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Sally
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After my visit to the new, cool coworking space BZhive in San Rafael, I asked the owners Hila and Dani if they would be interested in sharing some of their favorite Bay Area places with me.
Here are some of the places owner and artist Hila buzzes around the bay to when she is not working:
Where is your favorite place to hike or bike in the Bay Area?
Terra Linda/Southern Novato Hills – different trails, mostly the “shortcut” from Terra Linda to Sleepy Hollow (San Anselmo).
What do you love most about the Bay Area?
The weather, the air, the view, the people. I’m coming from a relatively hot and humid climate (Tel Aviv) so the weather here is just perfect. I only wish the beach and the water were warmer. The people here are much more relaxed and patient. Above all we love San Francisco- one of my favorite cities if not “the” favorite. gracious and gorgeous. I love it especially when it’s gray (which is most of the time) it gives it just the perfect bittersweet taste of melancholy.
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
The Slanted Door in SF love the the food the scene and view.
(I think Hila and I have similar taste. I love this restaurant!)
Favorite Coffee/Tea shop?
Cafe Gratitude especially the one in Berkeley. I’m grateful for a great food- especially the sweets… and you know you are safe there- it’s all vegan! (Another one of my favorites.)
Favorite park? Bon Tempe Lake (From Fairfax)
Favorite place to shop?
Crossroad Trading. Favorite location is Irving st in SF. I like the idea of recycling and exchanging. AND what great finds! (I’m telling you, I think Hila is my long lost sister.)
Read more about BZhive in the MarinIJ.

Be sure to follow BZhive on Twitter to keep up with the latest happenings at the hive.
The social interaction and possible collaboration that comes when people get out of the home office can also make people more productive, according to a 2008 study by Stephen Humphrey, formerly a management professor at Florida State University’s business school.
“People who work interdependently with others have better performance ratings, lower stress, lower turnover intentions, and greater work and organizational satisfaction,” the study found. – Jim Welte, MarinIJ 2/7/10
Stay tuned you just might see me working out of BZhive one of these days.
Posted by:
Sally
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As you may or may not know my neighbor Amy and I are pretty dedicated hikers. We go out every morning (6-7 days a week) with our dogs for a hike. However on super rainy days we do not go. This is problem because hiking is what we do for exercise. I decided instead of being a wimp on rainy days I’d go out and buy some rain gear so at least we could still get out when it is pouring rain, even if we didn’t go on the trails we could walk up and down the winding hilly streets of our neighborhood.
I wanted good quality rain gear but I didn’t want to spend the money I would have to if I went to REI. Instead, I went to the Sports Basement in San Francisco. The Sports Basement is an awesome place for getting great deals on quality brand name athletic clothing. A few years ago I bought a big puffy down Northface jacket from the Sports Basement. I called REI first to compare prices and it was $50 cheaper at the Sports Basement.
The Sports Basement in the Presidio is located in one of the most beautiful spots in San Francisco. It’s right across the street from the Crissy Field Beach located below the Golden Gate Bridge. The views are breathtaking. You can see the bridge, Alcatraz and the city skyline. We were lucky because when we got to the store it was not raining so we took a walk on the beach before doing our shopping. The boardwalk was full of happy people walking, jogging, rollerblading, biking and playing with their dogs.



It’s fun to shop at Sports Basement. It has a very casual friendly feel. There are couches throughout the store and they encourage you to hang out and chat. There is even a play area for kids. Lot’s of community stuff going on there. I found a great rain jacket and a pair of convertible pants I love! We’re back to walking or hiking everyday and it feels great!
