Allison Walks SF

3 Miles in NOPA

2025-04-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is the last of my cluster of walks I took while visiting San Francisco in April. I started the trip by walking in neighboring Alamo Square, so this served as a nice full-circle ending to the trip. It was sunny, bright, and full of delight...

This route is primarily residential, with a wide variety of architectural styles and color schemes which makes the roads more interesting to explore.

Divisadero is a main commercial vein that runs north-south on the east side of this neighborhood. Traffic is a lot heavier on this side of the neighborhood.

While on Divisidero between Hayes and Grove, I spotted four glorious words in the window of the Bean Bag Cafe: Also Gluten Free Crepes. I ran in and grabbed a sweet Citron (lemon mouse and strawberries) to go and ate it back at my hotel after the walk. It was YUM.

Several of the residents use their homes as canvases to express their social and political beliefs.

The prettiest feature of this walk was the bright street mural on Lyon Street between Fulton and McCallister. Overall this was a very delightful walk on a warm, sunny day. I found this area very pleasant and not overly hilly. And it had gluten free crepes. I mean, does it get any better than that? :)

Until next time, San Francisco.

5.3 Miles in Central Waterfront/Dogpatch

2025-04-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Continuing on my tour of the east coast of the City, I had the most delightful walk through Central Waterfront and Dogpatch on a quiet sunny Wednesday morning. The terrain is flat, the sidewalks are (mostly) pedestrian-friendly, there is plenty of food and interesting things to look at on the route including an informational kiosk about rope-making, bins of Chase Center holiday decorations, handmade clogs, and a beach. Let's get into it!

To orient ourselves, I started this walk at Mariposa and Indiana Streets in a residential area with condo and apartment buildings nestled along wide, tree-lined sidewalks.

There are a couple of blocks on Indiana Street where the sidewalks are no so much "tree-lined" as they are "tree-dominated." Add in perpendicular parking and litter, and the path became impassible. Fortunately, traffic was very light when I was there, so I just walked down the middle of the street until the sidewalks were available again.

The southern boundary of this route was Cesar Chavez and the industrial warehouses just south of it. I really wanted to walk all the way down to the Islais Creek Channel to look down into the water, but warehouses have the area directly along the water fenced off for equipment storage.

While the whole walk felt relatively safe during the day, there is definitely a dividing line in "vibe" along 22nd Street. North of 22nd is residential/commercial. South of 22nd is industrial, bordering on post-apocalyptic. Ha! It's not all bad but for casual pedestrians, I would say just stay north of 22nd Street.

While looping behind one block of warehouses down on Cesar Chavez, I spotted all the Chase Center holiday decorations stored behind Props2C. Check out Props2C's online gallery to see the really cool large event props they create.

One last thing to note about the industrial area south of 22nd street - ALL THE MUNI BUSES. There is a large parking lot along Indiana Street housing dozens (maybe over a 100?) of Muni buses.

Now, back to north of 22nd Street. This area is referred to as Dogpatch. It was originally home to a Dutch community and no one knows for sure how it got its name. Rumor has it the neighborhood was named after the fictional town in the cartoon Li'l Abner. Read here for more about the history of this neighborhood.

A neat piece of history that is memorialized in the neighborhood is the rope-making industry. There are historical kiosks on the Tubbs Street corner of Angel Alley (named after Tubbs & Co., a cordage factory started in the neighborhood in 1865). This area is connected by Ropewalk that is described as:

"...a series of engaging community spaces, green infrastructures, and a celebration of maritime history. A meandering elevated boardwalk, which floats over a constructed bioretention wetland and connects an interactive plaza with an outdoor museum."

Besides enjoying the maritime history, a great reason to wander Dogpatch is to try out the food. I wanted something I could enjoy on the go so I stopped into The Plant for a protein shake.

About 4 miles into the walk, I spotted my main man, Smokey, on a billboard. As I was walking alone, I couldn't share my glee with anyone in the moment. So, I share it with you here.

On the corner of 22nd and Illinois is Bryr clog studio where they make shoes on site. Their shoes are really cute.

Okay. This was a long walk in an interesting neighborhood, so I could keep posting pics all day. But I'll wrap it up with this one of a dog playing on the beach located at 18th and Illinois Streets.

On the map, you'll see there are piers sticking out into the bay on the eastern most edge of this neighborhood. I'll need to take a separate walk to tackle those since this one was getting long. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the area and recommend taking a leisurely stroll between Mariposa and 22nd, from Indiana to Illinois and then ending at this beach on Illinois to enjoy the water views before heading home.

2.2 Miles in Mission Rock

2025-04-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

This walk is a continuation of my earlier 2.3 mile walk in Mission Bay. I split the walk in half because this chunk of land east of 3rd Street is called Mission Rock and has a distinctly different vibe. The Chase Center is over here as well as great Bay views and delicious ice cream sammies.

Before I get to the details of this walk, I have to tell you about my toes and my quest for bandages. As I was walking in this neighborhood around the Chase Center (where the Warriors play), I realized my pinky toes were REALLY hurting. Blisters were imminent. I knew bandages would solve my problem so I went on what I thought would be a simple search (this is a medical neighborhood, after all). It was not as easy as I thought. While the area has top surgeons and futuristic medical technology, it does not have easily accessible over the counter products.

After making a full lap around the campus and debating whether to stop walking for the day, I finally found a little Walgreens hospital pharmacy on 4th and 16th Streets. While they didn't sell bandages, the pharmacist dug in her first aid kit under the counter and handed me a couple of Walgreens-branded bandages. I was very grateful for her help and to get back on the road.

Back to the walk: The Chase Center is gorgeous. It has a spacious campus of dining and shopping all the way around the arena. My friends in the area all agree game days are really fun here because the Muni T-Line drops off right in front of the building and there is plenty to eat, despite the large crowds.

I, however, visited in the middle of a non-game day so only a few of the businesses were open. This made for a quiet walk around the building. On the Bay side of the building, there is a large art installation of reflective spheres that make for fun selfies.

There's also a cool mural on the Bay side of the arena at the top of the stairs.

I have to give the planners of this community a high grade for shaded sidewalks and ample greenery. The tree-lined sidewalks are just lovely.

The roadway behind the arena is called Terry A. Francois Blvd. You CAN walk along that road but it's much more fun to walk along the San Francisco Bay Trail that parallels between the road and the water. On what ended up being a warm afternoon, the cool breezes off the water were much appreciated.

You know what else is appreciated on a warm afternoon? ICE CREAM! At the end of this walk, which was the third walk of the day, I treated myself to a gf mint chip ice cream sandwich at The Baked Bear. The cookie was warm and the ice cream was perfectly minty. Yum!

2.3 Miles in Mission Bay

2025-04-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

The last time I was in the Mission Bay area, it was a construction site. It's exciting to see the medical campus completed now. The sleek professional buildings line wide streets with safe sidewalks. And the entire neighborhood is perfectly flat because the land was artificially filled in what long ago was a marshy bay (hence the name). You can see a collection of historical images of this neighborhood HERE.

I started this walk at the roundabout of Channel and Sixth Street along Huffaker Park. It's a really lovely green space that looks across Mission Creek Channel for about four blocks.

While Mission Bay has been developed as a medical and biotech research community, there are families with kids who live in this neighborhood. I see online that there is a K-5 school being constructed. In the meantime, the local children have a cool playground to enjoy.

If you look at the map of this neighborhood, you'll notice a strip of grass between the north and south lanes of Mission Bay Boulevard. This strip of land did not go to waste. One block of it has been turned into a food truck garden with a variety of trucks parked around an open space of picnic tables.

Another block of it is a community garden.

Like my earlier walks around the City this visit, I walked large sections of it as the only pedestrian in sight. Admittedly, I was wandering around in the mid-afternoon so I assume most of the residents were inside the buildings working but it was still spooky quiet at times.

Overall, I enjoyed this walk. The sidewalks are wide, the roads are flat, the buildings are new and stylish. The bonus is if you hurt yourself on this route, pretty much EVERYONE in the area is qualified to assist. Which is good because as you'll see in my next walk, I actually did hurt myself in this neighborhood and I did need assistance. Ha!

3 Miles in West SOMA

2025-04-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

As a rule, I don't speak negatively about neighborhoods I walk because I know good people live and work in these areas. HOWEVER, I'm waving the flag on this one. The route is not safe enough for me to recommend to anyone who doesn't already live and work in the area. Throwing in a few dozen driverless Jaguars and I felt like a character in one of Ray Bradbury's dystopian stories. This was just a weird walk...

For everyone's privacy, I did not take any pictures of the people living in this area. My observation was that locals take cars to and from and don't spend much time on the sidewalks. As a result, there were long portions of this walk where I was the only pedestrian anyway.

SoMa is short for "South Of Market." Market Street is the central corridor that runs east/west from Twin Peaks through the Financial District to the famed Ferry Building. The centrally-located SoMa neighborhood from Market Street south to Townsend Street, from Beale Street on the east, all the way to 13th Street on the west.

It has gone through many transformations over the decades, cycling through various phases of gentrification. Read about the history of this neighborhood HERE. Today, it's an interesting mix of small businesses, large businesses, housing, and car dealerships like Porsche and BMW.

Here's the Porsche dealership down on 8th and Bryant.

There are some really nice open spaces and modern buildings in this area.

The west side of this neighborhood where I walked is conveniently located near the Central Library, Civic Center, UN Plaza, Bart and Muni lines. There's also a Costco and Trader Joe's nearby. It would be the PERFECT location to live and work in San Francisco. EXCEPT...for the encampments along Mission and Market Streets which residents have to navigate everyday. I noticed more policing this visit than in previous years. I also understand from locals that some of the biggest encampments have disbanded so the sidewalks are clearing up a little bit. The area has a ways to go before it feels as safe as the rest of the City, though.

Now on to the dystopian aspects of this walk. I noticed a large percentage of public advertising in this neighborhood (and everywhere else in SF) was for AI products. While I'd like to communicate in full sentences with my lovebird, I can't help but feel the heavy focus on AI and all the modern technology around the City is a movement to erase humanity.

That impression was reinforced constantly as I watched hundreds of autonomous Waymo Jaguars prowling around the City, including in this neighborhood. As I wandered silently along miles of spooky empty sidewalks, with these driverless cars roaming around, I couldn't help but feel I had fallen into Ray Bradbury's short story, The Pedestrian.

... a copy of which short story you can pick up inside the Main Library on the corner of Hyde and Grove Streets (just north of Market and 8th).

5.9 Miles in Alamo Square/Western Addition

2025-04-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

I'm back! My sis-in-law Sam had a convention in town so I tagged along for a few days to get some walking in. The first two neighborhoods I hit in a combo walk were Alamo Square and Western Addition. The theme of the walk was MURALS! Enjoy.

First of all, we rode the new Bart cars and they are so nice! The non-porous seats feel exponentially more sanitary than the old fuzzy seats. And the digital displays are very fancy. But now, onto my first walk...

I started out at Alamo Square with the famous Painted Ladies and worked my way north to Geary between Divisidero and Webster.

Here's the thing about the Painted Ladies - they look awesome from the top of Alamo Square park when you see the row of rooftops in front of the downtown skyline. That is cool. However, they are clumsy to look at from the ground level because there is a row of trees blocking their view from the street.

So... this is what you see of them while standing on the sidewalk. It's ... um ... okay?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think there are other rows of Victorians around the City that are, dare I say, more attractive than the Painted Ladies, at least when viewed at ground level.

Take for instance this row of houses directly across the park from the Painted Ladies on Scott Street between Fulton and Grove. Let me know if they already have a name, otherwise, I'm going to call these the Painted Gentlemen.

I've walked past Alamo Park many times but this time I wanted to really enjoy the park so I took my time meandering along the little pathways to view the dog park and gorgeous foliage. I came at the right time of year - lots of fragrant plants are blooming in April. This is the entrance on the north side of the park on Fulton.

Alright, moving along. Throughout the Alamo Square and lower Western Addition neighborhoods, I enjoyed several charming murals like this one.

Say what you will about fnnch's honey bear murals, I still get a kick out of spotting them when I visit. Come on, this one is just so cute.

This is a cool mural memorializing Curtis Bryant, a long-time resident of this neighborhood. You can read his short bio here.

And speaking of murals, I was delighted to happen upon Jas Charanjiva actively working on her Pink Lady mural on Hayes and Divisidero. This was the first time I have seen a muralist using Meta Quest in VR goggles. I was so fascinated so I watched some youtube videos back at the hotel to see how they work. Here's a good one.

Overall, this walk was nice. The sidewalks were wide and clear, the intersections were safe, and the homes and landscaping were just lovely. I also notice a lot more families with small children out and about. I don't remember that from previous visits.

The southern half of the walk is primarily Victorian houses. The northern half is more mid-century apartment buildings. My stopping point was on the corner of Geary and Webster in the now abandoned Safeway parking lot. That's pretty sad to see. Makes me wonder where everyone in this neighborhood does their grocery shopping now.

So, let's end on a lighter note. Have you ever heard of cheesewood berries? I noticed these trees throughout this neighborhood and wondered if they are edible. When I saw their name, I wanted to know if they taste like cheese. They apparently do not and are in fact toxic. Bummer. But they are pretty and they have a fantastic name.

MASTER MAP: 682.5 Miles Walked!

2022-11-30T12:19:00.001-08:00

Hot diggity dog! I just tallied the mileage from my last few years of extremely sporadic walks and I am now up to 682.5 miles of San Francisco city streets walked. (For those of you just tuning in, there are right around 1,000 miles of San Francisco CITY streets to walk. I emphasize CITY because I am not counting the FEDERAL streets inside the Presidio as a requirement to complete this project.) Closing in 70% completed feels pretty dang good for a project that is now moving into its 14th year. Here's where I'm focusing my energy on my next walks:

Let me start with listing the neighborhood's I'm completely finished walking:

Sunset
Richmond
Marina
Warf
Chinatown
Nob Hill
Financial District
Downtown (including Tenderloin)

Whoo-hoo! It feels good to scratch these off the list. Now, on to neighborhoods I'm getting very close to finishing in one or two more walks:

Russian Hill
North Beach
Western Addition
Pac Heights
Haight
Castro
Bernal Heights
South of Market (SOMA)
Noe Valley

Here is the list of neighborhoods that will take several more walks to finish but I've got a decent jump on them:

Mission
Twin Peaks
Port
Ingleside
Lake Merced
Excelsior

And then, lastly the two neighborhoods I haven't even started:

Portrero Hill
Hunter's Point

My inclination is to just knock out everything north/west of Market and then focus all my energy on the south/east, but maybe that's not a good plan. I remember getting fatigued with repeated walks in the Sunset when I wanted to focus exclusively on it. Maybe I'm better off continuing to jump around the City with each walk to keep it interesting. Your thoughts?

Who knows when I'll be back in town, but when I am I'll post new walks here. See ya!

5.4 Miles in North Beach

2022-11-28T09:44:00.002-08:00

This big pretzel of a walk through North Beach (plus a bit of the Warf and a bit of Waterfront) filled in multiple gaps in my master map and offered a variety of views from the Bay to some decent peeks at Coit Tower. While not the most exciting of walks, it does start off at Pier 39 for an energy boost of tourist entertainment. Here we go!

I'm not a huge fan of tourist traps but there is something about the loud speaker entertainers and smells of seafood and sourdough that get your blood pumping before a long walk. The first few turns of this walk zig through Fisherman's Warf and a few of the interior tourist streets. The rest of the walk is primarily residential.

Because this neighborhood is wedged between the Warf and Coit Tower, it has a lot of tourists parking and walking in either direction. Despite the extra traffic, the area still feels fairly cozy and safe.

Is this area walkable? Very. For the most part the roads are wide and flat. The sidewalks are adequate and the area feels generally safe.

The Powell & Mason cable car turnaround is in this neighborhood so you can use the cable cars to get in and out of this area without needing to park a car.

My mom joined me for a large chunk of this walk, cutting some of the corners as I zigged and zagged. It was nice bumping back into her as I'd make the turn on another leg of the walk.

Of all the public recreational centers in the City, the Joe Dimaggio is arguably the most beautiful. It has views of Coit Tower and the Saints Peter and Paul Church which rings gorgeous bells throughout the day. The park offers multiple surfaces for tennis, bocci and basketball, as well as a playground and swimming pool. It does NOT, however, offer public bathrooms for passersby like myself. Instead I discovered a tolerably clean public restroom in the NorthPoint Centre (with the Safeway inside) on Mason and Bay.

Fun fact: While Joe Dimaggio spent his baseball career with the New York Yankees, he was actually a San Francisco native, growing up in this very North Beach neighborhood. His dad worked on the warf as a fisherman.

Another fun fact: Fior d' Italia is the oldest Italian Restaurant in the United States, opening its doors on 1886. It's located under the San Remo Hotel on the corner of Chestnut and Mason. I see now they offer gluten free pasta so I'm adding it to my must-try list for the next time I'm in town.

I hope you enjoyed the last four walks I took while in town in November. Not sure when I'll get back to the City again, but when I'll do, I'll keep on walking. :)

6.2 Miles in Lower Pacific Heights

2022-11-27T13:07:00.013-08:00

I knew this route would be a challenge on foot so I found it shocking that my long-time walking buddy, Chris, wanted to take it on PUSHING A BABY STROLLER. But we did it!

With sippy cup and snacks on board, we hit the pavement on a dreary Saturday morning.

Now, let's be clear - the views from the tops of the hills in Lower Pac Heights are incredible so the homes up here are big and very pricey.

It's a mostly residential are of the City, but the notable business is hospital with large campus of outpatient buildings. We discovered that my route took me down the stairs of the hospital campus which meant Chris had to re-route a block with the stroller to meet up with me on the other side.

The hills are steepest on the northern half of the neighborhood, getting flatter down by Geary. The views make the huffing and puffing uphill worth it.

My mother was absolutely not interested in struggling with the hills so met up with us for the flatter half. There are some very nice streets of victorians north of Geary around the hospital campus.

By mile number 4, we were feeling a little wilted from the strenuous walk. So, we ducked into Salt & Straw for a tasty pick-me-up. I thoroughly enjoyed my vegan ice cream while we window shopped along Fillmore as we got our second wind.

Good heavens, check out the brunch line at Sweet Maple on Sutter and Steiner! Their menu is a little too meat-heavy for my taste, but it has some really interesting offerings, so I can definitely see the appeal.

The largest outdoor space in this neighborhood is the Alta Plaza Park between Scott and Steiner north of Clay. It offers amazing views (my legs were too sore to climb to the top of these stairs so just take my word for it), a nice playground for kids, stairs for exercising, and tons of open green space for relaxation.

While the homes at the top of the hills are larger and more ostentatious, the homes closer to Geary are a little smaller and artsier. This house caught my eye as possibly the cutest house in the entire neighborhood. The colors and decor are playful, while the garden space feels alive and inviting.

In all, I enjoyed this walk as the neighborhood is safe and attractive. The only downside, if I haven't mentioned it enough this post, is that it's hilly. While Chris successfully pushed his stroller up and down all these hills I definitely wouldn't recommend it. Ha!

4 Miles in NOPA

2022-11-09T09:06:00.016-08:00

This 4-mile walk through NOPA (North of the Panhandle) offered slow streets, surprise views and plenty of cheeky humor.

This is my first time experiencing the new(ish) SFMTA Slow Streets and I LOVE THEM. I'm not sure how the locals feel about them, but as a pedestrian, I thoroughly enjoyed not having to compete with cars as I crossed the streets.

Besides the reduced automobile traffic, this neighborhood offers really great personality in design of the buildings and yard decor. It makes for a very entertaining walk.

I really like the colors and energy of this mural by SF street artist, Baron Louis Jaymee. It's located on the side of the Get the Funk Out laundromat on Lyon and McAllister.

Here's a little whimsy I spotted in someone's front yard.

And this little no-joke threat. To play it safe, I did NOT touch any of the pumpkins.

This is the clubhouse for The Native Daughters of the Golden West, a club for California-born women founded in 1886. Fun fact: this building located at 555 Baker Street was designed by San Francisco-born architect, Julie Morgan who is most famous for designing the Hearst Castle.

This neighborhood has modest elevation (south of the Altavista loop - scroll down for those views) with some decent downtown views.

The architecture is above-average on this route, with plenty of dolled-up Victorians to enjoy.

The last leg of this walk was the Altavista loop to the north that has very steep inclines resulting in wider downtown views. Most of the views from the street are blocked by houses but I can imaging the top row of houses get a killer panoramic view of the City.

The architecture is distinctly mid-century up here. But what is so nice about this neighborhood is how quiet it is. It is a very sleepy little pocket in an otherwise bustling area of town.

In all, I give this neighborhood high marks for its variety of architecture and elevation, and its safe walking conditions (especially with the new Slow Streets in place).

3 Miles in Chinatown/Nob Hill

2022-11-06T08:57:00.005-08:00

I'm back! For one weekend, anyway. Over the course of two days, I knocked out four walks. This is the first of them, attempting to fill in a funky gap in my master map. It is split between Chinatown and Nob Hill, starting at The Fairmont on Mason and California. Here we go!

This is my first time back in San Francisco post-pandemic and I could immediately sense the reduced traffic volume on the streets. Not sure that it's sustainable for the local businesses but it's an urban walker's dream.

Chinatown was much easier to walk than in years past and it was so enjoyable! I could amble down the street and window shop without feeling rushed by sidewalk traffic.

There are plenty of beautiful scenes in Chinatown, but this might be my favorite mural. Earlier this year, the mural was defaced with ugly graffiti but I'm happy to see it has been restored.

Nothing adds ambiance like street lanterns and flags. Right? I noticed a lot of those red flags with blue square and suns hanging around Chinatown but didn't recognize the nationality. It's the flag of Taiwan.

Cable cars are a main form of transportation on this walking route. If you are in this area, be sure to stop at the Cable Car Museum on Mason and Washington.

I had to wait a few minutes, but I think I snapped a real money shot of one of the cable cars heading down Washington Street.

We are huge WOOM bicycle fans. My girls have been riding this Austrian brand of bikes since they were 4 years old and we now have an entire fleet of them in our garage. I usually order the bikes online so I was very excited to discover the Woom Pop-Up store on Mason and Jackson. I stopped in to say hi to the guys and check out the new pink bike color and picked up some stickers as souvenirs.

What neighborhood is City Lights Books even in? Should I say it's on the very edge of Chinatown? It was on this route and very worth a visit. The murals outside and the books inside make it a must-see on the corner of Broadway and Columbus.

2.6 Miles in West Portal

2019-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

I took this walk wayyyyyy back in September and am just now posting it. Eek! Better late than never. This was the third walk of a three-walk day over Labor Day weekend which was surprisingly fruity and ended at a fantastic meal in West Portal with one of my dear friends from the city.

The neighborhood between Ulloa and Santiago Streets on the north side of West Portal is charming. Look past the spider web of power lines and you'll notice the streets are quiet and although limited, the curb foliage is surprisingly fruity.

Zigzagging along these streets, I spotted pears, lemons, plums and some other little fruits growing on trees that line the sidewalks. They look great and make the air smell sweet which is a nice treat.

Passing by this tree and taking a big whiff, I broke into song: Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet...

It couldn't be helped.

The walk ended on West Portal Ave, one of my favorite little strips of San Francisco because it has a great variety of shops and restaurants with a good library and Muni stop all conveniently located.

After walking about 9 miles that day and only snacking along the way, it was a real treat to chow down on a Mediterranean feast at Bursa with my great friend, Bob. This restaurant has great vegetarian options and some of the strongest Turkish coffee in the western hemisphere. Ha! I can't wait to go back.

2.3 Miles in Forest Hills

2019-10-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

If you can find a parking spot in the little neighborhood of Forest Hills between Golden Gate Park and the UCSF Parnassus campus on a weekend, buy a lotto ticket because you're lucky. Then, take this walk because it's charming and a walk down memory lane for me. Read on to find out why...

The row houses are tidy and the sidewalks are wide so this walk is easy to walk with dogs, kids or strollers. This neighborhood is close to Muni lines, Golden Gate Park, restaurants and shops.

I also very much enjoy the community vibe of this neighborhood with its public seating that encourages meeting together on the street corner...

...and its inspiring garage doors.

After a quick walk around this neighborhood, you can't help but feel a little more hopeful which is handy, because...

... this hood is home to UCSF Parnassus, a big, old hospital with a NICU unit where my first baby, Goose, was born prematurely and where she spent her first 16 days. Way back then (eight whole years ago!), it was nice to stroll these pleasant streets to stretch my legs and destress while I clocked so many hours in that building. So these streets are rather nostalgic for me.

Here is Goose back in those UCSF NICU days fighting to breathe...

And here she is today: a strong and talented, perfectly healthy 8-year-old! I am most grateful to the talented UCSF doctors and nurses who saved her life way back when. :)

2.1 Miles in Noe Valley

2019-09-03T13:31:00.001-07:00

Well, this walk is small but mighty! While only a little over two miles, the steep inclines make for a workout but the views are worth it!

Hey, there! I'm back in the Bay for a work weekend and squeezed in one day of walking on what happens to be the 10th anniversary month of allisonwalkssf. It seems crazy that I've been plodding along on this project for ten years now. Click HERE to see my very first post from 2009.

Since I don't live in the Bay anymore and can only walk when I visit once a year or so, it will likely take me a few more decades to finish. BUT I WILL DO IT! So help me, I hate unfinished projects. Ha!

My mom tagged along this trip and we knocked out three walks in one day. First up: Noe Valley.

Say hi, mom! I hope this photo illustrates how stinkin' steep the streets are on the west side of Noe Valley.

In the middle of this neighborhood (between 27th and Duncan on Castro Street) there is an open space that has surprisingly excellent views of downtown and Twin Peaks. It is absolutely no frills (offering one park bench and this stump to sit/stand on) but a good spot to stop and catch your breath.

Coming down the loose gravel north face of the open space is tricky but doable if you tread slowly.

In addition to having steep sidewalks, this section of Noe Valley has a few sets of stairs to navigate. This area of Noe Valley is not an easy walk by any means, but the views and workout are worth it!

5 miles in Lower Pacific Heights

2018-04-18T11:58:00.002-07:00

I needed to fly into San Francisco for work this month so I talked my mom into coming with me to help and then as her "prize" take a 5 mile walk in Lower Pacific Heights before we headed back to the airport.

The reason why the word "heights" is in the name of the neighborhood is that there are some hills, especially between Clay and Broadway. I sort of didn't share this information with my mother when pitching her the idea of walking with me.

And as a result she was not exactly pleased with me. But she was a trooper and hoofed the entire route because THE VIEWS.

The bay views from every intersection along Broadway make the incline up to the top totally worth it.

Lower Pacific Heights is a mostly residential area lined with Victorians but this route also zigzags through...

The Fillmore...

Western Addition (this library has public bathrooms, if you need one)...

and ends in Japantown.

This neighborhood also has some extremely beautiful church buildings like this Church of Christ building on Clay and Divisidero and St. Dominic's Catholic Church on Bush and Steiner.

The doors were open, so I took a peek inside St. Dominic's and WOWZA. My camera does not do the stained glass justice. If you get a chance, go inside on a sunny day and enjoy them.

So, in conclusion, even my mom had to agree that this walk was great. It is moderately intense with inclines north of Clay Street but traffic is light so you you don't feel rushed, though I wouldn't recommend pushing a stroller on the hills. The views and breezes are worth hoofing to the top of the hill each block. There are points of interest throughout the route which offer bathrooms, food, and photo ops so you won't get stranded if it takes you a few hours to finish the walk.

MASTER MAP: 651.9 Miles Walked!

2017-07-04T11:50:00.002-07:00

Time for another master map! I'm up to 651.9 miles walked which is pretty cool. But more importantly, there's this:

You see that big red square on the west side of San Francisco? Yeah, that's the Sunset District and it's D.O.N.E. Hallelujah. My next conquest will be the hilly hoods of the northern swath of the city like Pacific Heights and Russian Hill. Then, I'll start working my way south and east.

4.2 Miles in Parkside

2017-07-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoons in the summer are the best time to walk the Parkside neighborhood. Here's why...

I'll get to the why in just a second, first I want to note that the houses in this neighborhood are really nice. They are bigger than the typical Doelger houses in the Sunset and have nicely groomed landscaping.

The walk I took followed the perimeter streets of Pine Lake Park. On the north side of this park is Bob Cheney Field which is a beautiful sports complex.

Tucked behind the field is a fantastic playground my girls would love to visit so I have to remember this the next time we are all in the city.

The most prominent building in the neighborhood is the massive Edgewood campus. Edgewood Center for Children and Families helps children, youth, and their families who are struggling with mental illness, and debilitating behavioral issues.

Now on to the "why" you want to walk this neighborhood on Sunday afternoons in the summer: the Stern Grove Festival! On the east side of Pine Lake Park, there is a deep bowl, heavily wooded by large sound-absorbing trees which muffle the loud music from blasting the neighboring homes. The result is a very pleasant soundtrack as you walk above the park. I very much enjoyed listening to Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers.

And in my quest to find the most patriotic house in the Sunset District, I found this place. Definitely the winner of my very unofficial contest. Happy birthday, America!

1.5 Miles in South Sunset

2017-07-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Filling in the remaining gaps on my map, I took this 1.5 mile figure-eight around the South Sunset to continue my hunt for the most patriotic house in the Sunset and I might have found it...

One neat addition to this neighborhood is a Sunset Boulevard median rejuvenation sponsored by The Urban Farmer Store that has a location nearby. The rocks and new plants add charming diversity to the otherwise rugged native foliage of this long divide between Sunset Blvd. and the Outer Sunset.

The Yorba Street connector between 40th and 41st Avenues is actually a wide sidewalk between two properties, well-graffitied and inaccessible by vehicle.

On this July 4th weekend walk, I decided to look for the most patriotic house in the neighborhood. There wasn't much competition, but this house, decorated with an Uncle Sam decal AND an American Flag was the leading contender. That was, until I took a walk in Parkside a few minutes later...

0.4 Miles in the Sunset District

2017-07-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

I had a tiny gap to fill in my map, so to mix things up, I am taking you on a time lapse walk around the block with me. Enjoy!

2.8 miles in the Sunset District

2017-07-04T09:51:00.001-07:00

Since I took this walk over the July 4th weekend, I went on the hunt for the most patriotic house in the neighborhood. Here's what I found...

While I couldn't immediately spot displays of patriotism, I couldn't help but notice this neighborhood's display of power lines.

I mean, like, A LOT of power lines. As I wandered around, gazing up, I imagined how gorgeous it would look if the lines were either a) multi-colored or b) strung with light bulbs. Imagine it.

Continuing my search for American flags, I found what appears to be a Christmas wreath...

... and a high concentration of yard ornaments.

But just as I was giving up hope of finding any flags, I spotted one! Yay, America!

3 Miles in Doelger City

2017-06-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I took this walk last month and forgot to post it. Better late than never! Another 3 miles knocked out in the Doelger City neighborhood of Sunset District keeps me on track to finishing the entire district this year.

In 2015, I brought my girls along on a lovely walk on the north side of this neighborhood, stopping in to play on the Sunset Playground. This time I wove alone through the south side of the neighborhood on a sunny Sunday morning, and did not stop in to play on the teeter-totter, even though it was tempting.

Doelger was a developer who built thousands of these stucco single-family homes in the 1920s-1940s. Each one is slightly different which makes it fun to wander the streets to notice how many variations he and subsequent owners have played on the theme.

While mostly residential, there is a commercial area along Noriega which includes a Safeway grocery store and a strip of small businesses.

And while everything is generally in order in this neighborhood, I spotted a typo on one of the sidewalks. It should be "Moraga" not "Mopaga." The neighborhood is charming, so I'll let it slide. :)

4.7 Miles in the Sunset District

2017-04-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

I will finish the Sunset District in 2017... I will finish the Sunset District in 2017...

and I'm now 4.7 miles closer to that goal.

My zig-zag route caused me to bump into Abraham Lincoln High School multiple times, and that's okay because I have a crush on Abraham Lincoln.

I also have a crush on this school building. It is covered in really neat murals and silhouettes of Honest Abe.

I took this walk on a bright Sunday morning which made the usually sleepy neighborhood pop with a little extra color.

Like this flower. Shah-ZAM!

And the houses along busy 19th Ave looked more like a box of crayons than usual.

And here's my favorite picture of this walk. An entire dog family ran through the wet cement.

MASTER MAP: 635.3 Miles Walked!

2017-03-17T17:41:00.002-07:00

It's been awhile so here is a master map updated with my walks from this winter. The total number of miles clocked is officially 635.3. I have been chipping away at The Sunset and it is looking pretty red out there. Only a few more walks and that entire district will be dunzo! I think I'll focus on finishing the west side of the city before heading to the hilly interior.

4.6 Miles in the Sunset District

2017-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

It was a gray day but this Sunset District neighborhood was just vibrant enough to make for a fun 4.6 mile walk, with a great view of the northwest corner of the city as the prize...

The Sunset District is notoriously sleepy, but this pocket between Sunset and the Reservoir to the west and east, and Quintara and Noriega to the south and north, proved to be a charming stroll on Sunday morning.

R. L. Stevenson Elementary School looks like fun. They have mosaics and murals around their campus, as well as a student garden area behind the playground. I also very much dig this success pyramid.

This neighborhood may not have the steepest or curviest roads, but it may have the most power lines.

SO. MANY. LINES.

This are is almost entirely residential, but there is a commercial district along Noriega Street.

The locals are very friendly, including the dogs.

On the corner of 28th Ave and Ortega Street, there is a pathway up to the top of the Sunset Reservoir where you can enjoy a rather sweeping view of the northwest corner of the city, including (if you look closely) the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here's me enjoying the view from the reservoir. There are some slight inclines around the neighborhood, and a moderately steep incline up the side of the reservoir, but otherwise this is an easy walk that is stroller-friendly.

5.1 Miles in Presidio Heights

2016-11-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

In town for one day with my little sister, we squeezed in a fast 5.1 mile walk in the Laurel Heights/Presidio Heights hood. The terrain is not the most rugged in town, but there is definitely an incline between California and Jackson Streets that we got to criss-cross EIGHT TIMES as we weaved our way east from Presidio Terrace. Ugh. We made it though, and the houses and views were totally worth it.

The closer you get to the Presidio, the awesomer the houses get. They each have distinct architecture and style, but all look appropriate for the neighborhood. This one might be my favorite.

The yards aren't huge back here, but the houses are so they stand shoulder to shoulder along these quiet roads.

Aside from the sheer size of each house, the curb appeal is intensified by the details of each entryway. The doors are carved, the landscaping pristine, and the lions ready to pounce.

While this area is predominantly residential, there are a few places of worship, the Jewish Cultural Center, CPMC Hospital, and a tasteful collection of shops and cafes between Sacramento and California.

My favorite to window shop as we wandered past was The Ribbonerie, a store dedicated to all things ribbon, button and snap.

Aaaannnnd there was a Starbucks, which was such a sight for my sore, sweaty, needing-to-pee eyes. We ran in for a bathroom break and a green juice.

As we wandered past the window of Starbucks, we spotted my friend, Bob sitting inside who graciously let us drop off our jackets in his car so we could walk the remaining 3 miles without lugging them around since the day was warming up nicely.

By about mile 4, we were both starting to feel it in our calves. But we barrelled forward and occassionally hit some gorgeous views of the scenery.

From the intersection of Lyon and Pacific, you get a fantastic view of the Bay to the north, downtown to the east and Presidio to the west. It's a good vista point when you're trying to catch your breath.

Heading down Baker back to Geary, we passed a bunch of super cute Victorians.

Walking down Geary is not the most fun since it's heavily trafficked and loud. But there are few cute spots, like Tony's Cable Car...

...and the Bridge Theater that now houses the SF Baseball Academy, which has converted the theater into a super cute indoor training facility with batting cages for kids to learn how to properly play baseball. Check out their pictures to see how fun it is in there.

This walk crossed through two neighborhoods (Laurel Heights and Presidio Heights) which have markedly different vibes. Laurel Heights is more commercial and the houses are smaller, if not divided into duplexes and quads. Presidio Heights, on the other hand, is an affluent residential neighborhood with only single-family homes (that I could see) as well as a few offices for Consulate Generals like Egypt's and Korea's. Certain streets in this walk had steep inclines that would make it very challenging to push a stroller, so I'd say this is only for proficient walkers. The streets are for the most part quiet (Geary aside) and I found myself standing in the center of intersections a few times taking in the views, without fear of getting hit by a car.