Noe Valley | Tony Quarrington

Posts Tagged ‘Noe Valley’

Stairways to Heaven

Posted in Photo Gallery, San Francisco, Travel Diary, tagged Adah Bakalinsky, Bayview, Bernal Heights, Bernal Heights Hill, Bernal Heights Park, Bocana Street, cafes, coffee, coffee houses, Cortland Avenue, Diamond Heights, dogs, Esmeralda Stairway, Eugenia Garden, Holly Park, Holly Park Circle, Hunters Park, Martha and Brothers, McLaren Park, Moultrie Stairway, Noe Valley, Progressive Grounds, San Francisco, stairways, Tony Quarrington, Twin Peaks San Francisco on Apr 3, 2014| 4 Comments »

Our first morning in Bernal Heights was spent in getting the washing done from the week in Tahoe (one of the most welcome features of having your own place in the city), catching up on the morning commute and weather forecast on KRON4, trying to avoid re-living the Giants’ frustrating defeat in Phoenix the night before and re-acquainting ourselves with proper granola and sourdough toast.

We finally slipped out into the warming sunshine (was the rain really so torrential when we arrived last night?) a few minutes before one o’clock, heading for our favourite lunch spot (well, actually our only one up until now) of Progressive Grounds on Cortland.

Lugging – perhaps unwisely – bagels filled with cheese, egg and peanut butter in our stomachs, we set off on one of the neighborhood stairway walks described by Adah Bakalinsky in her extraordinary book entitled, strangely enough, Stairway Walks in San Francisco. Bernal Heights has the greatest number of stairways, around fifty four, in a city boasting several hundred.

Normally, we would wander aimlessly around the area, stumbling, or not, upon some natural or architectural gems purely by chance. But today I wanted to ensure that we didn’t miss any of the sights (though locals will surely disabuse me of such presumption when they read this ).

Our walk began at Holly Park Circle at the intersection with Bocana Street. The view looking back towards the hill provided perspective and familiarity.

One of the most satisfying features of a visually stunning city are the signs at the intersection of streets. For me, they are as iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz or cable cars.

Whilst Haight/Ashbury and Powell/Market may be among the most celebrated, it is those that you discover in half-forgotten corners of downtown or out in the neighborhoods that provide the real thrill, not least when the juxtaposition of names appears particularly incongruous.

We circled Holly Park, stopping intermittently to scan the horizon – from downtown to Bayview, Hunters Point, Candlestick Park and McLaren Park. The marriage of sky and trees enabled some lovely photographic opportunities.

The decision to follow a recommended walk was vindicated because we might otherwise have missed a number of delightful and ingenious gardens and stairway as we criss-crossed the streets of the western side of Bernal Heights.

Stunning views of Twin Peaks, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley lay before us or peeked through overhanging trees at every point.

The love lavished on these community gems was evident in the signage that accompanied them. How could you argue with such requests?

This being San Francisco, the stroll was never on the flat for very long.

Fortunately, there were rest areas laid out to enable the perspiring hiker to take a breather, notably on the long, steep Esmeralda Stairway that we dipped in and out of towards the end of the walk.

Such a shame there isn’t a Wordsworth Street, especially in such a literary and artistic neighborhood.

Why couldn’t this have been a downhill stretch at the beginning of the walk rather than the latter?

Finally, proof that aliens are among us.

At the top of Esmeralda we joined Bernal Heights Hill where, as had been the case when we visited last year, dogs greatly outnumbered humans. We sought out the mud and pebble path of the short Moultrie Stairway and, via Powhattan and Bocana, returned to Cortland where frappés beckoned at Martha and Brothers.

The walk had been every bit as thrilling – and challenging – as we had anticipated, undertaken in increasingly warm conditions.

A great first afternoon in the neighborhood!

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Bound for Bernal

Posted in San Francisco, tagged Alemany Boulevard, Alemany farmers' market, Alemany flea market, AT & T Park, Bernal Heights, Cable cars, Cliff House, farmer's markets, flea markets, Good Life Grocery, Hayes Valley, Heavenly ski resort, herb caen, MUNI, Noe Valley, NOPA, North Beach, North of the Panhandle, Progressive Grounds, San Francisco, San Francisco Giants, Skiing, South Lake Tahoe, stairways, Tahoe, Tony Quarrington, Western Addition on Mar 22, 2014| 11 Comments »

During our tenth visit to San Francisco last June, we took the short walk one morning from our Noe Valley apartment to Bernal Heights, ascending the hill from Precita Park, having lunch at the Progressive Grounds coffee house and buying provisions for our evening meal at the Good Life Grocery before taking the surprisingly short stroll back to 28th Street.

We enjoyed the superlative 360 degree views from the top of the hill and the ambiance of this “village within the city” so much that we vowed to base ourselves on our next trip in what has subsequently been dubbed the “hottest neighborhood in America”.

That trip is now imminent. After a week’s skiing in Tahoe, we arrive on the first day of April (St. Stupid’s Day) at our Bernal cottage where we will be staying for the next two weeks.

This will be the fifth year we have rented an apartment in one of the neighbourhoods. In addition to Noe Valley (twice), we have also stayed in Hayes Valley and North of the Panhandle (or the Western Addition to traditionalists).

Although we will be doing some things that are unashamedly “touristy” (after all, it is those that attracted us to San Francisco in the first place), we have striven increasingly to “live like locals” when in the city. And a good starting point to achieve that aim is to stay in someone’s home (albeit their second one).

No maids knocking at our door early in the morning anxious to clean your room, no loud conversations going on outside our room at three in the morning and no lift bells ringing or washer/driers humming at all hours.

Our time has taken on a different, more relaxed, you might even call it ordinary, tenor, one that more closely mirrors our home life. Being in San Francisco has become such a familiar and habitual (in the best sense of the word) part of our lives, somewhere we spend more of our time than anywhere else, other than our permanent UK address.

What has happened is that OUR version of San Francisco has shifted both geographically and metaphorically from the waterfront to the neighborhood we have chosen to live in for a few short weeks (oh, that it could be more).

If all we want to do is “hang out” at the apartment in the morning, watch the news on KRON4 while catching up on household chores, before strolling out to a local café for lunch, followed by food shopping and a return to the apartment for a glass or two of wine on the outside private deck, then so be it. We might then have dinner in the apartment – or try out one of the local restaurants. Or we might decide to take a trip downtown and eat in Chinatown or North Beach.

We feel no pressure to conform to the expectations of others, to be perfect tourists (if that is not an oxymoron), although, inevitably, as the trip draws to a close, the realization will again dawn on us that we haven’t seen and done as much as we would have liked!

But what of our stay in Bernal?

It would be disingenuous to claim that we will be spending the majority of our time in the neighborhood. But we will be exploring the celebrated stairways and gardens, not to mention every square inch of the hill itself, and patronizing the cafés, restaurants and stores (but, sadly, not Badger Books). And we could not visit without seeking out bargains at the Alemany flea and farmers’ markets.

I will be posting photos and thoughts on my blog and other social networks throughout, and would welcome any feedback from neighbours.

But, firstly, ou sont les neiges?

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Guilty as Charged – Of Being a Bad Tourist

Posted in Personal, San Francisco, tagged Alcatraz, Bernal Heights, Cable cars, Chinatown San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf, Glen Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge, Haight-Ashbury, Macy's, MUNI, Noe Valley, Pier 39 San Francisco, Presidio, San Francisco, San Francisco Municipal Railway, Tony Quarrington, Union Square San Francisco on Feb 19, 2014| 7 Comments »

Today I stand, or rather sit (I find it easier to type that way), accused of a series of offences that, taken together, amount to an even more grievous crime – that of being a bad tourist in San Francisco.

With what appears now to have become an annual pilgrimage to The City approaching, I plead guilty on all counts as outlined below.

1. Failure to take a single cable car ride during the past three vacations, amounting to a total of 52 days.

This is all the more remarkable given my affection for the cute little blighters, but long lines at the turnarounds and a preference for both walking and other forms of transportation (even Muni!), have conspired to keep me away from the lead rail in recent times. But I promise that this is one omission that I intend to rectify very soon.

2. Failure to visit Alcatraz during the past five vacations, amounting to a total of 73 days.

Alcatraz is unquestionably one of the city’s greatest draws and any new visitor must include it in his/her itinerary if time permits (be sure to book in advance). And, to be fair, I have taken that short ride across the bay several times in the past, including the night tour, which has an atmosphere all of its own. But not recently. There will come a time when I wish to be reminded of that atmosphere, but living in the now in the city is a greater priority at present.

3. Failure to make a single purchase in either Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom or any other large store in the vicinity of Union Square at any time.

I have less compunction about flagrantly contravening this obligation. The late lamented Border’s bookstore and Rasputin’s dark, quirky music store have been the limit of my Union Square shopping experiences. Though I have eaten in the area on many occasions!

4. Failure to purchase a cheap San Francisco fleece or waterproof jacket at Fisherman’s Wharf or Pier 39 at any time.

Another “crime” to which I can offer little defence. I learned the hard way, as many visitors do, that clear days on the bay often go hand in hand with bitingly cold temperatures and an uncomfortable wind (it was probably the crab). But, never being one to follow the herd, I have resisted the lure of this ubiquitous top seller, ensuring that I always carry sufficient layers with me, whatever the weather. And leave the shorts behind altogether (though I do compensate by wearing trousers in case you wondered)!

I have no doubt that I could ask for many other violations to be taken into consideration, notably a failure to ride the tourist buses often enough (only once – on my wife’s birthday), stay in a hotel (rather than renting apartments in outlying neighbourhoods like Noe Valley and Bernal Heights) or fill up on clam chowder.

But in mitigation I would argue that, at least in part, I served my tourist apprencticeship during the final years of the last, and early years of the new, century, including dutifully riding the cable cars and visiting Alcatraz regularly.

Equally, I have always found time to hang out in Chinatown, North Beach and Haight-Ashbury, however short the stay might have been.

So, whilst I may have gone a little off the rails – or rather cables – I am not completely a lost cause. Going straight – a precarious pursuit in this of all cities – may be beyond me as I journey to a new apartment and contemplate hiking the Presidio and Glen Canyon, but the need to research for my next book will also encourage me to reacquaint myself with those sights that so enchanted me in the early years.

Before sentence is passed, I would offer the following plea bargain – keep letting me back in to San Francisco and I will promise to play the tourist at least for some of the time.

But I draw the line at the fleece.

Dangle me from the Golden Gate Bridge if you ever see me wearing one.

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A First Time Visitor’s Guide to San Francisco

Posted in San Francisco, tagged 1906 earthquake, 1989 earthquake, Adolph Sutro, Alamo Square, Alcatraz, Allen Ginsberg, Amoeba Records, AT & T Park, Beach Blanket Babylon, Beat generation, Bernal Heights, Buffalo Paddock, Cable cars, Cafe Trieste, California Academy of Sciences, Calzone's San Francisco, Candlestick Park, Castro District, Castro Theatre, Church of Saints Peter and Paul San Francisco, City Lights bookstore, Cliff House, Coit Tower, Conservatory of Flowers, Daily Grill San Francisco, Dutch Windmill, Earthquakes, embarcadero, F Streetcar, Ferry Building, Firenze at Night San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf, Fort Mason, Gold Dust Lounge, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Grant Avenue San Francisco, Haight-Ashbury, Hippies, Hyde Street Pier, Jack Kerouac, Japanese Tea Garden, John's Grill San Francisco, Lillian Hitchcock Coit, Loma Prieta, Loma Prieta earthquake, Marin County, Marin Headlands, Marina District, Mission District, MUNI, Musee Mecanique, National AIDS Memorial Grove, Nob Hill, Noe Valley, North Beach, North Beach Restaurant, Ocean Beach San Francisco, Pacific Ocean, painted ladies, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, Pier 39, Rocket Boat, Russian Hill, San Francisco, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Earthquake and Fire 1906, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Jose Sharks, sea lions, Seal Rock San Francisco, Stockton Street San Francisco, Stow Lake, streetcars, Summer of Love, Sutro Baths, Tadich Grill, Telegraph Hill, Tenderloin, Tony Quarrington, Tosca San Francisco, Twin Peaks, Union Square, Vesuvio Cafe, Washington Square Park, wild parrots, Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill on Nov 20, 2013| 5 Comments »

I am regularly asked by friends, personally and on social media sites, for advice on what are the best things to see and do on their upcoming, and invariably first, trip to San Francisco. Rather than continue to respond on a one to one basis, I have listed below my current recommendations so that anyone can refer to them when they need to.

I should stress that the selections below reflect my personal views, though I have still included other celebrated attractions that would not necessarily be on my list if I only had a few days in the city. But the focus is on the first time visitor.

I must put my prejudices aside for this exercise! They are arranged in no particular order.

1. Golden Gate Bridge

Drive it and take in the views from Vista Point, but much more spectacularly, the Marin Headlands (below), which you access by going under the road just after the end of the bridge;

Note that you have to register in advance for the toll (credit card is charged when you return to city);
While you’re there, pop into Sausalito only a few miles away for lunch or coffee and fine views of the city;
Walk it or bike it too for more wonderful photo opportunities;
If you can, approach it by walking along the Marina, past Fort Mason, from Fisherman’s Wharf – it’s quite a trek and usually very bracing, but it affords great views of the bridge and Alcatraz.

2. Golden Gate Park

Two splendid museums: the California Academy of Sciences and the modern art de Young Museum;
Japanese Tea Garden (it may be twee but it is set in lovely grounds and provides tasty oriental teas and snacks in the café);

Stow Lake (lovely to walk round, grab a hot dog at the boat house or book a pedal boat);

Visit the moving National AIDS Memorial Grove and the steamy Conservatory of Flowers;
The buffalo paddock (the creatures are rather shy) and the Dutch Windmill are also worth exploring at the other end of the park.

3. Ferry Building

Fantastic selection of indoor food and gift stores, and the sixth best Farmers’ Market in the world (according to a recent survey) outside on certain days;

Nice bookshop and great wine bar.

4. Cliff House

Drive or take the 38 bus from downtown to cean Beach for two fine restaurants with stunning views over the Pacific;
Stroll along the beach for miles;
explore the remains of Adolph Sutro’s great public baths and watch the sea birds on Seal Rock;

Take the short walk to the western end of Golden Gate Park.

5. Chinatown

Witness the largest Chinese community outside Asia going about their daily business;
Grant Avenue is best for gifts whilst Stockton contains the markets at which the Chinese women shop for produce not seen anywhere else!;

You must eat here at least once during your stay – I recommend the Great Eastern, after all the Obamas eat there, and the R & G Lounge;
Don’t forget the side streets too with their views of the Bay Bridge and Financial District – and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory!

6. North Beach

Traditionally the Italian quarter adjacent to Chinatown;
Plenty of excellent cafés and restaurants – Trieste the most famous but Tosca, Greco and Puccini are really good too;
We have enjoyed meals at the North Beach restaurant, Calzone, Sotto Mare, Firenze at Night and others;
Rest awhile at Washington Square Park watching the dogs and their humans at play under the shadow of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul;

Have a glass or two at the Vesuvio Café, our favourite bar – historic haunt of the Beats, e.g. Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, in the fifties and sixties;
Peruse the unique shelves of the City Lights Bookstore, one of the most famous in the world, opposite Vesuvio;

On the opposite corner on Columbus, Broadway is the home to many of San Francisco’s more famous fleshpots;
Reserve seats in advance for Beach Blanket Babylon, another thing you really should do – but best to book in advance

7. Palace of Fine Arts

The only remaining building from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrating the resurrection of San Francisco from the Earthquake and Fire of nine years before;
Beautiful classical structure with a tranquil swan-filed lagoon attached;

8. Haight-Ashbury

Whether you’re an old hippie (like me) or not, it’s a fascinating place with lots of “head” shops, stores selling retro clothes, good cafés, a massive record shop (Amoeba) and not a few “characters”;
Close to Golden Gate Park, it is possible to visit both on the same day.

9. Alcatraz

It may be touristy but no visit to the city is complete without a visit to the most feared federal penitentiary of them all;
It is very popular so you should book in advance, preferably before you travel;
The day tour is good but the evening (sunset) one is even better!

10. Bay Cruise

Enjoy an hour or two on the bay, remembering to take suncream, as much for the wind as the sun;
Stop off at Sausalito for a drink and a promenade, or even go on to Angel Island and Tuburon;
The Rocket Boat is tremendous fun, though not for the faint- hearted!

11. Castro

Ground zero for San Francisco’s large gay and lesbian community, rainbow flags are fluttering everywhere;
Good shops and bars;

It boasts a great movie house, the Castro Theatre, with its own wurlitzer; if you can, book tickets for a film. You might even get lucky and be able to participate in a sing-a-long version of either The Sound of Music, Grease or The Wizard of Oz.

12. Alamo Square

Position yourself to take the perfect picture of the famous Painted Ladies Victorian houses with the modern city looming behind.

13. Mission

Boisterous, funky, and, at night, edgy Latino and Hispanic neighbourhood;
Great for cheap clothing and inexpensive Central and South American food;
Take the pilgrimage to the original Mission Dolores church where it all started;
But a picnic for Dolores Park and savour the great views, not only of the city but also of your fellow humans (some of which may be naked – you have been warned!).

14. Coit Tower

Fire nozzle shaped monument provided for the city by Lillian Hitchcock Coit in honour of the brave firefighters of the Earthquake and Fire of 1906;
Take in the wonderful views over the bay, including Alcatraz;
See and hear the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill (though they do frequent other parts of the city too now);

Climb up at least one set of steps – there are several to choose from, including those that run past beautiful urban gardens.

15. Twin Peaks

The most visited spot for panoramic views of the city, though there are others e.g. Bernal Heights just as good in my opinion.

16. Civic Center

Home to magnificent City Hall and several other public buildings, including the symphony/opera and library;
Good, cheap farmer’s market on Wednesdays.

17. Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39

The most popular tourist spots on the bay, not my favourite but you cannot deny that it is a place of fun and energy;
See, listen and laugh at the crazy sea lions on Pier 39;

Wander round the myriad of gift shops for presents for those back home;
Sample seafood at the many restaurants and wharfside stalls – we have eaten well at the Franciscan, Neptune’s Palace and McKormick & Kuleto’s;
The Hard Rock is here too if that is more your scene;
The Gold Dust Lounge, relocated from Union Square, is a good watering hole with live music;
The Musée Mecanique (vintage amusement arcade) and Hyde Street Pier (collection of classic ships), are two of the best deals, not only on the waterfront, but in the whole of the city;

Beware the World Famous Bushman!

18. Union Square

San Francisco’s “modern” shopping heart is very popular with tourists and locals alike, though I use it more as a thoroughfare from Market to Chinatown and North Beach;

There are a number of good diners and grills in the vicinity, including John’s Grill, Tadich Grill and Daily Grill;
It borders both the Tenderloin and Civic Center, so don’t be surprised by the number of homeless people, some of which may approach you for money.

19. Bay Bridge

Many, including my wife, prefer this to the Golden Gate Bridge and love driving on both its upper and lower decks;

The new span that replaced the old one destroyed by 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake has recently opened and is stunning;
It is spectacularly lit up at night.

20. MUNI

San Francisco’s public transit system is loved and hated at the same time by both locals and visitors;
The cable cars are not merely tourist toys, many locals use them too, and you must ride them;

The lines may be long but it’s well worth the wait – hurtling down Nob or Russian Hill is a thrilling experience;
The historic F Streetcar that runs along Market and the Embarcadero from the Castro is charming if uncomfortable. Don’t expect, however, to get anywhere quickly;

All human life is there on the buses!

21. Sports

Candlestick Park, home of the 49ers, is one of the most famous football stadia in America, and the 49ers won’t be there much longer, so get there quick!
Even if it is baseball close season, take the tour of the Giant’s home, AT & T Park, dubbed the most beautiful sports stadium in America with wonderful views over the bay;

You can get your (ice) hockey fix too by taking the train from the Caltrain station at 4^th and King to San Jose where the Sharks will be waiting to entertain you.

This is not an exhaustive list and I have not even mentioned the many day trips out of the city that can be made, for example to Napa, Muir Woods, Berkeley, Monterey and Carmel. But I think what I have included will keep any first time visitor occupied for a couple of weeks at least!

I would be happy to answer any questions arising from this post.

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Another Noe Valley Photo Gallery

Posted in San Francisco, tagged breakfast, cafes, Chloe's, Chloe's Noe Valley, Cliche Noe, coffee houses, Noe Valley, Noe's Bar, photography, Photos, San Francisco, toast eatery, Tony Quarrington on Jun 30, 2013| 4 Comments »

As our month’s stay in San Francisco’s Noe Valley sadly draws to a close, here are a few photos we took of the neighbourhood.

Flowers and Festivals

Bougainvillea sprouting everywhere

Saturday morning Farmer’s Market

Can never leave here without parting with our money

Excellent local bookstore

Constant lines outside Chloe’s café

But we preferred this one – the Eggs Benedict has it!

Famous movie location (“Sister Act”)

Our favourite 24th Street bar

Excellent coffee and bagels at Martha’s just a block away

If we run out of anything, there’s always the corner store

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A Hike up Bernal Heights Hill

Posted in San Francisco, tagged Bernal Heights, Bernal Heights Hill, Candlestick Park, Diamond Heights, dog parks, dogs, Glen Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin, Marin Headlands, Mission District, Mission district San Francisco, Mount Davidson, Noe Valley, Progressive Grounds, San Francisco, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Sister Act, St Paul's Catholic Church Noe Valley, Sutro Tower, Tony Quarrington on Jun 16, 2013| 2 Comments »

Not so much a hike, more a leisurely uphill stroll.

The view to the east from the deck of our apartment is dominated by Bernal Heights Hill, a rocky outcrop with stunning 360 degree views of the Bay and inland areas.

Staying in Noe Valley, this was one of our local “things to do”. We set out from the apartment, joined Cesar Chavez Street, crossing Mission and Folsom before turning right up Harrison into pretty Precita Park, the starting point for the walk. Inevitably, dogs outnumbered humans in this neat green space adjacent to the Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School.

The walk began from the southwestern corner of the park, the steepest part being up tree-lined Folsom Street with fine views of the City through the treetop leaves.

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The top of Folsom merges left into Bernal Heightd Boulevard and the entrance to the park.

You are immediately aware that this is dog territory as the profusion of signs describe the best trails, advertise dog walking and grooming services and, less happily, contain heartfelt pleas for for the restoration of lost animals to their owners.
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The route to the top takes a gentle, winding path, though the adventurous or merely mad might be tempted to clamber up the green-brown hill itself.

The dazzling vistas begin by the entrance and become increasingly spectacular as you ascend the path.

No tourists, and, by my understanding, few local residents, make this journey, but they are missing a treat. Step aside Twin Peaks, this is by far the best vantage point to enjoy the San Francisco panorama.

Downtown, the “bracelet of bridges”, Mount Davidson, Twin Peaks and Candlestick Park are all clearly visible from this spacious peak. The wide expanse stretches almost into the bay itself.

On the opposite side are Noe Valley, Diamond Heights and Glen Park, nestling under the benign family of Twin Peaks and Sutro Tower.

We can almost reach over and touch our apartment, two minutes walk from the stately St. Paul’s Catholic Church, where the movie Sister Act was filmed.

At the summit we felt even more like human intruders in doggie heaven, and the canine armies continued to assemble as we passed through the small car park beneath it.

We dipped down Anderson Street into Cortland Avenue, the main shopping and dining thoroughfare of the Bernal Heights neighbourhood, and after an excellent lunch at the Progressive Grounds coffee house, took the surprisingly short and relatively flat walk back into Noe Valley. This would – and may – warrant a separate article in itself, but suffice to say that we found it a delightful spot.

But the final word goes to the characters that dominate this wonderful open space.

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A Morning Stroll from Noe Valley to Mission Dolores

Posted in San Francisco, tagged bagels, Baseball, bougainvillea, Castro District, Castro San Francisco, Church Street Cafe, designer dogs, designer poodles, flowers, Golden Gate Park, Helen Diller, Helen Diller Playground, Market Street San Francisco, Mission Dolores, MLB, Noe Valley, Noe Valley Summer Fest, North Beach Festival, North Beach San Francisco, poodles, San Diego Padres, San Francisco, San Francisco Giants, Shit Zu, Stern Grove Festival, Tony Quarrington on Jun 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I have already referred in part to our first full day back in San Francisco (early rising and the trip to the Church and Market branch of Safeway) in the previous two blog articles. With a full month to play with, this was no time for dashing from one tourist attraction to another, but rather to acclimatise ourselves to the neighbourhood.

After breakfast in the apartment, inevitably of granola and sourdough toast, we ventured up the hill on Church Street to 24th Street, the principal retail and dining area of Noe Valley.

What struck us immediately were the luxuriant flower displays, especially of bougainvillea, draped over shop fronts and garage forecourts alike. Accustomed to visiting in the spring, we had not witnessed their splendour before now.

Our already full event calendar acquired another entry when we discovered that the Noe Valley Summer Fest was to be held on Saturday 15th of the month, the same day as the first day of the North Beach Festival taking place over that weekend. With the Stern Grove Festival in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, we were going to be busy! Thankfully, the Giants game against the San Diego Padres on the following day was an evening affair.

After coffee, served in large bowls, in La Boulange on the intersection of 24th and Sanchez, and a brief reconnaisance of those shops that held our interest, we embarked upon the steep climb up Noe Street to Dolores Park for one of the stellar views across the city.

Aside from the obvious photo opportunities it affords, Dolores Park is a hugely popular venue for picnics, sunbathing and people watching. And what people watching! There has been a long running feud between members (literally!) of the gay community and city authorities about nude sunbathing, rendered sensitive by the presence of the fun and funky Helen Diller Children’s Playground in its centre.

But the still relatively cool morning meant that the occupants of the park comprised nothing more threatening than a couple of fully-clothed ageing hippies, impossibly cute Shih Poos and workmen (not so cute).

We made our way courageously (adults are not permitted without being supervised by a child) over the spongy bridge in the middle of the playground towards the majestic Mission Dolores, oldest surviving structure in the city, before branching left to the J Church MUNI Metro tracks that wove alongside the western fringe of the park.

We had a lunch of peanut butter (Janet) and turkey, egg and cheese (me) bagels and iced lattés at the Church Street Café. I am under strict instructions not to post the photos of our respective half-eaten meals, so readers will have to make do with one of your author instead (which some might say was more likely to frighten those of a sensitive disposition).

Observations and photographs from the afternoon stroll down Castro Street to follow.

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Back in the Land of Granola and Sourdough

Posted in San Francisco, tagged Bernal Heights, Coors, Coors Light, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley, San Francisco, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, sunrise, The Mission, The Mission San Francisco, Tony Quarrington, Valley Tavern, wholefoods, Wholefoods Market on Jun 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

After an all too brief week in the area last year, we landed back in the southern San Francisco neighbourhood of Noe Valley yesterday. Well, we didn’t actually land here – that was further south still at San Francisco International Airport, but I’m sure you know what I mean.

After the frustrations of recent flight delays to both San Francisco and Las Vegas, our journey went astonishingly well. But it started ominously as, alone of all flights out of Heathrow that morning, we were delayed by an accident on the M25 motorway which halted the progress of Virgin Atlantic cabin crew. Which begs the question: why was no other airline company affected?

But never mind. We took off fifty minutes late, but with a remarkably short flight time, touched down at San Francisco International Airport fifteen minutes early. The twenty minute wait to collect our luggage afforded us ample time to contemplate, fresh from stories of friends experiencing hours in line at other American airports, the anticipated horrors of actually getting into the country through U.S. Immigration, especially, as there had been significant cuts to staffing in the service in recent months.

We needn’t have worried. The entire process – waiting in line, one last, frantic check of our customs declaration form, having our photographs and hand prints taken, and explaining what we planned to do whilst in the country – took less than ten minutes!

And the Eurasian guy who saw us was chatty, friendly and intrigued by both our love affair with SF and also the fact that we waited 30 years before getting married, and then doing it in Vegas! I think the story would have been repeated over a beer with his mates later that evening.

A short taxi ride brought us to our spacious apartment an hour and a half after landing, and we were quaffing Sierra Nevada Pale Ales and Coors Lights in the Valley Tavern on 24th Street less than an hour after that. A typical American sports bar – voluminously stacked shelves behind the bar and lighting provided by around a dozen TV sets all showing the (Indiana) Pacers and (Miami) Heat NBA play-off game. After a shop for essentials at the 24th Street Wholefoods market we settled down for a plate of pasta and bottle of wine, followed by some mellow Jerry Garcia licks on the ipod as we struggled to stay awake (no reflection on Jerry, mind).

It was a little too cool by now to take advantage of our outside deck with views of Bernal Heights to the east and Diamond Heights to the west. Forecast is for bright, largely sunny weather for the duration with temperatures varying between the lower sixties and early eighties.

Despite, as ever, gaining minimal sleep on the plane, I needed only six hours sleep before rising at 4.30am to await the sunrise over Bernal Heights – and sate my craving for peanut butter granola and sourdough toast (though not at the same time). The cloud cover, however, and the fact that the sun was hidden by the hillside anyway, rendered this an uninspiring event. But I’m sure there will be more spectacular mornings to come.

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Heading Noe where

Posted in San Francisco, tagged America's Cup, AT & T Park, AT & T Park San Francisco, Bay Area, Beach Blanket Babylon, Berkeley, Berkeley California, Bernal Heights, Buena Vista Park, Cal Train, Castro District, Castro San Francisco, Crosby and Nash, David Crosby, de Young Museum, Diamond Peaks, Elvis Costello, Eureka Valley, Graham Nash, Hayes Valley, Lake Tahoe, Mission, Mission District, Mission district San Francisco, MUNI, Muni Metro, Noe Valley, NOPA, North of the Panhandle, San Francisco, San Francisco Earthquake 1906, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco Zoo, South Lake Tahoe, Steve Miller, Steve Miller Band, Sunset district, Sunset district San Francisco, Tony Quarrington, Twin Peaks San Francisco, Warfield Theater on Jun 2, 2013| 4 Comments »

‘Tis the night before the start of our our tenth – and longest – stay in San Francisco. And the first to be spent in summer in the enchanted city.

We spent a week in the southern neighbourhood of Noe Valley last spring, and whilst much of that time we were elsewhere, we enjoyed its relaxing, civilised atmosphere so much that, when we had to decide where to rent an apartment for four weeks in June this year, we chose it above other likely candidates such as the Mission and the Sunset . This will enable us to acquaint ourselves more with the neighbourhood and adjoining districts as well as providing a good base for visiting other parts of the Bay Area, familiar and previously unexplored alike.

So where is Noe Valley? And what we have let ourselves in for by living there? It sits immediately south of the Castro and east of the Mission in a sunny spot protected from the fog by steep hills on three sides. Its borders are broadly defined as between 20th and 22nd Street to the north, 30th Street to the south, Dolores to the east and Grand View Avenue to the west. Our apartment is on 28th Street between Church and Dolores.

A look at a map of the greater San Francisco area would suggest that it is relatively remote, and it is undeniably off the tourist trail. But public transit and local roads render it easily accessible to downtown and the South Bay respectively. The J Church MUNI Metro line was our constant companion on our previous trip and will be so again, at least for the first half of our stay before we hire a car for the trip to Tahoe.

Noe Valley is a quiet but cosmopolitan residential neighbourhood with a classy small town feel. Its preponderance of comfortable, even affluent, young families has lead to a change in its nickname from the hippie-inspired “Granola Valley” in the seventies to “Stroller Alley” today. But it also attracts couples and singles of all persuasions, notably gay and lesbian migrants from the Castro. A healthy number of artists and writers complete a sophisticated demographic. The population of approximately 21,000 comprises 70% white, 15% Hispanic and 7% Asian, with the remaining 8% coming from all corners of the globe.

It is blessed with a significant number of classic two storey Victorian and Edwardian homes. Broad streets and brightly coloured exteriors have the writers of guidebooks reaching for words like “cute” and “quaint”. Property prices are inevitably expensive.

The neighbourhood gets its name from José de Jésus Noé, the last Mexican alcade (Mayor) of Yerba Buena, the original name for San Francisco. He owned the land as part of his Rancho San Miguel but sold it to John Meirs Horner in 1854. Horner laid out many of the wide streets we enjoy today, and the name “Horner’s Addition” is still used for tax purposes by the city assessor’s office.

The main development of what was traditionally a working class neighbourhood came in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Today, its interest for outsiders lies essentially in the eclectic shopping and dining experience to be found along the stretches of 24th Street from Castro to Church and Diamond to Dolores. Coffee shops, restaurants, one of a kind clothing and gift stores and bookshops abound, along with one of the best farmers’ markets in the city.

This will be our fourth apartment – the first two were in Hayes Valley and North of the Panhandle (NOPA) – and, as with previous years, our aim is to blend as far as possible into the local community for the duration. With four weeks at our disposal on this occasion, our “live like locals” strategy has more chance of success than in previous years where we have stayed for no more than a fortnight. We are particularly looking forward to hiking up Bernal Heights, Twin Peaks and Buena Vista Park, as well as reacquainting ourselves with the Mission.

But the extended stay still enables us to satisfy our tourist cravings and revisit the usual suspects such as Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park , Beach Blanket Babylon and Haight Ashbury, and, of course, three pilgrimages to AT & T Park to support the Giants in their (currently faltering~) hunt for back to back World Series titles. Any trip would not be complete without expanding our understanding of the Bay Area, so Berkeley, the Zoo, Castro Theater and the de Young Museum, all places we have criminally neglected until now, are on our list.

Having always , with the exception of our first visit in October, visited in spring, we will be also be able to throw ourselves into four of San Francisco’s celebrated annual events – the Haight Ashbury Street Fair, North Beach Festival, Stern Grove Festival and San Francisco Pride.

Our last two vacations have coincided with Crosby and Nash and Elvis Costello gigs at the Warfield. This year, we move to the waterfront at Pier 27/29 where we have tickets for the concert being given by the Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers at the America’s Cup Pavilion. And finally, a short detour to Tahoe is also scheduled.

I hadn’t actually realised until I wrote this just how busy we are going to be!

San Francisco – your “wandering one” is coming home again.

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San Francisco Photo Gallery: Noe Valley

Posted in Photo Gallery, San Francisco, tagged 24th Street San Francisco, Bernal Heights, Castro District, Castro San Francisco, Dolores Park, Noe Valley, Photographs, photography, San Francisco, The Mission, The Mission San Francisco, Tony Quarrington, Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks San Francisco on Apr 15, 2013| 2 Comments »

Last year my wife and I rented an apartment in the San Francisco neighbourhood of Noe Valley, bordered to the north by the Castro and the Mission, and Bernal Heights and Twin Peaks to the east and west respectively. We only spent a week there, much of which was spent elsewhere in the city, but enjoyed the atmosphere so much that we are staying there for the whole of the month of June this year.

Here are a handful of the photos I took of the district. I hope to do much better this year!