SF’s Richmond District named to World’s Coolest Neighborhoods list

Never mind that the Richmond is giant when compared with Dogpatch — it’s around 48 blocks long, stretching between Arguello Boulevard and Ocean Beach, and actually consists of two distinct neighborhoods, Inner Richmond and Outer Richmond (at least Time Out called that out). 

It’s also typically considered sleepy. I’ve lived there for more than 10 years, and people still tell me I live in San Francisco’s “suburbs.” As recently as April 2023, a poster in their 20s on Reddit’s r/AskSF questioned a move to the Richmond, asking for advice: “It seemed very quiet.”

Yet as downtown faded in the pandemic, and still struggles, the city’s outer neighborhoods have thrived. Neighboring west-side hood the Outer Sunset could be one of SF’s most sought-after areas in which to sign a lease, with a median rent of $2,580 for a one-bedroom and a recent 95% bump in apartment inquiries, according to Zumper.

Some Geary Boulevard merchants may balk at Time Out’s description of the Richmond District corridor as “vibrant,” especially the ones who planned a mock funeral procession to mourn lost businesses earlier this summer, but the publication’s assessment of the area isn’t completely off — there have been exciting new openings there in recent years. 

One of the owners of that spot, Adam Bergeron, gave the Time Out team kudos for digging deep to uncover the quality aspects of the humble Outer Richmond, where he has two additional businesses, the Balboa Theater and 4 Star Theatre, the latter of which was just remodeled and reopened this year.

“To the naked eye, it doesn’t look like much,” he told SFGATE of the area, noting the relative plainness of the pictures illustrating it in the Time Out item. “It’s the kind of neighborhood where you have to scratch the surface a bit to see what’s really there.” 

When I asked Pete Mulvihill, a partner in the San Francisco legacy business Green Apple Books, which Time Out name-drops, about the ranking, he ticked off the neighborhood’s cool cred in an email: The locally owned independent businesses, the diverse residents and shops, the historic buildings and its location were all highlights. In fact, he only had doubts about the assessment because he lives in the “superdupercool Outer Sunset.”

“I think the neighborhood is super cool,” she said. “In the Richmond District we have the Golden Gate Bridge 5 minutes away. We have Clement Street with all the bars and restaurants. We have the beach, which is 5 minutes away.” 

Time Out nailed that, citing the neighborhood’s “natural beauty, rich culture, and incredible cuisine from every corner of the world,” and calling it “a microcosm of what makes San Francisco so special.” 

For Corwin, it’s also the mix of businesses, old and new, that “make for a really good vibe” in the Richmond. These days, her customers share with her that they travel to Tia Margarita from San Mateo County and Marin County. Bergeron said the same thing happens at the 4 Star, with customers telling him they drove over from Oakland to walk around, have a meal and see a movie.

“This is something I would never have heard 5 years ago,” he said. “It’s a destination, in a funny way.”

The Richmond becoming a destination is exactly what SF native Frances Misenas is afraid of. I approached her on a warm day last week in what is arguably the Outer Richmond’s de facto living room, the parklet in front of Simple Pleasures, a cafe that’s been there since 1978. When I told Misenas about Time Out’s commendation of the Richmond, her face crumpled.

“I’m conflicted,” she said. As a resident of the Sunset, she comes to the Richmond side of Golden Gate Park to soak up the old San Francisco feel she said the Sunset has lost, and she doesn’t want that to change. “There is something really sweet about this neighborhood.”

I find it hard to argue with her. As recently as 2018 this very publication was saying the same thing. “It’s comforting how many old-time businesses are still around in the Richmond,” wrote senior home page editor David Curran in an article titled “Hate how SF’s changed? Head to this neighborhood now.”

Bergeron also acknowledges that people he meets don’t want anyone else to know about the Richmond, even those who have just moved in. It’s as if a secret hides behind its mild-mannered appearance, and anyone who finds the good stuff underneath is wishing that no one new would do the same. 

Let’s hope that whomever the list brings to the Richmond, they’ll be able to keep the secret, too.