Time for a little bit of the "other" San Francisco.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100061.jpg

The Mission District is one of the oldest areas of the city, having survived the 1906 earthquake and fire largely intact. It's also home to the oldest building in SF, Mission Dolores, which was built by the Spanish in 1776. Originally an Irish neighborhood, in the 1940's through the 60's large numbers of Mexicans moved in, followed by many Central Americans from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other countries. About 60,000 people live in the Mission, and prices are rising as sections (particularly Valencia Street Westwards) are gentrified, with large numbers of hipsters and yuppies moving in. The hood is still full of immigrants and working class families though, especially from Mission Street Eastwards. The Mission definitely has some of the most vibrant and gritty street scenes you can find in SF, and it supposedly has the highest concentration of street art and murals in the city. These pics were taken between December 2006 and February 2008:

1
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/4.jpg
2
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010016.jpg
3
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010017.jpg
4
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010022.jpg
5
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010032.jpg
6
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010036.jpg
7
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010038-1.jpg
8
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010040.jpg
9
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010043.jpg
10
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010045-1.jpg
11
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010047.jpg
12
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010048-1.jpg
13
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010049-1.jpg
14
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010051.jpg
15
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010023.jpg
16
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010021-1.jpg
17
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010053.jpg
18
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010054.jpg
19
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101001711.jpg
20
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101005712.jpg
21
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010019.jpg
22
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101002811-1.jpg
23
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101004111-1.jpg
24
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100481-1.jpg
25
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010080-1.jpg
26
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10101031-1.jpg
27
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010149.jpg
28
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010008.jpg
29
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101004912.jpg
30
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101005312.jpg
31
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010118.jpg
32
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101005512.jpg
33
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100326-1.jpg
34
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100107.jpg
35
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100111.jpg
36
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010012.jpg
37
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010100-1.jpg
38
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010101.jpg
39
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010139.jpg
40
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100201.jpg
41
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010024.jpg
42
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010029.jpg
43
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100302.jpg
44
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101004311.jpg
45
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010031.jpg
46
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010034.jpg
47
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010038.jpg
48
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100251.jpg
49
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010039.jpg
50
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010044.jpg
51
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010045.jpg
52
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010046.jpg
53
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010048.jpg
54
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010049.jpg
55
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010052.jpg
56
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101001411.jpg
57
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101001611.jpg
58
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101001811.jpg
59
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101002011.jpg
60
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010043-1.jpg
61
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100471.jpg
62
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100671.jpg
63
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010048-2.jpg
64
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100521.jpg
65
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100581.jpg
66
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101005811.jpg
67
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100601.jpg
68
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100611.jpg
69
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101006111.jpg
70
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010071.jpg
71
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100711.jpg
72
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100721.jpg
73
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100741.jpg
74
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100811.jpg
75
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100821.jpg
76
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100851.jpg
77
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100941.jpg
78
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100951.jpg
79
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100981.jpg
80
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100991.jpg
81
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10101041.jpg
82
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10101051.jpg
83
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10101061.jpg
84
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10101081.jpg
85
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101010812.jpg
86
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010049-2.jpg
87
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010050-1.jpg
88
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010051-1.jpg
89
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010057.jpg
90
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010053-1.jpg
91
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010054-1.jpg
92
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010129-1.jpg
93
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10101482.jpg
94
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/7.jpg
95
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010007.jpg
96
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100151.jpg
97
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010016-1.jpg
98
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010028.jpg
99
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100281.jpg
100
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010030-1.jpg
101
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010035.jpg
102
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100381.jpg
103
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101002511.jpg
104
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101003411.jpg
105
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010070.jpg
106
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010078.jpg
107
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010080.jpg
108
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010120.jpg
109
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010123.jpg
110
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P101001011.jpg
111
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010110.jpg
112
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010114.jpg
113
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010117.jpg
114
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010058.jpg
115
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010066.jpg
116
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010068.jpg
117
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P10100933.jpg
118
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010105-1.jpg
119
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010056-2.jpg
120
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010102.jpg
121
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010106.jpg
122
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010107.jpg
123
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/1ee780dd.jpg
124
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010074.jpg
125
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/P1010077.jpg


Part II on the way...

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd57/techniques1200s/Untitled-2copy.jpg

Some nice pictures and the legal graffiti is also really nice. Lookng forward to part two:)

San Francisco's Mission district I think is one of the most important neighborhoods in the USA. It has so much character and is so vibrant, and the nightlife is great too! Thank you for these pics, you've gone way deeper in than I visited.

These pics are great - really captures the unnatural (to me) bright blue dry SF sky, contrasting with the bright and jumbled but not always pleasing crowded imagery of the area.

I know this post probably makes no sense to anyone but me.

^I know what you mean (though to me there's nothing surreal about it)...The air in SF and California in general is really dry (despite the fog SF is famous for, the city isn't humid at all). Whenever I'm on the east coast, I'm surprised at the humidity...I'm not used to it. I like the dry heat we get here.

Glad you liked the pics!

This is one of the best photo tours I have ever seen. San Francisco looks awesome.

Beautiful pictures.

Pumping streets, photogenic from every angle, packed with character, and I loved every single pic! Can't wait for part II.

thanks, glad you all liked them! Posting part II...

Not sure what's so great here. There are plenty of ghettos aorund the country that look like this, save the unique architecture and topography of San Francisco but then you don't have to go to Mission District to observe those.

I like the shots b/c you see a lot of street life ... very natural and much more interesting that scrapers alone ;)

Awesome !!!!!
I love San Francisco ! My second favorite city on California !
Great pics

Nice collection :) I never saw San Francisco from this side ;)

Interesting but a lot of the graffiti disgusts me

WOW, those photos realley captured the Mission District.
GREAT THREAD/POST.....BRAVO!!!!!!!
Hella good job!

thanks, glad you all liked them! Posting part II...

brilliant, thank you! i used to stay in dolores st a then 18th&mission... much much better than f... fisherman's wharf :)

What a fantastic set of my favorite California city.

Great pictures!

I have never been to this neighborhood of San Francisco. I love it!

this is probably the neighborhood where the heaviest amount of gentrification is going on...i know quite a few people who live there, and none of them speak a word of spanish

btw, what is the name of that park located next to the RIDICULOUSLY nice high school (looks like an 18th century mansion)? it's not in any of the pictures but i remember getting some terrific views there

Interesting photos from that district of San Francisco

glad you all liked it!

this is probably the neighborhood where the heaviest amount of gentrification is going on...i know quite a few people who live there, and none of them speak a word of spanish

btw, what is the name of that park located next to the RIDICULOUSLY nice high school (looks like an 18th century mansion)? it's not in any of the pictures but i remember getting some terrific views there

The Mission is getting increasingly gentrified, but it's still a majority latino neighborhood (most gentrification is still west of Valencia Street anyways, but it is slowly creeping eastwards).

As far as that "ridiculously nice" High School, I'm guessing that would be Mission High School (of which there actually are one or two pics in the thread). It was built in the 1920's in a style so as to compliment Mission Dolores, which is just a few blocks away. It's actually a public high school with some problems, despite the pretty architecture...it's kind of notorious in a bad way as far as high schools in SF, as it's a public school in a poorer neighborhood with gang and drug problems, with many students from said neighborhood.

And the park would be Dolores Park.

Do you have more photos from that district?

NICE!

Beautiful pictures of thee most beautiful city!!! I LOVE San Francisco. Beauty everywhere. :yes:

Great pictures of a part of San Francisco you don't see much! But still beautiful!

Such a nice city!

Wonderful city. America's best IMO!