With the shopping season in full swing here in San Francisco, we’d like to share some holiday safety tips with you. Areas like our own Union Square provide some of our city’s most fabulous shops — but amidst all the holiday bustle, distracted shoppers can prove easy prey for pickpockets and other thieves. Here are some tips to ensure that you and your loved ones stay safe this shopping season.

Protect Yourself

• Share your shopping plans with someone you trust — it’s important that someone knows where you are at all times.
• The more the merrier: shop with friends or family, especially after dark.
• Avoid over-using your iPhone or iPod: these are some of the most popular items among thieves, and they can make you a target.
• Dress casually and comfortably. And while we know you’ll want to look great while you shop, try not to wear excessive jewelry.
• Be wary of ATM’s: only use machines that are both well-lighted and highly visible to passerby.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid talking on your cell phone and using other gadgets in public; these devices decrease your awareness.
• Park your vehicle in a well-lighted area. When returning, keep your keys in hand and lock the doors once you’re inside.
• If shopping with children, make sure they know what to do if they become separated from you.
• If someone demands your purse or wallet, try to remember that those holiday goodies aren’t worth your life!

Protect Your Identity

• Carry only what you can afford to lose. Don’t cary large amounts of cash, and never bring all your credit cards on a shopping excursion.
• Travelers should avoid shopping with irreplaceable documents such as passports and drivers licenses; if traveling abroad, bring photocopies of all these documents in case they are lost or stolen.
• Make sure you have a record of all your credit card numbers, so that you can quickly report them if stolen.
• Double-check every credit card receipt at the store. When you get home, shred receipts that contain sensitive information.
• Review your credit card statements to make sure there aren’t any unauthorized charges.

Protect your Possessions

• When parking your car, stash any valuables in the trunk, glove box, or even under the seats. As the old adage goes: out of sight, out of mind!
• As we said before, park your car in a well-lighted area, and try to avoid using parking garages late at night.
• Men should keep their wallets in the front pocket, and women should keep their wallets hidden within their purse. Women should also carry the purse close to the body, and men should keep wallets in zippered pockets.
• Never overload yourself with packages: this makes you a vulnerable target.

A Special Reminder to Our Friends Using the 240 Stockton Street Garage

• Theft in this garage is known to increase during the holiday season. Please remember to keep your possessions out of sight (preferably in your trunk).
• These Holiday caveats are a good reminder to keep your monthly parking cards out of site in your vehicle. We suggest keeping them in your wallet or purse – this item alone tempts individuals to break in, no matter what season!

The most important part of holiday safety is awareness: if you see something suspicious, say something. Be wary of strangers who approach you for any reason; the holidays are the busiest season for con men and other thieves. With a little common sense and some preventative measures, you’ll have a great time shopping for friends and family!


“We’re proud of the Bently Reserve because it’s one of the city’s most architecturally stunning buildings and now one of its most sustainable,” says Bently Holdings CEO Christopher Bently. “It’s a beautiful building with some old bones, but a very modern heart.”

About LEED-CS


The LEED certification was specifically awarded for the environmental upgrades to the building’s “core and shell,” meaning that the certification applies to significant environmental upgrades done to the building’s structure, envelope, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. This certification compliments LEED certification for interiors, which is pending for the conference center and main event halls. LEED-Core and Shell also helps future tenants “go green” by giving them a foundation of environmental upgrades to build upon; many such upgrades have already been completed on the interior of the building by Bently Holdings, as well as in the offices by building tenants. Learn more about LEED here.

A History of Leadership


Since purchasing the building in 2005, Bently Holdings owners Christopher and Amber Marie Bently have cultivated a green environment by requiring all new tenants to design their office space at a minimum of LEED Silver Certified. One of these tenants, the Energy Foundation, became the first commercial space in San Francisco — and one of only thirteen worldwide — to receive LEED-CI Platinum Certification from the US Green Building Council.


Bently Holdings has worked closely with the SmithGroup and BCCI Builders to update and remodel the building while preserving its unique Beaux-Arts style. New flooring was purchased from Forest Stewardship Council certified sources. Artificial lighting was re-designed to interact with natural sources, a daylight harvesting system was implemented, and a central automation and control network was installed to monitor occupancy and save energy in real time. Throughout the refit, demolished material was recycled in excess of 75 percent, and any new paints were low VOC (volatile organic compound).

Modern eco-friendly amenities abound, such as the thirty-three indoor bicycle parking spaces that make green commuting much more convenient for tenants. The building also boasts some of the most sophisticated office and conference technologies in the City. But does the investment outweigh the risk? According to Amber Marie Bently, the president of Bently Holdings, it does: “We feel owning a LEED-Certified building gives us a competitive advantage in the market even during such an economically difficult time.”

Preserving San Francisco History

One might think that refitting an eighty-five year old building to meet and exceed modern green standards would take away from its historic charm, but Bently Holdings has methodically preserved this building’s original magnificence. From the lavish mural in the lobby by celebrated artist Jules Guerin, to the prominent Beaux-Arts Ionic Colonnade, to the dazzling period chandeliers in the Banking Hall, the Bently Reserve is as much a part of San Francisco’s colorful past as its bright future.


About Bently Holdings:
 Founded in 2001 as a sustainable luxury real estate and property holdings company, Bently Holdings has become a benchmark for California’s green building initiatives.

Belvedere Place is over 100,000 square feet of the finest office space in all of Marin, featuring views of Mount Tamalpais and the surrounding hills. Awarded the Energy Star Building rating in 2007, this building is making the transition to 100% solar power.

Nearby hiking trails that span 11 acres offer a beautiful landscape, perfectly matching this building’s sustainable style. Belvedere Place offers the highest standards of LEED quality and technology.

This event is RSVP only – make sure to let us know you’ll be attending as soon as you can – spaces are filling up fast!

5:00-7:00 p.m.
May 14th
Belvedere Place, 2 Belvedere Pl. 3rd Fl
Mill Valley, CA 94941
ph. 415.288.0202 ext 304
Contact us