Ah, the Mission.

A lot of people underestimate how big this neighborhood really is, so it’s hard to write a review that encompasses all aspects of it. The cleanliness/sketchiness factor of the neighborhood also varies dramatically street by street — for instance, while Valencia’s filled with bike lanes, vintage boutiques, and trendy restaurants, Mission St next door is filled with Mexican bodegas, taquerias, and sketchy folk. For a broad generalization, I’d say that the neighborhood can be split up between 16 St.-Mission and 24th St. Mission.

The 16th St. Mission area (in this case, I’m talking about the area around the 16th St BART stop, Valencia, Dolores Park) is definitely more gentrified than the 24th Street area. 18th Street is so hip and happening with its trendy restaurants — BiRite Creamery, Pizzeria Delfina, Tartine Bakery — that you’ll be lucky if you have a wait that’s less than 45 minutes. 24th Street side is definitely more colorful, more ethnic, and tends to be a little less touristy and ritzy than 18th Street.

The Mission was a great place to live in San Francisco — happening, fairly central, great food — but it also had its downsides. When I left last year, gang violence was at an all-time high — there was at least a shooting in the neighborhood once a week. The area can also be filthy — trash everywhere, homeless men sleeping in apartment doorways. And because the scene ss so happening, bars and restaurants tend to be so unpleasantly crowded and loud. Bars almost often exceed their allowed occupancy limits.

This was a great place to live for a year and a half, but ultimately I ended up leaving because the hustle and the bustle and the grind of the neighborhood/city ended up being too much. You feel like you’re always on all the time, and I really couldn’t find the peace and rest I needed while living here.