FRIDAY FIVE
This weekend, many Bay Area folks will be indulging in a beloved holiday tradition: decorating a Christmas tree. Indeed, the time has finally arrived to find the most charming Christmas Tree (à la Charlie Brown style) to fit in your tiny city living room—that is, if you’re lucky to have one—and make it your holiday centerpiece for the month. If you’re not getting crafty this weekend (like trying to make your own succulent Christmas tree), you’re likely wondering where you’ll find your perfect perennial plant in such an urban and moderate-like climate. San Francisco may not have snow to ring in the holiday season, but it does have a good selection of Christmas-tree lots. Here are our favorites:
1. Clancy’s Christmas Trees
Clancy’s is what holiday dreams are made of, as it holds a similar vibe to an old-fashioned Christmas-tree lot, reminiscent of where your parents in rural America took you when you were a kid. Clancy’s is a San Francisco icon, which explains many of its returning customers. Paying a visit to this establishment is a family tradition for many San Franciscans. Perhaps that’s because Clancy’s is a family-owned lot and has been around since 1949. The trees—which include grand firs, Douglas firs and Fraser firs—come from a few “trust family farms” in Oregon.
http://www.clancystrees.com/ |1620 7th Avenue, SF (Inner Sunset)
2. Delancey Street Trees
Delancey’s is a great spot at which to purchase a tree, but it also offers an opportunity for you to give back to the community. The organization, Delancey Street, is a residential “self-help organization” for former substance abusers, convicts and homeless people, who all receive a GED and training for various skills to become employable during the two-year program. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, their enterprise locations host Christmas-tree lots, which serve as a form of training on the basics of sales for some of the program’s residents.
http://delanceytrees.org |Safeway at 2020 Market Street (Duboce Triangle)
3. The Guardsmen Christmas Tree Lot
This Christmas-tree lot, which has been around since 1947, also has a social service component to it. As an all-volunteer-run organization, it donates all its proceeds to helping at-risk youth. According to the website, money made from these purchases has given kids the means to go to after-school programs, summer camps and private schools. This lot is located in Fort Mason and hosts various fun events throughout the holiday season.
https://sftreelot.guardsmen.org/ |Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason,
2 Marina Blvd (Fort Mason)
4. Friends of the Urban Forest Lot
If you’re looking for a green Christmas tree, as in an environmental-friendly option, look into renting a living potted tree for the season. Indeed, this is the best way to have a Christmas tree, enjoy it and not feel guilty about having to toss a dead tree after the holiday. The idea is that you essentially adopt a tree that will later be planted on a street in the city. In partnership with the San Francisco Department of the Environment, Friends of the Urban Forest has a lot in Hayes Valley. Be prepared and order a tree ahead of time.
https://www.fuf.net/programs-services/community-engagement-education/green-christmas-trees/; Hayes Valley Art Works at Page and Octavia Streets
5. Emerald Forest Christmas Trees
This tree lot has been providing San Franciscans with Christmas trees for 28 years. True to its name, this emerald forest is an enchanting winter wonderland. From tiny Charlie Brown trees to 20-foot giants, the selection at the Emerald Forest is one for the books. Wreaths and wooden reindeer are also available for purchase.
https://emeraldforestchristmastrees.com/ | 317 Sloat Boulevard (Merced Manor)
Hey! The Bold Italic recently launched a podcast, This Is Your Life in Silicon Valley. Check out the full season or listen to the episode below featuring Hunter Walk, former head of product at YouTube. More coming soon, so stay tuned!
