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

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)
Podcast # 489: Boudin Bakery
The oldest sourdough French bread bakery in the West dates back all the way to 1849. Nicole talks with Mike Giraudo about the history of Boudin Bakery. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Jan 28, 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)
Podcast # 488: Cliff House Camera Obscuras
Arnold Woods is joined by Robert Tacchetto, the owner-operator of the current Giant Camera at the Cliff House; Gary Stark, creator of the Cliff House Project website; and John Martini, former National Park Service ranger to talk about the Cliff House Camera Obscuras and to update the damage suffered during recent storms. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Jan 13, 2023)
Streetwise: December Celebrations in the Outside Lands
Frank Dunnigan remembers the west side December traditions of the past. ( Dec 8, 2022)

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

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)
Streetwise: Stormy Weather in the Western Neighborhoods
Revisit rainy days on the west side. ( Mar 9, 2023)
Podcast # 494: John Lindsey & the Great Highway Gallery
Nicole sits down with John Lindsey to talk about his life in art and food and the closing of his Great Highway Gallery. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Mar 4, 2023)
Podcast # 492: Richard Rothman
Nicole interviews Richard Rothman about his life with the murals of Washington High, Coit Tower, and the Mother's Building and his work trying to preserve the latter. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Feb 18, 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)

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: 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)
Podcast # 486: 18th Avenue Christmas
One block in the Sunset used to go all out for the holidays. Nicole & Arnold talk with Frank Dunnigan about the 18th Avenue Christmas. (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Dec 24, 2022)
Streetwise: December Celebrations in the Outside Lands
Frank Dunnigan remembers the west side December traditions of the past. ( Dec 8, 2022)

OMI

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

Recent OMI Additions

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)
Podcast # 272: Broad Street Firehouse
The Ocean View neighborhood's most significant landmark building dates from 1896. Stables, hay loft, and a tower that is not for a bell... (Outside Lands San Francisco Podcast Apr 20, 2018)

Lake Merced

Includes: Lakeside, Parkmerced, Stonestown, Lakeshore

Recent Lake Merced Additions

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)
Streetwise: Fires in the Western Neighborhoods
Fire has long been a fact of life in the Outside Lands. Frank Dunnigan checks some of the fires in the Western Neighborhoods in the post-World War II era. ( Jun 11, 2022)