The People's Guide is Curbed SF's tour o' the nabes, lead by our most loyal readers, favorite bloggers, and other luminaries of our choosing. Have a piece to say? We'll be happy to hand over the megaphone. Notice a new voice on Curbed SF over the past few weeks? Join us in welcoming our latest Curbed operative, contributor Alex Bevk.
[what, your front yard doesn't look like this? by Alex Bevk]
Nabe: Outer Sunset
Tell us something we don't know about the Outer Sunset? On sunny days, living near Ocean Beach feels like being on vacation. Plus you'll be hard pressed to find a neighborhood with as many outdoorsy adventure options - Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, Fort Funston, Lake Merced...it's a nature lover's dream.
Local customs of note: Completely ignoring the dog leash laws on Ocean Beach, really wanting to eat at Outerlands but not willing to wait in the crazy long lines, having your mood be dependent on current surf conditions, not understanding the differentiation between the Sunset and Parkside.
Hidden gems in the Outer Sunset: All of the sudden a bunch of great "gourmet" coffee shops have popped up. Devil's Teeth Bakery on Noriega sells Blue Bottle Coffee, and Beachside on Judah. They make cold foggy mornings way better. Noriega Street in general has my favorite stuff - an awesome produce market, The Pizza Place, a liquor store that will order you specialty stuff, a salty Irish bar, Korean food out of a garage...what more could you ask for?
Are your neighbors "Rotten Neighbor" worthy? If so, dish. If not ? well, why not? Our actual neighbors are rad, everyone who lives out here is really friendly and invested in the neighborhood. But our "camper" neighbors could use some work. We live right on Great Highway, and people like to park their RVs or buses and camp out there for weeks at a time. Its usually not a huge deal, but they leave trash (meaning literally garbage, but also...uh..."waste") and it's super foul.
Inflate the bubble or burst it: what's not-so-swell about your "perfect" neighborhood? Even though it's not as remote as people like to complain about, it can be a hassle getting across town. Muni options are pretty limited and can take forever, so you end up being a bit more car-dependent. We could also use more grocery stores - I'm so jealous of the Richmond's new Fresh & Easy! But getting a big house with a backyard for cheap rent, and landlords that allow big dogs (which is ridiculously hard to find), totally make up for it.
The final word on the Outer Sunset: It definitely has a different feel about it ... you get home from work at the end of the day and you're in another world. All the western neighborhoods have this camaraderie, like we're in on this secret that no one else in the city knows about. There are weekends that I never go east of Twin Peaks.
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