Why is the Inner Richmond one of the best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco? Because it is not the Mission, the Castro, or the Haight. Don’t get me wrong, these are all vibrant, interesting neighborhoods, but I’m sure you’ve heard the saying about not eating where you...well you know.
What I’m trying to say is that the Mission, the Castro, and the Haight (as well as North Beach, SOMA, etc.) are all great places to visit but when it comes to choosing a place to live, do you really want to be surrounded by hoards of hipsters, tourists, or gutter-punks with pit bulls? Wouldn’t it be preferable to just visit these iconic SF neighborhoods when the mood strikes, and then go home when they inevitably become tiresome? And think about it, do you really want to deal with being spare-changed or having your picture snapped when you go for the morning paper, or venture out for that hangover-curing breakfast? Yeah, me neither.
The Inner Richmond has a reputation for being a mellow, community-oriented, family-friendly kind of place. While all of these descriptions are true, they only tell a part of the neighborhood’s story. The part that is left out is this area’s diversity, a mix of people and landscapes that make it hard for any one vibe to dominate. Yes it is true that many middle-class families call the district home, but so do college students, recent immigrants, trendy teenagers, old hippies, single techies, elderly couples and many, many others who defy easy categorization.
Yes the Inner Richmond is peaceful, but it can also be exciting. Packed into a small square situated between Arguello Blvd. and Park Presidio, this hardworking neighborhood can morph from a calm green oasis into a bustling urban center in only a few short blocks. The neighborhood’s southern border is Golden Gate Park, a lush swath of greenery reportedly bigger than New York’s Central Park, and the perfect place for a picnic, a hike, or a visit to one of the two world class museums it houses: the DeYoung and the Academy of Sciences. The northern border of the neighborhood is only one block away from another park, which means that it is embraced on both sides by the calming presence of nature. This other park, named Mountain Lake, has a lovely pedestrian-only trail that curves around its namesake lake, a playground for the kiddies, and an off-lease dog run for the pups.
Between the two parks lies both sleepy residential streets and busy shopping districts. Clement Street, also known as “the New Chinatown” or “Chinatown-lite” is a swarming buzz of bodies lured by the Asian groceries, spice shops, restaurants, and cheap housewares stores. Mixed in are several Irish pubs, an amazing independent bookstore, an art gallery that showcases local artists, a french restaurant that rivals any in the city, and several high-end boutiques down at the Arguello end. The dim sum on Clement beats anything you can get in tourist-laden Chinatown, and the array of Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Burmese, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisines offers a more eclectic palate than can be found there as well.
One block south from Clement is Geary St., the major artery that runs through this part of town and the place to catch the 38 Geary bus going either towards the beach or downtown. A variety of good eats can also be found on this street, as well as numerous coffee shops, a few gas stations, several convenience stores and produce markets, a medical marijuana dispensary, some laundromats and bars a plenty. Two blocks over on Balboa St. some additional amenities can be found, guaranteeing that the Inner Richmond resident never has to venture more than a few blocks for a bite to eat or a cold beer when the mood strikes.
Sounds almost perfect, right? Well like any other place the Inner Richmond does have its downsides, most notably the thick fog that reportedly blankets the neighborhood on a regular basis. Ask someone about the Richmond and the fog is probably the first thing to come up. More accurately it is the Outer Richmond and Sunset Districts that get the brunt of this the fog as it comes off the ocean, and often by the time this wave has reached Park Presidio it has thinned out considerably. But yes it can be foggy, although this is a small price to pay for all the other wonderful things that this neighborhood has to offer.
