We Heart the Mission: Support Local Business (and Get Great Deals!)

Tomorrow from noon onwards, our favorite shops in San Francisco's Mission District will be participating in a “mid-winter stroll” to encourage support for local businesses at a time when—let’s face it—they really, really need it. Sales, champagne, and chocolates will be the order of the day. Click through for details about what to expect from your favorite home and design stores in the Mission…

BellJar will take an additional 15% off anything that’s already on sale—and they’ll be making mimosas! (Items pictured aren’t necessarily on sale, by the by.)

Rare Device isn’t exactly smack dab in the Mission, but in solidarity with their neighbors, they’re offering 20% off in-store purchases, including these great initial pillows.

The Curiosity Shoppe is offering 10% off all merchandise, plus a Valentine-making workshop from 2pm to 7pm. Look for their book Show Me How, full of how-to projects for DIY month!

Stem, a lovely little flower shop that also carries home accessories, will be having a storwide 10% off sale, with bigger discounts on certain items. (Plus you can take a break from shopping at the Bi-Rite Creamery next door!)

Several of the neighborhood’s galleries, including Artist Xchange and CityArt, are also taking part in the event. For more information, including a complete list of participants and what they’ve got on offer, see getlocalsf.com. Enjoy!

Comments (5)

almost perfect timing for me. i'll be visiting next weekend so this guide really comes in handy. thanks for posting.

posted by miaedu on February 6th 2009 at 1:28pm
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Miaedu:
Just be sure to get an early start when you go to visit Valencia Street. The Valencia Street "cool kids" and shop owners have a very intense vetting process and are very picky about who they let into their "unique" clubhouse as was evidenced by yesterday's SF Planning Commission hearing regarding American Apparel's proposal to open a shop in the neighborhood. The Valencia Street gated community is not too kind to outsiders (even though they were once outsiders themselves) so be sure to wear your "guest pass" (if you can get one. HA!) in a very visible place in order to divert most of the stink eyes you'll be getting.
Good luck and have fun!

posted by redbeard on February 6th 2009 at 1:50pm
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Miaedu-
I lived in the Mission for years, I am not a "cool kid," and I never felt unwelcome, snubbed, or stink-eyed at any establishment in the vicinity. In fact, it's one of my favorite areas of SF. I suppose if go in with the attitude that you will be ostracized, you might end up feeling so (in a self fulfilling prophesy kind of a way). But if you go with the mindset that you will enjoy yourself and maybe even pick up a fun item or two, you will be just fine.

Re American Apparel, from everything I've read about Dov Charney (the CEO), he sounds like a sleaze. Maybe the Valencia crowd was reacting to the kind of shop Mr. Charney purportedly runs. If that is the case, then I say good for them.

posted by J on February 6th 2009 at 3:27pm
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i live in the mission, I'm terribly square and uncool and I never feel snubbed. People just like to say that. I will be sad to see American Apparel go in there though. It's nice to have absolutely no chains on at least one street....

posted by spiralcma on February 6th 2009 at 4:11pm
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American Apparel is not going in, the planning commission voted No. And it's not based on any "cool kid" factor; it's to keep the neighborhood eclectic and non-box-store.... which is the whole point of this "we heart the mission" event. I have very mixed feelings about how the mission is evolving, but I would feel even worse about it if it turned into a neighborhood that you could find in *any* city, not unique to SF.

posted by oakjo on February 7th 2009 at 9:13am
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