays and Dozens More Canceled, Grounded Flights
48 flights have been canceled today, November 7th, at SFO, thus far — with more expected before the day’s end. We’re now in the longest (and likely most costly) government shutdown in American history. Social security checks remain in limbo, and tens of thousands of federal employees are still without them. While SNAP was fully funded this month, it remains unclear what December will hold for the tens of millions who rely on the program to stay alive.
San Francisco to Receive at Least 100 Federal Agents Starting Tomorrow
SF’s premier local newspaper confirmed that the city will see a hundred or so federal agents, including ICE agents and members of the National Guard, on Thursday.
Rare Double-Rainbow Arches Across San Francisco During Heavy Rainstorm
Last week, San Francisco got its first glimpse of fall: a day-long rainstorm that traded blue skies for gray overcast. Daily totals from the National Weather Service showed about a month’s worth of rain fell on SF; areas susceptible to flash flooding did, indeed, see floods; good-doing San Franciscans came out in droves to clear and unclog vulnerable storm drains.
San Francisco’s Popular Holiday Ice Skating Rink Gets Official Opening Date
Downtown San Francisco’s seasonal transformation into an ephemeral winter wonderland has only increased in both extravagance and execution over the past twenty years. Between evergreens as tall as residential buildings and dazzling storefront holiday lights, Union Square’s holiday charm attracts hundreds of thousands of both tourists and locals alike each year.
SF Bay Area Marine Center at Front Lines of Important Bird Flu Vaccine Trial
The bird flu, also referred to as H5N1, continues its global domination and world spread. Our incompetent federal government is scrambling to get ahead of an increasingly likely epidemic — or pandemic — caused by the highly contagious pathogen. (A reluctant $1 billion funding to the USDA in early February helped quell the domestic spread among livestock and keep high-risk workers safe.
Manny Yekutiel’s Bid for SF Board of Supervisors Seat Is (Already) Riddled With Red Flags
The past two weeks have seen a whirlwind blow through San Francisco’s political landscape. The ACLU officially sued ICE in San Francisco in an effort to stop courthouse arrests; Governor Newsom hinted at support of a $750 million budget deal that could lessen Muni’s looming $322 million deficit; Mayor Laurie has been seen seemingly everywhere across the city.
Waymo Gets Green Light for SFO Expansion. It’ll Financially Ruin Rideshare Drivers.
Waymo’s monopoly on autonomous rideshare in San Francisco remains unchecked. Amazon-owned Zoox is readying a fleet of driverless vehicles — its most viral and eye-catching model resembling a Cuisinart Air Fryer — but is only offering public bookings in Las Vegas as of publishing; Zoox teased SF was getting bookable services “very soon”… over six months ago.
Coincidence Will Be Charlie Kirk's Deplorable Legacy
31-year-old Charlie Kirk died on September 10th, 2025. The prominent right-wing influence was at the University of Utah as part of his “The American Comeback Tour”; it was the tour’s first stop and was preemptively boycotted by thousands of university students.
Big Ol’ Tree Falls on San Francisco Muni Bus Amid Strong Winds
Warm, windy conditions kicked off San Francisco’s Indian Summer this weekend with temperature highs in the low-70s and open blue skies that filled the city with sunshine. Strong wind gusts of up to 20mph also accompanied this pleasant weather, blowing autumn leaves off and onto sidewalks. But not just foliage fell at Gough and McCopin streets — a large tree tumbled, too. And it fell right on top of an operating Muni bus.
8 Pumpkin Patches With Haunted Houses, Labyrinths, Food Trucks + More in the Bay Area
Here are the best pumpkin patches in the Bay Area. Happy picking! (Courtesy of @speerfamilyfarms) Speer Family Farms' pumpkin patch is at a new location in Alameda this year (and also has a location in Tracy). The adventurous mecca will still have its four-story ship slide, jumpy houses, pumpkin shooters, a petting zoo, an adult chill area, and more. Bag your own valley-grown pumpkins and other organic produce before calling it a day.
Pickett Fire Now 90% Contained, Offering Insight Into Effectiveness of Major Wildfire Strategy
Northern California’s Wine Country has a certain propensity for catching fire. Wildfires have scorched the area with increasing frequency over the past three decades; the 2017 Tubbs Fire wiped out entire towns and destroyed at least 5,400 structures and decimated regional infrastructure, totaling over $1.2 billion in damages; even before adjusting for inflation, the Tubbs Fire remains California’s costliest wildfire to date.
The First Burning Man and Its (Controversial) Legacy
On a clear, mid-60-degree day in late June over three decades ago, a small function was held at Baker Beach; an exercise in community engagement, mental and physical well-being, and, above all else, boundless acceptance. Songs were sung. Art was created. Human connections were nurtured. And an eight-foot effigy of a man was set ablaze.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Get Engaged … But It’s San Francisco Core
Your favorite climate criminal and blase white boy got engaged this week. In case you threw your iPhone into a large body of water before sailing across the Pacific, vinyl-terrorist Taylor Swift announced her engagement to rumored-to-be-retiring NFT tight end Travis Kelce on Wednesday, August 26th.
The Largest Earthquake This Decade Sent a Tsunami to San Francisco. It Was (Thankfully) Meh.
It’s official: The 8.8 magnitude tremor that rattled off the coast of Kamchatka Krai, Russia, on July 30, 2025, is now the strongest, largest earthquake recorded since 2011, . Within minutes, global emergency services determined that the tremor was likely to have triggered a tsunami wave. This surge could span across the Pacific Ocean and threaten Japan, Hawaii, the entire West Coast of the United States, and South America, as well as numerous Pacific island nations.
Popular SoMa Culture Hub To Close This Month, Making Way for Affordable Senior Housing
Kapwa Gardens, the Filipino multi-purpose space in San Francisco’s South of Market Neighborhood, was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The culture and community incubator Kulitvate Labs financially sponsored the project, which has hosted many viral events (read: San Francisco’s first festival dedicated to all things ube) and served as a touchstone for Filipino culture. Alas, the Filipino hub is set to close on July 17th, going out with a bang (read: one last Ube Festival).
California Will Soon Have World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing, Theoretically Easing Rescue Efforts for SF Bay Area Zoos
Collectively, the San Francisco Zoo and Oakland Zoo aid hundreds of animals a year in rescue and rehabilitation efforts, some of which remain permanent rescues at either zoological facility. A massive number of these cases are caused by vehicle collisions … due to animals crossing California’s massive network of highways.
Photos: Karl The Fog a Rare No-Show During San Francisco 4th of July Fireworks Show
Admittedly, we’re not the biggest fans of fireworks shows in San Francisco. Their deafening sounds send birds startled in all directions — sometimes traveling miles over the ocean, only to tire and die attempting to get back on solid ground — and unnecessary environmental pollutants are released into the air. To top it all off, San Francisco isn’t a metro known for its stellar firework shows … mainly because fog hazes almost all of them.
SF Zoo Will Soon Welcome New Critically Endangered Gorilla
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens is expected to become a national destination for panda-watching in 2026 when the zoological anticipates the arrival of two giant pandas on loan from China; should those two massive bears go on display as planned, San Francisco Zoo will have the largest public collection of red and giant pandas on display anywhere outside mainland China. Before that, though, SF Zoo will welcome an adult western lowland gorilla into its gorilla preserve.
The (Belated) Weekend Wrap-Up: Corporate Allyship MIA at San Francisco Pride
San Francisco’s official 55th Pride Parade looked slightly different this year. The parade route, which began at the Embarcadero and ended at the Civic Center — covering about 1.5 miles — saw a renaissance of resilience and the usual array of colorful allyship.
55 Years of Queer Joy: A Photographic Journey through San Francisco Pride
On June 5th, 1970, some 30 San Franciscans marched down Polk Street—once our city's hub of queer culture—for the first-ever Gay Freedom Day. That small happening would later grow into what we all know and love as San Francisco Pride, which attracted an estimated one million spectators in 2024. SF Pride takes on its 55th year June 28-29, with an important theme: "Queer Joy is Resistance.
San Francisco Has Its Own Towering 'Death Asparagus' Plant
An agave planted in SF’s Hayes Valley neighborhood has entered the early “death blooming” stages, producing a massive asparagus-looking central structure. An agave plant in Oakland garnered local (and national) attention in May for its 27-foot-tall center growth.
SF Pulls Trans Flag From Official Pride Flag Raising Ceremony for First Time in Recent History
San Francisco is largely considered the gay mecca of the world. The seven-by-seven has a lengthy Rolodex of being either “firsts” or pioneers in touchstone moments of LGBTQIA+ history. In 2021, then-Mayor Breed declared the month of August as Transgender History Month in San Francisco, stamping SF as the first major city to do so in America; that same month, the City legally recognized a Transgender District — the first in the entire world. Symbols matter. Supporting the trans community matters.
A Modern Guide to Austin, Texas: Best BBQ, Top Music Festivals + Ellsworth Kelly's Iconic Rainbow Chapel
Austin, Texas, is affectionately known as the live music capital of the world, and is, of course, equally famous for its barbecue. But there's more to the Lone Star State's blue center than finger-licking brisket and crooning hipsters—well, thankfully, there is a whole lot of that, too.
In San Francisco, Waymo Has Now Bested Lyft. Uber Is Next
If a data-backed trend plays out, Waymo could become San Francisco’s biggest ride-hailing service before the year ends. Waymo’s celestial ascent into the cultural zeitgeist — a rise that has been propelled by dystopian memes and sheer, futuristic novelty — has only been matched by how it continues swallowing its competition.
Recent Warm Weather Brings Start to Rattlesnake Season in SF Bay Area
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area recently saw the proverbial mercury rise to seasonal highs. Zip codes in SF caught temperatures regularly in the mid-70s late last week and this past weekend; more inland cities saw temperatures even in the 80s. With the deluge of clear skies and warm weather, people took to parks and hiking trails, sponging up the springtime weather.
BART Failure Shows Grim Future for San Francisco Bay Area Amid Public Transit Shortages
A Friday morning outage across the Bay Area’s only rapid transit agency caused chaos for commuters, leaving tens of thousands of people to find other ways to work. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) agency sees around 150,000 riders on any given Friday; it’s a figure that’s continuing to grow with increased office days becoming a norm amongst companies that adopted remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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