Finding The "Little Box" Where the Sidewalk Ends
Read to the End for Some Events This Weekend
The other day I was returning home to San Francisco via Caltrain, and inevitably, when I looked out the window, I saw the many “little box” houses on the side of the hill over the Cow Palace, as I’ve done since I can remember. And again, inevitably, I thought to myself “I really should go to the END of one of these rows of little box houses and see the view from up there. It must be great!”
However, unlike the 10,000 times I’ve thought this same thing previously, this time I thought I’d take advantage of the unusually nice weather we’ve had lately, and actually go find the spot and take some photos.
Fortunately, thanks to Muni, getting there was easier than I thought - just a ride on the 43 to a stop past Balboa Station, a short walk up some hills, and I was there.
The ride on the 43 outbound was pleasant, as it always is during the day. That’s not to suggest that a nighttime ride on the 43 is “bad”, but you can’t see as much as you do in daytime. You get to pass through a wide variety of neighborhoods, and it will take you to BART.
Even though I grew up here, I have to admit I’d never really walked this part of San Francisco/Daly City before, so I was glad I finally did. This isn’t just a nice neighborhood, though -- it’s a nice neighborhood immortalized in the song "Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds. (If you grew up in the 1970s, especially around here, you likely heard this song a million times at school and/or summer camp, etc.)
A documentary about Sunset homebuilder Henry Doelger would eventually license and feature the song years later.
After going up a very steep brutalist municipal staircase, I kept walking and at some point crossed the border into Daly City. There’s no border checkpoint or gate, just a change in the street signs.
The view from the hill is rather nice. While the houses may all look the same from the freeway and Caltrain, they don’t all look the same at street view. It’s a very pleasant area for sure:
Finally I got to the “end of the sidewalk.” It was as quiet as I’d imagined, and the view was as nice as I’d hoped. It was such a clear day you could see almost all of the Bay Area from there.
After taking a few more photos and walking down the hill, I saw this fancy little house which had all sorts of details going on with it. The cow gets your attention, but the Little Library with stained glass, and other assorted flourishes really make it shine:
Overall this was a nice side-quest on a sunny day that didn’t take nearly as much time as I thought it might, all thanks to Muni.
There’s a few events I wanted to highlight for this weekend, including:
The Taraval “Art Trot” will be held on Saturday, July 20th between 12-5pm between 48th and 47th where local businesses, artists, and neighbors can hang out and have a nice time. This part of Taraval has really blossomed into a block of fun, so stop by and enjoy it since it looks like the weather might cooperate.
Also on Saturday is the “Secondhand Saturdays” vintage clothing fair featuring local and independent vendors. This event always has good quality merchandise, so it’s worth it if you’re looking for something unique.
Finally, on Sunday, the Excelsior will host Sunday Streets this Sunday from 11-4pm. This is a part of town I’ve always liked, and if you don’t go here often, this is a great way to get started.
Thanks again for reading, and if you like what you see and think someone else might like it, pass it on!