Off the beaten track - San Francisco Neighborhood Gems

Off the beaten track - San Francisco Neighborhood Gems

Eclectic and Sincere SF: Neighborhood Shops, Eateries, Attractions, and Cafes

BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Now that the Bay Area is opening back up again, people are venturing back into San Francisco for fun and adventurous day-trips. Here are suggestions of some places that may be less crowded and different from the big-name tourist destinations.

GLEN PARK:

Try Cafe Bello, a local spot in a sunny neighborhood that plays classical music where you can rest or catch up on work while enjoying coffee. Drinks available include vanilla rose lattes, lavender white mochas, and sweet chai, with a full selection of milks and milk alternatives. Plus, the baristas revel in creating floral foam art on top of your coffee.

Or get over to Bird and Beckett, a neighborhood bookstore offering free used books to all passersby in boxes outside on the sidewalk and many art, music and cultural titles for sale inside. Named for musician Charlie Bird and philosopher Samuel Beckett, the store hosts regular jazz shows and literary readings and has the atmosphere of a French book market stall along the Seine.

NORTH PANHANDLE (NOPA):

Oasis Cafe on Divisadero St is sure to delight. It’s a fabulous place run by a chill and friendly couple that has welcomed social and literary groups I’ve hosted over the years and gone out of their way to provide service. They serve injera and other Eritrean and Ethiopian foods and the walls are painted with colorful and evocative murals that make the place seem vast although it’s quite cozy.

Madrone Art Bar, also on Divisadero, is dedicated to featuring all sorts of visual and performing art, everything from paintings to photography to sculpture to dance and film. There’s a huge blue mural on the inside wall and they host well-attended jazz nights and Motown Monday evenings where you can order artisanal cocktails to go with the music. The owner says he’s dedicated to showcasing artists’ work and welcoming them within a city that’s “interested in showing off artwork while at the same time pricing artists out of living in the city.”

INNER RICHMOND:

The Internet Archive is a nonprofit digital library archiving the Internet—past and present—since its inception, on giant servers. They put on free lunch Fridays at noon (for invited guests only, you need to email them a few days in advance and request an invitation) and offer a tour of their building and its history.

The place used to be a Christian Science church before Bitcoin millionaire Brewster Kahle bought it, saying it resembled the Archive’s logo. Numbers on the wall that formerly indicated which hymn would be sung on Sundays now spell out the digits of Pi and codes related to Internet operation (i.e. 404 Page Not Found) and small clay statues of Archive employees stand where the choir would have been.

Toy Boat, an ice cream parlor with a cute 1950s colorful children’s play ambiance, offers sundaes, sugar cones and banana splits within walking distance of the Archive. The place just received a grant from the city to be able to stay open after Covid as a “legacy business,” operating in the area for over 50 years.

Blue Danube, a non-pretentious coffee shop also serving sandwiches, avocado toast, beer and wine, is conveniently located across the street from upscale and quirky but often-crowded restaurant Burma Superstar. You can enjoy a drink and appetizer at Blue Danube while waiting for a table. The place is decorated with books and writing journals where visitors can leave thoughts and writing prompts for each other.

Read more at https://issuu.com/rareluxuryliving/docs/troora_san_francisco_2021_pages/390