Lafayette is a rather small city nestled between Orinda and Walnut Creek!!…read more The downtown area has some nice restaurants. I come here mostly for the Lafayette Reservoir and their annual Art & Wine Festival, which is very popular!! The Reservoir is also very popular, especially on sunny weekends. You can see all the cars parked there from the freeway. Definitely a small town feel here, although not as small as nearby Orinda, and the city is surrounded by rolling hills, lots of trees!!

Main reason I come to this city now is for friends…read more Quality/Quantity - Before moving to Alameda, we also looked at - Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. I/we are so glad that we chose the city of Alameda. Not that there's anything wrong with the above 3 cities, but Alameda is amazing; see other reviews. Anyways, other than the great public school district, here are some other positives of the City of Lafayette: 15.21 square miles, 0.17 of it is water. Elevation = 320 feet. Population = 25k+. Atmosphere - The main attraction is the "greenery." Hope you have a good gardener. Decent amount of land, but usually not all usable. The traffic is NOT easy in and out, which can be both a good and bad thing. Outdoors - Reservoir, hiking, walking and bike friendly. Small town feel. Art and wine festival. Art and culture. Service - Good. Price - Slightly above average. But it also depends on what you do, eat, or drink. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1848.

I really love what you've done with Lakeside Landing. It's such a creative use of space, and I can…read morereally see the potential for it to become a go-to spot for families with young kids. Being able to grab food, sit outside, and let kids explore makes it such a great concept. I know this is a volunteer-led effort, and it really shows how much care has gone into creating something special for the community. The stage, fairy garden, life-size chess board, and boat add so much character. To make the space even more family-friendly, I would love to see more open play options for toddlers and younger kids. Right now, when I bring my preschooler, she sometimes isn't quite sure what to engage with, so having a few more clearly defined, toddler-friendly play elements would make it even more inviting. Things like simple climbing structures, stepping logs, sensory play elements, large rocks to climb on, a mud kitchen, or even a small area with rotating toys would go a long way. I think adding a few more toddler/preschool friendly open play areas could also bring in more families on weekends and support the surrounding businesses even more. If parents knew this was a reliable spot where their kids could play and hang out for a couple of hours while they eat, it could really become a go-to destination--especially since there aren't any outdoor, kid-friendly dining spaces nearby. I know this is a volunteer-led initiative, so I completely understand there may be budget considerations, but even a few simple, low-cost additions (like adding a mud kitchen) could make a big impact to bring more families to your space. Would love to know how people can get involved or share ideas if there are ways for the community to contribute. Overall, such a great addition to the community--we really appreciate all the effort behind it and look forward to seeing it continue to grow.

My father would have thought it was cute and charming...I wonder why..probably because that's how…read morelife was back then..Lakeside Landing...painted a sea theme..under the sea..for kids and community at school...area for sitting and community where...in a small town..if u have gone by with your family member...super cute...who are these people? near Ocean Ave? cute

The first of many new urban "parklets" in San Francisco has landed outside of Mojo (one of my…read morefavorite coffee shops in the city!). Taking up some disposable city parking property, these miniature parklets are public spaces for any ol' person to park their bikes, bring a bagged lunch, tie up the pup, or any other activity you'd imagine doing with a park all to yourself. Much like the privately owned public open spaces that you'll find scattered throughout the city, you'll begin to see more and more of these little areas popping up around town! Being the first, Mojo is quite literally making history in San Francisco http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbike/4422275197/

No. Parklets are just plain stupid…read more And, of course, Golden Gate Park (or the Panhandle) and Alamo Square Park are soooooo far away.

About Kenny Alley Stairs: Kenny Alley is a public passage…read moreand stariway in the heart of Excelsior District's commercial corridor. In 2015 the friends of Kenny Alley organization was formed by neighbors who wished to see the space rehabilitated and beautified. The waterscape mural was designed by local artist and teacher Matt Christensen. The waterfall and Kenny Alley Gateway mosaics were designed by artist and teacher Kim Jensen and fabricated by students of City Arts and Tech high school and countless neighborhood volunteers. The project was made possible by Community Challenge Grant, SF Public Works, SF Parks Alliance, Excelsior Collaborative, Excelsior Action Group and the many individual donors, artists and volunteers. I happen to see this stairs/alleyway while we went to grab take out nearby, it was pretty nice to see this. I loved seeing the nice and blue decorations on the stairs. We walked up to see what is up there, took some photos, and went back down. Beware there was a person sleeping on the stairs and there was a mess/ lots of rubbish, empty alcohol bottles. Hate to see the mess in such a nice area where everyone put such in so much time & love in to this project. There are CD disc hanging, made place so shiny. Enjoyed looking at the garden & painting before at alley before going up to the stairs. Great, cool, and quick spot to check out, only if you're in the area or even to take a short cut to the neighborhood via the stairs.

What's the frequency, Kenny? Gee, I was beginning to think Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher had the…read morecorner on all the mosaic tile staircases in the city. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps are their handiwork and so are the nearby Hidden Garden Steps and the Lincoln Park Steps. However, it's Kim Jensen who was responsible for this semi-hidden passage between Mission and London Streets in the Excelsior. Completed in late 2016, the blue and reflective silver tiles covering the 47 steps are designed to replicate a waterfall. There are nature murals and rows of cacti on the surrounding fences to supplement the bucolic feeling the creators wanted to evoke. The one challenge is upkeep as a roaming homeless population appears to make themselves home on the available benches periodically. Art is where you find it, I guess. RELATED - Exploring the Outer Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/37B1acE

This has a lot of potential but due to the lack of parking, makes it a little harder to enjoy…read moreunless you plan on biking. A lot of bikers in the area. Tip: please note, there is no immediate parking. Go a little past here, park on the curb and walk back down.

Great views, too many smokers! A great place to bike to and enjoy the view, or as an early biking…read morerest stop on your way up. There's a decent water fountain. It's really ironic that people come here by the droves to smoke both cigarettes and pot, since this is a firestorm memorial, but that's what they do. Why, people, why?

This place is AMAZING!!!…read more Sooo many places to eat under one roof. From cookies and milk to burgers, steaks, desserts etc.. the choices are endless. During my visit, the entire large building was very crowded as this is a very popular place. Located along the San Francisco Bay a mere feet from this beautiful building, stepping outside offers amazing views of the bay, boats and the surrounding area. This is is MUST see when visiting San Francisco

This is probably the 1st time I've reviewed a road, or at least a stretch of road. But it's…read moreobvious that the current City government is promoting the scenic places of my home city as destinations for visitors and locals alike. The Ferry Building is the epicenter of this these days with the variety of restaurants and stores (mostly food related) that occupy the building. With its panoramic view and being a transportation hub to other parts of the Bay Area, the Ferry Building is a star. In the past few months, I've seen various pieces of art popping up along the waterfront starting from the baseball stadium (Oracle Park) going north towards Fisherman's Wharf. In recent months, the City has installed large art pieces along the walkways, obviously camera friendly for passerby tourists and locals alike. There were some on the south side of the driveway (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=xiiIO96AcOW-cCucyOR-yQ), (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=xGDByhMkEQhRegUuWbkBxA), and one to the north near pier 7 (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=DJu4WY8DQvygzF9QJsGsOw). The one that caught my eye is actually closer to Oracle Park, the home stadium for the San Francisco Giants. It is almost directly across from a local favorite eatery, Delancey Street Restaurant. Kudos to our city government's vision and foresight in beautifying our waterfront as well as other parts of the City. While it wasn't a visitor friendly city from 2021 to 2024, it looks like things are turning around now as visitors and now the workforce is breathing life back to the city.

Lots of Kids / Familes out for BalBOOA Fright Fest on Balboa Street in the Outer Richmond San…read moreFrancisco, it was nice seeing the involvement of numerous merchants and the ministry Full Life Christian Center.

Balboa Ave is a residential stretch from the end of Turk Street to the ocean. You may find yourself…read morehere if attending films at Balboa Theatre or scoping out an excellent, especially Asian, restaurant. On your way to the ocean, Fulton is faster, but Balboa more interesting if you're not in a hurry. There are stop signs almost every block serving as great traffic calming, & allowing time to check out the area stores & restaurants. The weather can be colder & foggier than east of 10th Avenue, but thanks to global warming there's a lot more sunshine.

What a lovely discovery!…read more We were out for a quick walk, two walk off the dinner and dessert calories, and discovered the Mosaic mural! The two walls are absolutely beautiful. Each piece of mosaic tile carefully and crafty put together to make absolutely beautiful art. Had I not been in the area, I never would've discovered it. It's worth the effort when in San Francisco to check out the art, and the pathway is an easy walkway.

This mural in a south San Francisco neighborhood is very unique and beautiful! I was happy to…read morestumble upon it on one of my many walks in the area! I went up and down every street, visited every park, had numerous espressos and enjoyed some relaxing invigorating exercise and exploration during my stay. Life is good when you explore and find unique art!