San Francisco

Insider Guide — Your must-do, gotta-see, need-to-eat guide to San Francisco by photographer, writer, skateboarder and all-round rad guy Isaac Mckay-Randozzi.

Isaac Mckay-Randozzi is a San Francisco-based photographer that takes a raw but cinematic approach to shooting. His subjects may range from skaters and artists to street folk and city detritus but he captures all his compositions with a similar sort of candid romanticism that sucks you into the frame and holds you in its gaze.

Isaac shoots for a range of brands – like Element and Magenta – as well as many magazines – like Color and Lodown – and his own personal work featuring homies, skate spots and good times on the road.

We caught up with Isaac earlier this year to get the lowdown on the best places to eat, sleep, party and chill in the fog city.

What’s Good SF?

Fecal Face Dot Gallery
2277 Mission St.
Birthed by the Dot Com Boom, Fecal Face started out as a website covering the SF and lowbrow art scene, then morphed into a gallery that’s played host to everyone from Mike Giant to Jay Howell.

DLXSF
1831 Market St.
Opened back in 1994 by Deluxe Distribution (home of skateboard brands Real, Anti-Hero, Krooked and more) the shop has become one of the best places for skaters, and non, to buy their threads and shoes. Plus, their friendly staff will make you feel more at home than some of the haughty Haight Street stores.

Haight Street Work Clothes
631 Haight St.
This small, unassuming shop has some of the best choices in functional wear that will last and last while still being stylish.

Iron and Gold
3187 Mission St.
New name for an old bar. The interior was recently redone, there’s a great assortment of sparkling wine cocktails on offer and an awesome schedule of deejays make any night a good one.

Pancho Villa Taqueria
3071 16th St.
Nestled on the edge of the Mission near the Castro, this Mexican food stop is a must while staggering from all the nearby bars.

Caffe Trieste
601 Vallejo St.
Great coffee attracts great minds. A local hangout for the Beats and writing and meeting spot for Coppola and pals in the ’60s and ’70s, this awesome little java joint is still a great place to see the street life of North Beach.

Paxton Gate
824 Valencia St.
A couple doors down from Dave Eggers’ writing school, 826 Valencia, this part curiosity shop, part gardening store caters for all your stuffed parrot or alligator eye needs, stocking everything from soaps and meteorite jewellery to unique lighting and plants.

The Painted Ladies
710–720 Steiner St.
There’s a reason why this row of traditional San Francisco dwellings, perched on the boarder of Alamo Square with views over Downtown in the background, is one of the most visited spots in SF – and it’s not just because they featured in the opening credits to Full House.