The Haight vs the Sunset

I recently moved to the Upper Haight in San Francisco from The Sunset. Much has been said on the differences between San Francisco neighborhoods, so I’d like to add my thoughts to the mix.

According to the Bold Italic, the Upper Haight offers:

Unlimited cool sneaker stores. Hippies. Poor ones and rich ones. It’s pretty easy to find weed here.

Here is their description

There are a lot of hippie kids asking for money here that you probably don’t want to give money to at all times. There are really great neighborhoods above it (Cole Valley, etc.) that are sorta awesome, so if you found a place there it might be worth chancing it. Once a year, it’s free ice cream cone day at Ben and Jerry’s, too. Is that worth it to you? IS IT?

Meanwhile, The Sunset offers:

Surfers. Probably real native San Franciscans.

Oh, that is SUCH a fakeout name, man. Foggy, all the time, always. Do you surf? Move here. Otherwise, you will never see anyone, ever. No, seriously: ever.

The first thing I noticed about living in The Haight: tourists and tour busses! They are all over the place. I can’t walk out of my door without getting asked for directions or being in a photo of the Haight and Ashbury sign.

Haight Street offers lot of “rave” clothing stores that are not really present anywhere else in SF. The food in the Haight is eclectic compared to the sunset. Things are more walkable. Fewer Korean restaurants.

Things I miss from the Sunset: spooky quiet fog walks, hearing the ocean from my room, wetsuit people without shoes walking around, lots of on street parking.

Things I don’t miss from the Sunset: Coyote attacks, sketchy people in Golden Gate Park, very long transit commutes on the N train.