Stage 52, Duboce Triangle (5j)

(Click Image for Larger View)

Vienna might have the Bermuda Dreieck, but not only does San Francisco have the yuppie watering holes in the Marina oft referred to as "The Triangle", but we have our very own district that is actually cut out like a triangle as well, Duboce Triangle. It is perhaps the only district in San Francisco which has a name that matches it's shape.

If you look at the map above you'll see it is bordered by Castro, Duboce, and Market Streets, situated very close to the geographical center of San Francisco. Duboce Triangle is a vibrant, lively, and in some places a little rough around the edges (just as any good city neighborhood should be) district close to just about anything anybody could ever need. The north end of this district is a hop, skip, and a jump away from both the stores on the southern end of Divisadero, as well as the vibrant urban beat of the Lower Haight. On the south end of the district you're a stone's throw away from the Castro and all it has to offer, including some of the great establishments on Market Street. If you yourself are a bit more edgy (thinking tattoos, piercings, artistic, etc.), you'll probably gravitate more towards the Lower Haight part of this district. If you don't like rainbow flags hanging from buildings and homes, be warned, Duboce Triangle has many.

Public transportation is all around, Safeway (grocery store) is walking distance from any home, as is the great corner store on 14th St. and Castro (Courtney's Produce). McKinley Elementary is on the edge of this district, and if you need to get your body pump on, Max Muscle promises to be a good fit (for some). There is a great, extremely dog friendly, park (Duboce Park), which also has a great little playground, a hospital (CPMC Davies Campus), restaurants galore (many with great outdoor seating), and a proximity to all points of the city that is hard to beat, not to mention the J Church runs right on and picks up passengers on Duboce.

As for the homes vibe, if you're looking for big trees lining the streets and an abundance of Victorians and Edwardians, then this area is for you. Not too many steep hills either, and you can even find a home on a flat street. You'll notice a lack of photos of homes with this district as the trees tend to obscure a lot of the homes (the photo worthy homes that is). There is definitely a higher percentage of mixed use, high density living here than there are single family homes, but that doesn't make it feel any less neighborhoody.

Generally, the homes are very well cared for, but as is the case with every district, there are a couple forgotten homes here and there. If you have a problem living close to commercial/industrial spaces, then definitely don't look for a home near the Market Street side of this district, especially the east end of 15th St. That's not to say there aren't great homes on the south end of Noe as it meets Market, but just keep it in mind, commercial areas are all around.

Homes tend to sell pretty quickly in this area if they are priced right (heard that before haven't you?), but they do not appeal to as wide of a buyer pool as some other areas of town simply for the reason that this area can be a bit more "edgy" than others. But that's what I personally like about it.

There is also a great art studio that was previously for sale (Belcher Studios), and the residence came along with it. I'm not quite sure what happened with that sale, but if you're interested, drop me a line and I'll look into it.

As for the weather, it's great! Sunny in the summer, thanks to the ridge to the west (blocks the fog) and sunny in the winter (when it's not raining). Wind is not too bad either.

That ought to give you a pretty good sense of this area, so on to the photos...

Courtney's Market on 14th and Castro

Big Green Monster on Walter

15th Street Homes near Market
A modern home in otherwise Victorian country, Beaver at Noe
Trees everywhere!
There is a home hiding behind there on Beaver
Great cafe/restaurant on the corner of Noe and Market
Belcher Studios.  The art hiding behind these walls is incredible. 
Home on Noe
Duboce Park Cafe
Noe
15th
Homes on end of 15th St

Noe 

The forgotten soul
Duboce Park.  Huge grassy area for the dogs.  Pick up after your pets!

That's going to do it for another stage of the Tour de San Francisco (real estate). Thanks for reading. Happy house hunting, and get out there and explore this great city!