Stephanie and I just finished a fantastic house-sitting job in San Francisco’s Cole Valley. We stayed in a beautiful home and got to take care of two super-cool boxers.
I have a lot of experience with many breeds of dogs, but this was the first time I’d spent extensive time with boxers. I was pleasantly surprised: both of the “girls” were obedient and attentive, and they loved attention and going for their twice-daily walks in Buena Vista Park. One of them bonded especially strongly with Stephanie (she’s on her lap in the photo below) and would follow her from room to room in the house.
Settling In
On the day we arrived we met with the homeowners and got a tour of the house. We have a comprehensive house/pet list we’ve created that they had already filled out with all the necessary instructions and details for taking care of the home and the dogs, but we reviewed the most important aspects and were shown important locations, like the house water shut-off valve and the circuit breaker box.
Whenever we start a new house-sit, we spend a lot of the time with the pets (usually dogs) so that they get comfortable with us and we get comfortable with them and their routines. This time it went especially well. We took the dogs for a long walk on the first evening and it was smooth sailing from then on.
In between our duties of taking care of the home and the girls, we took a little time to enjoy San Francisco…
Exploring Cole Valley
Cole Valley lies just west of Golden Gate park and just south of Haight Street. It’s a diverse neighborhood with several excellent restaurants and coffee shops centered on a two-block stretch of Cole Street. And given its close proximity to the Upper Haight district, it’s surprisingly relaxed with a strong neighborhood vibe. (We were also grateful the N Judah line goes from Cole Valley straight to downtown SF, and it does it quickly.)
Adventures in the Upper Haight District
OK, Haight Street is kinda crazy. There’s lots of people on lots of drugs, and lots of people who need or want help (and many of them aren’t shy about asking for it). But it has lots of color, lots of interesting faces, and a great local bookstore, The Booksmith. We felt lucky to have Whole Foods just a few blocks from our house-sit; we ate several meals at the buffet and bought lots of healthy food to cook.
Tai Chi in Golden Gate Park
We went to Golden Gate Park several times, but I especially liked going there for my daily tai chi routine, usually to the AIDS Memorial Grove or to the Shakespeare Garden. (I also took several excellent tai chi classes with Malcolm Dean.)
We Loved the Marina District!
On one of our last days, we walked from Cole Valley to the Marina District. Once we reached our destination (and had lunch at Askew Grill) we decided that this section of San Francisco was one of our favorites and that we really want to do some long-term house-sitting here someday.
The Last Day…
We took the girls for a long walk in Buena Vista Park and spent extra time petting them and hanging out with them. Then we thoroughly cleaned the house and wrote a card that we left with flowers on the dining room table.
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I lived in the Bay area and still count San Francisco as one of my favorite spots in the country.
Crissy Field is where they had the closing ceremony for the San Francisco 3-Day Walk for the Cure in September. So, I was there, cheering on my teammates that were doing that Walk along with the one I’m doing in San Diego next month.
My brother has had boxers for some times. They are such lovable dogs. Thanks for bring back some happy memories, John!
San Francisco is my favorite city in the United States and perhaps the world. (Paris and Barcelona are also top contenders.) It’s great to come here to visit and get to spend so much time with dogs — the ones we take care of and all the ones we meet on walks.
I’m glad you were out here in September, Cathy, and I admire all you do for the Walk for the Cure.
It sounds like you and Stephanie really enjoyed yourselves in San Francisco. I lived in the Bay Area for 25 years and your post brought back some fond memories.
Compared to other metropolitan areas in the United States, the greater Bay Area is the most beautiful and interesting in my opinion. I did live here — Alameda — for a couple of years in the mid-1980s, but for me San Francisco is THE place in the Bay Area.
Hi,
I like your blog; it’s very interesting and informative. I will be house sitting/pet sitting in San Francisco (Hayes Valley) for two weeks this coming December. I live in So. Cal, but I live San Francisco and plan on moving there someday. I’m looking forward to my stay. I do house sitting/pet sitting here in So. Cal (Belmont Shore/Long Beach), but this will be my first long-distance sit. I plan on bringing my bike with me so I can tour the city on two wheels.
Any tips on creative ways to spend some of my time in and around Hayes Valley? I’d love to meet some locals!
Thanks,
Jason
Jason, you will love house-sitting in San Francisco, and Hayes Valley is a great neighborhood.
I suggest checking out meetup.com. You’ll find lots of locals doing lots of things, and you’re sure to find many common areas of interest.