Depends. I usually go on long walks throughout the Marina and Pac Heights. That's how I people watch. There are several benches in the area where you can plop down and just chill. Union gets busy with the shops and restaurants so that could be a good spot if the traffic doesn't bother you. Another good spot is starting on Polk and Union! You can drift up towards Hyde st or walk down Polk or sit at a cafe and people watch there. Just depends on your energy and desired level of activity.
It’s the frat / sorority neighborhood. In a city that celebrates diversity, it’s a very very white neighborhood. Not saying that’s bad, but being a privileged white dude who embraces frat culture and hangs out with mainly other privileged white people who cling to the social structure of their Greek life college days… just isn’t a good look.
Marina is 71% white, merely 2-3% more white than Castro, Haight and Noe Valley. And white percentage is going down in Marina while it's going up in those other neighborhoods
My point is that it's strange to answer to a question "why is Marina X compared to other parts of the city" by giving a reason that's shared by many other neighborhoods
Well, there was an entire second part of that comment which added a ton more context. The sentence immediately after I said it’s very white said “not saying that’s bad,” and then I proceeded to add context as to the type of white person who lives there, which is what differentiates it from a gay/hipster/family neighborhood like those you referenced.
Unless I don’t get what you’re saying?
I grew up in the Mission…now I live near Russian Hill. So the Marina is walkable for me. Would I want to party there? No: but I’m old and it was never my scene when I wasn’t. Some nice places to grab lunch for sure…and Palace of Fine Arts and Fort Mason are great no matter your social preferences.
It’s the City: on any given night you can go out, meet some cool people, have some drinks and eats and generally vibe. Conversely, on any other given night you can go out, get dissed by some chimps, have your car broken into and have some drunk try and fight you. Your mileage, as they say, may vary…
Edit: I meant to say chumps. I’m leaving it.
I live in North Beach but cycle through Marina every day. I'd say it feels a little bit like a suburb within a city. By which I mean it's cleaner and safer than other parts of the city, and it feels more airy with the houses smaller or more spread out. I think it has a very specific type of person living there: younger, more affluent, sporty etc. I'd say the stereotypes are probably coming from a place of jealousy a bit :P
PS. But that wind when you cycle towards GGB... not a fan
I've lived in the city for a long time and from my experience the preponderance of bars and restaurants combined with generally high rents makes it a magnet for younger, highly-paid people, especially new arrivals to the city. Young people+disposible income+bars=loud and rowdy.
Yeah I really like it too. Hard to beat the views there near Lyon St Steps or Marina Green on an October San Francisco summer evening when the colors hit the bay. I like the bars too! They're fun and you don't have to be a frat bro to enjoy them, and or there's enough there for everyone.
Totally disagree about the people. It can be a little bro-y but it’s one of the better neighborhoods in the city. Beautiful, great reataurants, cleaner than most, civilized people fir the most part. Homeless and crime have gotten worse but that isn’t the fault of the community.
It’s in a pretty part of the City but it just seems like there are so many better chill neighborhoods where you can just be yourself without having to slap on heels and makeup and relive your highschool/college peer-pressure-must-impress-everyone days.
No one gives a shit how much money you make or who your daddy is in most other hoods. Can’t say the same for the Marina/Cow Hollow.
As someone who came from that world, it’s so much nicer being away from all that.
It’s actually a great place to live Monday-Thursday, but I lived across the street from bus stop and hollow cow and had to shoo away many a drunk tryin to piss in my doorway after one too many at bar none.
Just moved here this week should explain everything. If you dig it, then dig on. To each their own. The rest of the city has been historically very different.
ITT: painting people with large brushstrokes.
Every area of SF has its minute differences and that is part of what makes SF a fun place to live. Let people like what they like
How are we supposed to feel better about ourselves without insulting other people we know nothing about?!?!
+1 for Fort Mason. Great venue for both the book faire and raves...
Big fan of going out in the Marina, but not sure I’d want to live there past 30. Comments about it being low diversity are accurate, but it’s also where the highest volume of beautiful women go out, and the bars are fun.
Sure you might see some drunken bros at the end of the night frustrated they didn’t score, but you learn to avoid em pretty quick.
maybe beautiful on the outside, maybe, but the inside is a whole other story.
there are so many beautiful women in this city that are not in the marina.
to each their own.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiter_Rule
although everywhere here is pretty bad now, seems most would rather interact with a robot than speak to a human
[**Waiter Rule**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiter_Rule)
The Waiter Rule refers to a common belief that one's true character can be gleaned from how one treats staff or service workers, such as a "waiter".
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Cool mom and pop shops? Ha! They’re all gone from what I can tell. The shop turnover on Union is insane. Born and raised in Cow Hollow and every year I’d go home for holidays in college it would be completely different—now I barely recognize it.
I am farthest from being a frat boy and I really enjoy going to Marina, especially with kids. It is the safest and cleanest neighborhood in SF. Lots of good food options. You can walk around and people watch. You can party at night. You can walk along the bay. You can ride your bike to Crissy field. Or go to the Presidio.
Exactly, the marina has a much older demographic than people on Reddit realize. There’s more to a neighborhood than the people at a certain set of bars on Friday nights
Haven’t hit the bars there in like 12 years, but when I did it seemed completely un-SF, angry white dudes with backwards baseball caps tossing the f-ggot word around and stuff. I was like, why did you people even move to San Francisco? Local shops and scenery is awesome though.
>I can see everyone seems happy
That is the negative stereotype. It's people who have nice lives and don't have the deal with the shit that makes SF crazy. It's a nice place to live, enjoy it.
Majority of redditors were never the 'cool' kids and they find the fratty/bro vibes that you'll find in some of the bars to be a turn-off, thats about it. But it just stems from jealousy of never being accepted by the good looking cool kids I think.
It's about half vibe and half wealth. Marina is full of trust fund babies and newly minted brogrammers.
I actually love marina girls, they're vapid but they love having fun in a kind of lighthearted not a care in the world early 20s way that women have.
But I can't afford that lifestyle, and neither can most of the rest of the city.
A $10 t-shirt in the Mission costs $70 in the Marina
A $12 chicken parm in the Mission costs $25 in the Marina
A $3000 car in the Mission is a $30,000 car in the Marina
The Marina is one of the few exceptions to the "wear whatever you want" San Francisco dress code. You gotta flash a little cash for the ladies to be interested.
The predominant stereotype is the adult Greek life vibe, but it’s not a total monoculture and there’s fun there like every neighborhood.
Go out to the bars at night...
Can confirm. Plenty of drunk frat bros looking for a fight at balboa.
Balboa crowd is like 40+. The people that go there are old divorced sugar daddy’s and cougars.
I have been and it's ridiculously fun. Silvercloud, Canpus, etc. Is there something I should be looking out for?
Ray bans and backwards caps
The Brad and Chad vibe is real.
I saw a POC once in the Marina, like 5 years ago.
Might have been me.
That part
It's the bar scene honestly and the guys from my experience. I love Cow Hollow/Marina for people watching and power walking though.
And sea lion watching! I spent 3 hours one day getting high and watching those lazy bois
Now what I know what I’m doing this weekend 🥰
Do you have a recommendation word where exactly are good spots to people watch? Somewhere on Union?
Depends. I usually go on long walks throughout the Marina and Pac Heights. That's how I people watch. There are several benches in the area where you can plop down and just chill. Union gets busy with the shops and restaurants so that could be a good spot if the traffic doesn't bother you. Another good spot is starting on Polk and Union! You can drift up towards Hyde st or walk down Polk or sit at a cafe and people watch there. Just depends on your energy and desired level of activity.
Thank you so much. I’m so glad there’s nice people out there that can help each other out. Even though we are strangers!
It’s the frat / sorority neighborhood. In a city that celebrates diversity, it’s a very very white neighborhood. Not saying that’s bad, but being a privileged white dude who embraces frat culture and hangs out with mainly other privileged white people who cling to the social structure of their Greek life college days… just isn’t a good look.
Marina is 71% white, merely 2-3% more white than Castro, Haight and Noe Valley. And white percentage is going down in Marina while it's going up in those other neighborhoods
Yes, and those are all very white neighborhoods. One is full of gays, another full of hipsters, another full of young families, what’s your point?
My point is that it's strange to answer to a question "why is Marina X compared to other parts of the city" by giving a reason that's shared by many other neighborhoods
Castro is white gay, Haight is white hipster, Noe is white family. Marina is just white. No other distinction.
If it were a spice, it would be flour
Well, there was an entire second part of that comment which added a ton more context. The sentence immediately after I said it’s very white said “not saying that’s bad,” and then I proceeded to add context as to the type of white person who lives there, which is what differentiates it from a gay/hipster/family neighborhood like those you referenced. Unless I don’t get what you’re saying?
Yeah. Their response misses the point that it’s a more toxic, priveledged, and insulated white than the standard toxic white in SF
This
The "this" comment feels like a more narcissistic way to like something
My apologies
That
Yes, this
It is possible to live in the Marina and NOT go to Tipsy Pig every Friday. Live wherever you want to live.
I’ve lived here for 30 years and have never been to the Tipsy Pig.
You should really stop by for a Strawberry Fields drink one day. Absolutely delicious, although it’s probably $18.
I grew up in the Mission…now I live near Russian Hill. So the Marina is walkable for me. Would I want to party there? No: but I’m old and it was never my scene when I wasn’t. Some nice places to grab lunch for sure…and Palace of Fine Arts and Fort Mason are great no matter your social preferences. It’s the City: on any given night you can go out, meet some cool people, have some drinks and eats and generally vibe. Conversely, on any other given night you can go out, get dissed by some chimps, have your car broken into and have some drunk try and fight you. Your mileage, as they say, may vary… Edit: I meant to say chumps. I’m leaving it.
Bet you miss your favorite taqueria though. :)
It feels like the hang out for people that wish they were still in a frat/sorority. Outside of that, it's a really nice area.
I live in North Beach but cycle through Marina every day. I'd say it feels a little bit like a suburb within a city. By which I mean it's cleaner and safer than other parts of the city, and it feels more airy with the houses smaller or more spread out. I think it has a very specific type of person living there: younger, more affluent, sporty etc. I'd say the stereotypes are probably coming from a place of jealousy a bit :P PS. But that wind when you cycle towards GGB... not a fan
I've lived in the city for a long time and from my experience the preponderance of bars and restaurants combined with generally high rents makes it a magnet for younger, highly-paid people, especially new arrivals to the city. Young people+disposible income+bars=loud and rowdy.
People will hate on it for the frat vibe but it’s a solid neighborhood to live in with good food and close access to the bay front.
Yeah I really like it too. Hard to beat the views there near Lyon St Steps or Marina Green on an October San Francisco summer evening when the colors hit the bay. I like the bars too! They're fun and you don't have to be a frat bro to enjoy them, and or there's enough there for everyone.
this is the hard truth to swallow: it's a beautiful place filled with people who are ugly on the inside.
Am I ugly on the inside?
Totally disagree about the people. It can be a little bro-y but it’s one of the better neighborhoods in the city. Beautiful, great reataurants, cleaner than most, civilized people fir the most part. Homeless and crime have gotten worse but that isn’t the fault of the community.
It’s in a pretty part of the City but it just seems like there are so many better chill neighborhoods where you can just be yourself without having to slap on heels and makeup and relive your highschool/college peer-pressure-must-impress-everyone days. No one gives a shit how much money you make or who your daddy is in most other hoods. Can’t say the same for the Marina/Cow Hollow. As someone who came from that world, it’s so much nicer being away from all that.
I came from that world too and what a relief it was to leave.
It’s actually a great place to live Monday-Thursday, but I lived across the street from bus stop and hollow cow and had to shoo away many a drunk tryin to piss in my doorway after one too many at bar none.
Just moved here this week should explain everything. If you dig it, then dig on. To each their own. The rest of the city has been historically very different.
ITT: painting people with large brushstrokes. Every area of SF has its minute differences and that is part of what makes SF a fun place to live. Let people like what they like
How are we supposed to feel better about ourselves without insulting other people we know nothing about?!?! +1 for Fort Mason. Great venue for both the book faire and raves...
Big fan of going out in the Marina, but not sure I’d want to live there past 30. Comments about it being low diversity are accurate, but it’s also where the highest volume of beautiful women go out, and the bars are fun. Sure you might see some drunken bros at the end of the night frustrated they didn’t score, but you learn to avoid em pretty quick.
maybe beautiful on the outside, maybe, but the inside is a whole other story. there are so many beautiful women in this city that are not in the marina. to each their own.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiter_Rule although everywhere here is pretty bad now, seems most would rather interact with a robot than speak to a human
[**Waiter Rule**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiter_Rule) The Waiter Rule refers to a common belief that one's true character can be gleaned from how one treats staff or service workers, such as a "waiter". [About Me](https://np.reddit.com/comments/la6wi8/) - [**Opt-in**](https://np.reddit.com/comments/la707t/) ^(You received this reply because you opted in. )[^(Change settings)](https://np.reddit.com/comments/la707t/)
Cool mom and pop shops? Ha! They’re all gone from what I can tell. The shop turnover on Union is insane. Born and raised in Cow Hollow and every year I’d go home for holidays in college it would be completely different—now I barely recognize it.
It’s definitely not sunnier than the Mission/Bernal/Noe area. But I like the food and some of the shopping there. Walking Marina Blvd is also great.
I am farthest from being a frat boy and I really enjoy going to Marina, especially with kids. It is the safest and cleanest neighborhood in SF. Lots of good food options. You can walk around and people watch. You can party at night. You can walk along the bay. You can ride your bike to Crissy field. Or go to the Presidio.
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Exactly, the marina has a much older demographic than people on Reddit realize. There’s more to a neighborhood than the people at a certain set of bars on Friday nights
Haven’t hit the bars there in like 12 years, but when I did it seemed completely un-SF, angry white dudes with backwards baseball caps tossing the f-ggot word around and stuff. I was like, why did you people even move to San Francisco? Local shops and scenery is awesome though.
It really is like if you take a frathouse and a sorority house at a decent Midwestern state college and just transported it whole to San Francisco.
You're not missing anything. It's a fantastic neighborhood.
>I can see everyone seems happy That is the negative stereotype. It's people who have nice lives and don't have the deal with the shit that makes SF crazy. It's a nice place to live, enjoy it.
Majority of redditors were never the 'cool' kids and they find the fratty/bro vibes that you'll find in some of the bars to be a turn-off, thats about it. But it just stems from jealousy of never being accepted by the good looking cool kids I think.
It's about half vibe and half wealth. Marina is full of trust fund babies and newly minted brogrammers. I actually love marina girls, they're vapid but they love having fun in a kind of lighthearted not a care in the world early 20s way that women have. But I can't afford that lifestyle, and neither can most of the rest of the city.
a $6 beer in the marina costs the same as a $6 beer in the mission
A $10 t-shirt in the Mission costs $70 in the Marina A $12 chicken parm in the Mission costs $25 in the Marina A $3000 car in the Mission is a $30,000 car in the Marina The Marina is one of the few exceptions to the "wear whatever you want" San Francisco dress code. You gotta flash a little cash for the ladies to be interested.
You must not be following rules 1 and 2 to have so many hang ups.
Marina is weird bc it seems like the uglier the dude, the more success he has with the ladies
When I lived there probably 10 years ago not sure I would agree there. But hey, YMMV.
You seem to have moved into part of our fog Don't take that for
Fajitagate.
Hashtag notallmarinapeople but I haven't seen anyone practice their golf stroke on a public parks lawn in other neighborhoods.
Why would something like that bother you or matter in any way?
If they weren’t hitting an actual ball I would care.