4 Miles in NOPA

This 4-mile walk through NOPA (North of the Panhandle) offered slow streets, surprise views and plenty of cheeky humor. 

This is my first time experiencing the new(ish) SFMTA Slow Streets and I LOVE THEM.  I'm not sure how the locals feel about them, but as a pedestrian, I thoroughly enjoyed not having to compete with cars as I crossed the streets.

 

Besides the reduced automobile traffic, this neighborhood offers really great personality in design of the buildings and yard decor. It makes for a very entertaining walk.

I really like the colors and energy of this mural by SF street artist, Baron Louis Jaymee. It's located on the side of the Get the Funk Out laundromat on Lyon and McAllister.

Here's a little whimsy I spotted in someone's front yard.

And this little no-joke threat.  To play it safe, I did NOT touch any of the pumpkins.

This is the clubhouse for The Native Daughters of the Golden West, a club for California-born women founded in 1886. Fun fact: this building located at 555 Baker Street was designed by San Francisco-born architect, Julie Morgan who is most famous for designing the Hearst Castle.

This neighborhood has modest elevation (south of the Altavista loop - scroll down for those views) with some decent downtown views.

The architecture is above-average on this route, with plenty of dolled-up Victorians to enjoy.

The last leg of this walk was the Altavista loop to the north that has very steep inclines resulting in wider downtown views.  Most of the views from the street are blocked by houses but I can imaging the top row of houses get a killer panoramic view of the City.

The architecture is distinctly mid-century up here.  But what is so nice about this neighborhood is how quiet it is.  It is a very sleepy little pocket in an otherwise bustling area of town.

In all, I give this neighborhood high marks for its variety of architecture and elevation, and its safe walking conditions (especially with the new Slow Streets in place).