By Farrah:
Grand Lake (Oakland) vs. Noe Valley (San Francisco)
These hoods are cute, convenient and family-friendly. Let’s see what happens when they go head to head in a good old fashioned grudge-match…
Results:
Meeting hottie at local bar: Grand Lake
Getting around: Noe Valley
Kid friendliness: Grand Lake
Cool stuff to do: TIE
Likelihood that your neighbors aren’t just like you: Grand Lake
Necessary Stuff: Grand Lake
Price: Grand Lake
Meeting at hottie at the local bar: Grand Lake
Don’t people move to Noe Valley when they’re boo’ed up? When I moved in with my boo, we moved to Noe and didn’t go out to bars. Oh yeah, I guess I did pass a bar called Bliss on my way to the grocery store from time to time. Does anyone really go there?
Grand Lake has tons of bars. If you like cat daddies you can go to the Serenader. Hip young professionals can be found at Easy or Vine Wine Bar. Unprentious, dive-loving hipsters go to the Alley or Smitty’s. Lesbians (one Wednesday a month) and everybody else goes to Lucky’s.
Getting around: Noe Valley
It’s pretty hard to beat the convenience of having a muni train clanking through the middle of the neighborhood every 10 minutes. Grand Lake does give Noe a run for its money in this category with its transbay bus stop, bus stops on Lakeshore, Grand and Lake Park and casual carpool stop is second in Oakland only to downtown. Grand Lake is also one of the few Oakland neighborhoods with Zipcar and City Car Share.
Kid Friendliness: Grand Lake
Although you’ll see plenty of them there, only the ballinest parents can afford Noe. You see them walking casually down 24th with their $300 jogging strollers. If you can afford to live there and have kids, Noe’s very kid-friendly – it has parks, ice creameries a rec center, a library and little stores to that sell pricey kid stuff.
Grand Lake has all that too (maybe not a rec center, but that stuff’s not far) and there’s a Gymboree! Don’t knock it, I have a friend who actually takes her kid there. A big bonus is that every Saturday there’s a huge farmers market with live music and a big jumpy castle (never saw one of those in Noe). Plus it’s actually possible some middle-income people to buy a two bedroom condo or TIC there.
Cool Stuff to do: tie
Noe Valley is a great place for a little stroll and window shopping in cutesy shops. Nice days are wonderful for going to Dolores park to people watch. Incanto and Basso’s are great Italian restaurants and Bliss bar is always a winner.
Grand Lake’s shops aren’t quite as interesting or useful as Noe’s but its farmer’s market kicks the one in Noe’s butt and La’myx is the perfect place to go for hardcore studying, lightcore reading or hanging out with friends. At night people go to Vine Wine bar for a glass of wine or Mezze for a great Mediterranean meal are great choices.
Likelihood that your neighbors aren’t just like you: Grand Lake
My neighbors in Noe weren’t at all like me, the one African American person I saw was a very dapper jet-setting man that I periodically ran into on the Muni as he took is daughter to a prestigious private school every morning. Of course many of the “Muni kids” who went to Mission High School were African American but they didn’t live in Noe so they don’t count.
Grand Lake, though it’s yuppy-ish for Oakland, has a little of everything.
Necessary stuff: Grand Lake
Grand Lake has three gas stations, a post office, four grocery stores, a zillion coffee/tea places, a few gifts stores (including the amazing Michael Mischer chocolates).
Price: Grand Lake.
721 Rosal Ave: Grand Lake: This three bedroom one bath house is listed at $545,000. For around $300,000 you can get a 1bd 1ba condo conversion that’s one block from all the lakeshore shopping
171 Duncan Ave.: Noe Valley: nothing under 600 – 638 – 1br 1ba tic. You’ll spend at least $800,000 if you want a second bedroom.
Bottom line: Both neighborhoods are wonderful but Grand Lake is much less expensive. Why would someone (who didn’t work in the Peninsula) pick Noe over Grand Lake? I guess some people just HAVE to live in San Francisco. *sigh*
Filed under: Noe Valley, east bay, farrah wilder, hood wars , east bay, farrah wilder, hood wars, Noe Valley
I can’t speak for or against Grand Lake, because I’ve never been there. I live in Noe Valley though and there are PLENTY of options for restaurants, bars, etc. It’s a neighborhood in the truest sense, so I don’t consider the local drinking holes as pick-up joints. I CAN say that they’re great for meeting other locals and having a cheap pint or three. The Dubliner, Valley Tavern and Noe’s all come to mind. Plus, you’re a few blocks from the Mission where there are TONS of options. I vote for Noe Valley, but I’m partial and couldn’t even pick Grand Lake off of a map.
What I would like to know… is does Matty P. have any friends who live in the Grand Lake/Lake Merritt area that he has neglected to hang out with?… For example maybe he would like to go with a friends or friends to Coach Sushi (excellent sushi and atmosphere as well as all you can drink Sake for $3.50) one night.
If he doesn’t like sushi, he could partake in other cuisine experiences such as Thai, Ethiopian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian or Philadelphia.
After that, he might venture out with those friends to one of the two wine bars in the area or perhaps to see a movie at the Grand Lake Theatre. He might even enjoy a relaxing stroll along the jogging path around the lake.
Maybe…if a certain friend was inviting him, he would be interested. He has yet to recieve that call. Meanwhile, Noe Valley has invited Grand Lake/Lake Merritt many times to enjoy our amenities. Sadly, I’m still waiting…:(
How do you spell Tuche (2-Shay)?
(from article): My neighbors in Noe weren’t at all like me, the one African American person I saw was a very dapper jet-setting man that I periodically ran into on the Muni as he took is daughter to a prestigious private school every morning. Of course many of the “Muni kids” who went to Mission High School were African American but they didn’t live in Noe so they don’t count.
(my response): What? Everyone there is JUST LIKE ME. Oh yeah…I’m white so that’s a point against me. Nevermind the fact that I’m not married, have no kids, don’t spend my Saturdays at Martha & Bros. and STILL like Noe Valley? What?! How could this be?! And wait…did you say a dapper jet-setting African American? That doesn’t seem right. His kids go to private school you say? Wait…African American? He needs to darken up a bit, head back to Grand Lake and send his kid to a poorly funded public school stat…with people “like him.”
*pulling up a chair and munching on popcorn*
Hey guys, mind if I join you for a minute? Matty, you are absolutely right about Noe Valley being a great hood. I had some freaking amazing meals there, I played a lot of tennis in this little park by my apartment and I really love babies and dogs. I’m just a little more partial to Grand Lake. And you also make a great point about there being other differences than race. I could have added more characteristics but you prove my point Noe Valley folks *tend* (not all of them) to be more similar than Grand Lake residents. I didn’t imply anything about the race or income of Grand Lake folks (hey, the bay still isn’t cheap and Grand Lake definitely isn’t the hood). I think you make a lot more assumptions about my statements that GL is diverse, could it have anything to do with the fact that GL is in Oakland?
My main point, which you prove so well, is that a lot of people who live in SF have never been to Oakland and have no idea that there are some great hoods out here. But, if you remember, the Mission won the first hood wars so I give props when props is due. I actually make sure that I have either first hand knowledge or I interview someone who does before I write the article.
Anywho, I’d like extend an olive branch to you and and invite you Sense and the other schtuff folks to drinks in Grand Lake. We can celebrate the fact that there are so many great hoods in the Bay.
Absolutely. Olive branch has been accepted, and I want to let you know that my words were strong only to make a point. I agree that Noe Valley can seem pretty “vanilla” (sorry for a lack of better words), but I have enjoyed living here for much of my time in SF. With that said, I have also VERY much enjoyed my time in Grand Lake. I think Sense, G Gold, B-Hiz, you and I should most definitely enjoy a libation in both of our hoods. We can take the time to share fond memories and opinions of each neighborhood’s shortcomings. Name the place and the time and we’ll be there with open arms.
SanFranciscoSchtuff.com — Making Happy Hours happen since 2008
Easy on Thurs March 6th at 6:30pm?
I’m in…Sense? B-Hiz? G-Gold?
I’m in!