San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University and the surrounding neighborhood are located at the far southern edge of San Francisco-- so far in fact it doesn't even feel as if you're still in the city. The campus provides most of the services for the students living in the area and outside of that, there isn't much to do or see here. Stonestown Mall, located a few blocks from the school, is the only real beacon of life in the area and provides the usual services that a shopping mall offers. Eating out isn't much of an option, restaurants are far and few between. Nightlife is non-existent, and no bars or nightclubs are present in the area. Transportation to and from the school and the neighborhood is adequate, although long waits on 19th Avenue are not uncommon. All in all, the area is quiet and mostly home to students attending the University. For excitement that the City has to offer, it's best to look elsewhere.

I am not a big fan of San Francisco State University. This 30,000+ student state public school is geographically so far removed from the City of San Francisco that it would be more appropriate to call it Daly City State. SF State’s campus is full of trees and flower gardens, but many of the buildings are run-down and in unfortunate states of disrepair. I have heard from several former students that the University’s administration is terribly disorganized and unhelpful. I know I’m generalizing, but SF State students tend to come off as lackadaisical and depressed—probably due to the cold, foggy and damp weather that forever enshrouds the campus. Another thing that irks me about SF State is that it is almost impossible to find any decent place to get food or coffee. The concessionaire hired by the University to provide food to students is a joke.

Perhaps poisoned by the icky atmosphere of the University, the neighborhood surrounding SF State is equally unappetizing. The homes are drab and all commerce is relegated to unsightly strip malls from the 1970’s and 80’s. There is a large and unattractive faculty housing project that dominates most of the northwest side of the neighborhood.

Personally, I’ve been to San Francisco State University one too many times, not in a bad sense, but in a good one. I’ve gone there many times to do recreational activities with friends such as playing at the little arcade there and at the pool table room. Although the prices to play pool there are alright/decent, I still had a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend going to SFSU with friends to hang out at. Furthermore the whole campus is really beautiful, although it may not be as big as some UC campuses obviously; its trees and vast green fields look really nice and feel really nice as you take a stroll through it.

Eating out at SFSU is pretty decent, I’ve eaten some of the small food business in the arcade/pool area and the food is decent, like any other college meal in a sense, but just paid for a slightly better. There are also various cafes and café stands at SFSU, so coffee is basically everywhere. There is also a good number of MUNI bus and train stops, but be warned, during the school days, expect heavy traffic and long waits.

SFSU is like a city with in a city if you think about it, there’s all these small food businesses and small stores, and there’s also a big housing complex right next to the campus; great for any student who wants to study at SFSU.

The San Francisco State University neighborhood boasts lots of great stores and eateries. The entire community is buzzing with a young urban vibe due to the University. Lots of apartments and off-campus living nearby the college.

Stonestown Galleria is a suburban style shopping center directly in the city. Stonestown traffic can get heavy at times, but is a great place to shop and eat. The “mall” includes larger department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s, as well as smaller boutiques including Coach, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Metropark, and much more.

Stonestown Galleria also has a movie theater and lots of eateries. A large food court is located at the shopping center with too many places to list, but if in the neighborhood don’t pass up the San Francisco Soup Company. Bakeries, cafes, and chocolatiers are also located here.

This area has a fun city feel to it. 19th Avenue is seemingly endless in width, at point approaching what seems like 8 lanes wide because of turn lanes. Add to that the tracks for the MUNI in the middle and it's all a bit crazy near the Galleria.

And if you're down by Stonestown when the holiday's come, be sure to leave lots of extra time to do anything because the road backs up, the parking lot gets full, people seem to forget how to press the gas pedal and you might sit through the light a few times.

All the same, you'll find lots of great stores inside with a reasonable food court and a post office nearby -- just in case you want to shop and immediately mail your holiday gifts.