The Frisc

Two years ago, we launched The Frisc to amplify voices and narrate the evolving stories of our city. You could describe it as being "in crisis." At a time when local news was declining, our city required more thorough reporting, diverse stories, and various perspectives. We have been addressing this gap by producing over 120 articles, features, and photo essays focused on San Francisco, all created by just two part-time journalists and a handful of freelancers who are dedicated to this mission.

Local

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#1124006

United States

#286125

News and Media

#8314

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Famed SF Architect’s Landmark, Now a Senior Home, Wants to Expand. Neighbors Are Up in Arms

1 week ago | thefrisc.com | Adam L. Brinklow

A sprawling Marina District building designed by San Francisco’s most famous homegrown architect became a city landmark only six months ago. It’s already embroiled in a fight in which each side claims the other is in danger of destroying this SF classic forever. “We all as San Franciscans have a stake in this site.
Big Changes to SF’s Housing Rules Are Coming Up For Fierce Debate. Here’s a FAQ

2 weeks ago | thefrisc.com | Adam L. Brinklow

San Francisco’s ceiling could soon rise. A plan is on the table to lift building heights along main streets of key neighborhoods and allow denser residential construction. It could spur a population boom in areas that have been low-rise since an anti-development revolt capped heights in the 1970s. More housing, advocates say, will make the city more affordable.
Push For Homeless Shelters, Services In Every SF District Runs Into Politics

3 weeks ago | thefrisc.com | Ayla Burnett

Rejected six years ago, a City Hall effort to make each San Francisco district host its share of homeless shelters and services is back. This time around, it has gained more traction. Yet the latest proposal has also created the first notable disagreement between Mayor Daniel Lurie and some of his board allies.
Fisherman’s Wharf Is SF’s Top Tourist Draw. More Locals Could Soon Make It Their Home

3 weeks ago | thefrisc.com | Adam L. Brinklow

If you think of Fisherman’s Wharf, and visions of clam chowder in a sourdough bowl and Pier 39 sea lions make you smile, then good news. San Francisco, desperate for a post-pandemic recovery, is leaning hard into the wharf’s status as its top tourist draw and huge economic engine. But wait, there’s more. San Francisco also sees Fisherman’s Wharf as a prime place to net potentially thousands of new homes.
Gay SF’s Heart Is In the Castro. The City Wants Thousands More Homes There Too

4 weeks ago | thefrisc.com | Adam L. Brinklow

Behind the plywood that covers the entrance of the historic Castro Theatre, a major renovation is underway. Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment, now the venue’s operator, has posted a notice asking the neighborhood’s forbearance (“please pardon our dust and noise”) and listing all the coming rewards: “much-needed” mural and plaster restoration, state-of-the-art heating and cooling, added bathroom capacity, and more.
SFUSD Has Had A Crazy Year. Here’s What to Expect After Summer Break

1 month ago | thefrisc.com | Ida Mojadad

Summer break for the San Francisco Unified School District starts in two weeks. A break sounds nice. The past year has been a whirlwind of controversies, changes, and uncertainty for everyone involved with SF’s public schools. For example, after months of layoff talk, the district announced on May 16 it would spare the jobs of 151 counselors and teachers’ aides — yet another rollercoaster moment. You’re forgiven if you haven’t kept pace.
Parkmerced Is a Giant Housing Fail. Can SF Avoid the Next One?

1 month ago | thefrisc.com | Adam L. Brinklow

In 2011, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved one of the city’s most ambitious housing plans, an overhaul of the 1940s-era Parkmerced, a small neighborhood next to San Francisco State University. The redevelopment was supposed to yield about 5,700 new homes and replace 1,500 more from Parkmerced’s aging stock, a remarkable bounty given how the city’s west side had for decades resisted new development. Fourteen years later – nothing.
SFUSD’s New Boss Got a 6-Month ‘Honeymoon.’ Now Deep Budget Cuts Are Coming

1 month ago | thefrisc.com | Ida Mojadad

Back in February, Maria Su, the newly minted head of the troubled San Francisco Unified School District, stood before an audience of business, nonprofit, and local government leaders and offered assurances about the future of the city’s public schools. “We will have to make really painful cuts,” Su said.
SF Plugs EVs Amid Trump’s Anti-Climate Crusade and Local Car Fights

1 month ago | thefrisc.com | Kristi Coale

‘Cautiously optimistic.’ A Biden-era grant is still pending, while the city tests curbside charging that could expand to hundreds of electric-only parking spots.
As SF Struggles With Its Drug Overdose Crisis, Here's A Harm Reduction Explainer

1 month ago | thefrisc.com | Ayla Burnett

For years, San Francisco has made harm reduction its standard drug policy. Keeping drug users alive, not punishing or shaming them, has been the overarching goal. But in the past year or so, unable to stem record overdose deaths driven by fentanyl, along with open drug use and sales in some neighborhoods, the city’s stance has started to change. It’s not just a Daniel Lurie thing.