Sunset residents classify district as calm environment

Within the western part of San Francisco lies a district with quaint stores and restaurants toppled together, along with pedestrians who peacefully stroll along the open spaces of the sidewalks of a setting that can be easily overlooked as a mundane area.

The Sunset District is known to many people in San Francisco as a calm residential area that is unlike the busy streets of shoppers and crowds that are bustling in other parts of the city. However, while the people who live in the district do not view the setting as an uneventful place, residents in the district seem to enjoy the tranquil pace of the neighborhood.

“It’s quiet when you need it to be,” said Zach, 21, an employee at Animal Connection on 31st and Judah Street. “It’s not as popularized [as other parts of the city]. It’s not full of tourists and is mostly just filled with people of San Francisco.”

As oppose to other places in San Francisco that are known for their towering buildings, roaming taxicabs and large shops, the Sunset District appears to be a place where residents can enjoy a peaceful atmosphere without leaving the city. According to Alexis Gutierrez, who works at a comic book store called Amazing Fantasy on Irving Street but does not live in the district, this is one of the reasons why he would like to become a resident of the area.

“It’s less of the [crowded] feeling,” said Gutierrez, 36, who mentioned that his favorite places in the district were a nearby Indian restaurant and a magic shop on 9th and Lincoln Street. “It feels like a smaller community.”

Su Lan Lee, who has lived in the Sunset District for nearly 32 years as the owner of the Oriental Art Gallery on 9th Avenue, made various descriptions about the food in the area. Among her recommendations for nearby cuisine, Lee mentioned a sushi restaurant on 9th Avenue, Chinese and Japanese eateries on 23rd Street, an Indian restaurant on the same block with different types of curry and the Farmer’s Market on Sunday that sells “vegetables, fish, cheese, cake, you name it.”

Lee, 73, also described how the area attracts young generations, as she said that UC students go to the district to eat good dim-sum at a fairly cheap price, while others enjoy going to the coffee shops to drink beverages and sit on the sidewalks in the morning. Lee stressed the fact that she rarely goes to Chinatown because the food she wants is all in the Sunset District.

“People here say, ‘You don’t need a cook!’” said Lee, who excitedly spoke with a Chinese accent while leaning against the gallery’s delicate pins encased in glass displays. “A lot of people don’t cook at their houses. The neighborhood [replaces the need] to cook.”

The Sunset District is located in the western part of San Francisco near Golden Gate Park and is considered to be the largest district in San Francisco.