Welcome to Outer Sunset
Relaxed community beside Ocean Beach and Golden Gate ParkOuter Sunset is a laid-back, beachy neighborhood on the Pacific shoreline at San Francisco’s westernmost edge. Outer Sunset’s boundaries are marked by Upper Great Highway and Ocean Beach to the west, Lincoln Way and Golden Gate Park to the north, 19th Avenue to the east, and Rivera Street to the south. Within this rectangular grid of city blocks, you’ll discover an easygoing community of surf shops, art galleries, locally run businesses, international restaurants, and colorful single-family homes.
Development of San Francisco’s Outerlands took off following the 1906 earthquake, transforming a coastal expanse of sand dunes into an inviting seaside neighborhood. Much of Outer Sunset’s real estate was built between the 1920s and ‘40s. Brightly painted mid-century modern homes comprise the majority of the neighborhood’s architecture, along with properties added throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Even homes located a few blocks from the beachfront have ocean views.
What to Love
- Beachfront community
- Laid-back atmosphere
- Local arts scene
- Eclectic dining options
- Ocean Beach
- Golden Gate Park
People & Lifestyle
Outer Sunset is a diverse community with roughly half its residents descending from Irish, Italian, and Russian settlers and another third comprised of Asians and Pacific Islanders. This diversity is reflected in Outer Sunset’s businesses, which include an eclectic mix of ethnic restaurants and family-owned stores. Ocean Beach to the west and Golden Gate Park to the north provide plenty of opportunities for enjoying an outdoorsy lifestyle.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
The streets running west-to-east from Ocean Beach are lined with an enticing mix of shops and restaurants. A block south of Golden Gate Park,
Hook Fish Co. on Irving Street combines a fresh fish market with a laid-back seafood shack, serving fish tacos, burritos, and sandwiches. The one-stop
Mollusk Surf Shop is also on Irving Street, providing all the equipment necessary to make the most of Ocean Beach’s waves.
A block further south, Judah Street’s businesses include organic New American dining at
Outerlands and
General Store’s chic selection of clothing, accessories, and home goods. Noriega Street rounds out Outer Sunset’s main commercial corridors. Highlights here include delicious pizzas and New England-style grinder sandwiches at
The Pizza Place, a unique inventory of fashion and lifestyle goods sourced from local artists and designers at
Establish, and gourmet gastropub eats paired with craft beers and cocktails at
Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company.
Things to Do
Ocean Beach is a surfing hotspot by day and a popular nighttime hangout. This wind-swept beach is perfect for kite flying and riding kite buggies or watching skilled surfers tackle its dramatic riptides. Covering 1.5 miles, Ocean Beach is San Francisco’s largest and most popular beach. Sunsets are spectacular, and evenings can be spent gathered around bonfires, which are permitted between November and February.
Golden Gate Park is over three miles long and half a mile wide, covering a total area of over 1000 acres. Golden Gate Park’s many amenities include lakes and boathouses, sports fields and stadiums, and beautifully landscaped
botanical and
Japanese gardens. Food trucks are often set up around the historic Music Concourse that was originally constructed for an 1894 International Exposition. Cultural institutions at the park include the United States’ oldest scientific research centers and one of the world’s largest natural history museums at the
California Academy of Sciences, plus fine art exhibitions at the
de Young Museum.
This sprawling green space also hosts events throughout the year. Tens of thousands attend August’s
Outside Lands to see some of the biggest names in contemporary music, while October’s
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass attracts as many as 750,000 attendees over three days of free live music.
Additional outdoor spaces within Outer Sunset include biking and running trails following Sunset Boulevard and a skate park and other age-inclusive activity spaces at
Playland on 43rd Avenue.
Schools
Public schools in Outer Sunset are operated by the San Francisco Unified School District. Highlights include:
