veterans wall AUGUST Nihonmachi Street Fair, a celebration of the B ay Ar ea s div erse Asian and Pacific American

AUGUST Nihonmachi Street Fair, a celebration of the B ay Ar ea s div erse Asian and Pacific American communities, occurs on 1 Saturday and Sunday each August in J apantown, on P ost S treet betw een Laguna and F illmore str eets. Asian- American artisans show their creations, and the F ood Fest features the cooking of Asia and the P acific I slands. A children s ar ea includes games and the opportunity to learn traditional ar ts and crafts. Call & 415/771-9861 or visit www.nihonmachistreetfair.org.

Laurel H eights and P residio Heights In this small, upscale r esidential neighborhood center ed ar ound California Street between Presidio and Arguello str eets, one could get the impression that a bab y str oller is the price of admission. There ar e lots of them here, all filled with actual babies, and there are lots of stor es catering to young families in the Laur el Village Shopping Center veterans wall and on S acramento Street just 1 block to the nor th. Come here to check out the delightful children s clothing stor es, to do some grown-up shopping for home furnishings and fancy shoes, or to gawk at the large homes in P residio Heights. Technically in the P residio, but bor dering veterans wall Presidio H eights, veterans wall is the J ulius Kahn Park, with a fabulous playgr ound and grassy fields. The one wor thwhile family hotel her e, the Laurel Inn, is gr eat for families who want to stay in a real neighborhood.