San Francisco is made up of many diverse neighborhoods. Mission Street runs all across San Francisco and into the neighboring city of Daly CIty. It is essentially the oldest and most historical street in San Francisco. Yet, this street has been poorly cared for and has seemed to worsen throughout the years.
The part of Mission Street located near Downtown is very ugly and dangerous at night. It is full of old buildings and homeless people. Many sketchy people just stand along the street the whole day. If you go down Mission Street more towards cross streets like 16th Street and 24th Street, you hit the true heart of the Mission District. The streets here are packed with cars, people, and stores. It is very hectic to drive in this area, and personally I avoid driving here. There are always people J-walking and double parked cars. It takes a long time to find parking and most of it is metered. The streets are also very polluted and on some corners you might even see gang members.
Despite these bad aspects the Mission District does have much to offer. It is full of small stores for the most part and has several Authentic Latino restaurants. If you are ever craving a truly Latino meal, Mission Street is the place to go. You can get a range of different foods from countries such as Nicaragua, Brazil, Peru, El Salvador, Mexico and many more. The prices of the meals are very reasonable for their superb taste.
This area is also rich with dance studios that provide salsa lessons and many more traditional Latino dances. Every year the famous parade of Carnaval takes place in this area. It is a time when the whole city celebrates and embraces Mission and the different countries and cultures that have influenced the neighborhood. It is truly a unique experience.
Overall, Mission Street is always full with people and cars, though store generally close early. A trip to the Mission District will be a unique experience. You can truly get a feel for the Latin American culture in this neighborhood. Sadly, the city has not done a good job with its upkeep of Mission Street.