Furniture tries to escape an abandoned building in San Francisco.

This antique shop specializes in the history of print and design.

Art from the latest counter-culture; kids who dye their hair blue and believe the future will be a post-apocalyptic water world.

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.

With statues of Nelson Mandela and Harvey Milk this monument has been called the Mount Rushmore of California.

A hardware store Buddha statue installed to deter vandalism wound up attracting Vietnamese immigrants who came to pray.

This mysterious series of teeny guerrilla installations sheds a whimsical light on street art in Oakland.

International delicatessen has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 110 years.

The newsstand that never closes its doors—well, almost never.

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

A 1914 beaux arts auditorium that sat shuttered for 20 years, restored and reopened in 2026

Dive bar built out of the remains of a whaling ship.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

One of the best absinthe distilleries in the United States.

A decommissioned Naval base now rents itself out for people who want to blow stuff up.

Antiques by the Bay.

A Bohemian "anti-hotel" offers off-kilter stays in Sri Lanka.

This elaborate temple was built around one of the Buddha's teeth.

An ancient stone fortress considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world.