I'm Never Leaving Bernal

I think I’d love to stay in Bernal Heights forever.

EDIT: We moved to Eureka Valley — Finding your dream home will do that to you, but I still loved living in Bernal SO MUCH.

We moved here from the borders of Noe Valley/The Mission District in late 2020. I do not want to leave. Noe Valley and The Mission were both great to us. Alamo Theater for a really great theater experience. The restaurants like Beretta, Arizmendi Bakery, Taqueria San Jose (that’s our household’s favorite burrito joint and anyone who says they aren’t the best can fight me HA), St. Francis Fountain for breakfast… I could go on and on about the food in this ‘hood. The bike lanes on Valencia Street for a Sunday afternoon ride to downtown and beyond. A quick and beautiful walk away from my office on 24th Street. The fantastic corner stores for fresh produce and so much more were all pluses of living in that neighborhood.

But what I get from being in Bernal is much more of a neighborhood feel. It feels like it’s own little world here. Nobody comes here and clogs up the streets for a park (living next to Dolores Park could be a headache, I can’t lie).

It’s a bit quieter. I actually know my neighbors, which is a HUGE plus for this Southern lady. It seems to be more long-term residents here versus the more transient feel of our last neighborhood- people who have been here for a long time and want to get to know you. People say hello to you by your name on the streets and ring your doorbell on street cleaning day, just in case you forgot to move your car.

We live a block from Cortland and it’s been so great! The Good Life Grocery always has my back for something quick and easy to eat. For a pretty small grocery, they’ve pretty much got it all. Black Jet Baking Co. has a really incredible breakfast menu and excellent coffees for our early morning weekend strolls. Vega’s Italian food is to die for! Piqueo’s is the first restaurant we went to while we were still house hunting in this area and it’s still one of my favorites in the city and the best Peruvian food I’ve ever had. We had the most incredible meal outside in their covid-patio and it helped sell me on this side of the hill.

Holy Water and Old Devil Moon have been great for cocktails. We’ve got the Bernal Heights park which commands an unbelievable view of the entire city, including peaks of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Holly Park is great for a more quiet lap around the neighborhood. Precita Park, our flattest park (ha) is great for meeting friends on the weekends for a picnic. Plus, I just tell people I’m hill people now and kind of love that.

We’ve got so many great neighborhoods in this city, but I just love the south part of the city the best. The weather isn’t bad down this way, either :)

If you’d like to learn more about this neighborhood, get in touch. You could love it, too!