I often get tour guests who say they want to get away from the tourist places and experience the city like a local. I applaude this impulse, as it shows a desire to treat the city as something other than an amusement park or list of places to check off a list.
Walking a city is the way to experience it like a local. Unlike suburban dwellers, we walk to stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bars.

For many travelers, this doesn’t feel like they’re “doing” anything. (I have opinions on using variations of the word “do” when traveling, such as “We did the Golden Gate Bridge”, but that’s another post.) But wandering a street, you are doing something.

You’re experiencing daily life and discovering places off the usual tourist path.
With that in mind, I will be posting about streets in San Francisco worth walking, and places to be found there.

The Richmond District is located between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. The places mentioned are on Clement St between Arguello and Funston Ave.

First up: Clement St. in the Richmond District
It was known as “Little Chinatown” on maps from the 1950-80’s. In 1947 when San Francisco lifted the racial restriction that Chinese people could only own property in Chinatown, there was a migration to Clement St. There was an abundance of affordable starter homes, and good public transportation back to Chinatown.
While there still are a lot of Chinese markets and shops, the mix of restaurants and stores show off the comfortable jumble of cultures and cuisines.

What will you “do”? Have a cup of coffee or a drink. Something to eat. Shop. Relax. Witness and share the neighborhood life. That’s doing something worthwhile.
These are a few of my favorite spots to get you started, but there’s more to discover.