3/14    Is it just me, or are people definitely going out less in SF ...
        based on a couple of weeks of noticing how much easier it is to
        park in the Sunset, the 'mond, the Mission, the 'loin etc on
        Friday/Sat nights. --psb
        \_ Ecomony.  Tax season.
           \- Before we get to "why", how about deciding "if" this is
              true. I drove from Cesar Chavez up 101 into downtown at
              8pm on Sat nite and was ale to drive 60-70 rather than 15mph.
        \_ The Haight is still pretty popular. I went to Zam Zam on Friday
           and it all the seats were taken but there was still standing space.
           And this without the awesome martini guy. Popular places are still
           quite crowded (Magnolia has 45 minute waits on a Wednesday night
           and Pork Store Cafe always has people in it, even at 7AM... today
           it looked like longer than an hour wait), the mediocre places seem
           to be suffering a little. I wish there were more recession-friendly
           offerings out there. Conduit in the Mission is always dead but I
           think they have the best bartender in town... and they now have a
           set of $6 cocktails that are pretty fantastic.
        \_ I have not noticed any drop off in the number of people going to
           the mostly cheap places I frequent. -ausman
        \_ Dunno about SF but I went to Santa Barbara for the first time in
           a year or so and it was grim. Lots of businesses gone. I went
           to a sushi place and the owner told me a dozen restaurants have
           closed since the New Year. A wine store that had been there for
           decades closed and so did the Fatburger, which really surprised
           me. Lots of empty storefronts. The owner told me that the locals
           are wealthy enough to still contribute to the economy, but
           tourism is almost nonexistent and a lot of businesses are affected.
           So for SF I'd wonder what it's like at places like Ghiradelli
           and Pier 39. I know that the Ferry Building was bustling when I
           went in November but, again, that's a lot of locals.

3/14    Happy Pi Day!