Ultimately, it couldn't be lower than four stars because of Polly Ann…read more I've found other gems here, some of which I am not yet prepared to reveal. It's so big and unconfusing! It doesn't have enough bus lines! It doesn't have any of the quirky charm of the Richmond, whether Inner or Outer (or Central?--I don't believe in Central Richmonds; I just believe in me). It has lots of places to eat and shop, but mile-for-mile, it pales in comparison to its tiny but powerful sister the Inner Sunset. But it dominates in a way with its repetitive blocks and downhill-to-the-ocean game. The only real question I have is Is Parkside part of the Outer Sunset, or are they two separate neighborhoods? I used to be heavily on the former side, but I may be persuadable to the dark side. Give me your best arguments. And astounding Safeway parking lots; and hardware stores that could (and couldn't); and disgraced former, current, and would-be supervisors. It's also sad and not cool that Bradley Nowell died here. (I don't know why it still makes me so sad.)

It is what it is, a vast expanse of American suburban architecture. Block after block of rows after…read morerows of mostly pastel stucco houses, some fabulous deco & "unique" landscaping. Every neighborhood has their own style of personal expression. No lawn? Paint the concrete green. Sculpt those bushes into soft serve spirals. Built over lots of sand, the planners gave the hood wide streets, and an exceptional tangle of overhead utility wires. Note: wealthy PAC Heights has all their wires underground. But that's the beauty of the Outer Sunset. Completely unpretentious, Pacific Ocean adjacent, 59 degree foggy summers.

What a special find. I truly mean it, very very special, when I stumbled upon the Tenderloin…read moreNational Forest I stood in awe, awash in that warm feeling you get when finding something amazing. A rare gem. When thinking of The Tenderloin, what pops to mind? Drugs and homelessness. Robberies and prostitution. Not the happiest of thoughts. The reality of The Tenderloin is along with it's rough and aptly assigned reputation it's also the neighborhood with the densest population in the city, including the highest proportion of families and children. I was lucky, I grew up with playgrounds and parks, fun that certainly didn't include all the aforementioned dangers. What about the children of the TL? I'd often pondered how rough it must be to be a child growing up here where you're too worried about what's in the shadows to even think about playing in the sun. The TNF is an alley turned oasis for those that will not accept that there can't be sunshine in their neighborhood. A community garden with beautiful murals, trees and plants, even gold fish lazily swimming about. I walked from one end to the other completely overwhelmed by the artistic courage I found tucked away in the heart of an area most people don't even want to drive through. I took plenty of pictures which I've attached but they do no justice. There is a feeling from being there, I can sense the love and hard work that was invested. A sanctuary. Look at the pictures, you'd never guess this inspiring beauty was anywhere even close to the Tenderloin. The TL isn't always what one might think and I implore you to check out their website, they need donations of dirt. Next time you find yourself on foot instead of avoidance I say head down Ellis, during the day of course, and stroll through the Tenderloin National Forest. While physically not the size one might think of for the term "forest", I promise you it's all that and more in spirit.

Many reviews mentioned battling the grimy neighborhood before stumbling in so I won't focus on…read morethat. Instead, I want to give a quick update for the little gem that this forest is, sitting in the middle of what seems like a sea of shady transactions and city stench. Coming by after a rainy weekend in April 2018, we didn't expect much. But the forest was teeming with red and purple flower buds! The art was intricate and few trees towered us despite being pancakes between two 3-4 story apartments. There is a great variety of plants from cacti to air plants to cycads and even little ponds. It felt very dystopian in contrast with the neighborhood. The boat and oven I saw in older yep reviews aren't there anymore, but there is a cute stone "beach" with little ponds. The forest looks wilder than it was 5-6 years ago, but still offers a peaceful spot nonetheless. Worth checking it out during the daytime. Don't come into this neighborhood after sunset.

I want to write about moderately good impressions of Bostonian classmates with distinctive accents…read moreand their shaken-down girlfriends, and plentiful sokh as well as other hidden delectables and gardens and garden boxes and run-down neighborhoods that remind me of non-run-down neighborhoods back when they were more run down. And Joe. And proud old men and this loving community that mourns them and their senseless deaths with renamed streets. And the Kaiser hospital, which I really don't like and try to avoid even though it's much closer to me than the brand-spanking-new one in Mission Bay. But mostly paper streets and walkway streets and stair streets and exotically named streets all laid out in a surprisingly confusing grid, but I solved the puzzle and cracked the case, and I know how to pop out right by Blood Centers of the Pacific, but it closed! And that has made me sad for years even though I hadn't donated blood there since 2010, not long before I had my appendix removed. I forgot about the former forlorn Walgreens (RIP, really?) and its promising but surprisingly dangerous little parking lot. And pimple parking even before the neighborhood parking permit went into effect in 2015. Has it really been ten years? There's a straight-up red or black '80s toilet in an apartment here. I know because I saw photos of it when we were looking for a new place to live after the fire. I didn't think I'd live in Anza Vista then, nor do I now. But that toilet? Not quite chef's kiss, but it was amazing in a way I can't explain. And I would gladly write letters to my uncle and my childhood friend's parents, but they wouldn't understand. It has a view of more than Anza Street, which ironically starts right outside the neighborhood's borders. (Anza begins where O'Farrell ends.) Be sure to visit the Orthodox church and St. Joseph's Avenue. It goes all the way through to Geary!

In the way back machine in the early 2000s, my co-worker moved to a new apartment with two of his…read morefriends and no one could place his address or recognize his neighborhood. "What's Anza Vista?" we probed with a bit of a Mean Girls sneer. Now keep in mind, we sounded haughty while we ourselves lived in a slightly crappy neighborhood known for providing morning crack deals to some of its denizens and 40-caliber nightly entertainment. It's now Hayes Valley. So it was known as "Anza Vista Heights" (and "Divisadero Depths"). Anza Vista is still a little tattered, sitting right above busy workhorse boulevards of Geary and Divisadero yet boasting real estate as expensive as any around town. Most of Anza Vista has rickety '60s architecture but knockout skyline views.

I've been here before most of y'all were born. Oh, the things I've seen! Guess I like bad boys…read morecause I'm hopelessly in love with the Lower Haight. Well, the crack dealers have moved on, replaced by million dollar condos, & fancy pants establishments. Haight & Divisadero streets are alive with destination worthy restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, and great people watching. Nothing but locally owned businesses here, except for the beloved CVS. Bless its heart surviving corporate closures & unrelenting shoplifting. Now the goods are under lock & key. Anyway, I'm not leaving my blue bubble.

People from cleaner and ritzier 'hoods gasp when I say I live in the Lower Haight. "Is it safe?"…read morethey inquire. I just laugh with a sinister grin and say "I like it." As Brian M. said we've got a diverse selection of eats (mostly cheap) and drinks. Not only that but we're close to two lovely parks, home to many churches, not to mention two excellent cafes- Bean There and Cafe du Soleil. Public transportation couldn't be easier here, either. Is the LH for everyone? No. And thank god almighty for that. It has, however, proven an unexpectedly lovely place for me to be.

Was taking a fine stroll around Chinatown when I happened upon this tunnel. Brightly painted red…read moreand yellow on opposing ends, it was nights like these I was glad I wasn't driving. Traffic was congested even before the entrance of the tunnel, though the drivers were remarkably patient without honking away. Seems like the "Quiet Through Tunnel" sign actually worked. While these two lanes heading out of Chinatown were backed up, the singular opposing lane was more or less empty. A few other pedestrians were passing through that evening. One was blasting music from his phone, while another was practicing his high notes out loud, so even without the honking their sounds bounced and reverberated. There were scraps of refuse here and there along with an abandoned scooter, but for the most part it was a clean path. Walls included the words Chinatown on one end and Union Square in English and Chinese along with an assortment of koi paintings. I decided to come back in the morning when the traffic was at a minimum and check out the scenery above the tunnel. The stairway going up was smelly and less maintained than the tunnel, though once I was back on the streets, it was a pleasant experience walking downhill to Chinatown.

I have walked through the Stockton Street Tunnel many times over the years. Sadly, over the last…read morefew years, especially during the COVID period, it was poorly maintained, and the sidewalks were littered with garbage. However, a few days ago, while walking toward Chinatown through the tunnel on the left side, I found it much cleaner than it had been in recent years. Granted, I still noticed a few signs of the challenges the area has faced, but overall, the tunnel felt much cleaner and better maintained. The Stockton Street Tunnel opened on December 29, 1914. It connects downtown San Francisco to Chinatown and North Beach. It was designed to avoid the steep climb over Nob Hill. It originally accommodated electric streetcars, but today it carries traffic and Muni buses. Personally, every time I walk through it, I appreciate not having to climb to the top of Nob Hill and then head down the other end. It is also a big help to drivers, like me, who need to drive from one side of the hill to the other.

We visited San Francisco for my birthday recently and were amazed at the improvement one year with…read morethe new mayor has wrought! We were also there in January of 2025, and the staff at the hotel was very excited that the mayor was meeting and engaging with the Asian community in Chinatown for Lunar New Year celebrations! This is a backbone community that not only works, but lives just two blocks away from Union Square. One year later, the downtown is now alive and humming. Hundreds of workers on every kind of transportation imaginable pour into downtown each day. We saw many riding the new electric bikes that are now ubiquitous. People on electric scooters and skateboards, and lots of pedestrians insure that the downtown businesses thrive. We at dinner at Cheesecake Factory in Macy's on Union Square and walked through the square to see the huge lighted Christmas tree and the skaters on the frozen pond. Hundreds of people were there, enjoying the sights and the Christmas market near the square. San Francisco is a town reborn and enjoying the good life!!

This review is for the Annual Tulip day. It's a total joke because you have to wait in many lines…read morejust to get tulips. I went today and was very angry. Poor crowd control and very disorganized. Complained to many different staff associated with the event that it needs improvement and they don't seem to care. This is a very shoddy event no matter if you arrive early or not. If you have elderly family members over the age of 65, it's best to avoid at all costs. Please bring snacks if you have poor health because you will suffer greatly. My mum had a hard time today because she didn't eat anything. It's also very impossible to grab food along the lines because 1. it's overpriced 2. It's very hard to return because the barricades are sealed tight. There needs to be a time in the Tulip day event where people over the age of 65 and their family get first priority. 3 hour wait for a small amount of Tulips, not acceptable. Pigs! The news and social media is lying to you.

I used to come here when I was a kid and our family would come before Halloween and pick out a…read morepumpkin. It was a family tradition long ago. The place has been know for great pumpkins and there food seen. We visited some of that with going to their Farmer's Market and walking along the coast line to view the ocean. We stayed at the iconic Ritz Carlton and it was amazing. Such a nice town to come to and visit. The people are so nice here and the town is just adorable.

Half Moon Bay- Cute little coastal city and we drove to there from Filoli for about 45 minutes with…read moresome traffic. We picked a good day to go because it was a bit hot that day but Half Moon Bay was so much cooler. It was about 60F-65F at Half Moon Bay. We walked the downtown MAIN St. and they have some unique boutiques and cute restaurants there. We also checked out a "jail" in Half Moon Bay and the volunteer who worked there was so friendly and informative and she talked about the history of Half Moon Bay to us. There's a small museum behind of the "jail". If you are in the area or close to Half Moon Bay, it was worth a visit.

Gee, I didn't know how many places in the city display the mosaic tile artistry of Aileen Barr and…read moreColette Crutcher. Their most famous collaboration is the long dramatic stairway known as the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps (review: https://bit.ly/3rRhxgn), and they also designed the Hidden Garden Steps a few blocks away (review: https://bit.ly/3CAxmvF). I had no idea about this particular set of stairs in the unexpected area of Bayview/Hunters Point. I accidentally coming upon them as I was walking up from the unkempt portion of the India Basin Shoreline on a rather vacant road named after a local reverend and community leader, Arelious Walker. The splash of color caught my eye, so I got closer. I didn't realize they were mosaic tiles until I got up close. The stairs are also named after Walker, and the designs were inspired by decorative patterns from African, Asian, Latin American, and Native American cultures. It's striking from a distance though it's not a continuous stairway (photo: https://bit.ly/3nETVeg). Unlike those other tiled stairways in the Sunset, these don't appear to be cleaned regularly as dirt appeared embedded in the steps. There isn't lush foliage surrounding the steps, just empty liquor bottles and other trash within close proximity. It's a shame, although I hope when the shoreline park gets renovated as planned, there will be regular maintenance of this stairway as well. It would be a worthy effort in a neighborhood that could benefit from such an attraction. RELATED - Exploring Bayview/Hunters Point? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AOvRKv