By Sierra Hartman

When I found my apartment on 30th Avenue, I thought I had hit the jackpot. Most other people I knew in the city felt differently, though. Going by their descriptions of the Outer Richmond, I may as well be living on a barge anchored off of Ocean Beach. Four years later, I am more confident than ever that they were, oh, so wrong. All the misinformed newcomers can duke it out over the $5,000/month studios in the eastern ’hoods, but we here in the Avenues are doing just fine. If you don’t already believe me, here are a few reasons why.

Traffic and Parking

Not only are the roads infinitely more sensible than those in the rest of the city (they’re numbered east to west and alphabetized north to south), but also there are just fewer people driving out here. On a bad day, I might have to park two blocks away. I’ve had friends from the East Bay try to meet me in the Mission and just go home because there was no place to park. That’s absurd.

The worst traffic you’ll encounter out here is 19th Avenue at rush hour, and you might be 10 minutes late to wherever you’re going. I once made the mistake of driving through the FiDi at rush hour, and it took me two hours to get from Bush to Harrison. That’s not just San Francisco bad; that’s Los Angeles bad.

Beach Access

With few exceptions, everyone who lives on or near a numbered avenue can go sofa to sand in less than 10 minutes. If you grew up in Hawaii, you might not be too keen on our version of beaches, but don’t be too quick to write them off.

Ocean Beach has some respectable surf spots all year round, and you can have bonfires right on the sand. Baker Beach is one of the only places where it’s still cool to be naked in SF, and it’s usually sheltered from the wind on blustery days. China Beach, while far from being a secret, is a secluded gem of the city. If you can’t have fun at any of these beaches, you probably don’t belong outside.

Neighborly Goodness

I realize that this one is subjective and not totally exclusive to the west side of the city. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that no matter how many $9 lattes you buy every day, your Valencia Street barista won’t remember your name for more than 30 seconds at a time.

When I walk past the parklet in front of Simple Pleasures on Balboa Street, I often know at least half the people there. On New Year’s Eve, the bartender at Hockey Haven gave out champagne to everyone in the bar just before midnight. The guys at Chino’s Taqueria refused to let me pay for anything for nearly a year after I assisted there during a photo shoot. All the people around here seem like neighbors instead of just people I happen to live near.

Parkland

Golden Gate Park is one of the best urban parks in the US, if not the best. It’s bigger than NYC’s Central Park and hosts a laundry list of amazing concerts and events every year. While everyone else is waiting in bus-stop lines and paying $470 for an Uber car to get home from Outside Lands, the west-side locals can simply walk home.

As if that weren’t enough, the Avenues are home to a number of other parks, including Grand View Park, Pine Lake Park, Stern Grove, and Lands End, each with treasures of their own. One of the things I love most about this city is its easy access to the outdoors. This is true all over the city but nowhere more so than in the Avenues.

Affordability

San Francisco may be growing more and more expensive by the hour, but the effects are being felt much harder in the cool-kid neighborhoods than out here in the Avenues. The Outer Richmond and Sunset have some of the lowest rents outside of Bayview-Hunters Point and proportionately affordable amenities.

I can get a full breakfast for two, with tip, for $20 at the greatest little hole in the wall you’ll ever find in San Francisco. I’ve never had to wait in line for a drink at any of my neighborhood bars, and a $4 pint is a good deal anywhere. The few restaurants that I would consider expensive are absolutely worth it, and you’ll still never see a line out their doors like you would at restaurants in the Mission. If you’re dying to know where these places are, don’t waste your time on Yelp; just ask your friend in the Avenues. Even if they’re not the same places I’m talking about, they’ll know some that are just as good.