Culture Archives - The Six Fifty

A decades-old shopping hub can be found in a Peninsula college parking lot every month

For more than 50 years, the De Anza Flea Market has drawn vendors and shoppers throughout the Bay Area, raising money for the community college’s student government and activities. Each month, the market includes about 813 vendor stalls along with an assortment of food trucks and, at its peak, has attracted 15,000 to 20,000 visitors per month.

The Grand tour: Exploring South San Francisco’s downtown corridor, where history is etched in the sidewalks

Grand Avenue, home to downtown South San Francisco (South City for short), is equal parts history and transformation. Here, well-preserved historical buildings line the streets, which are dotted with a variety of businesses and eateries reflecting South City’s diverse community.

Longtime journalist’s book takes a deep dive into an infamous Peninsula murder

In the autumn of 1974, the Peninsula was shaken by a horrific crime. Arlis Perry, the 19-year-old wife of a Stanford undergraduate student, was found slain in the university’s historic Memorial Church. A new book takes a deep dive into the case.

A new exhibit at Palo Alto’s Pacific Art League showcases a groundbreaking technique from a Los Altos artist

The Pacific Art League is offering a wide range of classes this fall in traditional media like painting, photography, watercolor and pastels. But there is a medium you may have never heard of: encaustic monotype. A relatively new process that involves the use of heat and beeswax-infused pigments, encaustic monotype will be a major focus at the venerable art center with workshops, a class and a solo exhibition of ...

Step inside a unique workspace for Stanford grad students that’s also a home for art

Constructed five years ago, Denning House is a home-away-from-home for Stanford students from all over the world who enjoy its unique architectural design and world-class art collection. Since March, the house is also open to the public via regular tours.

How local musician Tom Jackman persevered through a career-threatening injury

Acoustic renditions of classic tunes by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash and Bill Withers are set to charm audiences at Devil's Canyon Brewing Company on Friday, Aug. 25. Few listeners would likely be able to guess that the performer of those songs, local singer and guitarist Tom Jackman, was playing one of his first solo shows after a career-threatening injury.

Eight stops to explore along Highway 1 north of Half Moon Bay

The coast is flexible — as a place to call home, a resource and a playground. Its beauty is undeniable, and for this roundup, we’re focusing on the area north of Half Moon Bay to Montara, where local businesses mingle with some stunning natural landscapes and parks.

Inside the historic English manor with ties to Palo Alto’s former booze ban

The exterior of the three-story, 1916-era home on the 800 block of Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto has all the attributes of a genuine English manor: symmetrical gables, a central oriel and a steep-pitched roof with narrow banks of windows and dormers. Designed by noted Palo Alto architect Charles K. Sumner, whose eclectic work can be found throughout residential neighborhoods in Palo Alto and Stanford, the 25-room estate has retained ...

Collective energy: New boutiques with community spirit freshen up the Coastside retail scene

Thanks to the efforts of several local women who’ve opened retail collectives in recent months, the Coastside community has two new places to shop for kids’ clothing, eco-friendly toys, unique jewelry and home goods, and much more.

‘Nothing ever happens because you don’t have any power’: Meet the faces of Stanford’s new grad workers union

Following the formal unionization of Stanford graduate workers on July 6, students express their hopes for a healthy workplace and improved conditions.