Bernal Heights Castro Chinatown Cole Valley Downtown Embarcadero Hayes Valley Lower Haight Lower Polk/Van Ness Marina Mission Nob Hill & Russian Hill Noe Valley North Beach Pacific Heights Potrero Hill Richmond Soma Sunset Upper Haight Upper Polk/Van Ness Western Addition ..d i s t r i c t ....s p o t l i g h t A Genteel Sort of Neighborhood Shopping in Laurel Heights by Tamar Love Laurel Heights is easily one of the most pleasant neighborhoods in San Francisco: the atmosphere is mild, sunny and low-key, and the tree-lined streets are flanked on either side by colorful, nicely landscaped homes. Located just a few blocks from the Presidio, between California and Lake to the north and south and Arguello and Presidio to either side, Laurel Heights offers quaint shops, fine neighborhood restaurants and abundant professional services. Less hectic than the Fillmore or Union and Chestnut Streets, Laurel Heights is the ideal destination for an afternoon of low-maintenance luxury shopping. Although not quite as upscale as nearby Pacific Heights, Laurel Heights residents enjoy the same sense of peace and quietude as do residents of its more affluent neighbor. Laurel Heights may not be filled with mansions and sweeping views, but it has its share of gorgeous houses---the neighborhood is an enclave of tidy single-family Victorian and Edwardian homes with garages occupied by BMWs and SUVs. Best characterized as more conservative than the Marina--yet newer-monied than Pacific Heights---Laurel Heights is anything but diverse: residents tend to be affluent, Caucasian, professional married couples with small children and 1.2 dogs. Or is it the other way around? Ladies Who Lunch Laurel Heights may be an ethnically homogenous place to live, but is sure is a nice place to visit. The quiet, hilly streets are peppered with antique stores, design studios, salons and shoe stores, and parking is slightly more abundant than you'd expect. Residents say the neighborhood is "upscale, a favorite with ladies who lunch" and we tend to agree: on a recent visit, we noticed several small groups of smartly dressed women chatting gaily with one another--when they weren't chatting on their multicolored cell phones. If you'd like to emulate these ladies, start with a trip to Fetish, where you'll find an obscenely gorgeous collection of designer shoes that would make Sex in the City's Carrie Bradshaw drool with lust. Bettye Muller, Emma Hope, Jimmy Choo and Giuseppe Zanotti are all represented, as are a few lower-priced and slightly less well-known labels. Next, stroll down Sacramento to Baker Street and spend an hour or two browsing through several unique house ware stores. American Pie is a sweet little country store, stocking scented candles, Americana crafts and a nice selection of gifts for the home. Sue Fisher King, the second store in a small, local chain, offers beautiful Italian linens, triple-milled French soaps and Fortuny lamps, while Shabby Chic, a licensee of the popular L.A. chain, sells perfectly cozy fabric, furniture and bed linens. When you're finally shopped out, head back up Sacramento to Osteria, an unpretentious neighborhood trattoria serving consistently excellent pastas and an out-of-this-world calamari steak, or Garibaldi's Restaurant, a more upscale (and slightly more pretentious) eatery serving a California-Mediterranean menu highlighted by an outstanding rack of lamb. After dinner, catch a movie at the Vogue, one of only two single-movie theaters left in San Francisco. If you're still standing once the movie's over, catch a drink at the G Bar, an elite retro-lounge watering hole serving chi-chi cocktails and pricey champagne. The Mommy Parade Just two blocks away, Laurel Heights undergoes a radical change, both in atmosphere and appellation. Laurel Village, replete goods and services, is a daily paradise for the legions of parents populating the area. Strollers are abundant--both single and double models--as are women in their early 30s, dressed in designer yoga togs and carrying their obligatory Kate Spade bags. Still, Laurel Village is darned handy, especially if you have a multitude of food-related errands to run. Within the four-block span you will find small chains galore: Jamba Juice, Pasta Pomodoro, Starbucks, Peet's, A.G. Ferrari's, Noah's, Eppler's, Napa Ranch, Cal-Mart and Bryan's Quality Meats, a gourmet grocery store and butcher shop. You can also buy clothes for the kids at Baby Gap or Gymboree, or do your banking at any one of four financial institutions. If you get a little tired of all that homogeneity, stop in at Miz Brown's Feed Bag, a nasty little retro diner that flips a mean burger. Also recommended is the pet-friendly Laurel Motor Inn, a decently priced hotel appropriate for Mom and Dad or your best friend's brother, and Ella's, one of the most delectable brunch joints north of Market, where the daunting lines don't deter weekend brunchers hankering for hot, scrumptious baked goods. locations... Fetish 344 Presidio Avenue (Sacramento @ Presidio) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone: 415.409.7429 American Pie 3101 Sacramento Street (Sacramento @ Baker) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone: 415.929.8025 Sue Fisher King 3067 Sacramento Street (Sacramento @ Baker) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone 415.922.7276 Shabby Chic 3075 Sacramento Street (Sacramento @ Baker) San Francisco, CA 94415 phone: 415.771.3881 Osteria 3277 Sacramento Street (Sacramento @ Presidio) San Francisco, CA 94415 phone: 415.771.5030 Garibaldi's Restaurant 347 Presidio Avenue (Presidio @ Sacramento) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone: 415.563.8841 fax: 415.563.1227 United Artist's Vogue 3290 Sacramento Street (Sacramento @ Presidio) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone: 415.221.8183 The G Bar 488 Presidio Avenue (Presidio @ California) San Francisco, CA phone: 415.409.4227 Bryan's Quality Meats 3473 California Street San Francisco, CA 94118 phone: 415.752.0179 Miz Brown's Feed Bag 3401 California Street San Francisco, CA 94118 Laurel Motor Inn 444 Presidio Avenue (Presidio @ California) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone: 415-567-8467 fax: 415-928-1866 Ella's 500 Presidio Avenue (Presidio @ California St.) San Francisco, CA 94115 phone: 415.441.5669 ..p a s t ....a r t i c l e s - Name of Article - Surrounded by Rainbows (Castro) An Idyllic Retreat (Cole Valley) A Local's Paradise (Upper Haight) Year of the Snake (Chinatown) Two Views to a Hill (Potrero Hill) Scenic Treasures Abound (Marina) Take A Closer Look (Bayview) Treasures in a Tourist Trap (Fisherman's Wharf) Scaling New Heights (Nob Hill) Ocean's Reach (Ocean Beach) The Next Portal (West Portal) Ode to the Portola (Portola) The Ultimate Sunday Stroll (Glen Park) Ever Upward (Excelsior) A Little Italy of the Mind (North Beach) Downtown But Not Uptight (Downtown) Diamonds Of Duboce (Duboce Triangle) Tender Moments (Civic Center/Tenderloin) Hot to Trot (Tenderloin) Cruisin' Clement Street (Clement Street) Finding The G-Spot (Mission) Dreaming of life by the Bay (San Francisco) Caffeine Heights (Bernal Heights) Sunset Salvation (The Sunset) Western Inhibitions (Western Addition)

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