The Color Factory pop-up museum closed its doors on April 30th. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit this amazing place just a few weeks ago. I didn't want all this fun inspiration to end so when I learned about the Color Factory Neighborhood Map I immediately began planning my adventure day around the city to search out these additional colorful surprises.
I used to live in San Francisco but this "treasure map" has now led me to explore some areas I've never been before. Even though any traces of the Color Factory that were once there were gone our day turned into our own adventure around the city starting with Chinatown.
Color Factory - Neighborhood Map
Hero Shop - Stop #2: The Hero Shop carries many nice things, such as a nice person pin ($12) designed by Carissa Potter. All proceeds go to Larkin Street Youth Services. Located at 982 Post Street.
Tenderloin Museum - Stop #3: Delve into the rich history of the Tenderloin through colorful paintings and photographs in the gallery. Then hit the pavement with Color Factory's special pocket guide and embark on a self-guided tour of the neighborhood by color. Located at 398 Eddy Street. Since all Color Factory items are now gone we did not stop by the museum.
Valencia Tenderloin Center - Stop #4: This is a non-profit writing center serving neighborhood youth were you can pick up the book "Five Seven Five". It is the home of King Carl's Emporium, a supply store for explorers of all types. We did not make it to this spot but I would like to check this place out someday especially since they inspire kids to write.
Market Mayflower & Deli - Stop #5: You can pick-up postcards designed by artist Leah Rosenberg at this little market and deli. Unfortunately when we walked here the museum had come and picked up the postcards just the day before. The manager of the shop was super nice after telling him that I was going through the city with the Color Factory map. He peeled the Stop #5 Color Factory sticker off the store window and gave it to me as a souvenir so I stuck it on my map as a collector's item. Located at 985 Bush Street.
Mason Street - Stop #6: Go to the corner of Mason and Sutter. Find the Yellow Star to stand on. Once you are there look around until you see a much larger star. When you spot it you will feel like one yourself at 600 Mason Street.
Hotel Rex - Stop #7: Next to an armchair by the front windows. Look inside the book "The Red Thumb Mark" by R. Austin Freeman who was known for his detective stories. Open the book up to discover a clue about a hue and for a special message ($5 glass of red wine in the Library Bar) on 562 Sutter St. across the street from The Color Factory. We went inside for our glass of wine after having lunch at Scala's Bistro in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel but the bar was closed and the book was no longer there. I took a photo of the Library Bar sign and of the Color Factory across the street, which is now under scaffolding. It was sad to see it going away but nice to be able to say goodbye to the museum one last time. Located at 562 Sutter St.
Moth & Dagger Tatto Studio - Stop #9: Choose a temporary tattoo from the vending machine in the lobby. Pick from an array of colorful designs to match your mood. You know where to return if you want to make it permanent.
Boba Guys - Stop #10: Everybody's favorite boba shop is serving a limited edition Strawberry Cream Boba (jasmine tea fresca with milk - $4.50) just for the Color Factory. It's a perfect pink to drink. We went inside to check it out and my friend got a Boba. They are no longer serving the limited edition drink. Located at 429 Stockton St.
Fortune Cookie Factory - Stop #9: Get a handmade matcha Color Factory Cookie and find the bright green wall outside in 56 Ross Alley. This was probably the highlight of our blog adventure day! It was exciting that of all our stops they still had the items from the Color Factory Map. We went into this rather tiny factory where nobody spoke English. We told them that we were here for the matcha Color Factory Cookie so we purchased a few for $.50 each. We also got to taste some freshly baked fortune cookies. Before leaving the factory I purchased some yummy chocolate dipped ones with sprinkles to bring home as a souvenir. They would be a great favor for a kids party. It was really neat to see the whole process of making fortune cookies in the heart of Chinatown. After the cookie experience we went outside to take photos by the bright green wall, which thankfully was still there.
Mister Jiu's Secret Back Door - Stop #13: Under the blue awning and inside the doorway of what used to be the "Four Seas" you'll find a mini golden oasis. Amid old photos of dim sum offerings push colorful buttons for a dance party on 731 Grant St.
China Town Kite Shop - Stop #14: This local institution since 1969 showcases kites in every color. This was a fun stop for us. We went inside to check out this little shop which only sells kites. There were so many fun colorful designs to choose from. The Color Factory added a special display to the top window which still remains. "Let's Go Fly A Kite" with tinted colored glass just like at the museum. After walking out of the kite shop we came upon a Zoltar fortune telling machine just like the one in the movie "Big". I did not ask it to make me a kid again even though I felt like one most of the day on our scavenger hunt. It was fun to hear what Zoltar had to say and to get my fortune told, another fun souvenir from Chinatown.
Method Bubbles - Stop #15: Personality, champagne, and this building; three things that can be bubbly under the right circumstances. Push the colorful button under the red flag. Hold it down, count to three and look up! Let the colors fall as they may. This place was also closed on Sundays.
Chinatown Flavor - Stop # 16: Color Factory design lead Erin Jang created this colorful stairwell inspired by the tastes of Chinatown on the Corner of Grant Avenue and Vinton Court in the alley alongside Bargains of Chinatown. Step up to your favorite flavor and take a photo with the corresponding color. We wandered around looking for the stairway and when we finally arrived there were a few people taking photos even though the stairway was now painted over with white paint covering any traces left of the color factory. It was sad that we could not see all of the color and joy that was once there. At the top of the stairway there is still a cool colorful dragon mural to admire.
Paint The Town - Stop #17: This special mural made by Color Factory was designed by one or their favorite lettering artists, Jessica Hische at the Corner of Sutter Street and Claude Lane right near a favorite of mine, Cafe Claude. Unfortunately when we got there the wall had already been painted over with white paint just like the Chinatown Flavor Stairway. The only art left is some graffiti which was a bummer but the Color Factory's way of saying goodbye to San Francisco.
Local Color - Stop# 18: Take a seat in one of five colored nooks by Lean Rosenberg for Sites Unseen, a public art project in SF's Yerba Buena Alleys at Natoma Alley at New Montgomery Street. Not sure if this still stands since we did not make it over to this area. I am hoping to plan another adventure day in the city to go check out SFMOMA again.
After completing stops on the Color Factory Neighborhood Map we went to some of my favorite places around the city. One stop was Rare Device located at 600 Divisadero, which is connected with Oh Happy Day and the Color Factory on Instagram. I wrote about these in a previous blog post, "Eclectic San Francisco". Currently they have a window display by a German graphic designer Rosa Kammermeier. She has many window displays that can be seen around the city on the "Walk of Happiness". I am pretty excited that I can plan another blog adventure scavenger hunt day looking for her hidden window display art in the city. Stay tuned for the blog post next month!
No comments:
Post a Comment