SanFrancisco

When San Francisco outlawed free toys with meals that don't meet certain nutritional requirements, the McDonald's Happy Meal looked set to become a bit less happy there. But Ronald and Co. have cooked up a clever solution.

When it's time for some R&R in the sun, Americans have a wealth of options. But based on summertime hotel room rentals, which one takes the crown? Orlando with its theme parks? New York with its culture? Washington with it's history? L.A. with its beaches? None of the above. Curious? Read on ...

New York City isn't the only expensive tourism town that has seen prices decimated by the recession. San Francisco, which a little over a year ago could fetch an average hotel rate of $162 per room, has seen prices plunge to an average of $134, or by nearly a fifth.Convention business is drying up...

Barbara Corcoran says there are eight things to look for in real-estate markets poised to rebound: Strong job market Growing population Good weather First-time home buyers No overbuilding Vital down towns Education populations Hit with foreclosures early -- as...

Summer's nearly here, and Americans are planning their big blowout vacations. For many people, that planning includes mapping out their travels in big tourist cities.Too many people just buy a tourist pass for a lump sum and forget about it. They mistakenly think that simply flashing that card at...

As a way to help San Francisco Bay Area nonprofits survive the recession as fewer people donate, the Zipcar car-sharing service is letting charity workers drive its cars for free. The Zipcars are being used by volunteers who help seniors switch their analog televisions to digital, after-school art...

As a newspaper that has lived beyond its means -- losing more than $50 million last year and on pace to lose more this year -- the San Francisco Chronicle's owners announced Tuesday that it will take the ultimate step and close the newspaper unless either a buyer steps up or job cuts are made...

The San Francisco Bay Area has the fewest homeowners in the country who are eligible for the refinancing included in President Obama's housing rescue package, according to a San Francisco Chronicle story. The real estate service Zillow.com offered an analysis of loan data and found that more than...

One aspect of any really big decision is the degree to which it changes one's identity. The little decisions are things that can be reversed, replaced, or otherwise ignored, while the big ones leave their mark.For example, my college majors determined a large part of the path that my life has...

It's interesting to think about how cities compete for tourists. Apart from spending billions of dollars on advertising, fighting to host World's Fairs and the Olympics, and desperately organizing major events, almost every aspect of a city's infrastructure could be seen as part of a bid for the...