Stage 11, Parkside

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 coasted around the flat-lands of the Outer Sunset. This week, stage 11 gets a little bit more hilly in District 2D...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, visit our archives of the Tour.

-This area is still commonly referred to as "the Sunset", but the area just "feels" different. Many of the homes are the standard 2/1 up, inlaw down, but some homes like this at 1967 29th Ave show that stereotyping neighborhoods to have a certain type of property doesn't work in San Francisco.

-This district has a serious hill, or up-slope, that makes for great views. Get on Quintara at 19th Ave, drive West, and you'll see what we mean. At 26th Ave, the hill just plunges to the Ocean, and the views from the homes on 26th Ave between Quintara and Rivera are second to none. The views from 27th thru 30th aren't bad either.

-There is this little spot on the end of 30th Ave at Vicente where the road bends and turns into a one way street. Welcome to Escolta Way. This little pocket is soooo not Parkside. More like Westwood Park. It has detached homes, front yards (tiny ones) and you truly feel like you are in the suburbs in this little area. The gulch down into Pine Lake Park has towering Eucalyptus trees, and tons of space to let the little pooches run. If you prefer to run yourself, try Frogger across 19th Ave. or Sunset Blvd (it's a joke).

-The moral of this long story....look outside of the box and you might find your ideal home in an area where you least expect it.

the listings...notice no condos

the stats...not working! Insert baseball bat into computer screen.

SFhotspots

Hotspot? No. Spectacle? Yes. When you're in the Parkside, head to the corner of 24th Ave and Quintara. Check out the Sunset Reservoir. It is not something you'd think would fit in our cramped city. And the playground on the corner is by far one of the best, and biggest, in the city....;-)

Thoughts

Ever see the random palm tree on 21st Ave. at Ulloa? If you do, take a picture of it, and send it to us.