After two weeks here in the Mission, I think I’m giving illusions that I’m slightly more settled in San Francisco now. Some furniture needs to be sold and I need to somehow buy a drawer to fit all my clothes, but if you walked into my charming, Full House-like Victorian unit, you would say, “my, Ernie’s place looks quaint and charming” and be done with it.
But I still kinda feel like a stranger in a strange land when it comes to life in the Mission, an area of San Francisco that’s filled with hipsters and gang-bangers and crackheads and Vice Presidents of Product Development, all within close quarters, doing their best to ignore each other. Like, I somehow need to shred all my preppy tight clothes that I’m too fat and self-conscious to fit into, as well as lose my awkward baggy clothes and fraternity t-shirts I’ve had since my college days. In 2000. From what I’ve seen from people walking around the area, I kinda need a rock pullover and a lip ring, lose the oversized cargoes for a pair of those weird fucked up acid-washed jeans and a haircut like the lead singer from OK Go.
Basically, I have to look like an overweight heroin addict from the 1970’s to fit in this neighborhood. How the fuck am I going to pull that off? When someone I see around this neighborhood wears a Fidel Castro hat, they look like a hipster. When I wear one, I look like a communist.
I don’t fit in the neighborhood yet. But then again, it’s only been two weeks. And I’d still rather live here than in Fremont.
based on my experiences of the mission i do not think i would like to fit in, in the mission. but that is also my personality: to reject fitting in.
Based on your description of the Mission, it reminds me of Hoxton in London… A place where you could get away with wearing anything, and that was entirely cool and hip.
As long as you were/are yourself, everything is fine.
The description you gave sounds similar to the East Village in NYC. It used to also sound like Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and the Meat Market (all in NYC), but the areas are now priced out of many of the people who make it colorful.
But Ernie! Hipsters are for mocking, not for emulating. I’m moving back to Capitol Hill here in Seattle, and I’m eagerly looking forward to mocking lots of little boys and girls in stretch jeans and wide belts. This is the joy of being in your 30s: you can laugh at fashion instead of wondering if you should be getting your own pair of leggings.
Don’t even bother, comfortable in your own skin (or clothes) is more fitting-in than trying to look like whatever the hell hipsters do.
Also, I’d like to have you know that your January 10th post (Leaving Yahoo) was the post that inspired my own move. In September, I’ll be an SF resident! NEIGHBOR!!!!
So I have you to credit, or blame (should my venture out west fail). harharhar.
yes, the cargos have to go… they just scream “web developer who carries cash”
just saying.
Yeah, you definitely don’t want to look like a commie.
Hi Ernie! I’m recently new to the blogosphere, and came across your blog on “The Rough Guide to Blogging.” I left SFO about a year ago. I’m living in Seattle with my partner.
Coming from a native SFOer, don’t worry about the fitting in the Mission too much. I find if one just holds their own, they’re usually fine. Just be YOU! You can be in worst neighborhoods
Hey, my partner use to work at the Brava Theater on 24th/York. It’s a really cool space for alternative and local theater stuff. Check it out sometime. And right across the street is a great diner but I don’t remember the name.
Hipsters are so last year. This year the new color is pink. …or was that last year?
Yeah, overweight heroin addict alone is difficult to imagine (and my mom was overweight and a heroin addict, although not at the same time) , so an overweight heroin addict from the 1970s is really going to be tough.; be original, the world worships the original.
I look like a commie in those damn hats, as well., and I’ve been called Chairman Mao more than once. Wonder if it’s an “Asian thing.”
Fremont representin’, yo.
It must be an Asian thing. I can’t wear those damn hats, either.
Oh, Come on, Ernie. You’re charismatic enough to start your own trends. We got your back.
As a member of the unhip over 30 group, I’m voting “No” on you getting acid-washed jeans. My theory is that you are allotted one period in your life to wear the acid-washed jeans, leggings, etc. You and I had already had our opportunity to wear acid-washed jeans and that was in 1987.
However, if you happen to have left acid in your pocket on laundry day…
The day I finally told my mother that I’d moved from the Castro to 24th Street in the Mission, A&E ran some kind of special titled something like: The Murderous Gangs Of 24th Street. She probably didn’t sleep for a week.
Hipster guys are the best for sleeping with – despite all their pretentiousness they’re usually all to ready to take orders in the bedroom.
“You know who else was pensive….Chairman Mao.”
It took a while but eventually I found that the Mission Hipsters were less annoying than the Marina Yupsters who invade on Friday Nights to “slum it” on my block. And thus the die is cast. Insert World of Warcraft faction reference here.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
omg, this post made me laugh. esp. about the part about looking like a communist. my boyfriend got one of those hats (for utilitarian purposes of course) but he looks like a communist too. maybe cuz we are in our 30’s and what those “young folks” wear just doesn’t work on us old people anymore. i mean, why do those guys think donning tight women’s jeans is ok? cuz it’s not.
imho, the mission is great for one thing: food. osha, bi-rite creamery, and cafe ethiopia are 3 of my favorites. (sometimes the service isn’t fab, but food i like.) omg, and there’s a really great mexican burrito type place near the 24th st bart station. GOOD.
also, there’s a couple of cool shops – therapy (clothes and kitsch) and paxton gate (cool sciency taxodermy gardeny stuff.)
o, and the part about fremont made me laugh too. i grew up there! hahaha!
Welcome to the hood! Be sure to check out Clarion Alley for the best murals ever.
The Mission’s cool! I hope you are settling in just fine. For sure better than my Civic Center homeless men peddling stolen luggage items from European tourists, the -5 toothed lady chases you down with “gooootttt chaaaaange?” oh, and the water/pee in the streets thing. Watch out for that.
Actually, that is a fitting description of the Mission. The only time I actually spent around there was when I was an UNDERWEIGHT heroin addict. The place is pretty run down but I like cultural mix. When the weather is nice it can be downright beautiful. Some days in the Mission can be quite scary though…watch out for freaks and crackheads.