7x7 editors pick their favorites from the latest shops, goods, and happenings in the Bay Area and beyond.
1. Joy Ride
Fans of German engineering will love the new BMW i3’s near-perfect weight distribution, eucalyptus-wood interior, and carbon-fiber body. Did we forget to mention the bragging rights that come standard with the emissions-free electric engine? Since there’s a six-month waiting list, the next best thing might be the ActivE, a two-door electric coupe, available to take for a spin anytime when you enroll in BMW’s car-sharing service, DriveNow. A handy app allows you to locate available cars at 13 local pick-up spots. $39 enrollment fee
2. Haute Float
This spring, the French contemporary furniture showroom Roche Bobois is debuting a new line of pieces clad in outdoor fabric and one very special pop-art–inspired, all-weather inflatable update to their bestselling Mayflower chair, aptly named “Airflower.” Just add sunglasses and a poolside margarita. $305, SoMa
3. Power House
Silicon Valley’s new Epiphany Hotel, located next door to Facebook’s original HQ, features a mezzanine that IDEO specially designed to favor great minds thinking alike. Here you’ll find industrial-chic coworking spaces and an airy work lounge aptly named the Accelerator. At Lure + Till, the hotel restaurant, rub shoulders with VCs and dine on a seasonal, ingredients-driven menu executed by former Gitane chef Patrick Kelly. Palo Alto
4. Pretty Woman
The Balm, famous locally for its creamy concealers and sunshine-in-a-box bronzers, recently opened a new flagship store in the Mission, which features an eye shadow bar and waxing station. If you’re not camera shy, sit for a filmed makeup tutorial by one of their experts. The next day, your video becomes available to view on their website. Mission
5. Brief Encounters
Thanks to Naja, the SF-based lingerie line founded by former attorney Catalina Girald—featuring retro-inspired panties with seductively sheer panels and “cheeky knickers” emblazoned with tattoo-inspired graphics by San Jose artist Tamiko Rast—ladies can score in and out of the bedroom. The company also created Underwear for Hope, a job-training program for single mothers in Girald’s native Colombia. Shop our editors' picks here.
6. Choice Reads
New York Times columnist and former Dwell editor in chief Allison Arieff has been tasked with curating a new public library at Airbnb's SoMA HQ, which will focus on design titles "with a whole lot of architecture, sustainability, and travel thrown in," she says. Here are three of her favorite volumes in the collection. – Leilani Marie Labong
Cities for the People by Jan Gehl
"A manifesto of sorts on good cities, which contains little snippets such as, 'Above all, do not lose your desire to walk."
City: A Guidebook for the Urban Age by P.D. Smith
"This is an illustrated guide to 7,000 years of city living, from ziggurats to the Walled City of Kowloon. Smith is the ultimate flaneur."
Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht by Bryan Burkhart and David Hunt
"Airstreams are the ultimate symbol of wanderlust. What could be more Airbnb than that?"
This article was published in 7x7's April issue. Click here to subscribe.
