Curbed Cup Elite Eight: (10) Portola vs. (2) Lower Haight

Described by one of its residents as "a largely unheard of neighborhood," Portola was the most nominated neighborhood by Curbed readers. Emails poured in, and another neighbor dubbed it as "The Best Neighborhood You've Never Heard Of." In addition to the big reopening of the Palega Playground, the neighborhood's also home Burrows Pilot Park and the yearly Portola Garden Tour. Portola's also one of the only places in San Francisco where you can still get a decent home for less than a trillion dollars.
History shows us that the Lower Haight has does extremely well in Curbed Cups of yore. Not only did it fetch the title last year, it also won Neighborhood of the Year in 2011. Will 2013 be another victory? The neighborhood's constantly evolving while still paying homage to its roots. There's an effort to make improve the Wiggle, and residents and fans showed up in August to watch a very famous statue get bulldozed. Homes are also selling for hundreds of thousands dollars over asking.