Sunday Streets in the Mission

I really like the idea of Sunday Streets, which temporarily turns nearly 2 miles of Valencia & 24th into a pedestrian zone. I was especially grateful that the event was free of the usual vendors, so it did not feel like just another street fair. Instead pedestrians & bicyclists freely roam the thoroughfare, though the 2 types of traffic are not really compatible. The weather was gorgeous, so lots of people were out. It was also one of the rare events reminding me that children actually live in San Francisco.

Devoted volunteers monitored the through-traffic at every intersection.

There was plenty to see along the sidewalk, such as public displays of yoga,

a lecture on the history & mythology of Mission Creek,

& an apparently spontaneous jam session by neighborhood residents. If the masses I saw are a true reflection of the area's residents, then the Mission is now more hipster Brooklyn then ethnic enclave.

I also enjoyed discovering the Incline Gallery, which occupies 3 long, narrow ramps at the back of a building, & Photobooth, which specializes in tintype portraiture. There will be 3 more closures on the 1st Sundays of June, July & August as well as similar events in other neighborhoods.

§ Sunday Streets 2012 Season Schedule (subject to change):
March 11: Embarcadero- Season kick off
April 15: Great Highway/Golden Gate Park
May 6: Mission
June 3: Mission
July 1: Mission
July 22: Bayview/Dogpatch
August 5: Mission
August 26 Chinatown
September 9: Western Addition/N. Panhandle Alamo Square
October 21: Outer Mission/Excelsior