The Walk of Happiness is a design tour around cities by Rosa Kammermeier that is supposed to spread positivity and happiness with window art. I recently explored a few of the eight stops around Kammermeier's San Francisco version. This little scavenger hunt ended on May 30th so I wanted to make sure that I experienced it before it was gone. The Walk of Happiness is also in other cities such as Berlin, Munich, and Las Vegas. I think it is wonderful that this happiness is being spread world wide.
Rosa Kammermeir is a graphic designer that lives in Munich, Germany. Her art consists of Lettering, Typography, and Illustration. She is an Adobe Creative Resident. The Adobe Creative Residency empowers talented individuals to spend a year focusing on a personal creative project, while sharing their experience with the creative community. The Adobe Creative Residency's motto is to: Explore, Create, Share, and Inspire. This whole project is pretty exciting to me since I am also a graphic designer and have been using Adobe products since 1992.
Stop #1: Rare Device at 4071 24th St. - "Be Bold"
This gallery and store in the Noe Valley neighborhood has a mix of house ware items, stationery, wrapping paper, jewelry, books, and art all by local artists. It is known as the store with "beautiful things to hold in your hands". Every object here has its own story. The gallery hosts events, gallery openings, trunk shows, workshops and monthly kids events. This is the first time that I had been to this location which is newer and a bit smaller than the Divisadero St store. I recognized the girl at the front from the other store and we chatted about the "Walk of Happiness". It was nice to see a familiar face.
Is a San Francisco based streetwear brand and boutique in the Mission District of San Francisco. Benny Gold had an early career as a graphic designer working for corporate clothing brands. His brand all started with a Glider Sticker, which was posted around San Francisco. The original Glider Sticker was inspired by an old mantra "Stay Gold". I was very lucky to get a parking spot on Valencia Street (actually a yellow zone!). There was already a huge line for a bar next door so it was a little tricky to get a photo of the windows outside. I put my hazards on while my friend sat in the car as I ran inside to check it out. It was a very cool space with great merchandise. I would love to come back when I have more time to chat with people in the store.
Stop #3: Chronicle Books at 680 2nd St. - "The Future is Unwritten"
Independent publisher and bookstore in the South Beach Neighborhood of San Francisco. We were not able to make it to this location due to our time frame. I would love to check it out in the near future.
Stop #4: Chronicle Books at 165 4th St. - "Talk Less Say More"
Is an independent publisher and bookstore based in San Francisco since 1967. It is in the SoMa Neighborhood near the Metreon and Moscone Center. I had not been over to the Metreon area in such a long time so it was nice to have an excuse to come back. This was the first time that I had been in a Chronicle Books. When I walked in I mentioned that I was there for the "Walk of Happiness". They were very friendly and wanted to know where we had been so far on the map. I loved the way this book store is organized. It is streamlined in layout and design. I loved the simple signage for each section such as "Food and Drink". This was truly my kind of bookstore, filled with books on art, graphic design, and food!
This bakery is known for its breakfast. Owned by Sylvain the space is designed by the French skateboard artist Nairone. He collaborates with Les Gourmands as they both have the same values: Live for art and cultivate the art of living. After walking a distance from Chronicle Books we were ready to rest, relax, and have a treat. We were greeted by a warm and friendly older French woman. We told her that we were there for the "Walk of Happiness" and she made some suggestions on what to order. Just like the window I wanted everything that they had to offer in the glass case. I had a mini chocolate croissant and almond croissant, always my favorites. They were both filled with yummy flaky goodness, especially the almond croissant, which had a hint of melted chocolate inside. So delicious. Trés Bien!
Vive La Tarte is a groundbreaking artisanal bakery in the South Beach Neighborhood featuring local produce driven and handcrafted baked goods, in a modern relaxed environment. We were not able to make it to this location due to our time frame I would love to check it out in the near future.
Stop #7: Rare Device at 600 Divisadero St. - "You Are Stunning"
I have been to this location many times and wrote about it in my "Eclectic San Francisco" blog entry in March. When I did the Color Factory Map scavenger hunt a month ago a person working in the store recommend the "Walk of Happiness" as another San Francisco scavenger hunt to check out.
Neighborhood women's boutique that opened in 2004 in the Russian Hill Neighborhood. They have now expanded with enough space for home furnishings, accessories, and gifts. I really enjoyed visiting this store. When we walked in I spoke to a girl in the front and let her know that I was visiting the store for the "Walk of Happiness". She said you get a pin for coming in and found me their last enamel pin to keep as a souvenir. I loved how the merchandise was displayed throughout the store. My favorite part was all of the beautiful vintage San Francisco maps displayed on the walls as art in frames. I would have never known about this store if I had not done this city scavenger hunt, so awesome!
The "Walk of Happiness" scavenger hunt around San Francisco was a blast even though it was more driving than walking! We ended the day in Noe Valley and celebrated with some Sangria's at the Peruvian restaurant Fresca on 24th Street. As we sat and reflected on the day we came up with the idea of doing a scavenger hunt in San Jose of my favorite local places. Stay tuned for the "Event Shop Design Hunt" coming soon. I will be something to blog about!
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