Western Neighborhoods Project is dedicated to the history of San Francisco's Richmond, Sunset, OMI and West of Twin Peaks districts. read more ...

Neighborhoods

Listings and links for all the neighborhoods in the Outside Lands.

The Neighborhoods Include:

Richmond District

(North of Golden Gate Park, south of the Presidio, bounded by the ocean and Arguello Boulevard.)
Includes: Sea Cliff, Presidio Terrace, and we occasionally go east as far as Masonic Avenue.)

Recent Richmond District Additions

Podcast # 503: Michael Jang
We sit down with photographer Michael Jang before a live podcast audience to talk his career, life in the Richmond District, and wheat paste. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast May 20, 2023)
Streetwise: SF Police Department On Duty
Frank Dunnigan shares photos of the SFPD in the western neighborhoods. ( May 11, 2023)
Streetwise: Signs of the Times
Frank Dunnigan checks out some of the iconic signage of the western neighborhoods. ( Apr 14, 2023)
Podcast # 499: Kevin Brady
Did you know there was a cartoonist collective in the Sunset? Nicole talks with Kevin Brady about growing up in San Francisco and how he got started in art. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Apr 8, 2023)
Streetwise: Stormy Weather in the Western Neighborhoods
Revisit rainy days on the west side. ( Mar 9, 2023)
Streetwise: Western Neighborhoods Landmarks
Frank Dunnigan shares west side landmarks famous enough to know by one-word names. ( Feb 10, 2023)

Sunset District

(South of Golden Gate Park, north of Sloat Boulevard, bounded by the ocean on the west and Stanyan Street/Golden Gate Heights on the east.)
Includes: Parkside, Golden Gate Heights, Parkway Terrace.

Recent Sunset District Additions

Streetwise: SF Police Department On Duty
Frank Dunnigan shares photos of the SFPD in the western neighborhoods. ( May 11, 2023)
Podcast # 502: 834 Irving
Nicole & Arnold visit 834 Irving Street to look back at the fascinating people and their businesses there from its early days as a grocery store to today's Blackthorn Tavern. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast May 6, 2023)
Streetwise: Signs of the Times
Frank Dunnigan checks out some of the iconic signage of the western neighborhoods. ( Apr 14, 2023)
Podcast # 499: Kevin Brady
Did you know there was a cartoonist collective in the Sunset? Nicole talks with Kevin Brady about growing up in San Francisco and how he got started in art. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Apr 8, 2023)
Podcast # 498: Craig of Craigslist
Did you know that Craigslist, the classified ad website, got its start on the West side? Nicole talks with Craigslist founder Craig Newmark about how it all happened. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Apr 1, 2023)
Podcast # 496: Legendary Animals of San Francisco
Judi Leff & Joseph Amster join Nicole & Arnold to explore the fascinating histories of some San Francisco animals. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Mar 18, 2023)

West of Twin Peaks

Includes: West Portal, St. Francis Wood, Forest Hill, Balboa Terrace, Westwood Park, Miraloma Park, Midtown Terrace, Sherwood Forest, and Sunnyside.

Recent West of Twin Peaks Additions

Streetwise: SF Police Department On Duty
Frank Dunnigan shares photos of the SFPD in the western neighborhoods. ( May 11, 2023)
Streetwise: Signs of the Times
Frank Dunnigan checks out some of the iconic signage of the western neighborhoods. ( Apr 14, 2023)
Streetwise: Stormy Weather in the Western Neighborhoods
Revisit rainy days on the west side. ( Mar 9, 2023)
Podcast # 493: 41-47 West Portal Avenue
41-47 West Portal Avenue had bakeries, delis, hairdressers, toy shops, candy shops, and realtors over the years. Nicole & Arnold take a look at the building's history. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Feb 25, 2023)
Streetwise: Western Neighborhoods Landmarks
Frank Dunnigan shares west side landmarks famous enough to know by one-word names. ( Feb 10, 2023)
Streetwise: A Look Back to 1923 in the Western Neighborhoods
Frank Dunnigan looks back 100 years at what was happening in the remarkable year of 1923. ( Jan 14, 2023)

OMI

Includes: Ingleside, Ocean View, Merced Heights, Ingleside Terraces.

Recent OMI Additions

Streetwise: Signs of the Times
Frank Dunnigan checks out some of the iconic signage of the western neighborhoods. ( Apr 14, 2023)
Podcast # 480: New(ish) West Side Landmarks
Arnold Woods chats with Woody LaBounty about the process of creating a historical landmark; then they go over some recently-designated west side landmarks: City Cemetery, Trocadero Clubhouse, and the Ingleside Terraces Sundial. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Nov 5, 2022)
Streetwise: Changing Westside Businesses
Frank Dunnigan looks at the evolving west side business landscape over the years. ( Oct 14, 2022)
Merced Heights
The OMI ridgeline neighborhood that started as San Miguel City, Columbia Heights, and Poppy Hill. ( Mar 8, 2019)
Podcast # 313: Worcester Avenue
The history and significance of a one-block San Francisco street. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Feb 9, 2019)
Podcast # 311: Columbia Heights
The mini-neighborhood laid out along San Jose Avenue in 1893 with dairies and a one-man water company. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Jan 26, 2019)

Lake Merced

Includes: Lakeside, Parkmerced, Stonestown, Lakeshore

Recent Lake Merced Additions

Streetwise: Signs of the Times
Frank Dunnigan checks out some of the iconic signage of the western neighborhoods. ( Apr 14, 2023)
Podcast # 491: Third World Liberation Strike Part 3
Guest David Friedlander returns to join Nicole and Arnold in the final part of their recounting of the 1968-1969 Third World Liberation Strike. SF State students and faculty went on strike to protest racism in both admissions and curriculum, resulting in the creation of the Departments of Black Studies and Ethnic Studies. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Feb 11, 2023)
Podcast # 490: Third World Liberation Strike Part 2
Guest David Friedlander returns to join Nicole and Arnold in part 2 of their recounting of the Third World Liberation Strike. SF State students and faculty went on strike in 1968-69 to protest racism in both admissions and curriculum, resulting in the creation of the Departments of Black Studies and Ethnic Studies. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Feb 4, 2023)
Podcast # 487: Third World Liberation Strike
Guest David Friedlander joins Nicole and Arnold to recount the Third World Liberation Strike. SF State students and faculty went on strike in 1968-69 to protest racism in both admissions and curriculum, resulting in the creation of the Departments of Black Studies and Ethnic Studies. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Dec 31, 2022)
Streetwise: Changing Westside Businesses
Frank Dunnigan looks at the evolving west side business landscape over the years. ( Oct 14, 2022)
Podcast # 88: Broderick-Terry Duel (Repodcast)
Since we just had the anniversary of the Broderick-Terry Duel on September 13, we're repodcasting this classic episode. In 1859, a California State Supreme Court Judge and a United States Senator fought a duel beside Lake Merced. Here's the story, and its importance to local and national politics. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Sep 23, 2022)