3 Great Things about Houses in the Excelsior

The Excelsior neighborhood in San Francisco is a quiet neighborhood of predominantly single family homes located on the south eastern side of the city. Homes tend to be a little more affordable (for a San Francisco neighborhood), and this area became more popular as buyers began getting priced out of Bernal Heights around 2005. Some buyers feel it is too far and remote, but others feel as though they’ve found a hidden gem. If the Excelsior neighborhood is on your radar, here are three great things about houses in this San Francisco neighborhood.

Excelsior street sign by Whole Wheat Toast on Flickr

1) Street Names. You know you’re in the Excelsior neighborhood when you find yourself looking for houses at the intersection of Paris and France. Arranged in a grid system, the streets are named for countries and capitals. Street names haven’t kept up with modern geopolitical changes, which is why you’ll find a Persia street but no Iran. Thinking of a house in Peru? If you don’t want to leave the country, all you need to do is head to the Excelsior neighborhood.

2)McLaren Park. I’ve written elsewhere about the second largest park in San Francisco, and it truly does offer a wealth of recreation activities and opportunities. Regardless of whether you enjoy biking, hiking, jogging, tennis, swimming, golfing, or are just looking for a good children’s playground, you’ll find that houses in the Excelsior neighborhood are located within a convenient distance of this park.

3) It was good enough for Jerry Garcia! It’s true, one of the most famous houses in the Excelsior neighborhood was the childhood home to  rock legend Jerry Garcia. It is located in the 100 block of Amazon Avenue. The ampitheatre in McLaren Park is named for the lead rocker of the Grateful Dead, and should you decide to call the Excelsior home, you’ll discover Jerry Day, a celebration of his life and music, taking place every August 1!