4 San Francisco trendsetters

The news is out: San Francisco is having a rebirth. This isn't the same town you knew even five years ago. Ever since the famed dot-com boom and bust, a sense of creative rediscovery has taken over the scene; the crop of baby millionaires has been replaced by a talented, diverse new crew of insiders intent on reclaiming the city as their own.

The best way to get to know any city is to run with the locals.

So for a firsthand look at the goings-on, we turned to four experts in fields for which San Francisco is known ― people who make a point of scouting for hidden treasures and offbeat finds.

There's the four-star French chef who prowls through Chinatown for culinary inspiration; the Internet CEO who's perfected the art of boutique shopping, high and low; the fitness entrepreneur who serves up killer workouts with majestic views; and the jazz headliner with his finger on the cultural pulse.

From an early-morning run along the waterfront to a late-night jam session at a dive bar, we found an exhilarating mix of surprises and familiar favorites.

Exploring San Francisco through their eyes makes it impossible not to give in to the spell of one of the world's most beloved cities.

April 2006