Local questions

The Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco has bars near the lobby entrance and on the second floor. To avoid the lines, you may pre-order drinks and snacks at the bar before a show and they will be ready for pick-up with your name during the intermission. Other than bottled water, drinks may be only taken into the auditorium if you pay extra for one of the theater’s reusable lidded cups.

Dogs are permitted at Baker Beach in San Francisco, and are allowed off-leash in some areas provided they are under voice control at all times. Off-leash dogs are allowed on the beach north of Lobos Creek but only if they will respond immediately to commands to return to a leash when called. Dogs must be on a leash at all times south of Lobos Creek, on beach access trails, picnic areas, parking lots, the Coastal Trail and the Sand Ladder.

The depth of water under the Golden Gate Bridge is approximately 377 feet (or 115 meters) at its deepest point. The US Geological Survey, with other research partners, have mapped central San Francisco Bay and its entrance under the Golden Gate Bridge using multibeam echosounders. In 2006, they published a topographical image with indicative depths of the sea floor around Alcatraz and Angel Islands, and the Golden Gate Strait underneath the bridge. The imaging shows the area below the Golden Gate Bridge as being the deepest part of San Francisco Bay.

Dogs are permitted on all beaches in Brighton between 1st October and 30th April. They must be under control at all times and any fouling must be picked up immediately. At all other times, there are restrictions in place and dogs can only go on Brighton’s designated dog-friendly beaches which are usually indicated with signs. When you take your dog onto the beach they Dogs must be on a lead at all times while on the promenade.

In the early hours of 14th February 2013, Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home on Bushwillow Crescent in the Silver Woods Country Estate gated community, east of Pretoria. Pistorius admitted that he fired shots through a closed door in a bathroom at his home, three of which struck Steenkamp, causing her death, but said that he mistook her for an intruder. After several court hearings and appeals, Pistorius ultimately received a 15-year jail sentence for murder and will not be eligible for parole until at least 2023. The house was sold in July 2014 to mining consultant Louwtjie Louwrens.

Baker Beach in San Francisco has a clothing-optional area at the very north end of the beach. It is a public beach that attracts mostly clothed visitors, but nude beachgoers frequent the northernmost part nearest the Golden Gate Bridge, so be warned if visiting with children.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg grew up in the village of Dobbs Ferry, New York, some 18 miles (or 29 kilometers) north of New York City. The Zuckerberg family lived in a house on Russell Place, just off Northfield Avenue, from where Mark’s father, Doctor Edward Zuckerberg, operated an adjoining dental clinic. Mark Zuckerberg attended Ardsley High School in nearby Ardsley for two years before transferring to the independent Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire as a boarding student.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio grew up in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Born Warren Wilhelm Jr in New York City in 1961, he changed his name later in life, adopting his mother’s maiden name, de Blasio. The family lived in Rowayton, Connecticut for the first few years of his life, before moving to a Victorian house at 17 Brewster Street in Cambridge. After his parents divorced in 1969, De Blasio moved with his mother, eventually settling in an apartment on Bowdoin Street. De Blasio attended the Pilot School within Cambridge Ringe and Latin School.

Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City’s mayor is located in Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and 88th Street in Manhattan’s Yorkville neighborhood. The house was built by Archibald Gracie in 1799 and first used as a mayoral residence in 1942 by Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia. Only the mayor’s family and visiting public officials may reside with the mayor at the mansion. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in office from 2002 to 2013, elected not to live at Gracie Mansion, using it only to host meetings and events and as accommodation for visiting officials. Parts of Gracie Mansion are open for public exhibits, and free guided tours are offered most Mondays with advance reservations. Photo ID is required for admission.

Abe Lebewohl owned the Second Avenue Deli in the East Village and was shot and killed on March 4th, 1996 in a robbery near the NatWest Bank branch at East Fourth Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. Ukraine-born Lebewohl immigrated to the United States in 1950 and four years later took over a 10-seat diner, transforming it into a landmark deli restaurant on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and East 10th Street. His family continued running the deli after his death, but closed the location in 2006. Two new 2nd Ave Deli locations have since opened in Murray Hill and the Upper East Side.

The original 7 hills of San Francisco, in order of descending height are: Mount Davidson Twin Peaks Mount Sutro (or Lone Mountain on some lists) Nob Hill Russian Hill Telegraph Hill Rincon Hill San Francisco has many more than seven hills but the list is thought to have been created as an attempt to emulate Rome, the original City of Seven Hills.

Staten Island is an island, surrounded by water on all sides. One of the five boroughs of New York City, Staten Island is connected by road to Brooklyn via the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and to the state of New Jersey by three road bridges: the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge. The Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Railroad Bridge single track railway bridge runs parallel to the Goethals Bridge and is used for transporting garbage and freight. The free Staten Island Ferry operates a passenger service between St George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan.

Trucks and commercial vehicles are allowed to cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York City. Tolls are charged in both directions and the toll rate is dependent on the number of axles. During high winds, for safety reasons there may be restrictions placed on high profile vehicles such as box trucks and tractor-trailers using the bridge.

All vehicles crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in the direction of San Francisco are required to pay a toll charge. Toll payments cannot be made on the bridge, so rental car drivers have the option of paying the toll through their rental company, but this is likely to be more expensive and subject to convenience fees. Alternatively, one-time toll payments can be made before, or up to 2 days after, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Note your rental car’s license plate number and pay by one of the following methods: Online using a credit card at bayareafastrak.org. By phone using a credit card on the toll free number 1-877-BAY-TOLL (or 1-877-229-8655). In person using cash at a Cash Payment Location. Go to bayareafastrak.org/cashlocations for a complete listing. In person using credit card or cash, check or money order at the Bay Area FasTrak Customer Service Center at 375 Beale Street (between Folsom and Harrison Streets in San Francisco. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, and Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center is situated in the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, California. Located in the old Oil House of the adjacent former Ford Assembly Plant, there are displays and interactive exhibits exploring the contribution made by American civilians on the home front, women in particular, during the Second World War. The park also commemorates the contribution the Richmond area made to the war efforts, and among other points of interest is the last surviving cargo ship built at the Kaiser Richmond shipyards, the restored SS Red Victory, moored nearby and open to visitors. For the Rosie the Riveter Memorial outdoor public art sculpture follow the San Francisco Bay Trail east from the Visitor Center for 1 mile (or 1.5 kilometers) to Marina Bay Park.

Lake Piru’s designated swim areas and beaches are open between the Friday before Memorial Day weekend through the Friday after Labor Day. There are designated areas for swimming and wading at Reasoner Cove beach, the shore line between the northernmost outcropping of Reasoner Cove north to Juan Fernandez Launch ramp, the Juan Fernandez beach, Cow Cove, Skiers Cove, Santa Felicia Cove, Lion Cove and Bobcat Cove. Swimming in the deep waters of Santa Felicia Cove, Cow Cove, and Diablo Cove is permissible but the swimmer must be swimming off of an anchored boat and be within 50 feet (or 15 meters) of the vessel at all times. Drownings have occurred at Lake Piru. Always consult current United Water Conservation District guidance first, wear a US Coastguard-approved life vest, and observe swim area signage and boundary markers at all times.

The Angel of the North sculpture is situated on a hill overlooking the A1 road at Low Eighton, near Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. The 20 metre (or 66 feet) tall steel sculpture of an angel, designed by Anthony Gormley, was completed in 1998.

Glee actress Naya Rivera died by accidental drowning, aged 33, at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California on July 8th, 2020. Rivera rented a pontoon boat on the lake with her 4-year-old son, Josey, and was reported missing when she failed to return. Her son was found alone on the boat. A search team found her body in the northeastern part of the lake five days later and the cause of death was accidental drowning.

Most of the city of San Francisco should be able to receive the following free over-the-air TV channels with an antenna. Some areas may not receive all stations due to signals being weakened or blocked by nearby buildings, trees or hills. NameChannelCallsignTransmitter KTVU FOX 2 2.1 KTVU-DT Sutro LATV 2.2 KTVU-DT2 Sutro Movies! 2.3 KTVU-DT3 Sutro Buzzr 2.4 KTVU-DT4 Sutro KRON4 4.1 KRON-DT Sutro Sky Link TV 4.2 KRON-DT2 Sutro getTV 4.3 KRON-DT3 Sutro Court TV 4.4 KRON-DT4 Sutro Antenna TV 4.5 KRON-DT5 Sutro KPIX 5 CBS 5.1 KPIX-DT Sutro Start TV 5.2 KPIX-DT2 Sutro Dabl 5.3 KPIX-DT3 Sutro ABC 7 7.1 KGO-DT Sutro Localish 7.2 KGO-DT2 Sutro Laff 7.3 KGO-DT3 Sutro KQED 9 9.1 KQED-DT Sutro KQED Plus 9.2 KQED-DT2 Sutro KQED World 9.3 KQED-DT3 Sutro PBS Kids 9.4 KQED-DT4 Sutro NBC Bay Area 11.1 KNTV-HD San Bruno Mountain Cozi TV 11.2 COZI-TV San Bruno Mountain NBC LX 11.5 NBCLXSan Bruno Mountain KOFY TV20 20.1 KOFY-TV San Bruno Mountain This TV20.2 This-TVSan Bruno Mountain Positiv20.3 PositivSan Bruno Mountain LATV20.4 LATVSan Bruno Mountain Charge! 20.5 Charge San Bruno Mountain Fun Roads 20.8 Fun Roads San Bruno Mountain KRCB 22.1 KRCB-DT Sutro KRCB Create 22.2 KRCB-CSutro NHK World 22.3 NHKWORL Sutro ShopHQ 28.1 KCNZ-CD San Bruno Mountain HSN 28.2 KCNZ-CD San Bruno Mountain Quest 28.3 KCNZ-CD San Bruno Mountain Shop LC 28.6 KCNZ-CD San Bruno Mountain KMTP 32.1 KMTP San Bruno Mountain KCNS RNN 38.1 KCNS Sutro Sino TV38.2 38-2 Sutro Estrella TV 38.4 Estrell Sutro NTD TV38.5 NTDTVSutro The CW 44.1 KBCW-DT Sutro Comet TV 44.2 COMET Sutro MeTV 44.3 MeTV Sutro TBD 44.4 TBD Sutro Circle 44.5 CIRCLE Sutro Azteca América 50.1 KEMO-TV Sutro beIN Sports Xtra50.2 KEMO-TV Sutro Infomercials50.3 KEMO-TV Sutro KPJK60.1 KPJKHD Sutro France 24 60.2 PJKFRA Sutro NHK World 60.3 PJKNHK Sutro Deutsche Welle 60.4 PJKMHZ Sutro First Nations Experience 60.5 PJKFNX Sutro Jazz TV 60.6PJKJAZZ Sutro ION TV KKPX 65.1 ION San Bruno Mountain Qubo 65.2 qubo San Bruno Mountain ION Plus 65.3 IONPlus San Bruno Mountain ION Shop 65.4 Shop San Bruno Mountain QVC 65.5 QVC San Bruno Mountain HSN 65.6 HSN San Bruno Mountain UniMás 66.1 KFSF-HD Sutro Univision 66.2 KDTV-HD Sutro Bounce TV 66.3 Bounce Sutro Grit 66.4 Grit Sutro Justice Network 66.5 Justice Sutro

Australian Olympic snowboarder Alex Pullin died, aged 32, on 8th July 2020 while diving on an artificial reef at Palm Beach in Gold Coast, Queensland. He was pulled unresponsive from the sea and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The cause of death was drowning.