Over the next few weeks, I hope to feature a number of stores from my city, San Francisco, that has what I would consider a high level of style and design sense. I live in the Mission, so it seems obvious that I’ll start at 19th and Valencia streets (where I live) and work out of an every expanding radius from there. So, starting with that concept, the first shop that comes to mind is Little Otsu.

Little Otsu is an offshoot of another fine shop Otsu, but Little Otsu focuses on printing exclusively. The beauty about the store is it’s kind of like a Hallmark store if it were taken over by really emo Hello Kitty characters who had lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn for a year or two. What I’m getting at is the store sells greeting cards and knickknacks just like the Hallmark store, but the art for the cards, planners, t-shirts and other items have a freshness to them with a Japanesey, childlike, line-art bent. I’ve, personally, bought tons of cards here because there is something about their line of products that makes me feel special when I receive one in the mail. A Hallmark card can make you laugh or go “awww”. But in the end, the experience feels thin because you know the person probably bought the card along with a Snickers bar and a box of Tampons. The Little Otsu card, though, feels like an event. It feels like someone wanted to give you a special little piece of art.

By the way, the actual design of the store does not exactly inspire. It’s a plain white, unadorned little box with a curtain that separates the store from some office space for the 826 Valencia crew (I’ve been told). However, the window display always features some inspiring little felt creation. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Shop: Park Life

Address: 220 Clement Street | San Francisco, CA 94118

URL: http://www.parklifestore.com

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I went in to a new shop located on Clement Street in the Richmond District of San Francisco named “Park Life”. The street that Park Life is on is one of the most interesting in the city. It’s a street full of old and new immigrants coming from China and Southeast Asia with a large contingency of Russian and a small grouping of Irish. So, the shops along the blocks between Arguello and, say, 12th Avenue are eclectic to say the least. There are coffee shops, bars, dim sum parlors, tofu makers, every type of near and far eastern cuisine, produce markets, and Russian delis just to name some of the food options. It may be the most diverse set of blocks in the city which is saying something for San Francisco.

Tucked in to all of this mish-mash is a growing collection of what you might call hipster shops. These are book shops, better coffee shops, yuppie restaurants, and things like Park Life. In such a dizzying array of diverse shops, you might think that a funky design and book store / art gallery would not get noticed, but Park Life’s spartan sensibility is a needed relief on the hectic few blocks which surround it. The interior of the store, as you might guess is painted white. A collection of books sits in the center of the room with all types of products placed sparsely along the perimeter of the space as if they were each on display. There are a lot of things to see here, but the space doesn’t feel cluttered with stuff unlike one of their neighboring businesses, Green Apple Books. In the back of Park Life is a small gallery. They have periodic shows coming from primarily young and very talented artists.

Another aspect of this store which is not entirely apparent is that there is a publishing arm of Park Life called Paper Museum Press (PMP). They have, as far as I can tell, only published one volume of work by the local muralist Andrew Schoultz. To be quite honest, a book from Mr. Schoultz was long overdue, and it’s hard for me to believe that such a local talent hasn’t been herded off to New York or Los Angeles. PMPs first foray into publishing seems as if it’s a hit. The Schoultz book has been picked up by Ginko Press for distribution, and I think all signs point to more great monographs in the future.

Are you looking for clothing that is unique and affordable in the Mission District of San Francisco? There is no doubt you could stop off at one of the many local thrift stores, but if you want truly unique design, beautiful construction, and something that will virtually be an heir loom once you’ve bought it, then Minnie Wilde is the shop to go to. The shop is owned and managed by Terri Olson and Ann D’Apice and has been around since 2001. Their influence for the shop is maybe called thrift store chic. This doesn’t do their store justice, but at least it’s three easy words to remember. To put it another way, their style is to combine vintage pieces with contemporary looks to create a bit of a pastiche. I went in to the store just the other day to have a look at their shop up close (it’s two blocks from my house), and I found the owners working at the counter. They were extremely helpful, and I really enjoyed my visit.

URL: http://www.minniewilde.com/

Address: minnie wilde | 3266 21st st | san francisco, ca 94110

Phone: 415-642-9453

If you would like to contribute your favorite shop, then email me the shop information and why you like it, and I’ll post it on the site! 

I need your input. I’m starting a new category on Design Crack called Great Shops. The theme is pretty simple: I will feature one or two shops each week in San Francisco that contain well designed stuff. But where do people like to shop for beautiful objects in other parts of the world?

As an incentive, I’m asking 100 people to tell me about their favorite shops. Once Design Crack reaches 100 reader submitted shops, I will choose one kind submitter at random to receive a $100 gift certificate to the shop of his or her choice.

The only rules are that the shop not be in San Francisco, and that the shop have an address and a website which you will provide. You can enter as often as you like. Also, please tell me why you like the shop and what makes it special. Email me at brandon@designcrack.com, or just click on the huge button above.