My experiences as a outsider in Bernal Heights

I have visited, Bernal Heights, San Francisco’s Arcadia like district over the past few months via the 28 line, one of two buses that pass through the neighborhood. The bus turns left onto Cortland Avenue from Mission Street where a green street sign overhead reads “Welcome to Bernal Heights” and where the Mexican restaurants that line the street quickly turn to San Franciscan cottages.

As the Mission district fades into the background, I can feel the bus jerk as it struggles to climb the steep incline that reaches to the heart of Bernal Heights, Cortland Avenue.

On Cortland there are many small mom and pop restaurants and shops. It is not unusual to see mom’s pushing their children in strollers out clothing boutiques or couples enjoying patio front meals with their dogs resting at their feet.

The bus stops at Bocana and Cortland in front of Imad’s Deli Pub. Imad Yaish has owned and operated his restaurant for more than 20 years, serving a variety of international beers and hot sandwiches and salads with a Middle Eastern twist.

Inside Imad's Deli Pub 20-year-old plants climb the walls

The restaurant is usually slow with customers coming and going at a steady pace. So Imad sometimes stands at the restaurants cottage door welcoming guests into his eclectic space. My favorite part about visiting Imad’s is admiring his many plants that climb the inside walls of his restaurants, plants that he told me he brought to his shop when he first opened 20 years ago.

Just a short uphill walk from the Deli Pub is Holly Park.  The park is one of two locations in Bernal Heights with a high enough peak to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. With every sunny weather visit to Bernal Heights I have opted to take in the citywide view from Holly Park over the view at Bernal Hill, never finding myself ambitious enough to climb the “hill.”  The park benches here are inviting to park bench readers and lovers who occasionally peer up from their occupations to admire hikers trekking up Bernal Hill or boats traveling in the San Francisco Bay.

After my eyes feel weary and my belly hungry from hours of watching the admiring the beautiful scenes that Holly Park offers I begin to make my way to Progressive Grounds, a coffee shop just around the corner from the park.

Turkey and curry wrap on a spinach tortilla at Progressive Grounds

The mixture of hot coffee, soups, and wraps greet me at the door. The shop seems to be a favorite for all ages, from children enjoying ice cream cones with their grandparents or young adults doing work on their laptops. I have become accustomed to ordering a house coffee and turkey and curry spinach wrap with my every visit.

Bernal Heights will forever have a place in my heart as a neighborhood that displays peace and serenity with in the city that never stops moving. My experiences here like seeing the city from a 360 degree view for the first time and experiencing a community so well knit will be memories I keep for a life time. Thank you, Bernal Heights.