San Francisco has always been a visual city, with its vast natural beauty and undulating landscape. But much of the deeper beauty lives in the character expressed through a vibrant culture of nightlife, restaurants, and community events.
Much of the urban charisma we’ve come to expect has felt paused for far too long by the slog of Covid and the burdensome financial and cultural recovery to follow.
This year, the city was a much fuller and familiar version of itself — and that freedom brought people together in true San Francisco form. The Standard’s photographers traversed the city to find all the emotional moments — from pure joy to collective grief — that make this place special.
This was the year of San Francisco’s return.
Party down
Tech this out
On the menu
We The People
Around town
The unhoused
Locals only
Safety and security
