The Tour de San Francisco is our version of the great cycling race, where we tour through our nano-markets around town. Last week we wound our way through the hills of Golden Gate Heights. This week, the course flattens out as we head all the way to what used to be the desolate sand swept dunes of District 2B...Outer Parkside. We'll finish after 86 stages with district 10K...Bayview Heights. If you have anything you want to say about your neighborhood, we want to hear it. For past stages, contact your sfnewsletter provider.
-If you ask the average San Franciscan, "where is the Outer Parkside", they'll look at you like you're nuts. That is because most people commonly refer to anything "out there" as the Sunset. Homes in this area were primarily built in the 1930's and 40's, are typically two stories with 2 beds 1 bath up, 1 bed 1 bath down (often put in without permit, thus "unwarranted"), and average around 1200-1500 square feet in living space. They'll set you back around $7-800,000, and they still sell rather briskly when priced right.
-So what's the area like? Well, if you're looking for big Victorian facades, tree lined streets, warm summers, and "high end" shops, you're looking in the wrong place. But if you're looking for quaint homes, easy access to tons of recreation, cool summers, a house with a sizeable (San Francisco standards) yard, close proximity to SF State and Stonestown, and a quick jump onto the I-280, you've found nirvana. Another plus for this area is that if you know your ABC's, and 1-2-3's, it's almost impossible to get lost. (You need to know a little Spanish too.) The streets running east/west are Ortega, Pacheco, Quintara, Rivera, all the way to Yorba, ending at Sloat. The streets running north/south are 37th, 38th, 39th all the way to 48th, ending at Great Highway. You see!? Easy. Oh yeah... surf culture is alive and well in the Outer Parkside. Head out there during a nice fall or winter day, and you will be amazed at how many people actually climb into skin-tight neoprene and plunge themselves into the icy waters off Ocean Beach. And the surf isn't even that good!
the listings
the stats
SFhotspots
If you happen to find yourself in the Outer Parkside (we hope you do) you'll be happy to know there is a little deli that packs a big punch...George's Zoo Liquor Deli on Sloat at 44th across from the Zoo. The people behind the counter are extremely friendly and helpful, and there's something about their sandwiches. They're just so good.
Thoughts
Venture on down to the Outer Parkside, grab a sando, head to the playa, watch the surfers get tossed around like ragdolls, and ask yourself..."Who was Wawona?"
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8 comments:
Hi SF Newsletter Staff;
With regard to Outer Parkside, you did an admirable job of trying to put lipstick on a pig.
I have owned in Outer Parkside since 2001. It is bloody awful. As your article correctly pointed, most San Franciscans have only a slight notion of "out there" that Outer Parkside even exists. It is the only place on earth where one can spend three quarters of a million dollars and have everyone else in the city look down upon you with a mixture of distain and pity. The most wretched homeless person on the street is held in a higher regard than a poor dweller in Outer Parkside.
I have had people visibly wince when I mentioned where I live. Every other San Franciscan, no matter what kind of a home or neighborhood they live in, no matter if they don't even have two nickels to rub together, will look down their nose at you and say, in a manner more haughty that any English Duchess ever dreamed, "I'm sorry" as I have been told verbatum on at least one occasion.
It is a very difficult place to get to and from, there are no decent shops, except for an OK produce store on Noreiga and only one good restaurant, Rick's on Taraval (which may technically be in the slightly less awful Central Parkside)
The houses are all ugly Doglers (or how ever that idiot builder spelled his name). Yes, they do offer a bit better cost per square foot, but that is little consolation.
So, as soon as I find a decent house in a good neighborhood, I am going to unload this turkey. And just to give a great big rasberry to everyone in San Francisco who been unhelpful, unkind and snooty, I am going to structure the deal in a way that will cut out every leech who thinks they are going to put their snout in the trough.
That's right, I may put this turkey on e-bay, I might lease option it, I would love to sell it and do a wrap mortgage for my buyer, just to make everyone mad. I might FIZBO the house.
And then I will turn my back on this cold rock and move to someplace good.
You may quote any or all of this letter
Parkside hater! Why don't you just go sell your house? Let us know where it is, and maybe we'd buy it. We think the area is great!
We love the Parkside! We've been living here for 15 years and love it. Obviously, we love watching our property values rise, but we also love the beach, the zoo, Harding Park Golf Course, Fort Funston, Lake Merced, and all the other great things just out our door. We welcome new neighbors with open arms.
El Dunno writes with zest:
Ok, just out of a certain sense of 'schadenfreude' that I have when I watch liberals spend a great deal of money on things, and have them not turn out right, this tops the bill.
Technically I'm not an 'outer Parkside (O.P) hater' I actually like all of SF (the physical capital that is, as opposed to the labor pool), many days I have spent on my mtn. bike zipping through the various parks in the OP, dodging used condoms in the GG park, whale carcasses on the beach and laughing at frost-bitten 'surfers' rocking out on 2 foot swells.
It just gives me a certain relish and a 'warm and fuzzy' when I see liberals ripped off by other libs!!!
You are absolutely right, the better piece of real estate in SF is the park bench in Union Square compared to a 3/2.5 in the OP. Heck at least you can enjoy the city and not be fogged in so tight that the air pressure wont allow you to open your front door.
I have done some various posts on the volatility of the SF real estate market and how happy I am I don't live there, I'm sure Al Quaeda realizes that it might be a great place to detonate a dirty bomb, since the SF peeps are too pacifistic and hashed up to care, and the rest of Red America doesn't give a damn about your $900k starter homes. Maybe with the dirty bomb potentiality it might clear out a few of the bums, I mean homeless folks, that inhabit your once fair city.
The commment posted by the poor sap who did spend $750k on his hizzle cracked me up. I am so happy hear that Moveon.org wont be getting any extra Rubles this year, from him. Nor will he have any money to crowd the beaches I frequent in the Caribbean. Please all you lefties stay there and rip each other off for overpriced crappy housing so you can be true to your Vegan coffeshops, hemp clubs, and dreadlock salons (for the Trust-fund-afarians). It tickles me pink to know that my dollars that I saved on housing in Tallahassee, Florida allowed me the spare time to intimidate ethnic voters, confuse Palm Beach seniors with their butterfly ballots, and stifle Jesse Jackson, MSNBC, and CBS news from celebrating Al Gore's Victory 2000 party!
In the immortal words of Dave Chappelle, imitating R. Kelly; "You drink pi$$, I'll sip Cris." Ps that's Cristal Champagne for you broke, class-envying liberals with mortgages the size of the national debts of small African countries.
The More I think about it, I think the Repblican party must have created San Francisco for the express purpose of isolating and defrauding you all.
PS, thanks so much to SF, my uncle who is a rice farmer in the Central Valley gets subsidized through your tax money and is able to deprive you of your fresh water, enjoy the 1/2 gallon flush dudes!!!!
wow. El Dunno really loves him some San Francisco. Only love can turn into that sort of hate.
Sad, but some people are just prone to be negative wherever they live. You can run, but you can't hide. And, I honestly hope the best for you in your next move.
I am in my early 30's and am very connected with the city scene and hip crowd and the response I always get when I say I live in the Outer Sunset is "what great weather you have been having" or "global warming is really going well for you" or "the air is the best out there by the ocean, you are lucky" or "we should come to your house and go to Park Chalet or the Riptide or party on the beach". We have never had a problem hoping on the L or N and getting into the heart of the city in minutes if we need to shop, party, etc. We enjoy our huge yard, ocean views, fresh air, quite neighborhood, zero crime and our house that just continues to make us rich in more ways than one. As realtors now say, "the sunset is the new luxury living".
"Bloody" depressed much anyway? Just a suggestion: step outside and notice that the weather has been amazing! otherwise, consider skylights, bright white bulbs and strategically positioned mirrors to bring in more light to your space.
I grew up in the Westwood neighborhood off of Ocean Ave, remembering only constant fog. However, thanks to global warming, that seems to have changed. After 30 years of being away, I'm back and loving what I've discovered, but in the Outer Parkside neighborhood (yes, even after considering other neighborhoods). Besides, one cannot just consider a neighborhood and not what it is also in close proximity to.
Okay, so I'll acknowledge the fact that a "strand" of fun shops and more restaurants are an obvious missing link, as there are only a surprising few, if any, attractive shops and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. It's hard not to notice the potential, considering the amount of foot traffic and the eager and supportive locals.
Outer Parkside, like much of the neighboring communities, is for an out-going lifestyle. It's a beach life within the city, but without having to take the city grime home with you. No parking probs and a low crime rate. Being able to walk to a neighbor's house without the worry of getting mugged is kinda' nice. i also particularly love knowing that when i step out onto my front stoop, that i don't have to worry about who might be claiming it as a sleeping quarter.
And yes, the EASY access to the Judah & Taravel lines that take you just about anywhere in the city in around 20-30 minutes is a definite plus. Step out and get some exercise. Walk (pick some seashells on the way), dog walk, run, bike ride, hike, surf, sky glide...
Right now, from my deck, I'm looking out at the vastness of the ocean back-dropped by an incredible sunset, windows wide open letting the fresh air in. Today the view is a little hazy compared to yesterday, when the Farralone Islands and the Marin Headlands were a little more visible, but no less spectacular. It's late January.
Yes, there are some grimy spots here in the west end, but open your eyes a little wider and notice an overwhelming zen-like peace. To experience it is to love it.
Anonymous living in the OP. Your shops and restaurants may not be so far off. Peet's Coffee and Tea is opening on the corner of 16th and Geary. We know....nowhere near where you are, but at least joints like them are making their way "out there". It's big news for the Richmond...trust us.
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