What's new in the Western Addition

I recently visited my old hood in SF, the Western Addition (a subdivision of which is now called NOPA, or North of the Panhandle).  And more than the name has changed, but mostly for the better.

Yes, yes, we could debate the value of gentrification and effects of social displacement here, but I'm the BAT girl and just looking for a good time. And there are good times to be had on the stretch of Divisadero Street from Haight to Golden Gate.

The area is still gritty. Divis is a huge, 4-lane artery through the city. It's not the prettiest street in town. But among the rundown apartment buildings, a surprising scene of funky boutique shops, restaurants and bars has popped up like mushrooms after a rain. Fortunately, most of these shops are true to the unique character of the neighborhood, a diverse blend of people.

Newcomers to the Divis Corridor cluster of stores include Swankety Swank, which took over the spot where a Wiccan magic store used to be when I lived there. With a name like Swankety Swank, well, it had better be swank. And it is. The store offers items made (or often re-made) by local artists, including furniture, clothing, and accessories. I love the clothing in particular - a contemporary take on Victorian/Edwardian clothes that you could wear out to a modern club or to the Dickens Faire. It is San Francisco style at its unusual, artsy, historically geeky best.

There's also The Other Shop - which I don't believe was there 10 years ago - but offers vintage furniture and clothing, as well as serving up vinyl a-la Open Mind Music. There are too many shops to mention here, some old, some new, from comics to games to cooking supplies to clothes. Shopaholics with a slightly off-beat taste will love Divis.


But enough shopping. Let's eat.

I looked in on Nopa, which took over the laundry mat where I used to wash my clothes and now serves up posh food to resident hipsters. It wasn't open for lunch, so I hit its little sister down the street, Nopalito, for a delicious Mexican meal.
I ate the Caldo Tlapeno, a chicken broth soup with veggies and Mexican cheese.

Again, there are many restaurants I could mention here, from Little Star Pizza to Green Chile Kitchen. This is too short a blog to do the Western Addition's foodie scene justice.

But I had to check out the Mojo Bicycle Cafe, a bikeshop-cum-cafe with outdoor seating. It makes an awesome addition to Beanbag and Cafe Abir, the hood's reining coffee shops from back in the day.

That's the lowdown on the latest and greatest in the Western Addition a.k.a. NOPA. There are lots of good times to visit - including Sundays, when a farmer's market sets up at Divis and Grove. Also, keep an eye out for the Divisadero Art Walk (next one is June 4), when the neighborhood pulls out all the stops.