The quality of life in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, around the Embarcadero and South Beach, has improved dramatically since the closure of the Bay Bridge. Traffic is non-existent and for people who live near the bridge, hanging out on the balcony and opening windows means not having to listen to the constant buzz of traffic.

At first, the silence is eerie, then it becomes a sheer delight. Walking around SOMA is no longer such a frightful experience. There are no traffic jams, no hurried obnoxious drivers texting, talking on their phone and trying to get onto the bridge at the same time, in a big hurry. The streets are quiet and suddenly this part of San Francisco has become so much more livable.

Unfortunately the bridge may open even as soon as today. I am wishing it remains closed indefinitely. Perhaps they can close the bridge one day a week.

Put a dent in the universe – 37signals:

“This doesn’t have to be grand at all. You don’t have to be looking for the cure for cancer. It could be done by a waitress at a neighborhood cafe that’s the gathering point of local artists. The key is that your efforts would be missed, your customers would have a sense of loss, if you stopped doing what you’re doing . . . Remember that your time is limited. By the time you discover that you’ve been coasting on empty calories, the pale face staring you back in the mirror might be hard to recognize.”