Besides my home, I think Balmy Alley is my favorite place in San Francisco. I always take out-of-town guests here. It is a tasty bite of the best that San Francisco has to offer. This little street in the Mission, off of 24th Street (between Treat Avenue and Harrison Street), is lined on both sides with colorful murals. Each one tells a story. Some are whimsical, many are more serious, grappling with important issues affecting our global community. Some of them are older, dating back to the 1980’s, some are brand new. All of them are beautiful.
There are many other murals around the City, especially in the Mission. Precita Eyes is a collaborative nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching and beautifying urban environments and educating communities about the process and the history of public community mural art. They involve all kinds of people in the creation of murals that reflect their particular concerns, joys and triumphs. They have an amazing program for kids. I’m a card-carrying member. If you enjoy the colorful Mission District, I encourage you to support this organization, too!
The best way to see Balmy Alley and the other Mission murals, of course, is on foot. You can do it on your own, or Precita Eyes offers weekly Mission Trail Mural Walks on the weekends.
What’s some of your favorite public art in San Francisco?
Spirit In The City 
Balmy is a fun place to visit during the Dia de Los Muertos parade in November. A full-blown cultural excursion through the heart of the Mission.
Dia de los Muertos is my absolute favorite SF holiday! Oh, there are a couple other top contenders, but this one is the best! Sadly, a few years ago they re-routed the procession and police blocked entrance to Balmy Alley :-(. It’s great every other day of the year, though.
-Alison
feng shui history…
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Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. 🙂 Cheers! Sandra. R.