BAY AREA NEIGHBORHOODS |
THE BAYVIEW DISTRICT IN SAN FRANCISCO
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Dogs are welcome - nothing to worry about buddy!
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A tranquil place to wander through—let your furry friend breathe the clean air and feel the mud and sand on their paws. Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of Alameda across the Bay or look for seaglass on the narrow beach. I’ve found cobalt blue shards of glass—probably from Milk of Magnesia or Vicks Vaporub bottles. Our environmentally challenged forebears created garbage dumps along the bluffs of the coast—and we have the beginnings of seaglass.
San Francisco Bay is a birdwatcher’s paradise with a wealth of seabirds along the shoreline. I’ve seen Canada Geese, Mallards, Herons and Egrets. This stretch of the West Coast is called the Pacific Flyway--one of the 4 flyways in North America—routes used by migratory birds for their annual migrations. San Francisco Bay is an important stopover for them.
San Francisco Bay is a birdwatcher’s paradise with a wealth of seabirds along the shoreline. I’ve seen Canada Geese, Mallards, Herons and Egrets. This stretch of the West Coast is called the Pacific Flyway--one of the 4 flyways in North America—routes used by migratory birds for their annual migrations. San Francisco Bay is an important stopover for them.
The pandemic might have squashed my travel bug. But, hey . . . as I walk down to India Basin Shoreline Park, the view of San Francisco Bay unfolding before my eyes is a million dollar one, rivalling the best. Capri, Portofino, Mykonos—all beautiful. But looking down over the Bay, it’s easy to understand what Tony Bennett was singing about.
SCRAP
A utilitarian warehouse on the corner of Newcomb and Mendell with giant whimsical frescoes painted on the exterior, SCRAP is The City’s Non-Profit Creative Reuse Center—that supports students, teachers, artists and crafters since 1976. They come here to buy donated low-cost art supplies and participate in fun interactive community workshops for adults and kids.
BAYVIEW OPERA HOUSE
The Bayview Opera House is a lovely, elegant Italianate building. Founded in 1888, it’s said to be the oldest existing theater in San Francisco—a City Landmark. In March 2011, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Recent performance—“Wanting Memories” by the San Francisco Girls Chorus and the PUSH Dance Company. It is very much of an accessible neighborhood center.
FLORA GRUBB GARDENS - GARDEN CENTER
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Looking for All Good Pizza and a friend’s recommendation to try their Prosciutto and Fig Jam grilled panini, leads me to an unusual place--Flora Grubb Gardens, Garden Center, on Jerrold Avenue and Third Street. I stop to check it out.
I was fascinated by the variety of palm trees, indoor plants, succulents—I would have loved to take home a Brahia Clara Palm. I headed for The Potting Bench section—everything you need to create your own urban retreat for home . . . something uniquely yours . . . like a dish garden with succulents or protea. Not possessing a green thumb, I asked an associate for recommendations and settled for the “Friendliest Houseplant in the World” (the ubiquitous Snake Plant) in a painted terracotta pot.
Reluctant to leave, I stopped at the Ritual Coffee kiosk inside the Garden Center and enjoyed a cup of La Pinona Honduran Coffee before catching the T Line back home.
This is the Bayview District—odd and elegant, brash and beautiful. I can’t wait for the day that Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax declare “We’re open.”
I was fascinated by the variety of palm trees, indoor plants, succulents—I would have loved to take home a Brahia Clara Palm. I headed for The Potting Bench section—everything you need to create your own urban retreat for home . . . something uniquely yours . . . like a dish garden with succulents or protea. Not possessing a green thumb, I asked an associate for recommendations and settled for the “Friendliest Houseplant in the World” (the ubiquitous Snake Plant) in a painted terracotta pot.
Reluctant to leave, I stopped at the Ritual Coffee kiosk inside the Garden Center and enjoyed a cup of La Pinona Honduran Coffee before catching the T Line back home.
This is the Bayview District—odd and elegant, brash and beautiful. I can’t wait for the day that Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax declare “We’re open.”
