Half the field has already been eliminated in the Curbed Cup, our annual award naming the San Francisco neighborhood of the year. This week we'll have two matchups apiece on Monday and Tuesday—with the polls left open for 24 hours—and by Wednesday only four contenders will be left vying for the prestigious honor. Let the eliminations continue!
Photo of Excelsior (left) via San Francisco Days; photo of Castro via SFisHome
We start the competition with the Excelsior taking on its neighbor to the north, the Castro.
The Excelsior is larger than the Castro and some would say it's not as busy. However, the largely residential 'hood was the winner in last year's Curbed Cup competition. The neighborhood at the southern part of the city continues to attract attention as beleaguered homebuyers take notice of a number homes that are priced under $1 million. An Excelsior reader wrote in an emailed nomination that noted the neighborhood is cheaper than adjacent districts; cleaner than nearby (and traditionally more popular) districts; and has good restaurants (including the city's first Laotian eatery). In the Curbed Cup's first round, the Excelsior received more votes than any other neighborhood.
However when it comes to greatest number of votes in the first round, the Castro trailed the Excelsior by just three votes. That enthusiasm caused it to handily defeat Potrero Hill. Earlier this year, we reported on a survey that showed fewer people in the Castro identified as LGBTQ. The study indicated that newcomers to the neighborhood were less likely say they were LGBTQ, however more than 70 percent of the residents still answered the question with an affirmative. The district has also seen a number of multi-family housing units going up, and even the iconic Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco will be replaced by luxury condos. We called out three great neighborhood retail destinations in our guide to best shopping: Cliff's Variety, Super Simple, and Black & Gold.
· Curbed Cup First Round Results! The Excelsior Dominates [Curbed SF]
· The Curbed Cup Neighborhood of the Year Is ... the Excelsior! [Curbed SF]
· New Laotian in Excelsior; 2212 Takes Punchdown Space [Eater SF]
· There Goes the Gayborhood [Curbed SF]
· LGBT-Friendly Church in the Castro to Be Born Again As Condos [Curbed SF]
· A Map of the 31 Best Design and Furniture Stores in SF [Curbed SF]
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