The Top 10 Things To Do And See In The Outer Sunset
The Outer Sunset gets a lot of flack. It’s not as built up as many neighboring ‘hoods, and its gems are not as well known. Plus, a lot of people lament that the Outer Sunset is ‘SO far’ away, but the L and N MUNIs and a slew of buses will take you all the way to the beach (remember that nothing in SF is truly ‘far’ since it’s a seven-by-seven-mile city). Once you make the ‘trek’ out to the neighborhood, there’s a lot to do and see. Here are ten of the best things to do on San Francisco‘s southwest side.
Scope out some surfers (or hit the waves yourself)
Because of its proximity to the beach and its laid-back vibe, Ocean Beach is a neighborhood full of surfers. It’s easy to find them in the water, of course, but you can also find them at neighborhood surf shops like Wise Surfboards, Aqua Surf Shop (which offers surf yoga), and Mollusk Surf Shop. Want to see boards made or make your own? Sunset Shapers has an in-house shaping room with lessons.
Eat some dumplings
Outer Sunset residents rarely make their way down to Chinatown because they have some of the best Chinese food in the city within walking distance. Two of these establishments sit within two blocks of each other on Taraval Street: Kingdom of Dumpling and Dumpling Kitchen. Each spot has a variety of dumplings ranging from pork and chives to lamb. But what is most famous is their xiao long bao – or Shanghai soup dumplings. Kingdom of Dumpling also has an annex store where fans can pick up bags of handmade fresh and frozen dumplings to boil or fry at home. Of course, both restaurants have many other dishes, and there are other spots in the Sunset, but these are the best known and seem to have the longest line each night.
Grab some coffee
There are many cafés to grab coffee from and hunker down with a laptop, but not all of them are by the beach. Java Beach Café, Trouble Coffee Company, and Beachside Coffee Bar all offer great caffeinated drinks with a side of sea breeze. Make your order ‘to go’ and sit on the sand dunes. Trouble Coffee is well-known for their cinnamon toast to go with your coffee.
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