Lake Merced Blvd, San Francisco

Lake Merced Boulevard may, technically, be located in San Francisco, but this street feels about as much the antithesis of a large metropolitan city as you can get. The beautiful road takes you along a large, green park that may as well be located in the middle of nowhere. The neighborhood has a highly residential feel, with a mix of college town, as the area is immediately next to San Francisco State University.

While the homes have a distinct San Francisco flavor, that is about the extent of the big city feel that you will get. Like much of western San Francisco, it is a bit of a trade-off. The western part of the city is particularly chilly, the beaches are cold, the public transportation is somewhat lacking, the hills make it tough to bike (which, granted, is ubiquitous of the entire city), and parking is STILL limited, which is a bit shocking, given how suburban the area is.

But if you like parks, cute homes, golf courses, lakes, access to beaches, and the fact that you can be a resident of one of the coolest cities in the world, then this is not a bad choice by any stretch. The residents are friendly, the retail shops are a little bit cheaper, you can still walk to many places, and let's not forget that you are, indeed, in San Francisco. Overall, a great find, though not quite the SF that you would expect.

Lake Merced Boulevard is a long street that curves around one side of Lake Merced, one of the few lakes in California that actually is within city limits. It’s a scenic drive as Sunset Boulevard transitions into Lake Merced Boulevard once you are out of the Sunset District. Nobody actually lives on this street because it’s more for driving, and the houses that overlook the lake are separated by a smaller street called Gellert Drive. Many people like to run along this street in the mornings and on the weekends. You will usually see high school teams paddling for dragon boat or rowing for crew during the late afternoons and early weekends. There are a lot of cars once it hits 5:00 p.m during the weekdays, but there is usually no overwhelming traffic.

Lake Merced Blvd is always filled with runners, bikers, roller bladders and joggers day and night. However, it may be considered hazardous to travel along this street at night unless you have good eyesight, for, there are no street lamps to light the path. Etching the outline of the half the lake, Lake Merced Blvd is a good circuit to exercise or just to take a breath of fresh air. Many are accompanied by their spouse, friends and pets; but nevertheless, this is not to say that it is a crowed street, nor is it an isolated area. When heading north on Lake Merced Blvd, one will find that it will turn into the sunset blvd. Heading south, however, will result in a transition from the County of San Francisco to the County of San Mateo. In the San Francisco portion of Lake Merced Blvd, the 18 Muni line runs the lower half of the street whereas the 29 bus runs the upper half.

For people looking for some exercise, Lake Merced Blvd. offers a huge lake with surrounding trail. All the way around, it measures around 5 miles, so it makes for an excellent bike, run or walking path. It is one of the only places in the city where you can experience a non-congested exercise trail. Within the park grounds, there is also a golf course and restaurant called the Boat House.

Lake Merced Boulevard is a fairly busy street that runs from north Lake Merced and down the east side of the lake. The street eventually breaks off of Lake Merced and ends up as a passage to Daly City’s Westlake District. Although, Lake Merced may not be the prettiest lakes in the nation, it is one of San Francisco’s few lakes. The greenery and the area around the lake have been getting prettier every year. Activity around Lake Merced is generally pretty active as there is a golf course, a high school, a college, and a shooting range.

Lake Merced Boulevard wraps behind Lowell High School and San Francisco State University. The athletic facilities at both Lowell and San Francisco State are noticeable when driving down Lake Merced Boulevard. There is no retail on Lake Merced Boulevard; however, there is plenty of shopping nearby at Westlake Shopping Complex which hosts restaurants, clothing stores, and shopping centers.

The housing on Lake Merced Boulevard is limited and exists only on the north end of the Lake. Although the houses aren’t too big, the area and community is very nice. Being next to the Lake is a plus. Traffic isn’t too bad on Lake Merced Boulevard although it is a very busy street.