West Portal, San Francisco

West Portal is a small neighborhood in San Francisco, California. Similar to adjacent Forest Hill and St. Francis Wood, West Portal is a primarily residential area of the City. The neighborhood's main corridor, West Portal Avenue, serves as a principal shopping district of southwestern San Francisco.

West Portal
Neighborhood of San Francisco
A residential street in West Portal
West Portal Location within San Francisco
Coordinates: 37°44′27.32″N 122°27′56.95″W
Government
• Supervisor	Norman Yee
• Assemblymember	Catherine Stefani (D)
• State Senator	Scott Wiener (D)
• U. S. Representatives	Lateefah Simon (D) and Eric Swalwell (D)
Area
• Total	2.705 sq mi (7.01 km2)
• Land	2.705 sq mi (7.01 km2)
Population
• Total	2,630
• Density	9,230/sq mi (3,560/km2)
ZIP Code	94116, 94127, 94132
Area codes	415/628

Location

West Portal is located at the southern edge of the hills in central San Francisco. The neighborhood is named for the western terminus of the Muni tunnel beneath Twin Peaks that opened in 1918. The ride in the subway from West Portal to Castro Station is about ten minutes.

Characteristics

Because of its small size and collection of mom and pop stores, restaurants, and saloons, the neighborhood is often described as having a village atmosphere. The neighborhood is served by a branch of the San Francisco Public Library. Like Glen Park, the neighborhood is a San Francisco community that almost functions as a small city itself: Though small, the neighborhood has many restaurants, salon and nail services, a movie theatre, and spas, among other businesses.

The frequent fog helps keep the area green in the usually rainless summer months, and on a clear day, the park above the tunnel provides a view of the Marin Headlands and the Farallon Islands in the Pacific.