Today Betty had to go to City Hall to take care of some business. Expecting a blah and beaureaucratic affair, she lacked any idea what would actually reveal itself inside.
The South Side of City Hall, where the Clerk's office resides, is the Happiest Place on Earth, or at least in Manhattan. Inside, everyone is smiling and many of them are dressed up and hair-sculpted and clutching hands. Families gather around, friends hugs, kiss, squeal and slap backs, and over in a corner couples in jeans and t-shirts fill out applications for marriage licenses or domestic partnership certification. It's all so giddy, but also so simple, so civic, so communal and so public. It's basically a distillation of everything we love about strangers, spontenaeity, and New York City.
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I agree, city hall is an important part of a city's image. DC's is a bureaucratic mess, with winding hallways and a confusing layout, though nice clerks who smile at you when you file your domestic partnership papers. But San Francisco's is great, with a huge, beautiful, atrium, a museum about the city, attractive council chambers, and council members' offices logically arranged around the perimeter so you can drop in with your concerns. Definitely worth a visit.
Oh, and there's a great view from the mayor's balcony. If you ever pay him a visit there, he will try to win you over by telling you what he is doing for your neighborhood under his slicked-back hairdo. He's also really good at skirting cocaine scandals and sleeping with his best friend/campaign manager's wife scandals.
Also, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio got married at SF City Hall.
This is all awesome information, Nancy D.! Rest calmly knowing you have inspired a touristic visit to SFCA City Hall when we come out to see you! So soon!
Also, I wish in SimCity they let you build City Hall to your liking. Maybe in the next version.
Also, did you know that Joe DiMaggio once played for a minor league team called the San Francisco Seals? Do they have Seals in the Bay? Also, I think he from that area.
I think he is from around here. I don't know about the Seals, though.
he is form the north beach part of san fran (the italian side)
what was betty doing at city hall?
As it happens, there are seals in the bay. What's more, the San Francisco Seals were the City by the Bay's ragtag squad before Los Gigantes left Nueva York for sunnier climes. The Giants mascot is currently a seal named Lou. Lou Seal. I'm never sure if Lou is male or female, but in a town with such a multiplicity of genders is it really worth looking under a piniped's skirt?
what was betty doing at city hall???? pray tell your faithful readers....
just picking up papers! no big deal.
picking up what kind of papers? the nytimes, the post or the daily nws?
ARE YOU GUYS GETTING MARRIED???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
NO party?
No telling? No invitation whatsoever???
What is this?
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