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Exploring the Heart of the Excelsior
November 11, 2017 @ 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Join veteran walk leader Eric Chase, special guest Jon Winston of the Balboa Reservoir Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and Walk SF neighborhood organizer Natasha Opfell for November’s walk to explore less widely familiar and still tourist-free areas of the city in the neighborhoods of the Excelsior District—Balboa Park, Mission Terrace, and Crocker-Amazon.
Today’s Excelsior is home to one of the city’s most ethnically diverse communities, including descendants of the first wave of Italian, Irish, and Swiss immigrants, followed in the 1970s by Latinos, and later by African-Americans, Filipinos, and other Asian groups.
Given this rich cultural tapestry, November’s 2.75-mile long walk begins appropriately at the newly dedicated Unity Plaza, at the intersection of Ocean and Phelan. Travel from Unity Plaza along a new pedestrian path to discover the thriving and vibrant commercial district along Ocean Avenue. You will pause at the site of the Balboa Reservoir, before you meander through City College and Balboa Park, which has been a popular destination since 1909 for generations of children in the south of the city.
Then, make a stop at Persia Triangle, a temporary plaza that opened in 2014 with the support of the Excelsior Action Group (EAG), then Supervisor John Avalos, San Francisco Parks Alliance, San Francisco Public Works, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Planning Department to learn about a site known as the “Heart of the Excelsior.”
Community efforts led by EAG, a Vision Zero coalition partner, are still underway to convert this underutilized location into a permanent plaza, as well as bring a number of traffic safety improvements to Mission Street, one of the City’s high-injury corridors (the 13% of streets that account for 75% of call severe and fatal crashes).
Finally, meander through the Mission Terrace neighborhood to the Balboa Park BART and Muni Station, for details about ongoing work to improve the station and better integrate this important transit hub into the surrounding urban fabric.
Walk space is limited; $10 minimum donation to per person for non-members.
When? Walk SF’s monthly members walk begins on Saturday, November 11th from 10:00am to 12:30pm – walk will proceed rain or shine, barring high winds or dangerous weather.
Where? Unity Plaza
What to bring?
- Wear closed-toe, comfortable shoes
- Carry rain gear and sunhat as needed
- Stock sunblock, water, and personal snacks
Entrance Fee: FREE for Walk SF members; $10 minimum donation per person for non-members.
