Life in the Later Lane
As a teacher, playwright & screenwriter, Cary Pepper has lots of inside Hollywood info to share
You probably stream most of your movies. But if you happen to rent a film on old-style...
July 15, 2026
All-women punk band still on stage thanks to leader’s career, which started in a mortuary
Invite Klara Lux somewhere, and she’ll always show up early – except on the rare occasion when...
July 6, 2026
Playwright Lynne Kaufman, the author of two dozen plays and five novels, is still going strong, despite some hiccups
The day after Lynne Kaufman retired in 2005, she woke up in tears. “What had I done?”...
June 29, 2026
A win for people power: Supervisors and mayor restore millions of dollars in cut to services for city’s most vulnerable
A months-long campaign by advocates for seniors, the disabled and other vulnerable populations has convinced San Francisco's...
Following in the footsteps of heroes: My visit to the cradles of Civil Rights
SF SENIORBEAT COLUMN – March 17, 1886. A date you probably never considered. Carroll County, Mississippi. A...
June 4, 2026
Couple’s script for their own movie? Shared creative passions and a bent for banter
“I'm Chiquita Banana, and I'm here to say, bananas have to ripen in a certain way,” Margot...
May 28, 2026
Social justice lawyer and activist infusing others with her love of SF’s Great Blue Herons and dedication to conservation
One day in 1993, on her daily walk from her Richmond District home to Golden Gate Park’s...
April 29, 2026
Nonprofit director is happy to bug you, whether you’re 2 or 92, about saving the wild
If you grow up in Los Angeles, where do you find the wild? Norm Gershenz is not...
April 14, 2026
Bass playing lawyer takes on the landlords when seniors call for help
During the day, you’ll find Thomas Drohan in court or at his law office on Mission Street....
April 5, 2026
Former SFSU teacher shifts to helping union workers build leadership abilities
Like some people need coffee, Joan Wong needs to walk – and talk. Mornings, she puts in...
March 25, 2026
Joe Edley, a three-time national champion, has been racking up great Scrabble scores for decades
Joe Edley tucks his co-authored book, “Everything Scrabble,” under his arm and surveys the room. Around him,...
March 16, 2026
As the city’s older population swells, seniors who can no longer live at home face high costs, limited choices
EDITOR'S NOTE: See full profiles of the seniors interviewed by clicking links within the story. A panoply...
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Pop-Up pairs ‘perennials’ and millennials for conversation– and possible friendships
CREATING COMMUNITY – Manny’s cafe on the corner of 16th and Valencia streets was noisy and crowded. Scattered among the predominant millennials were a handful of perennials – a new term for seniors, as in enduring or existing for a long time – who nervously waited for the announced event to begin. Most of us ...
Matching outfits for him and his sister inspired lifelong interest in fashion
Jerry W. Brown describes his style as “I don’t like paying full price.” So he always picks his clothes from items on sale. SENIOR FASHIONISTA – Actually, his interest in clothing all came from his mother,” he said. “Me and my sister always had matching outfits for church. She hated it but I loved it.” ...
On the road again: Singer on search for last traditional piano bars for documentary
From the time she was a little girl, Kathy Holly’s mother would take her to piano bars to join in the singing in its convivial atmosphere. As a child and performer still going in her 7th decade, she has lived through the piano bar’s heyday as well as its decline. Her career has taken her ...
Coffee shop regular never fails to sport carefully selected attire and adorable dachshund
Wilma Winston visits Farley’s coffee shop on Potrero Hill several times a week, enjoying a cup and conversation with her neighbors. SENIOR FASHIONISTA – The 25-year resident of Potrero Hill, known at Farley’s for her elegant style and devoted dachshund Hexley, is a native of Germany. Now retired, she was the West Coast representative for ...
Artists’ community working and aging together in shared space – for now
Residents of artists's community for quarter to nearly half a century have eight years left on their live-work lease.
Keeping the city clean, one candy wrapper, cigarette butt and newspaper flyer at a time
Melanie Grossman regularly picks up litter on the streets of Russian Hill. But when she does, she said, “people look at me like I’m insane.” That baffles her: “Don’t people care about their neighborhood, about making San Francisco a more livable city?” When Grossman and her family moved to the neighborhood about 20 years ago, ...
