SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – The Mission District in San Francisco is known as a vibrant, colorful place full of murals, street art and the best tacos (and bread!) anywhere in the city.
I visited and photographed the Mission District–light, life, and of course, food!
The Mission District is known for its colorful murals.
Mission District Mural~~Colorful mural-covered building at a street corner with One Way sign, parked cars, and overhead utility lines in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
But you’ll even find little pops of color in unexpected places, like these sunflowers at the iconic Bi-Rite market.
Bi-Rite Market Facade~~Storefront of Bi-Rite market with window logo and sunflower bouquets on display, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
And on the homes themselves.
Victorian House Facade~~Bright yellow Victorian-style house facade with bay windows, teal trim, and ornate stair railing, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area TelegraphVictorian Row Houses~~Colorful Victorian row houses with bay windows and ornate trim on a sloped street, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
Car culture is huge in the Mission District. Lowriders, art cars, and vintage roadsters are everywhere.
Vintage Roadster Facade~~Vintage blue roadster with spare tire and luggage case parked outside colorful restaurant facade on Valencia Street in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area TelegraphVintage Volkswagen Beetle~~Customized vintage Volkswagen Beetle with patina, roof rack, off-road tires, and flower decals parked on urban street with storefronts in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
Even the highest tech cars–like self driving Waymos–happened to have fitting murals on the sides!
Waymo Vehicle Mission~~Waymo autonomous vehicle with colorful art wrap parked on a residential street with bay-windowed facades, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
The Mission District has plenty of upscale boutiques. But it also supports many local businesses. The Community Thrift Store saves and resells all kinds of vintage items.
Thrift Store Electronics~~Labeled wire bins with assorted electronics, chargers, and small items inside a thrift store, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area TelegraphVintage Cassette Organizer~~Wooden cassette tape organizer with assorted vintage tapes and empty cases in a thrift store in the Mission District, San Francisco, California Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area TelegraphCassette Rack Display~~Wooden cassette tape rack with assorted tapes and secondhand media inside a thrift store, with shoppers in the background, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
Independent bookstores thrive.
Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
There’s even a Pirate Store, which sells nautical themed items and appears to be part of an art project.
Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
Of course, there’s food! Tacos are huge here. But so is coffee–and increasingly, matcha tea.
Stonemill Matcha Latte~~Iced matcha latte in plastic to-go cup with Stonemill Matcha logo on an outdoor metal cafe table, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area TelegraphStonemill Matcha Cup~~Hand holding iced matcha tea to-go cup with Stonemill Matcha logo, sidewalk and traffic cone in background, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
Of course, there’s Tartine bakery with its iconic sourdough bread, widely known as among the best in the world.
Tartine Bakery Facade~~Close-up of Tartine Bakery logo and storefront window with reflections and pastry case visible inside, in the Mission District, San Francisco, California. Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
There’s an undercurrent of humor in the Mission District. Satirical flyers poke fun at the tech culture that’s dominant elsewhere in the city.
Credit: Thomas Smith/Bay Area Telegraph
It’s a beautiful place for a walk–or to grab a bite!
Thomas Smith is a food and travel photographer and writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His photographic work routinely appears in publications including Food and Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, and the New York Times and his writing appears in IEEE Spectrum, SFGate, the Bold Italic and more. Smith holds a degree in Cognitive Science (Neuroscience) and Anthropology from the Johns Hopkins University.
