11 Dec #7 Neighbours

Now that I have been living on Sanchez Street (Castro/Mission) for 5 months, I am kind of allowed to say that I start to know the neighbourhood. Of course I still have not experienced the place throughout all seasons, being at all different places and have seen it change through time, but I can say that I feel at home.

This neighbourhood is very interesting to be part of. On the left side is Castro, where only gay men are walking around. On the right side is Guerrero, Dolores and Valencia, streets that apparently have changed a lot from old Mexican shops to hipster paradise. Living on top of the hill gives us an amazing view over Down Town Area on the one side, whereas our back yard shows us Twin Peaks with Carl the Fog coming in every afternoon but never really reaching our neighbourhood. People here are always dressed as if it is still high summer, it’s amazing.

What is also great, is that the street is in between those crowded areas, but still this street is very quiet and peaceful. It feels safe here and it is quiet, but still so close to the busy streets.

I greet Al every morning, the owner of UB Coffee Shop on the corner of my street. He asks: Hi Sweetie, how are you today? Still doing well at school? He is a sweet Mexican man working hard in his little bakery shop.

A littlebit further is the barber shop, where Alonso, an old man (70 I guess) cuts mens hair. Iris and I went there to cut ours, which of course was not a very good idea since we are both women. It was still very funny, being surrounded by all these gay men, and since that they we always say hello to Alonso.

A little bit further is Philz coffee, with the great great coffee smell, and next to that the flower shop: the best two places in the city to make your nose happy.

Then there is the diner next to Twin Peaks, where Iris and I like to go after each other (I was there at 5 in the morning for after beers food, Iris at 9 in the morning for her breakfast.. do they ever close?).

On the other side of Sanchez lives the amazing, beautiful couple I met a few months ago, Ivan is from Colombia and Michelle from Florida and they keep on inviting me to their house to do yoga with them and drink tea afterwords. They are so warm and welcoming.

A littlebit further is the Apartment, a beautiful shop that sells old furniture and post cards, owned by a gay couple living in Oakland. They opened it in the 80s and are probably one of the last shops that are open since then. The postcards and photos they sell are amazing, go there if you feel like buying nice cards to send back home.

I am absolutely enjoying the Mission/Castro; I totally understand why this neighbourhood is so popular and why it is so gentrificating here. I am happy that my landlady is from here and is renting only to people that are not staying for too long; like that we are not that much part of that gentrification process. It is difficult though, for old people living here for so long, to see how the neighbourhood is changing. And also: people move here for its authenticity, but at the same time, they take it away by moving here.. Food for thought..