First impressions

Richmond and the Presidio sit in the relatively quiet northern end of San Francisco. Away from the congested downtown and tourist filled marina areas.

Richmond nestled between two beautiful parks, Golden Gate Park to the south and the Presidio to the north, is a mostly residential area with commerce in the form of small local business.

The Presidio, the only national park to reside within a major metropolitan city, is a calming oasis in America’s 14th largest city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Presidio is a remarkable place. As a former military base turned national park the change is amazing. Aside from Crissy Field, which is packed on the weekends, the park seems underutilized. Commerce has been slowly introduced to the park with the rehabilitation of the buildings, but with some resistance from neighbors regarding the commercialization the progress has been slow.

The lack of people in such a beautiful place is startling, considering two major highways, 101 and 1, cut though the park. The Presidio’s northern point connects the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco. There is significant traffic at Crissy Field and north to Fort Point, which rests under the Golden Gate Bridge, but those appear to be the only high traffic areas. Perhaps my visits have just been at ill-timed moments, but the greater area of the park appears to be overlooked.

Coming south out of the Presidio, Richmond is a large area, but due to its residential nature is quiet most of the day. People are often moving from the homes to work or out for a bite to eat at one of the many local restaurants. The area lacks any true gathering areas for the community, Executive Director of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center Michelle Cusano said. Though two parks flank Richmond there are not many within the borders of the district itself. Resulting in a lack of areas for the community to come together. This is the goal of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, to offer an area for the community to come together. By offering outreach programs to students and elderly in the area they are working hard to bring the community together.