Murals in Mission
It was a Saturday morning and we wanted to spend it walking, exploring a neighborhood and clicking pictures. After some Googling, we chanced upon a couple of alleys in Mission that have the heaviest concentration of murals — Clarion Alley & Balmy Alley.
What we saw was an eclectic collection of street art that was as diverse in style as in theme. Issues spread across the entire spectrum from local (gentrification) to national (LGBT rights) to global (climate change). Gods, animals and humans shared the walls with stars, flowers and trees. Some were abstract, others had a definite pattern. Some were a riot of colors, others were black and white.
It was not just the murals that were worth capturing, though. Book shops, street signs, people — we kept clicking all along the way.
We spent around 4–5 hours walking through Mission exploring not only the murals but also getting more familiar with the neighborhood. As we reminisce about that day, what comes to our mind is how the neighborhood felt so unique yet mainstream at the same time. Taquerias co-existed with coffee shops selling fair trade coffee; pedestrians crossing by spoke in a variety of languages.
Maybe we were beginning to understand the essence of “neighborhoods” in San Francisco. And how each one has a different character with Mission being a particularly shining example of a melting pot of art, food, people and lifestyles.
