I love living in the Marina for beautiful nature, cleanliness, safety, friendly neighbors & friendly business owners. Lots of dogs around if you're a dog lover (I actually recall more people as their dog's mom or dad as it seems easier to remember the dog's name more than a human). It's close to the GG bridge for wine country trips & pretty much anything that you need is close by (variety of banks on Chestnut Street, a bunch of Italian restaurants, a some good sushi restaurants, fun bars, etc.) Pacific Heights & Japantown (for Japantown groceries at Super Mira or Nijiya) are close by, just a walk up a steep hill, take the 22 bus line, or drive. Some people may hate on it for the Marina bro or Marina chick population but they are not the only residents although their loud conversations on the sidewalk & walking style (taking up the entire width of the sidewalk) is quite annoying. The fog horns blare loudly but sound like a cello to me & will lull you to sleep. read more

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Calm and peaceful. Lots of 2 hour parking spaces and plenty of great restaurants. Crime is everywhere in SF, so please be careful with your car. It's a more posh area and I personally love it. Chrissy field, fort Mason, and Golden Gate Bridge are all landmarks in the marina district. read more

Walk around here feels so relaxing and perfect to me. You can park on the streets but the time is limited. We go to this place as one of our many stops from the bus tour we got. read more

The Marina - Local Flavor Near Me

Fleet Week evenings in The Marina is like being in Beirut. What may surprise the uninitiated is just how raucous nights out are here. The people seem fine staying out late even on weeknights. San Francisco is a small enough city and in The Marina, you'll run into people you know even if you've just arrived a few hours ago. Chestnut Street and those streets intersecting have huge crowds that prefer to have their "nights" in exquisite bars and restaurants. My self-described GF, "a local blonde in The Marina," lives here. There are so many options for food and drinks, yet we limit ourselves to a few local spots. While there are no velvet ropes or burley bouncers in black suits, it's good to be a local neighborhood regular. Bye passing the waiting lines is a blessing. As it has been said, no reservations are required. Life is good here. Street parking sucks at all hours, but GF has a garage space! read more

To me, "The Marina" is inextricably intertwined with Chestnut Street which offers lots of shopping and dining options, beautiful weather and beautiful people. From the sidewalk cafes, you feel eyes roll over you, grading your attractiveness. With my child almost always with me, I'm an instant throwaway which is okay by me; these guys are too young anyway. (I flirt with their fathers driving their immaculate Porsches and Teslas like I did tonight, ha ha). Store owners seem more attuned to bringing in window shoppers and there are more camera-toting tourists complaining that it's cold! Lots of singles and young families live here, especially singles in the older, expensive 1920s apartment buildings (how do they afford it anymore?) and long-entrenched families occupy the single family homes overlooking the Golden Gate or in multi-unit buildings located on sensually curved streets with names like "Mallorca" and "Avila". While enchanting for a short time, the homogenous feel of the Marina sends me packing to my Western Addition neighborhood that now looks (sigh) depressingly homogenized too. My "expensive" errands tend to be centered in a The Marina District, usually involving the Apple store. Dining options at every price point and cuisine abound so couples, families with kids- there's a place for everyone here. With tremendous dining and shopping options, the Marina's a great place to meet up with friends for dinner or hang out on Sunday funday. Be forewarned however, the Marina is built over the Bay on old shipwrecks and detritus from the Pan American Exposition. Liquifaction in an earthquake is a real thing (google it) though 99.8% of buildings have withstood the shaking. Live a little. read more

Stumbled upon The Marina driving around town. What a great picnic spot. Dog friendly. Lots of parking.

The Marina District is located on the far north end of San Francisco proper, facing the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin County, and Alcatraz Island. I've always enjoyed my visits to this neighborhood, but, like every other neighborhood, it's not without its flaws. The Marina is aptly named because it's home to two yacht harbors. In between these two harbors is the Marina Green which is a large, flat, expansive, and park-like greenspace that has great views of the aforementioned locations. The green is 74 acres. The neighborhood has close access to running trails such as those at the scenic Marin Headlands across the Bay (https://www.yelp.com/biz/marin-headlands-sausalito). The highlight is the Palace of Fine Arts, located on the far western edge of the Marina (https://www.yelp.com/biz/palace-of-fine-arts-san-francisco). It's beautiful and I pretty much consider it a must-see. It's one of the most iconic spots in San Francisco. Fort Mason, an old army post, is also located inside the Marina. In recent years, it's been home to "Off the Grid," a popular street food event with live entertainment. The event taken place every year for the last eight years on the lower level of the complex (Fort Mason Center). This year (2018), Off the Grid is taking place every Friday night, March 2 to October 26, 5pm to 10pm. https://www.yelp.com/biz/off-the-grid-fort-mason-center-san-francisco-3 Speaking of food, you can find a lot of the Marina's restaurants and bars on Chestnut St and Lombard St. These two streets run in parallel and are only a block away from one another. A place my mom (and sister) loves is Pacific Catch, a fresh/casual seafood restaurant on Chestnut (https://www.yelp.com/biz/pacific-catch-san-francisco). A relatively new dessert place I enjoyed on my last trip to San Francisco was Smitten Ice Cream, also on Chestnut (https://www.yelp.com/biz/smitten-ice-cream-san-francisco-7). When it comes to demographics, the Marina is predominantly white and affluent. A lot of young professionals reside here as well as new mothers. You'll likely see the latter, or their nannies (typically Hispanic), pushing strollers around while looking pretty in their lululemon pants. This neighborhood is one of the more cliquey neighborhoods in the city. It can get fratty and bro-y so if you don't like that culture, you may not like the scene here. There's also an older, active cyclist crowd. Overall and compared to other neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Marina is one of the nicer, cleaner, safer, and fancier neighborhoods. There are quiet residential streets and hopping, busy, shopping streets. If you've never been before, it's worth checking out. It's small enough so it doesn't take long if you want to explore it quickly. read more

When you move to the bay area you come here for the weather and the scenery. I don't make it down here often but when I do I sure I enjoy every minute. I'm an early bird so I take advantage of getting around before the crowds hit. This way I get photos of the scenery with nobody in my way. Plus you some good parking if you get in before the tourist. Once parked you can walk run or skip around the marina. It's so pretty here you need to make this a destination when in SF. read more

The Marina - Local Flavor Near Me

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The good reviews are right. So are the bad ones. I moved to SF from DC. I chose the Marina because I was familiar with it and it was comfortable. The neighborhood I lived in in DC, Cleveland Park, was safe, convenient, and attractive. So is the Marina. At first I loved it. Marina Green and Crissy Filed and Ft Mason. Chestnut Street. It was a great lifestyle so long as I was able to overlook the people and the prevailing values. Alcohol helped a lot. Gradually I aged out of binge drinking and then I saw what was really there. The last couple of years I felt like an outsider and knew it was time to leave, so I did. At the end I was a prisoner of rent control. I was paying at least $1,000 a month under market, maybe a bit more. Couldn't give it up. Highly recommend the Marina if you have time and money and a fondness for binge drinking. read more

I usually get to The Marina by walking to trail from Fisherman's Wharf through Fort Mason. Its a great walk with nice views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Since I learned the path I walk it about every time I am in San Francisco. The Marina is a draw for me because I love the Palace of Fine Arts. It's for me the big draw for The Marina. I've seen other things and noticed things that are on my someday list. The Marina side of the trail lands in a nice park, Fort Mason has a few museums on that side. I'll see them someday... Then on past Safeway along the bay there is the Wave Organ (or something like that, I didn't hear anything and haven't bothered crossing the street again. The homes here are big and attractive. Often there are expensive cars in the driveway blocking the sidewalk. The Palace of Fine Arts is beautiful. It is next to a nice pond. There is a nice lawn and benches. I don't think its possible to take a bad picture. I try and go different times of day. Tour groups pass. Finally I leave and usually catch a bus back downtown. I have also walked into The Presidio there isn't much for a tourist to see on this side just some buildings that are closed to the public and of course lawns and trees. read more

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I fell in love with San Francisco as a kid, and this is probably the first neighborhood I really got a feel for; the first time my young mind really grasped the thought of different parts of town, with different vibes, and different character. It was the late '80s then, and SF was a different place. But I remember tooling around with family and noting the landscape, the views, the water, and how it felt different than the Mission or Castro. Fast forward to the early aughts. I'm traveling a ton for work, and often finding myself near the bay area. I remember one day, doing work in Vallejo and having a particularly rough day. We called it a day early, and decided to drive across and down, and into the city for a night in the city and away from the crud we had been dealing with in that town. We came across the bridge, and found our way to Chestnut. My boss drove for almost 45 mins looking for parking. When he got frustrated, we switched seats and I buckled, turned right, and turned into a parking space. This 'hood felt like it was welcoming me as a temporary resident. We enjoyed a few meals here (a rosemary crusted chicken pot pie, some fusion noodles served from a very attractive Bosnian woman) and I locked away the neighborhood as a fave. A few years later, I was looking at possibly moving to town, and had the sticker shock of SF prices. This neighborhood isn't cheap--not than any of them are--but I realized that the spot has a lot of pluses, and everyone knows it. We didn't end up moving to SF, but I have visited constantly for the better part of the last decade. That brings us to today. Over the last 6-8 years, I've made it a point to come to town. In the quietest times, I might be here only 3-4 times a year. In the last few, I've been spending more and more time with family and that puts me in SF much more often. While we usually spend a lot of time in other neighborhoods, the sheer amount of time in San Francisco means that I've come to spend more time in every 'hood, and the Marina is no different. Here's what I've noticed about the state of things today. First, it's a young and vibrant place. True, some might find that off-putting that you're dealing with a lot of twentysomethings running around. And it has its annoyances, as any time you get too many of a generation, their worst features become amplified. You're going to run into the bro-ey dudes. And you're going to be awash in yoga pants. I wish this was just a bad stereotype, but I went for a walk here one Saturday morning, and decided to count. I saw 52 females, and 49 of them were in yoga pants. Two others were tourists in jeans, and one girl *may* have been a tourist but was with a dude and they were a little more dressed up; she was in a skirt. But pants-tracking aside, if the worst problem you have is that people have a lot of male friends or they like to stay fit, your neighborhood is doing pretty well. In fact, that's one thing that's really great. I fell pretty darn safe in this part of town. It's relatively clean. Parking isn't horrific (but it ain't great, especially near any kind of commerce). All those young folks mean that you do have some somewhat affordable and healthy food options. I love the shopping on Chestnut and Union, and even though it all gets a little too precious at times, I think there are great sins in a neighborhood than preciousness. There are loads of outdoor spaces. The Marina Green, Crissy Field, Fort Mason, big bits of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area... I mean., this is world-class stuff! Surely you can put up with the scent of Axe body spray in order to get over to the green and see views of the bridge like that! And there's the Palace of Fine Arts, the walk down to the Wharf, and plenty of other well-known spots. I like the lesser known things. I once had a bunch of folks take me to the Black Horse (tiny tiny bar!), and there are some incredible wine bars, experimental restaurant concepts, quick salad stops, small pie and cobbler kitchens, photo displays, and succulent nurseries/shops that forever have my imagination. I haven't spent enough time here, but with so many other neighborhoods to explore it makes sense. But the Marina was the first neighborhood I really fell in love with in San Francisco, and it will always have a piece of my heart. read more

People keep comparing this place to Beverly Hills... but I live about half a mile from Beverly Hills, and the people there are nicer. If you're straight, white, privileged, and have a chip on your shoulder... come here and find your people. read more

I came here with my friend to watch the Blue Angels and it was a pretty big place for people to get picnic blankets and watch the show. We found that finding parking was tedious. We parked about half a mile away and climbing up and down the hills was tiring! There wasn't much here to be honest. read more

The Marina - Local Flavor Near Me

The Marina is not my scene, but I know a thing or two about it, because I actually rented there for a year, oddly enough, immediately after moving out of the literal projects. I was very low-income before moving to the exact opposite environment from where I had been. Me, of all people, the antithesis of everything the Marina is about in every way, lived two blocks from the bay, and boy did it seem my luck had changed! After living in awful apartments with paper-thin walls, incompetent landlords, a downstairs neighbor who hung himself, and nowhere to walk but into a smoggy landlocked sea of traffic, it was pretty awesome to be able to walk to the beach and not worry about anything for a change. Our landlord was super chill. I had a favorite restaurant and cafe (both extinct now) where the owners knew me & made me feel extra welcome. At night I painted to the sound of foghorns through an old window. I felt very lucky. But I also stood out, being no one's blonde trophy wife pushing a baby stroller with my rich husband's dry cleaned suits on it. I observed a lot of those strange robots walking down my street. And a lot of men talking WAY too loud about business deals on their phones, and over-compensating in all the material ways, to buy their trophy wives who also coincidentally talked WAY too loud, except in MUCH higher pitches with a distinct shrieky-nasally dialect native to Union Street, if that's your jam. I got tired of using headphones, so I left and moved somewhere with normal people. :D It's not my favorite place to be, but it might feel appropriate for a stereotypical white privileged ivy league frat type who doesn't comprehend much in life beyond beer and the business degree his parents paid for. Gosh that was judgy of me. I'm sure some of them are really nice people. Ultimately it's really just about what kind of place feels compatible with who YOU are. I'm not super into Chestnut Street vibes overall, but Marina beach is nice and like just about anywhere, there's a gem here and there if you have a good outlook on life. It's not the worst place, it's just not for me. But maybe it's for you? If Marina is your jam, that's your business. I won't say anything. I'll just sit here and quietly judge at a safe distance. ;) read more

Five stars, if you don't like surprises.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_District (please note the sociology section) ...or if you like Marina Girls. read more

The Marina can be fun when you're young. However, if you're lucky, you gain some maturity and get out as fast as you can. I lived there for 2 years when I was in my late 20s, moved out the year I turned 30, and never looked back, bro. read more

We stayed for the Outside land's festival and the whole place is being renovated. Tried to have three friends hang out once we got back and let me warm you this place will threaten to call the cops on you if you even dare bring a visitor to your room. read more

I used work in Marin County as a Software Engineer. Anyways, I always passed through this area on the weekends because my friend that I partied with lived near the Mission District. The place reeked of white male privilege at its unfinest hour. So I did what any sane male would have done. I put my hair in pigtails, broke out the cheap black leggings, and wore the "Harvard sucks" t-shirt. Then I parked my car near the overpass and proceeded to walk right smack into the middle of yuppie central. I did this a few times. And the reactions I got from the locals each time is worth the four stars. read more

I was from a diverse suburb of Washington, DC, but there were people around who would be Marina types in SF. And I went to a univ. with a Greek scene, so I don't mind the culture in the Marina. I just go visit. I wouldn't live there. No one will bother you if they don't know you. It's just another big crowd if you are just walking around. I have hung out here with a friend and it's a lively atmosphere and fun too. read more

First of all, I notice a lot of the 1 star reviews here deal with the nightlife, and many with the d-baggy people that are in the Marina. So let's get a few things straight first: The Marina is anything North of Lombard from the Presidio to Van Ness. Many of the Yelpers confuse it with Union Street/Cow Hollow. That is a different neighborhood with very different people. These people often travel to the Marina, but they don't necessarily live there. It is similar to the difference between the people who live at Haight/Ashbury and the ones who live in Ashbury Heights. They aren't the same. The yoga pants, stroller pushing, Starbucks drinking, North Face fleece wearing mom stereotype is real. They do live in the Marina. Probably because it is a nice place to raise a kid. Many, if not MOST, of the people who are the major offenders of nightlife douchbaggery don't live in the neighborhood. Grab a doughnut and a coffee one Saturday at 1:45am and watch them pour out of the bars and begin fighting over cabs and screaming in the street. Why? Because they don't live within walking distance. They live far away. Maybe in YOUR neighborhood, walking amongst you, in your more enlightened neighborhood during the day, and they do it virtually undetected. What the Marina does have is parks that aren't full of creepy people sitting in them with blank expressions on their face. A great neighborhood library with a somewhat respectable DVD collection that you can borrow from for free. A place where someone can park a car and it won't get broken into just to see if there is anything good in the glove compartment. Some decent restaurants. Close proximity to the Presidio and water front. Nice places to exercise and play sports. A beach that isn't fogged-in all year. Does that make it the best neighborhood in the city? If you are into those things, then maybe. If not, live somewhere else. I'm just shocked by all the people who hate on it so much after going there for drinks a couple of times. If you don't like the Marina because "white people" live there, well I think it is sad that you would give someplace a bad review based on the race of the population. You just appear close-minded. Also, please don't write a review saying how bad the Marina is because the people there are so self-important and egotistical, and then in the next sentence talk about how much smarter, more cultured, more diverse, or just plain above those lowly people you are. Your ego is showing, and it is just as ugly as the ones that you claim to hate. read more

Do you remember the episode of the twilight zone, where the beautiful woman wakes from a long sleep, and she is in a hospital, and the doctors and nurses all have pig faces? and she screams, and screams and screams......... this is how i feel about my home neighborhood many a day when i walk out my front door. i feel as if i've awoken from a long sleep and suddenly the people occupying my home and native neighborhood are no longer recognizable as my fellow humans. its like a bumper crop of alien blondes, with decidedly porcine features from an overindulgence in cocktails and bad sushi from ace wasabi, who communicate in 'up speak', and alert one another to their excitement about the last guy they nailed with shrieks that can shatter glass. and they all have cell phones surgically attached to their heads, jeans that are one size too small resulting in 'dunlap' syndrome (their stomach dun-lap over their pants), bad highlights, tired french manicures, standard issue oversize sunglasses, and absolutely no personal style beyond what is being sold at the gap, bebe, or banana republic --- the latter, which at this juncture in its evolution as a retailer, purveys the adult version of 'garanimals'-like mix and match clothing for the sartorially challenged. and don't get me started on the flip-flops. but first the men, and i use the term loosely, as I am quite certain a good portion of them only STARTED shaving sometime last week. they all graduated with honors from some university that instructs its male students to utilize the word 'dude' interchangeably and frequently as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective, and my personal favorite - as punctuation - as period, exclamation point, or comma. perhaps it was Dude U? Or UC Santa Dude? not sure. and now the flip flops. flip-flops are for the beach and for dirty dorm showers. and MAYBE for that schlep to and from a pedicure every other saturday. and that, my friends, is it. they are not a fashion statement. girls AND boys listen up. especially the boys. i do NOT want to see your mangled feet, with toenails that look like you could scale telephone poles with no hooks while i am EATING my dinner/brunch/lunch. honestly. and the striped shirts, shirttails hanging out, and the wide leg jeans, and the CLEAR overuse of hair gel screams i have NO imagination. what is it about white boys and hair gel? did they not teach you what a 'dollop' is at Dude U? it's a SMALL amount, not a handful. the uniform attire at least makes you easy to spot and run from when you approach. and lastly, the conversations. overheard --- because i cannot bring myself to participate, nor can i escape it when trapped on the 30X or a random street corner waiting for the light to change in the marina -- but each and every time i hear a conversation between a gaggle of porcine featured girls, or 'dude' spewing guys, or god forbid, between a large group of each -- i feel 20 IQ points dumber for having listened. please go home, all of you, and leave me, and my few fellow natives in peace. read more

I generally avoid the Marina but I get dragged here every once in a while and generally do not have a good time. The people are obnoxious and pretentious. I kind of wish an earthquake would break the whole neighborhood off of the city and send it down to Beverly Hills. I think everyone would be happier. I could honestly live without the Marina or the Marina people. read more

I call this place "The Newport Beach of the SF Bay area" I have never seen so many WASPy, preppy, BMW driving, cricket sweater wearing, fraternity type guys and girls in my life. It looks like a scary scene out of a Brooks Brothers advertisement. If you are looking for desperate housewives, 40 year old women who still think they are in a sorority, or snobs in SF, then this is your place. I will give it three stars since it does have fantastic views of the city and the golden gate bridge. But be forewarned: I have never seen so many Republicans before in my life. read more

Here is what could make the Marina good: Smallpox epidemic. Bubonic plague. Laryngitis. Deadly contamination of striped shirts and giant sunglasses. Exploding Fake Boobs and/or collagen lips. Overactive Botox bacteria which paralyzes entire body. OK ha ha just kidding I would never wish that on anybody no matter how ANNOYING they were. Really. I DO wish that they would build a bunch of housing projects there. That would be nice. read more

First off I'm not going to completely hop on the Marina hating bandwagon. I think it gets a bad rap...unfortunately it does kindof deserve it. Like every other 25 year old financial services white guy who moved to San Francisco in 1996 I went straight to the marina. Now I'll give the MetroRent guy some credit. He tried to talk me out of it: "Oh, honey, you don't want to live there. It's so homogenized and yuppie. It's not even like being in San Francisco." Unfortunately his wrists were so limp and his lisp so heavy that it pretty much convinced me that it was the only place where I wanted to live. I'd lived in Chelsea in NYC and wanted to get back to MY people. Now the first 8 months I was there I had the time of my life. I lived on Fillmore between Chestnut and Lombard and was surrounded by young, drunk girls generally less than a year out of the sorority house. At the time that was really my "sweet-spot" in terms of dating. I also discovered that for all it's yuppie rap the Marina had one of the finest concentrations of dive bars in the city...and I'm a dive bar aficionado. Delaney's, Marina Lounge, the Horseshoe, Windows, Pierce St. Manor...I tried them all. But what I really loved was La Barca. Every Thursday they had "Surreal Neil" playing live, and I was the ONLY guy who knew about it. It was literally 50-60 drunken blondes belting out "Sweet Caroline" at the top of their lungs...and me. And I lived 25 feet away. It was almost too easy. Unfortunately, better looking guys started to figure out that as lame as Neil Diamond is, a Neil Diamond cover act is a great place to meet drunken women so the odds started shifting out of my favor. Then the Marina disillusionment started to set in. I'd go out to grab a Sunday paper and realize that there were people wearing Greek Letters on their chests. They should really make you burn all those "Kappa Barn Dance" t-shirts upon graduation...I got rid of mine, gave 'em to Goodwill...still imagine the look of horror on the faces of Delta Gamma alums when they see their beloved Anchor Splash t-shirts pushing a shopping cart along Market St....but I digress. Also, I had to be up at 4:00 AM every day...and nothing worse than a bunch of drunken bimbo's standing outside your window yelling "I'm SOOOO drunk! woohoo!" or crying about what an asshole Todd or Brad or Steve had been to them. Can you imagine waking up to 5 drunk girls trying to convince their crying, drunker friend that she IS pretty and she IS skinny and she IS NOT a slut...Brad/Todd/Steve was just saying that to be mean. It was like something out of Dante. So the neighborhood has changed a bit in the 8 years since I've lived there. But not that much...now I pretty much just go there to pick up on young, drunk, stupid girls just out of the sorority, because, frankly, I have a talent for it. read more

I'm about to get hated on. First let me begin with what us San Franciscan's call Marina Hos. Marina Ho-Girl who sports her LV bag, stiletto heels, Gucci sunglasses and refuses to eat anything other than an organic salad consisting of lettuce, lettuce and lettuce. She is on the constant look out for the "right man" who can only be replaced by "the better man." The "better man" means he makes more money than the "right man" and will provide a larger diamond on her ring finger...only to find out later that he is really gay (or screwing her best friend) and this life is nothing but a bunch of shenanigans. She won't really care though, as long as her doctor keeps up her prescription of Valium and she gets her weekly allowance from "the better man." My feeling is that the Marina would be a cooler place, if it weren't for Marina Hos. There is some decent food in the marina and a few good bars (when the marina hos aren't frequenting them). AND if we ever have another Earthquake, the Marina will take the brunt of the fires again, so the rest of SF will be safer. :) read more

You know what, I don't get you SF people's Marina hate shit here. I'm glad that I have my apartment here, the neighborhood is safe and clean. Coming from LA, spending sometime in the notorious "jungle" South Central, I have to say half of SF is ghetto, yes comparing to South Central. Dirty, full of junky cracked out homeless people, drunk destroy your liver fuckers, and Asian kids with grill on their teethes. Seriously what the fuck? I did not know about this side of SF when I was just visiting from LA admiring this "beautiful" city. Marina keeps it that way, the beautiful San Francisco picture. The view of the water and the bridge, the Presidio woods, nice shops, oh did I mention that it's clean and safe here? So what there are those dooshbags with hot girlfriends, fake tan boobie blond bitches, beer drinking college kids? They are everywhere in SF. This is a fuckin drunk ass city. I don't go to the bars around here anyway. If you don't like the scene don't hang out here. But don't hate on the whole neighborhood. People out here hate on Marina exactly like they hate on my beloved home Los Angeles. "Oh it's pretentious and fake." Man, you don't know shit until you actually live there. So Shut the fuck up. Or would you rather live and hang around on Ellis and Leavenworth? read more

MY 400th!!! thank you thank you!!! =) 3.5 I am HONORED and PRIVILEGED TO SAY THAT my 400th review is ... *dun dun dun* the MARINA of SUCKA FREE (SF)... I was first introduced to the Marina 2 yrs ago when I came up to meet a friend and from last year's Union Street Fair, and was I in for a real treat, and look where I am at now. YUP, you guessed it, residing in the heart of the Marina. Despite of what people say and what the stereotypes may be, people have to understand not ALL are like that. It's like the Irvine // 90210 bubble, where you are just too comfortable within your own surroundings that you don't seem to get out of one's comfort zone...but i guess its true, you just dont seem to wanna get out and chk to see what sf has to offer, but being the newbie i am, i have, so dont hate! Mebe because I've lived through so many assumptions and stereotypes all my life... but as long as I am able to block it out and be myself, I guess it's all gravy.. It is what it is... The MAJOR perks of living in the Marina... -walking distance to Palace of Fine Arts, Exploratorium, Crissy Field, Pacific Hgts, Russian Hill, Fisherman's Wharf/North Beach, Presidio, Marina Safeway, and a view of the infamous Golden Gate, yes, I do in fact, get a fantastic, spectacular view... but I think after checking out the Bay Bridge one evening, I have to say, I love the Bay more. -TONS of festivities throughout... -Cute lil boutiques on Union Street. -Tons of foodies to explore on Chestnut... -LOTS of fun lil bars/lounges to hop in and out...BUT I, am not the typical MARINA beb when it comes to partying.. You can most likely find me in SOMA/South Beach. -Moscone Rec - great children's park w/tennis courts, basketball court, softball field, and volleyball. Seriously, it's a great place to window shop on a beautiful, gorgeous Saturday morning, and grub on a delightful brunch on a lazy Sunday morning. -a FREE recreational center (Moscone Rec) that's within blocks from me, with NO ASSOCIATION FEE... What more? The only downfalls are that parking can get too crazy, but it's do-able... Trust me, I ONLY leave on the weekends, and park my car throughout the week, unless I have work that is... I guess you have to know when to come and when to leave... and another thing, unlike LA/OC, I can't just walk out to my car in my boxers because I swear, everyone is seriously SO made up, just even walking a block or two... what else? Well, since the marina is literally built on landfill, if ANOTHER earthquake was to hit, like the one this past week, then, I'm the first to go... Unbelievable! Need I say more? Damn fools. I give minus 1 star for getting a ticket the other day, RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY APT, and another star because it cost me $75! Can you believe it?! they lose another star due to the lame ass party scene, but they do have decent wine places, so I'll let that one slide, so minus 2 stars due to the parking issue. I couldn't be happier. If I had another chance to pick a place and live, I SO would pick the Marina in a heartbeat, and if I made a leetle more $, I'd actually make it over to South Beach and settle in one of the Brannan Towers, check that review. There's a high chance I will be move next year, so long Marina, you have been too good to me.. =) And since you're here, why don't you click on my LIST section, I made one JUST for the MARINA (the secrets to a easier lifestyle) and just give me 3 more months, so I can compile a Marina version of the shit list... kudos! If you ever plan on moving to SF, this is for the ladies, this place is DEF a great starting point because it HAS EVERYTHING (bars/lounges, facials, boutiques, foodies, spas, EVERYYYYYYTHING!) read more

The Marina - the MARINA baby! - Local Flavor Near Me

Okay so you wouldn't ever expect me of all people to give four stars to the Marina, but hey, I'm feeling generous. This review will make no reference to all the Chets, Chads, Brets, Brads, Brians, and Steves who live in the Marina. And if you ladies are feeling left out, don't worry. I won't comment on the phenomenon that is the Marina Chick, whether your name is Heather, Megan, Kaitlyn, Briana, Buffy, Muffy, or Juliet. I'll save that for later, like after I launch www.marinachick.com My rating is based strictly on location. I think the Marina is perfectly situated in a great part of the city, with a lot of great views and a panoramic Northern exposure that other San Franciscans secretly envy. The Marina is not as bad as people make it out to be. Like many of you, I don't like the "scene" there, and it's quite disturbing that Chestnut street has so many nail and beauty salons. What? People spend all day shopping in overpriced boutique stores and getting their hair and nails done? Why yes indeed. Welcome to the Marina. +2 stars for limiting the number of high-rise buildings in the neighborhood. Let's hope it doesn't go the way of SOMA with the ugly Rincon tower and the Transbay Terminal skyscraper on the way. +1 star for the Exploratorium, a great place for kids and school trips. +1 star for the Marina Green, a nice open space for even non-Marina people to hang out and watch the fireworks. +1 star for being conveniently located near Fort Mason, Fort Point and Chrissy Field. -1 star for being located on landfill that buckles whenever there's a major earthquake (which thankfully doesn't happen every day). One final comment: At least Marina people are upfront about who they are, which I can respect. They accept, and are in fact proud of being stroller-pushing, fresh-juice-drinking, German-car-driving yuppie scum. That's gotta count for something :) read more

Everything on Chesnut is hyper-trendy and overpriced, including the girls. Neighbors don't say hi to each other, in fact they seem to hate one other. Loud drunkeness at 3 AM every Friday and Saturday night, overpriced housing and rentals, especially considering it will all turn to rubble with the next big EQ. Parking is a real pain, especially on weekends. There are some decent people there of course, but they aren't easy to find. Good location if you like cycling and/or running, as Marina Green/Crissy Field is right there, Presidio is close by. The weather is better than average here. Edit: I just received this email from a typical marina girl, way too good to make up: "How can you comment on the neighbors in the marina, when you don't live there? And by the way, the only reason parking is a bitch here, is because all the broke back people like you who can't afford to live here, drive here to hang out on the weekend! Cheers, Lisa" Nice, huh!!! I lived with an ex-gf there for a total of about three weeks over a three month period - def. long enough to observe all the neighbor interactions. But thanks, Lisa, for illustrating my point! read more

This is definitely one of my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco. Why? You're right by the water; you have a wonderful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz; and that whole strip leading into Crissy Fields is perfect for a nice long jog. On a weekend, this area gets packed! There's usually a ton of tourists, people jogging, walking their dogs (there's a dog beach nearby), or just relaxing. Chestnut Street is right around the corner and there are a ton of shops, boutiques, and a number great restaurants for brunch. Bar hopping in The Marina is not for everyone.. I will tell you that much. But if you're just looking for a good time (not necessarily the man/woman of your dreams), you'll have a good time. Overall, I'm a fan. Actually, I love it. The water, the park, the bars. Yup I'm definitely a fan :) read more

Why is an Asian gay guy living in the Marina? Because I am trying to gay it forward for all the straight white people in the hood. But in all seriousness, I've been living here for over two years and really like it. Chestnut Street and Union Street have amazing restaurants and bars, not to mention the great shopping. The Marina Green is beautiful and a perfect place to exercise or lay out on a sunny day. Yes some of the people can be tools but the eye candy really outweighs the negative. The 30X bus that goes from the Marina to the Financial District is the best looking bus in the whole city; everyone's dressed to kill. Come up to the Marina and have a visit yourself! ~A read more

I have been here in SF for a whopping total of 8 months. I discovered the marina about six months ago and have since moved there. I understand that no neighborhood can make everyone happy, but for ME, the marina is pretty good. I love being so close to the water and I have a great view of the GG bridge. I have both fine dining and some really good small mom and pop places within foot steps of my front door. I also have the crazy 2:00 am noise to deal with and the parking can be a challenge. All that said , I love the weather and the fact that I can take my dog almost every place I go. I think the marina is great neighborhood that has a lot to offer. I hope that people will be able to give it a chance and make their own decision. It may not be for everyone , but I could not be happier!! read more

Honestly, I heard a lot of bad things about the marina before moving here recently. "There are so many douche bags." But I guess I don't judge my experience based upon the attitudes of dudes I don't talk to or associate with. They might be out there, but why engage in it. Plus, douches are everywhere in the world -- especially if you care enough to look for them. The marina has much to offer. I'm a fan. read more

The Marina is not my scene. It's not my bag. It's not my jam. One year, a bunch of friends go down there for my friend's birthday. It does not feel like San Francisco. I feel like I'm walking down the street in Burlingame. You have your masses of grown up frat guys saying shit about how we're a group of 'fine ass Chinese girls.' Shit, I'm not even Chinese (not that there's anything wrong with that)! Why is that ok? Don't get me started on girls with their 'going out' outfits. Gross. read more

We just to Livermore a few weeks ago and my baby and I miss the Marina. The community is welcoming to moms and babies, very safe neighborhood to take your baby on a stroll. I love the park, the shops, little restaurants and huge perk, no homeless people around. I know that sounds terrible but when you have a baby you'd understand. I read some reviews here and I too am guilty of wearing Lululemon - what's wrong with that? The fabric and fit is great isn't that the point? Yes, I stroll baby with expensive stroller but who doesn't want the best for their baby??? Beautiful people - I personally like to look at them than otherwise. And as for diversity, we should probably look into what we have in common than the color of our skin. I have lots of friends who live in the Marina but they live there bec its a nice neighborhood to raise a child. read more

DOUCHE BAG PARADE 2 stars because on the rare occasion that i find myself there I can usually find a corner to euro trash dance in. and the marina CAN be fun if you are with friends who equally dislike it and even get panic attacks. read more

Certainly the hottest bizzels in town (as long as they don't speak). Not useful for much else.... On a related note, how come Marina-ites colonize everything cool in the southern hemisphere of San Francisco? Just like their European ancestors, they can't seem to keep their hands off other people's territory. read more

My boyfriend lived here for about a year, before I moved up here to be with him full-time. We now live in--as Karen K. calls it--"Lowerjapacificheightstown" (tm). The point is, I moved from south Los Angeles County. I grew up in Long Beach, next to Orange County. ORANGE F*CKING COUNTY, people. You've seen The O.C. and Laguna Beach. Let's have a silent moment. *chirp, chh-chirp* Between the snobby shop-goers on Union St, the $100 yoga mat-toting Yuppie moms pushing Maclaren strollers, the virtual lack of anyone wearing second-hand clothes or riding bicycles (sans spandex), the ridiculously ornate houses, and the confusing lack of parking, NO THANKS I'LL PASS. THAT'S WHY I MOVED TO SF. To get away from the nauseating insipid sameness. Occasionally we'll make it over there for a quick slice of Pizza Orgasmica or maybe a fantasy-induced drive to see "how the other half lives"--as my mom says. But then we drive back up and over the hill, down past California Street, and it all becomes clear: we're now actually in San Francisco. The Marina is merely a mirage for the uber wealthy hiding from the fantastic craziness that is the rest of The City. One star for pretty views of GG Bridge. One more star for occasionally having a decent place to get a bite to eat. read more

I have to admit, when I made a deal with my lady to move here, I was kicking and screaming. It was more of a strategy decision than one for pleasure. My lady could take the bus to work, and therfore allowing me to pay less in parking tickets or the meters of North Beach. I was cool with my last neighborhood. I was exactly in between two generations of my family: 1/2 mile from where Mom was born, and 1/2 mile from where Gramps was born. It was full of normal people, fairly diverse for the City, had a street car line and a 24 hour fitness. It had truly started to turn back into a middle/working class neighborhood. The bad is at times it could get a little rough, cars were frequently broken into, and there was always the probability of someone spinning donuts in the intersection or 5 squad cars out in front of the house at 3 am. Still, it was home. When my lady wanted to move, I laughed. There is nothing more I did not want then to move to a Sorority house of Buffy and Brads. I had went to College in Santa Barbara, and I had hated Isla Vista. Still, relucatantly, I thought that if I give her an easy commute and feeling of safety, then she might agree one day that we can buy in outer Sunset where she spent her childhood. Despite a few of my visiting friends telling me that I live "in the whitest neighborhood" they had EVER been in, I am three months into it and I have to say, I love how close it is to things. I love that the Muni comes consistently. I like to proximity to shops and the market, and that I can walk to both. I like the fact that people are always exercising, and I feel like I need to get off my ass and do more. Last, I love that I can sleep at night, and although sometimes I am woken up by some drunk ladies reliving their AChiO hayday, it is still much better than being jolted awake by the constant ambulance traffic, the guy selling drugs across the street, and the store that has expired vegetables but tons of booze. Marina...you are ok. read more