For two nights every month, the hautest spot in San Francisco is neither in SoMa nor the Mission. Instead, it’s inside Davies Symphony Hall. That’s right, twice a month the venue where the prestigious San Francisco Symphony performs turns its backstage into a nightclub-like setting complete with eclectic music, handcrafted cocktails, gourmet snacks and banquettes. It’s called SoundBox and, since its recent debut, has become the place to be for music lovers.

You never know who you’re going to meet at Meydan, Dubai’s premier horse racing track. For us, it was American soccer star Geoff Cameron, who just happened to be in the suite next to ours during our recent visit. We couldn’t resist asking him several questions, including some about, yes, his famous hair.

Batkid grabbed the hearts of San Franciscans—and a lot more folks around the globe—when Make-a-Wish Foundation transformed San Francisco into Gotham City for a day to fulfill the wish of a five-year-old leukemia patient. Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts was apparently so taken with Miles Scott, aka Batkid, that she signed a deal to turn Scott’s story into a feature film.

Punta Mita, an oasis in the Riviera Nayarit, and Mayakoba, a lush enclave in the Riviera Maya close to Cancun. Both provide the perfect winter respite, whether for a few days or a couple of weeks. What are you waiting for? Head to Mexican cities Punta Mita and Riviera Nayarit now! Vamonos!

College students don’t always follow the advice of their elders, but it’s a good thing that Pamela Joyner wasn’t like her typical peers. While receiving her MBA at Harvard University in the mid-1980s, she and her classmates were advised by Lowery Stokes Sims, then a curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the first African American to hold that title, to focus on collecting art once they became successful in their careers. A decade later, Joyner began buying art—and she hasn’t stopped.

San Francisco Ballet kicked off its 2015 season—the 30th anniversary for Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson—with its 82nd Repertory Season Opening Night Gala on Jan. 22 at the War Memorial Opera House.

It comes with the territory” is a phrase that Charles Phan uses often, which is apt considering that it pretty much sums up his life these days.

r. Elisa Stephens works from an office filled with prized possessions: photos of her family, student art works, books on design

Brenda Zarate, the San Francisco-based boutique director for Christian Dior Couture, takes us inside her closet, where we find eight haute items.