San Francisco: The Mission District
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 03.03.06 | 1:05 PM ET
San Francisco’s Mission District, with its strong Latin tradition, is beloved by artists, activists, hipsters and foodies. “I try to get anybody coming to San Francisco to come to the Mission,” San Francisco-based writer Dave Eggers recently told the New York Times. “Not to misuse the word ‘authentic’—I think that’s such a troubling word—but the Mission really does have all the best parts of San Francisco intersecting here.”
Indeed, there’s much to do and see. Some can’t miss picks:
What to See
The murals along Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley tell the story of the Mission District, which also contains San Francisco’s oldest building, Mission Dolores. The Spanish-built church dates to 1791 and still holds mass every day.
What to Eat
The Mission has perhaps the highest concentration of great taquerias in the U.S., and La Taqueria is a long-time local favorite, mostly for its tacos. Pancho Villa Taqueria also has a lot of fans, including Beck, who, according to sfist, stopped by last year to play an impromptu set beside the water fountain. For other spots, visit Burrito Eater. It has a rundown of just about every taqueria in the city.
What to Do
Visit Modern Times Bookstore. The collectively owned and operated shop has been in the Mission since 1971 and reflects the arty, activist spirit of the Mission with stacks of literature and leftist tomes. And stop by 826 Valencia, Eggers’ writing center/pirate store. David Byrne says it is “one of the top five pirate stores I’ve been to recently.”
Do you have any Mission District favorites? Do tell!