The Excelsior

Best known for its grid of globally-named streets running northwest-southeast with country names (France, Brazil, Persia); crossed by city-named streets (Lisbon, Naples, Athens, etc.), it was originally largely agricultural until the 1906 earthquake. The Excelsior's tight-knit, strong community enjoys proximity to massive green spaces at John McClaren Park and city life at Mission Street with shopping, eating, and commerce. Shopping is vibrant and eclectic centered mainly on the two-mile commercial corridor along Mission Street. The area has abundant independent retailers, grocers, and international eateries. Excelsior is a vast neighborhood filled with good eats. Italian and Irish immigrants first moved into the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; it now boasts some of the finest burritos, pupusas, and silog in the city. Try Roxie Food Center, Zabb Thai Cuisine, or The Halfway Club for meals and Excelsior Coffee for Clutch espresso beans and mean lattes, and some of the buzziest pastries in town, including Astranda cinnamon buns and Rize Up sourdough. Bound by Bernal Heights to the north and John McLaren Park to the east, commuting to Silicon Valley is easy.