Dear Vicky,

The whole laid back atmosphere of the area. The variety of shops and restaurants on 24th Street. The eclectic style of homes. This is a great area for everyone from singles to families. Many people who work down the Peninsula and in Silicon Valley live around here because of the easy proximity to 280 and 101. Everyone is welcome in Noe Valley and that is what makes it so attractive!

Wed Dec 19 2007, 13:39

I've always felt that the hills around Noe Valley lend to a sense of remoteness. Lets young families escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Wed Dec 19 2007, 13:07

I raised my two kids in Noe and lived there for over 15 years. We used to have a saying that if you were living in the Haight and had a baby then you'd be moving to Noe Valley! The appeal of Noe Valley is not just for families; it's proximity to 280 and 101 entrances, the weather, and its small town community feel (I have a friend who would say to her daughter, "let's go downtown," and she meant 24th Street!), homes have a more suburban feel than the Haight or the Mission with yards for young kids to play. Douglas Park was my son's favorite playground, and we knew all our neighbors.

There are also lots of other family friendly communities, Miraloma Park, West Portal, Parkside, and Glen Park are a few that come to mind.

Wed Dec 19 2007, 11:12

Well...being a (relatively) young family in Noe Valley I think it is because it is mostly single family home owners that live here and there are no bad areas in Noe. There are really hardly any bad areas that border Noe Valley. The points that CJ makes below are true as well, so I will not repeat what she said. If you would like to know more about what we LOVE about Noe Valley, please drop us a note.

Wed Dec 19 2007, 07:43

Vicky - My quick response is that it is one of the few areas where pedestrians rule! It is such a popular area for young families that cars wait at each 4-way stop to let the stroller, Mom, Dad with Bjorn holding baby,and golden retriever cross, one after another, after another. : )

But seriously, there is a great variety of family friendly restaurants, (with organic options), shopping, grocers, and lots of great little parks. It also tends to be sunnier than other areas of the city. Finally, in the last 10 years many of the homes have been remodeled into TIC (Tenants in Common) where smaller families can afford to start off with a nicely re-done flat. There are several great pre-schools in the area and it seems to have simply become the "in-place" to reside.

- CJ

Wed Dec 19 2007, 00:00