Curbed Cup Final Four: (6) Bernal Heights vs. (10) Portola

We're down to the final four in the Curbed Cup, our annual award to the San Francisco neighborhood of the year. Starting now we'll have two matchup today—with the polls left open for 24 hours—and the final showdown for the prestigious fake trophy will begin on Monday. Let the eliminations continue!

[Bernal Heights photo via Patricia Chang/Portola photo via Octoferret]

Bernal Heights, often described as its own town within our big city, is a crowd favorite for many reasons. There are no shiny skyscrapers or chain stores, but there are gorgeous centenarian abodes to purchase, and plenty of newly constructed contemporary manses to gawk at. Shopping at one of Cortland's many locally-owned small businesses is a pleasure, as is star-gazing from Bernal Hill at night.

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.