What's this SF neighborhood?

April 29, 2007 8:17 PM

Name this San Francisco Neighborhood! I'm in the process of moving from Chicago to SF and am considering an apartment on Geary between Baker and Lyon. It's been described as being in "Lower Pacific Heights", but I've since learned that this is something of a misnomer - a way for realtors to make the place sound more impressive than it is. So where is this apartment in actuality?

Also: While Geary seems heavily trafficked and barren (my nearest neighbor is a Best Buy) the apartment itself is quite pleasant and boasts a happy little garden in the back. I'd appreciate any info about the neighborhood, places to hang out, transit options, etc. Thanks!

posted by aladfar to home & garden (21 comments total)

I think that's considered Western Addition. Maybe USF/Panhandle.
posted by mrunderhill at 8:22 PM on April 29, 2007

The neighborhoods tend to have foggy boundaries. The SF Muni Maps name them but don't show any borders at all.
posted by chairface at 8:36 PM on April 29, 2007

You're in sort of a no-man's land. Pac Heights is to the East. Laurel Heights is to the North. Western Addition is to the South. And Inner Richmond is to the West.

So, the name will be what realtors say it is. In this case, Pacific Heights. But whats most important is: whats the neighborhood like?

Its on a heavily, heavily trafficked street - Geary which at that point is like a small highway. The bad part is you better have solid windows or the noise will keep you up. The good side is the Geary bus will quickly get you downtown or across town very fast. You're not in a bad neighborhood just a boring one.

There isn't that much within walking distance. You can use Yelp to take a look for yourself. Tony's Cable Car is a block or so away so you can start there. No good bars in that area that I know of (maybe the Pig and Whistle?). The good ones on Divisadero or Inner Richmond are a small hike.
posted by vacapinta at 8:48 PM on April 29, 2007

Anza Vista is the current name for it, it's part of the general Western Addition but indeed, the lower Pac Heights name is a little off there (ends more like Post, and that's stretching Pac Heights itself).
posted by kcm at 8:53 PM on April 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Ditto vacapinta on all counts (except I think you're partially in the panhandle). Pacific Heights is really a stretch and the realtors are only telling you that because it's the wealthiest nearby neighborhood. We like to call it 'specific whites'.

Welcome to the Bay Area! Just don't try driving to the East Bay for a while.
posted by serazin at 8:53 PM on April 29, 2007

(Pacific Heights to me means: "I live next to a consulate, I can walk to Union Street's shops without a sweat, I'm pretty white, rich, and my girlfriend lives in the Marina. Oh look, Dianne Feinstein, Anne Rice, and Nancy Pelosi are playing lawn darts together over cold Negronis."
posted by kcm at 9:02 PM on April 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

I don't know that area but I just opened up "Streets and Trips" and turned on display of everything. You're living in a wasteland.

Looks like you can throw a rock and hit "Tony's Cable Car Restaurant". At the intersection of Baker and Sutter (north of you) is something called "Lo Fats". Two blocks west there's something called "Lucky Penny's" and there's a Subway Sandwich shop.

It looks like your best area for restuarants is 3 blocks east and 3 blocks north along Divisadero St, where there are 8 restaurants in a small area. S&T lists them as:

Cheese Steak Shop Inc
Palm Tree Cafe
Godzilla Sushi
Bus Stop Pizza
El Burrito Express
Hunan China Restaurant
Khoon Chang's Thai Cuisine
Frankie's Bohemian Cafe

It's anybody's guess whether any of those are any good, and since I'm using the 2001 version of the program, it may even have changed.

Further east, there are a lot of restaurants on Fillmore st, but now you're talking "hike" instead of "stroll".
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:19 PM on April 29, 2007

Hey! You'll be right down the street from the Hukilau. They make a nice mai tai, and you can dig into a big plate of loco moco!

Oh, and there's a Trader Joe's near you - right off Geary on Masonic
posted by rtha at 9:29 PM on April 29, 2007

Thanks all!

You've confirmed my read of the neighborhood - nothing wrong with it, just sort of in the middle of a big nothing (save Best Buy and Trader Joe's). I'm actually holding out for another place in the Lower Haight, but this one seems far more likely to work out.

And as it's just a six month lease, I figure it won't be so bad. Indeed, while there might not be much nearby, the apartment itself is really nice. I suppose I'll just get in better shape by walking/biking to anything and everything that's interesting.
posted by aladfar at 9:44 PM on April 29, 2007

You're very close to Kaiser Permanente's hospital center, should you be in sudden need of medical care (and belong to their HMO, of course). They have a small farmers' market at their hospital on Wednesdays.

You're also not that far from The Fillmore, still one of the best live music venues in the city.

The 38 Geary is a pretty regular bus line, and heavily used. It has express buses during rush hour that will get you downtown faster. You could live on a worse bus line. Definitely a noisy street, though.
posted by gingerbeer at 9:48 PM on April 29, 2007

I work a couple of blocks from this location, and I have one friend who lives a block from it and she likes it just fine. The upside is that Trader Joe's is right up the block on Masonic. Hukilau Hawaiian cafe and bar is just up the street, about two blocks. You can walk up and catch the 43 to get into the Haight (or just walk - it's about a 15 minute walk) area and hit Magnolia at Masonic and Haight. You are decently close to Hayes Valley as well, where there is Fly which is a nice little hip bar, and there are tons of coffee shops, including the recently opened Blue Fog Markt about four blocks from there serving wonderful coffee. There's actually a decent bakery in the Kaiser hospital too and there's a weekly farmer market there too on Wednesdays. So, it's not a bad area, and not an exciting one. The upside is that it's not a "bad" area, but it is close to a sketchy one, but not so much that you'll ever accidentally be wandering over into it. And you're only a few blocks away from Japan Town. It's not as bad an area as you think. You'll be a hell of a lot closer to a movie theater than I am. :) (I live in the ="http://smallerdemon.com/images/thumbnails.php?album=10">Inner Sunset.)

gmail smallerdemon when you get into town :) I'll buy you a welcoming beer and chat about Chicago with you (I've been a lot and have friends there).

Lower Haight: Hip but potentially scary, too. So, be aware of that.
posted by smallerdemon at 10:04 PM on April 29, 2007

Everyone's right. The block you're on is on the north side of the street, right across from Kaiser-Permanente SF, a 297-bed hospital. Next to K-P to the west is a giant strip mall that has a couple closed-down stores, and to the east is a housing project. Flanking all this acreage is USF to the west, which is mostly students, dorms and coffeehouses; and to the east a little residential zone full of characterless apartments.

So not a bad neighborhood, but a little dull and nothing much fun in walking distance. I hear the Brazilian coffeehouse that's right under your apartment has fantastic coffee, though, and there is a farmer's market on the hospital grounds - I think it's held at noon on Thursdays, which is more convenient for hospital employees than for local residents, but I guess it's a minor perk.

Geary is the largest, most heavily trafficked street in the entire Bay Area. You'd essentially be living on a freeway - when I've just waxed my car and want to drive it too fast, that little stretch of Geary is where I go. I don't think I'd like living on that street very much.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:15 PM on April 29, 2007

whoops - my apologies for the futzed link/mangled URL.

Inner Sunset. :) My neighborhood. I like it pretty well.
posted by smallerdemon at 10:47 PM on April 29, 2007

I'm rather surprised at how dead that area seems to be given that it's right next to USF.

Where I went to school, Oregon State, the north border of the campus runs along Monroe Ave. The north side of Monroe is known as "Campus Row" and it's solid shops and restaurants for the entire length of the campus.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:34 PM on April 29, 2007

The short answer to your first question is: The apartment is in the Western Addition, across the street from Anza Vista.

Until a few months ago, I lived at Turk & Lyon, immediately on the other side of Anza Vista from your new place. Here are some more thoughts on the area, to answer your second question.

It's not a bad area at all. You can walk up Geary to Arguello, walk a block to Clement, and you're in the heart of the Inner Richmond, which is absolutely filled with excellent restaurants. The overflow from Burma Superstar alone keeps 10 other places in business. Giorgio's is also great.

If you walk the other direction down to Divis, you have some great cheap eats, including some of the places Steven C. Den Beste lists above: The Cheesesteak Shop and Godzilla are both excellent. Frankie's is good for burgers and decent beer specials. Ocean Taqueria on the same block is solid.

As mentioned above, the Haight is also an easy walk. Japantown isn't too far either.

You can also walk to Ella's, possibly the best brunch in the city (though there is admittedly a lot of solid competition). That puts you spitting distance of the JCC, which has an excellent gym run by Club One (and you don't have to be a member of the tribe), Laurel Heights, which has more cafes, restaurants, and shops.

On top of all those restaurants, you have a Trader Joe's, Best Buy, and Safeway all very easily accessible.

Essentially, tons of things are convenient, but your immediate neighborhood isn't that exciting.

Note: Contrary to what smallerdemon said, I don't think you're really near Hayes Valley at all.

Note 2: USF has about 8,500 undergrads, compared to Oregon State's 16,000. USF students hang out all over the Richmond and the Haight, which is why there is no one street of bars for them.
posted by jewishbuddha at 12:53 AM on April 30, 2007

Well, I'm known to walk a long way and not think it's very far. ;)

I've walked from The Fillmore back to Haight and Fillmore after a concert because it was significantly faster than taking the 22 over there. (I mean, the city is only seven miles wide after all.)

jewishbuddha, I think my brain considered Fly being in Hayes Vallley, but you're right, it's quite outside the periphery of HV which is more centered around Octavia Blvd these days.

Uh, what jewishbuddha said. :) There's really plenty around there. Now, as long as they don't start tearing up the street to build the Geary Street Light Rail line while you live there, it should be ok. ;)
posted by smallerdemon at 7:12 AM on April 30, 2007

uh, smallerdemon, your link goes to a completely different transit project in a completely different part of town. I think you meant to link to the Geary BRT, which will be much less disruptive to build.
posted by ambrosia at 7:21 AM on April 30, 2007

I'm rather surprised at how dead that area seems to be given that it's right next to USF.

USF is pretty small, though there is a bit of nightlife near Masonic & Fulton, and there's also a bit more near Divisadero and Fell (which is long-walking distance).

If you do move to this area, you have no excuse for not going to at least one Midnight Mass at the nearby Bridge Theater.
posted by treepour at 9:15 AM on April 30, 2007

my sister just purchased flat on lyon near post, which is essentially just a block from your location. I've been by twice, since she's purchased, and have a little bit of feel for the area. On St. Patrick's day last, we walked from her house to Union Square and then Fisherman's wharf and back, and I'd say the trip was about an hour each way -- but you'll rarely have the need to go that far in order to find something to do. The immediate neighborhood is a little 'suburbia-ish', but I think it's really a pretty decent location (aside from being on Geary, which as previously mentioned, is pretty much a freeway). Fillmore is definitely walkable, if you walk at all (though i'd probably walk down Bush rather than Geary). As you know, TJ's is close by -- a huge plus, as very few people living in SF are lucky enough to live near a supermarket -- and my sister says there's a fantastic Kosher deli somewhere around there were they get their fresh meat from. Divis is also very close, and has two of our favorite restaurants -- Jay's Cheesesteaks (much diff. than the formerly-mentioned Cheesesteak shop) and Herbivore. They also has NoPA, which is fairly well regarded. This area is growing pretty quickly, and I'm sure you'll find lots of great neighborhood haunts and entertainment options.

Personally, transit-wise, I think that area kinda sucks (my sis and her boyfriend both have cars, although he bikes daily to the Caltrain), but I generally avoid MUNI (i prefer to walk over riding the bus). I think I'd probably pick it over the lower haight (which is a little more sketchy/annoying) depending on 1) where you'll be working/going to school, and 2) whether you have to get to the east bay or bart on a regular basis.

SF has a very active yelp community, so just search your future address on yelp and set the distance marker real low and read up.
posted by fishfucker at 2:22 PM on April 30, 2007

ambrosia - there's a mention about 2/3 the way down of the Geary project's current status (mainly that it's still in study mode, so aladfar has little to worry about).

"What is the status of the Geary Corridor light rail line?

A preliminary study of the Geary corridor has been completed and the conclusions resulting from that study was to proceed with a rail based project. "

But coolio on the Geary BRT link. Thankee.

fishfucker: The main issue there is the long distance from any light rail. 38 Geary's issue is obvious: CROWDED! All the time. I've been on it at 1 AM and it's crowded. It's crazy.

Upside is the closeness to 43, which is also crowded but a great nexus to go elsewhere.

And I too would pick it over Lower Haight. You can get to Lower Haight with a quick bus ride (you're only blocks from the 22 Fillmore which goes straight to Lower Haight).
posted by smallerdemon at 8:13 PM on April 30, 2007

I like the Pig and Whistle, I used to go for their trivia night. Great mix of people, nice beers on tap, solid bar food and friendly Brits behind the counter. If you move out to Geary though you have to gather some friends and go to the Mayflower (quite a bit further out, but worth it) for dim sum brunch. Best dim sum in the city, assuming you love seafood like I do.
posted by cali at 9:07 PM on April 30, 2007