2016-12-21 02:15:05
HILLS DEFINE SAN FRANCISCO’S TOPOGRAPHY, BUT THE MOST CHIC COMMERCIAL STRETCHES TEND TO BE NICE AND FLAT. HERE ARE FOUR OF THE MOST DYNAMIC (AND WALKABLE) NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTS TO GET A FEEL FOR THE CITY’S PULSE. Oysters at Swan Oyster Depot 1. POLK STREET This corridor bustles with shopping, restaurants and more. Enjoy unique nighttime spots like the age-old saloon Shanghai Kelly’s (2064 Polk), ciderheavy gastropub Upcider (1160 Polk), and contemporary cocktail lounge Jackalope (1092 Post). The chef’s tasting menu at La Folie (2316 Polk) might be one of San Francisco’s most celebrated, but the 24-hour Bob’s Donuts (1621 Polk) routinely rates as the best night-owl spot in the city — and thanks to Anthony Bourdain, the line at Swan Oyster Depot (1517 Polk) is always lengthy. Meanwhile, fine dining has arrived at Ghirardelli Square in the form of Waxman’s (900 North Point St.), a cavernous outpost from celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman. In terms of shopping, every sexy motorcycle jacket in town comes from Johnson Leather (1833 Polk), but for sheer browsing entertainment, you can’t beat the vintage finds at Belle Cose (2036 Polk). Mission District 2. VALENCIA STREET Lively, hip and bursting with bike traffic, the central section of Valencia Street is the very heart of the Mission, close to BART and Dolores Park. The six-block section between 16th and 22nd streets offers prime people-watching any time of day, from curio shops like Paxton Gate (824 Valencia) and the Pirate Supply Store fronting 826 Valencia, to audiophile heaven Dijital Fix (820 Valencia). Get a monster-size martini at Blondie’s (540 Valencia), pick up supplies for making sugar skulls at Casa Bonampak (1051 Valencia), or peek at the ever-changing murals on Clarion Alley. And don’t miss brunch at The Vestry (777 Valencia), a former mortuary that’s adjacent to live-music venue The Chapel or the savory Indian uttapams at Michelin Bib Gourmand standby DOSA (995 Valencia). Horchata Pudding 3. CHESTNUT STREET Normal though it may feel in comparison to some of San Francisco’s weirder haunts, Chestnut Street is a veritable Restaurant Row interspersed with cafés and boutiques — and popular sightseeing spots like Fort Mason, Marina Green and the Palace of Fine Arts are only a few blocks away. Among Chestnut’s many eateries, vegetarians and the gluten-free flock to Seed + Salt (2240 Chestnut) for horchata pudding, while pasta fiends favor the flagship A16 (2355 Chestnut) and high-end burger fanatics gravitate toward The Dorian (2001 Chestnut). Fashionistas spend their afternoons poring through Brandy Melville (2085 Chestnut) and y&i (2101 Chestnut) on their way to yoga, while film buffs enjoy the independent, four-screen movie house (The Presidio Theatre, 2340 Chestnut). Gateway Arch (Dragon Gate) 4. GRANT AVENUE Picking up at the edge of Union Square’s retail district, the Gateway Arch (or Dragon Gate) at Grant Avenue and Bush Street lets visitors know that the (fairly) steep climb leads to Chinatown. The eight blocks between Bush and Broadway contain multitudes: knickknack shops, seniors doing tai chi, Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, the marvelous Chinatown Kite Shop (717 Grant) and dive bars like Li Po Cocktail Lounge (916 Grant). And there’s plenty to nosh on, like the moon cakes at the Eastern Bakery (720 Grant) and the noodles and porridges at Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant (960 Grant). But by far, the best thing in Chinatown is the alleys. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (56 Ross) and the crispy scarlet turnip cakes at the stunning Mister Jiu’s (28 Waverly) are both located on side streets just off Grant.
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