doncorazon

First off, this review is based on living in West Portal for about 2.5 months. I am married with a 2 year old daughter. So far the experience has been great. We spent a lot of time looking to buy a home in some other popular “family “neighborhoods in San Francisco, but the houses we saw seemed ridiculously over-priced (even by San Francisco standards). I am talking homes well over $1 million that were tiny and/or with ludicrous floorplans (one place had no refrigerator, another had a shower door that opened right into a carpeted hallway !?). We got frustrated and one day decided to check out a house in West Portal that looked pretty. We were very happy with the amount of space we could get and decided to take the plunge (even though it was still way more than I ever imagined a house could cost…).

I can’t say enough about how happy we are with the neighborhood. I had never ridden Muni before (other than a couple bus rides) but the Muni lines that connect West Portal to downtown are great. It’s a (usually) quick underground train ride to downtown with multiple lines (M,K,L) so I never have to wait for a train.

In addition, with a car you can quickly get to the 280 freeway, or Stonestown Galleria when you just want the old suburban, parking lot, big mall lifestyle experience. Not often but it can be nice to park and shop.
But when you live in West Portal, you don’t have to drive much as you have almost everything at your fingertips. I love being able to stop by the old school library on my way home from work to check out kids books for my daughter. In addition, there is a great book store (remember those!? :) Not many left these days…) to browse when you need a specific book, or just to hang out. First run movie theatre? Check. Bakery? Check.

Sushi/Mexican/Chinese/Indian/Mediterranean/Pizza/Burgers/Starbucks/Peets…. all there, and easy walk. Karate? Gym? Barbers? Dentists? Fresh Produce? Irish Bar? Record store? Comic book store? Check. Check. Check!

There are great public schools – West Portal Elementary has a Mandarin program I believe and high marks, and Commodore Sloat as well. My daughter isn’t old enough and who knows with the crazy school system if we’ll even be able to avail ourselves but at least it’s a possibility. Stern Grove is a short walk and the SF Zoo and Golden Gate are a quick drive or Muni/bus ride away.

There seems to be a lot of neighborhood spirit – West Portal draws people from all over San Francisco for its famous Harry Potter Halloween. I have been surprised at how many houses have young families. There is a day care right near where we live – very nice.

Finally, weather so far has been great. I work downtown and haven’t seen much difference. People seem scared by the idea West Portal is one big fog bank. So far, plenty of sunny days. I'm sure summer will be foggy but given how easy it is to get around, that's not a problem. There are lots of giant trees, St. Cecilia church is visible on the hill, and there is the Christian Science “place?” that looks like a giant European manor, which is quite beautiful.

Last couple of things, parking is pretty easy. We have a garage but never use it. The street cleaners and garbage trucks are kind of noisy. There is a fair amount of traffic around the area.

So anyway, if you are a family, I highly recommend it. I am guessing for single folks, it’s probably not hip or happening enough but still a quaint, cool place to live.