PhillipH

Part of me wants to tell everyone how great this neighborhood is and part of me doesn't want anyone to know how great this neighborhood is. How do I reconcile that?

One of the last bastions of affordable housing in San Francisco, the Portola is a quiet residential neighborhood that is sunny and friendly. I've become good friends with many of the neighbors that I have met. There's been house parties, dinner parties, and a holiday dinner. And heck, there was even a bingo night with sassy drag queens hosting. Who knew?!

A stone's throw away from the Bayview District, the Portola is diverse and feels like where all of the San Franciscans who are not tech millionaires live. Most people have never heard of it. It's second cheapest to Bayview, with less crime.

Where the Bayview District is like the next Williamsburg, the Portola is like the next Park Slope. You have families and regular people living and working to make the neighborhood better. San Bruno Ave., the main commercial strip, has a variety of ethnic restaurants (though mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, and Latin) and produce markets. There's a Four Barrel Coffee shop and soon a microbrewery. There is a vibrant and active neighborhood association striving to improve the community using Facebook and NextDoor. Projects to beautify and improve the neighborhood are already underway.

It's also right next to McLaren Park and two public pools are about five minutes away by car. Shhhhh! That's the biggest secret! Additionally, there's a recreation center nearby. If you're lucky enough to be on a hill, the views are AMAZING as well as offering you some exercise.

Being relatively far from downtown, it's actually really fast to get there by MUNI because the bus (8X, 8AX) takes the freeway and can get you downtown in 15-20 mins, surprisingly.

Is it a sexy neighborhood? No. It's not great if you're looking for nightlife and bars. But if you are past that and ready to settle down and want some extra leg room, this could be the perfect spot for you.