Tag Archives: #NeverMetAnSFNeighborhoodIDidn’tLike

Realtor’s Dozen: Cow Hollow

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Cow Hollow when there were cows in the hollow.

Here’s another entry in my series of installments called “Realtor’s Dozen,” in which I extol 13 virtues of a neighborhood in San Francisco.

  1. You can’t help but love an urban neighborhood with a name like Cow Hollow. Especially given the discrepancy between its cow-filled past and its multi-million-dollar-home-filled present.
  2. Walk westward and you’re in The Presidio — full of Eucalyptus trees, historic buildings, hikes, museums and a cemetery where lie the remains of a Union spy.
  3. Wonderful Union Street runs right down the center of Cow Hollow.
  4. Equally wonderful Chestnut Street parallels Union, four blocks to the north.
  5. An offshoot flock of the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill flies over the neighborhood like Blue Angels during Fleet Week.
  6. The Lyon Street steps are good for working off a worried mind or for working up a sweat while getting from Point A (Lyon and Green) to Point B (Lyon and Broadway).
  7. Reliably pleasant weather.
  8. There aren’t many octagon houses left in the world. Maybe one or two hundred. One of the best examples is the McElroy Octagon House at Gough and Union. Let me know what you think. (Nearly 30 years and I’ve yet to visit.)
  9. Find a moment’s peace in the courtyard of The Episcopal Church of St. Mary The Virgin at the corner of Union and Steiner. When open, it’s a nice place to just sit quietly. Like Ferdinand the Bull.
  10. Within walking distance of the Bay. But not on landfill.
  11. Calling all Millennials! According to a 2014 survey by Niche, Cow Hollow is the best neighborhood for Millennials in the 5th best U. S. city for Millennials.
  12. If your home is too small for out-of-town guests, there’s a plethora of relatively low-priced hotels nearby.
  13. The 41-Union is one of the tastiest MUNI routes in town, running from The Presidio, through Cow Hollow, over Russian Hill, across North Beach, into the Financial District and all the way to Main and Howard.

Cynthia Cummins is a Top Producer and Partner at McGuire. For info on SF real estate visit http://CynthiaCummins.com.

Realtor’s Dozen: The Richmond District

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Strybing Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park

I heard it again the other day: An uninformed SF newbie designating huge swatches of the city as uninhabitable. As in, “I could never live there. I might as well just move to Marin. Or Hayward. Or Mountain View.

It’s true I err on the side of “I never met a San Francisco neighborhood I didn’t like,” but – honestly! – every part of town has its merits. My focus today? The breathtakingly delightful Richmond district. Why?

  1. “Outside Lands” real estate, as evinced by price-per-square-foot, is a relative bargain.
  2. Richmond lots are deep and burgeoning with greenery. You just don’t realize it because houses stand hip-to-hip and you can’t see inside the blocks.
  3. Fogmongers claim it’s socked in 24/7/365 west of Arguello (or some other imaginary line). Not so. Check out the dahlias and lemon trees thriving in those huge back yards.
  4. Golden Gate Park skirts the southern end of the Richmond, from Arguello to the Pacific Ocean. GGP is the brightest park jewel in SF’s crown.
  5. Bookending the Richmond on its north side is The Presidio.
  6. And did I mention Ocean Beach? And Land’s End, Sutro Park, Sutro Baths, Lincoln Park Golf Course? THE MIGHTY PACIFIC OCEAN?
  7. The Richmond is among the very safest neighborhoods in the city.
  8. Want hip? Want authentic? Want diversity? Forget the pretendscape of Valencia and check out Clement Street. Or Geary.
  9. Commuting in any direction is easy peasy. Tech shuttles along Park Presidio. Numerous MUNI lines. Quick access to 1, 101, 280.
  10. Kid friendly: Playgrounds. Museums. Libraries. Bike paths. Cheap eats.
  11. It’s quiet. (An underappreciated quality until you’ve lived, for example, near Dolores Park where the endless, noisy crunch of street closures, festivals, movie nights or just a regular weekend can drive you insane.)
  12. If music is your thing, it’s perfectly located for the big festivals at GGP. You can “Hardly Strictly” for a coupla hours, then stroll home for lunch and a nap.
  13. Green Apple Books, Toy Boat Dessert Café, B Star, Kabuto Sushi, Hong Kong Lounge II, House of Bagels, Tommy’s, Angelina’s, Aziza. Etc.

Cynthia Cummins is a Top Producer and Partner at McGuire. For info on SF real estate visit http://CynthiaCummins.com.