UCSF Parnassus Library Reopens to the Public

Good morning readers! Welcome to The Fogline, a newsletter created to share our love for the city we live in and to promote community connection. We aim to give you the scoop on neighborhood events, tasty new pop-ups and restaurants, spots to gather, play, shop, and enjoy this beautiful city we share.

In today’s news:

The UCSF Kalmanovitz Library officially reopened to the public on October 6, 2025. Public access will now be limited to the main floor. The health sciences library, which closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, underwent restoration work and safety upgrades prior to the reopening.

The library offers several amenities to visitors including Caffé Central, curated exhibits, journal and computer access, borrower accounts, and access to the circulating collection. The cafe offers spam musubi, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and a standard menu of espresso drinks.

I use the library to work and study so I particularly enjoy the large Living Room with comfortable chairs, large tables, and comfortable benches offering inspiring views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The space is buzzing with activity, but is never too loud, making it the perfect location to get some focused work done.

Fun fact! The UCSF Library houses the Industry Documents Library, a digital archive of documents released from industries related to public health. It began with storage of documents obtained through litigation of the tobacco industry. Now the library contains documents related to the food, drug, chemical, and fossil fuel industries with the aim to promote transparency in public health.

This week we stopped by a new coffee spot across from Susie Cakes in Laurel Village. The shop had its soft opening on October 18th. Q Specialty Coffee roasts their coffee beans in-house in small batches, and offers a wide selection of pour-over cups. Our order for the day was the Velvet Matcha and the Mocha Dream Espresso Cloud. Both drinks were creamy, rich, and delicious without being overly sweet. The menu boasts six unique matcha drinks. Lady M Signature Mille Crêpes, sandwiches, and pastries are also available.

When I have a craving for pupusas I typically think of the Mission, the neighborhood known for having an incredible variety of cuisines represented by their restaurants. But this post is about a gem of a pupusería right here in my home neighborhood, Inner Richmond. Express Pupusería is a small, unassuming spot on Geary Boulevard that serves some very craveworthy pupusas. My go-to order is the two bean and cheese pupusa combo that includes a side of black beans, rice, curtido (cabbage, carrots, jalapeño, and vinegar), and salsa roja. The salsa is absolutely addictive.

Cole Valley celebrates its third Town Square, a pop-up plant party between Cole and Clayton. The idea is to create a fun gathering space for the neighborhood with seating, music and plants! Lots and lots of plants!

This pop-up will lead in to the Cole Valley Night Market on Thursday, November 20 which will highlight local merchants and makers. There will be food, music, and even a pie baking contest!