Faves and raves by Casey Grim (Click the picture to see Casey’s faves)

Personal stats

AGE: 22

YEARS IN THE CITY: Three

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mission district

OCCUPATION: Budtender at Grass Roots Medical Dispensary by day, starving stand-up comic by night

SELF-DESCRIPTION: Truly a lover of the San Francisco vibe, and a major nerd to boot.

FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP FOR PLANTS

Paxton Gate

WHERE: 824 Valencia St., at 19th Street

WHAT: A wide array of plants, skeletons and fossils

INFO: (415) 824-1872 or www.paxtongate.com

Admittedly, it’s pretty pricey and definitely gives off the pretentious hipster vibe, but there are tons of cool skeletons, fossils and rocks to add to my collection.

FAVORITE SPOT TO WALK AROUND

Japan Center, Japantown

WHERE: Post Street, between Webster and Laguna streets

WHAT: Sushi, events in the courtyard … always something going on

INFO: www.sfjapantown.org

With all of its cool imports and delicious sushi, on top of the fun events in the courtyard, there’s always something to walk into at the center!

FAVORITE PLACE TO DO STAND-UP COMEDY

The Purple Onion

WHERE: 140 Columbus Ave., between Jackson and Kearny streets

WHAT: Feels like a comedy club and a museum

INFO: (415) 956-1653 or www.purpleonionlive.com

The legendary Purple Onion gives you the feeling of both a comedy club and a museum. It’s so cool to be able to say that the stage you are standing on once had people like Zach Galifianakis and The Smothers Brothers.

FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY WITH PUPPETS

Murphy’s Pub

WHERE: 217 Kearny St., between Sutter Street and Hardie Place

WHAT: Adam McLaughlin (of Animal Trash) is there weekly  

INFO: (415) 693-9588

Local puppeteer Adam McLaughlin (of Animal Trash) can be seen there weekly. And if you ask really nicely, he’ll let you play with his puppets. Sometimes you can get a whole group of people to join in.

FAVORITE PLACE TO READ

Quetzal Internet Cafe

WHERE: 1234 Polk St., between Fern and Bush streets

WHAT: A wide array of delicious, healthy eats

INFO: (415) 673-4181 or www.quetzal.org

Great attitude, friendly servers, yummy coffee and a wide array of delicious, healthy eats!

FAVORITE THRIFT STORE

Thrift Town

WHERE: 2101 Mission St., at 17th Street  

WHAT: A town made up of used clothes

INFO: (415) 861-1132 or www.thrifttown.com

It’s like a town made up of used clothes: tons of options, great prices and some of the best used jackets I’ve ever seen!

FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT VEGAN FOOD

Herbivore

WHERE: 983 Valencia St., between Liberty and 21st streets

WHAT: Cozy and delicious

INFO: (415) 826-5657 or www.herbivorerestaurant.com

The staff is awesome, the food is amazing, and while the atmosphere is cozy, it’s quite pleasant.

FAVORITE PLACE TO TAKE AN ACTING CLASS

American Conservatory Theater

WHERE: 415 Geary St., at Mason Street

WHAT: One of the best places to go to learn how to express yourself

INFO: (415) 749-2228 or www.act-sf.org

A staple in the San Francisco arts community, it’s still one of the best places to go to learn how to express yourself and learn big fancy names like Stanislavski!   

FAVORITE RESTAURANT FOR SUPER CHEAP FOOD

Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant

WHERE: 572 O’Farrell St., between Jones and Leavenworth streets

WHAT: Vegan and plentiful

INFO: (415) 673-3136 or www.goldeneravegetarian.com

All vegan, great prices, and the amount of food you get is always plentiful.