SFist Raves: La Mission

San Francisco has lots of great neighborhoods. But our favorite, by far, is the Mission. Maybe it's because The City started here in 1776. Or maybe because while westsiders are bundling up in the fog all summer, Missionites are soaking up the rays. Right now we're sitting outside the Brava theater in the sunshine, smoking a cigarette after polishing off a torta and using a friendly neighbor's wifi to post this while doing laundry.

We're pretty inclusive when we say "The Mission." To us, it's anything from 16th to 24th, Dolores to Potrero. The Mission is one of the few places where we really feel like we're in a city, and not the west coast kind. There's actual life on the streets! People walk to get where they need to go! There's lots of small specialty shops, not giant box and brand stores.

We've got a great park, historical churches, world-class restaurants and any kind of fun you might want to have, legal or otherwise. The rents run from bearable to downright affordable, and there are not only families with children roaming the streets, but working class families with children roaming the streets. And where else in The City can you get a hotdog wrapped in bacon, an authentic taco, live orchids or fresh strawberries from street vendors?

And where else in the universe will you be enjoying a delicious sushi dinner while being serenaded by mariachis? That's right: Solamente en la Mission, amigos!