I’d been back in the Bay Area only a few months when I joined some friends for dinner in Little Saigon on the Tenderloin’s western edge. The restaurant—a small, no-frills, family-owned spot that sadly no longer exists—was chosen for a reason: the bo luc lac (shaking beef) was one of the dishes on 7x7’s 2008 Big Eat, and my pal was on a mission to try them all.
I hadn’t yet heard of the magazine—which, yes, was actually one of those paginated paper things so elusive today—but after that meal, I began to see it all over town. The Big Eat was like a gateway drug to the San Francisco life I imagined I could be living while digging my car out of the Boston snow the previous year. Maybe I couldn’t afford two-thirds of the restaurants, hotels, and events they covered—that didn’t matter. 7x7 gave me an insider perspective on the city I’d already fallen in love with.
There was nothing in my career plan as a Ph.D. in anthropology that suggested I’d end up here 17 years later, as 7x7’s executive editor. But life has a funny way of coming full circle. When I left academia and began dipping my toes into the world of journalism several years later, 7x7 was one of the first outlets to give me a chance.
I don’t need to tell you that the media landscape has changed a lot since the aughts. When it came out in 2001, 7x7 Magazine was one of the first to focus solely on local businesses and lifestyle topics like food, art, culture, style, and travel. Today, between websites and social media influencers, there are literally dozens.
Still, though it’s now been a decade since we published our last print issue of 7x7, we persist.
San Francisco will always be at 7x7’s core—it will always be our heart.(Courtesy of thiemen/Pixabay)
Taking over the reins a few months back from longtime editor in chief Chloe Hennen—who remains 7x7's co-owner and editor at large as she pursues new adventures—felt like just the opportunity to reintroduce ourselves as a digital magazine and media company.
7x7’s number one objective has always been celebrating the creatives and entrepreneurs that make San Francisco and the greater Bay Area such an incredible place to live. It’s a legacy I’m honored to be a part of—and it’s not just in the content of our stories that we’re working to get people excited about leaving their cozy, TikTok-fueled bubbles. Last year, we launched 7x7 Social Club, where we partner with local restaurants, spas, music venues, events, and more to bring our members discounts, perks, and freebies like concert tickets each month.
In our digital magazine, we’re welcoming the voices of new writers with more diverse perspectives and expanding our coverage. San Francisco will always be at 7x7’s core—it will always be our heart—but patterns have shifted since the pandemic. Once-sleepy areas of the Peninsula, Silicon Valley, and East Bay are responding to growing populations of urbanites in search of SF-level experiences. In the coming months, you’ll see more stories about the places, people, and businesses that, despite falling outside of the city’s boundaries, are more than worth checking out.
While 7x7 aims to be a safe space for escaping the dismal political and international climate, we will more often be recognizing local folks who are responding to the world’s current challenges in interesting and innovative ways more often. Expect to see regular coverage highlighting environmental and food sustainability, and trends with a positive impact on our own well-being, as well as that of our region and the entire country. We’ll also be bringing back some of our most beloved features from 7x7’s earlier years, including that aforementioned Big Eat.
So buckle up and join us as we explore today’s Bay Area (and beyond). We’re so excited to have you along for the ride.
Sincerely,
Shoshi Parks, executive editor of 7x7
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