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Situated on the Eastern side of Twin Peaks and protected from the Pacific winds, the Mission District enjoys a warmer, sunnier climate from April to November. Accessible by BART at 16th and 24th streets, the Mission's restaurants, nightlife, and residential areas are a quick train ride and/or bus ride away.

I have lived on the border of the western side for a year, a block from Valencia street which is home to an increasing degree of 18-25 year olds, a huge array of restaurants that seem to repeat at 16th and 24th streets, and an excellent bike lane that provides easy access to downtown. If you walk down Mission street, you will probably hear whimsical music coming from a claw arcade game, smell a combination of bacon wrapped hot dogs and subway puddles, hear the ringing bells of the ice cream vendors as you walk along a red and blue tiled mosaic pattern that spans the street for blocks ahead.

Great food is everywhere, taco trucks like El Tonayense are everywhere but a new ban on food vendors near schools is stopping burrito sales. Taquerias are on nearly every block on Mission, and sprinkled throughout the street corners alongside delis and produce stands, coffee shops and Chinese cafeteria style restaurants/donut shops.

For exercise, Mission Cliffs is a great place to work out, with 50 foot indoor rock climbing walls, a bouldering section, and a full scale gym.

The Mission is one of the many cultural hearts of San Francisco, as depicted in the many colorful murals around the district. On Thursday nights at 16th Street BART station there is an open-mic/poetry circle, and there are many art galleries that have free openings on the weekends.

The Mission has problems though, it is very noisy at night and there are many homeless. Gang violence also leads to homicide in some areas, but I still feel relatively safe, at least living in the western side of the Mission. It's an active and vibrant place to live, and the close knit feeling I get from having so many neighbors really adds to the sense of community.

When driving north or south, head down Guerrero or South Van Ness, as Mission is usually filled with buses and heavy traffic, and Valencia is filled with bikes.