Hot New Neighborhood: The Excelsior District

Today, The Bold Italic gives us an insider's look into Excelsior, the hot new Hipster neighborhood famous for being near the Mission:

When I decided to search for my first home, it quickly became clear that I would be unable to buy a place with the amenities I was craving in an established, cool neighborhood. I searched through the Mission, Western Addition, and Hayes Valley for a pad within my price range that included parking, a yard for the dogs, and good closet space (although I already had a fabulous little boutique, BellJar, to live out my collecting obsession, my purchases were still overflowing into my home). The results were bleak.

I started exploring other options. The Sunset? No one would ever accuse me of being a beach girl. Bay View? Too isolated. Then I found the Excelsior. Near a huge, gorgeous park? Check. Streets named after European destinations? Check. Located on a hill with a view of the city and a straight shot into the Mission? Check. This would be my new hood.

I’m not going to lie. There was an adjustment period. For the first time since living in San Francisco I longed to see a fixed gear bike or a tattooed girl walking down the street. Then again, I now had an entire extra room dedicated to my wardrobe and an in-law apartment I could use to house my records. I began telling myself, “It’s all about the Excelsior; everyone else just hasn’t figured it out yet!”

So what makes the Excelsior San Francisco's best kept secret?  Amazing breakfast burritos, ponds for dogs to swim in, and going to The Broken Recrod to talk about neighborhood issues such as “boys, dating in San Francisco, and how fabulous we looked in our fancy outfits.”  Well, my bags are packed.

Take the full tour over at The Bold Italic.

(photo by Eric Heath)

Comments (4)

So love the Bold Italic… Great picture, too… I put offers on houses in the Excelsior two years ago, only to be rejected twice. A flipper’s paradise I think. It will be interesting to see if it becomes like its upscale neighbor, Mission Terrace…

There are truly some hidden gems out there (esp. if you like the classic ‘full 5’-style layout), and in surrounding neighborhoods, like Bernal Heights (the lovely Alemany Flea market) and Crocker-Amazon (the delicious Broken Record).

The Excelsior is one of the last bastions of working families in SF. I love the projects that the ever-talented Julie Michelle has done there and do think the neighborhood truly lives up to its name.

…he says, tripping over his empty rum bottles and un-cashed trust fund checks.

More like wine and uncashed checks from Google Adsense, but sure.