I have lived in the San Francisco neighboorhood of Bernal Heights since the day I moved to San Francisco. By sheer luck, this is where my then roommate Jennifer and I landed our first flat. What a fortuitous life moment that was. I have come to love this tucked in the corner of San Francisco neighborhood. If one had to compare it to another neighboorhood in San Francisco, Bernal Heights is Noe Valley but subtract about 10-15 years of hip and yuppieness. It's a real place with real people. Even the San Francisco Bay Guardian recognized it as one of the top "hoods" in San Francisco. I could go on and on, but I won't to save you the pain of reading it.
This past Sunday was Bernal's annual Fiesta on the Hill our neighboorhood's street fair in the great tradition of San Francisco neighboorhood celebrations. The mailing asking for volunteers for the festival came sometime in early September and I was feeling a great deal of Bernal pride at the time so I said I would put in time at the festival. I was originally assigned to take money at the dunk tank, but when I arrived, the person who was to be dunked had not yet arrived and there was great pressure for me to do this...
However, just as I was about to take get up on to the plank, the dunkee showed up and I was off the hook. Instead I got to pick up and distribute balls to paying contestants. However, this lasted a mere ten minutes before two very cheerful and motivated young woman told me they were my replacements and so I was done with my shift.
I then spent the next hour strolling along a transformed Cortland Avenue and saw all the booths and the musicians.
Along the way, I drank a lemonade, almost bought sunglasses and most importantly purchased a...
I have been eyeing one of these shirts for a couple of years now and since they were right there in the booth, it was time to buy and make a proud statement of living in Bernal Heights. At one booth, I stopped and talked to this Bernal filmmaker who is doing a documentary about the summer of 2003 when a wild coyote took up residence on Bernal Hill. Check out the short film clip at Still Wild at Heart. Lastly, I stopped into the Bernal Beast Pet Store to try and find, try and follow me here, my friend Aleeza's sister's partner Michelle. Michelle and Alana S. are life partners and own a home near the top of Bernal Heights. Alana S. and Aleeza are sisters who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and I went to college with Aleeza. Aleeza has been hounding me to meet these two since she found out I moved to Bernal Heights. Connection has been made.
The afternoon was cut short due to the start of these rainstorms that have been pounding the Bay Area this week. Bernal Heights RULES!!!
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