Sunset

I have always had a fairly negative outlook on the Sunset until I actually went and spent some time there. I chose to cover the Sunset because I know that there are cool places to go to but have never had the motivation to go. Living on the other side of the park, I have created a comfortable bubble in the Richmond and never felt it necessary to really explore the other side.

The Outer Sunset, the place I hated the most, is actually a really cool place. The houses along the beach are really interesting and remind me of what a normal "beach town" looks like. I never really thought to give it a chance due to the endless amounts of fog that rolls through. There are cool surf stores that I feel come straight out of the movies and cafes that are scattered throughout the endless amounts of blocks that make up the Sunset.

The Inner Sunset is also a vibrant place. It's much more commercial then the Outer Sunset. On Irving Street between 7th and 11th stores line the streets (Coffee shops, cafe's, bars, boutiques etc.). There is a huge difference though between Inner and Outer. I felt like a lot more early families were pushing their strollers and walking the family dog in the Inner Sunset, and more established and larger families live in the Outer due to bigger houses.

While I was walking, there was an old war veteran who seemed to be a regular at Holy Gelato. He waited patiently for a cup of coffee that he did not even need to order because John, the man behind the counter already knew exactly how to make it. He paid and went on his way. As soon as he walked outside, to my surprise, he began asking many of the other people walking on the sidewalk for change. Then a woman in her 60s stopped and without hesitation began screaming at him. "You probably have more money then me right now! You must be crazy! If you have not realized, it's recession! Nobody has money. So how dare you have the audacity to ask me for change!" He looked at her blankly and she just walked away casually as if nothing happened. As I kept my distance and observed, I was so surprsied to be watching this. The Sunset is the last place in San Francisco I expected to see that.

All in all, my first visit has really changed my views about this neighborhood and I am looking forward to covering it for the next few months.