I am lucky enough, or so I believe, to live about 1/2 a block away from a BART station. Its so convenient that it makes it hard to ever want to stay at someone elses house. The thought of having to walk more than a block to catch a suitable form of public transportation seems ridiculous. This is coming from my prior 8 months of living in a location that required nothing less than a 10 minute walk to get anywhere. After which the wait for the bus can take awhile. Due to the fact that the stop was the last/first destination on the buses route, which made it acceptable to the drivers for them to take a quick shut eye.
It's really fascinating how much can happen during my 1/2 block walk from my front door to the bart door. Cracked out drunk couples fighting. Yes, at 8am. Entertainers singing Johhny Cash, bums pissing in the alley, chinese food and pastries being cooked consecutively in the same place. It may not sound that odd, but just think about it for a moment. Its just as wierd when I saw the first Taco Bell and Burger King combined in the same building. Ok, it may have been a Jack In The Box, or an Arby's, but it was still an odd thing to see. It just seems wrong. The walk isn't all dirt and grime, and musty gross air, or trash covered sidewalks. There is a crossing guard who gets completely ignored but who is also completely endearing. A man doing some sort of cross stitch thing I would never have the patience for. And the crew that hangs out in the little shop where the sign boasts a breakfast bagel and a cup of joe for like $2.50. Ok maybe its $2.80.
The walk from my house would be more annoying if the BART wasn't so close, but its a short distance and I can handle it. I use the word annoying because really, the last thing I want in the morning on my way to work are people spitting up in front of my face, loud noises, and the smell of trash. Am I a bitch? That's what I get with living in The Mission some would say, and I agree. Athough I do divert from it by more often than not walking Valencia. Which just one street over is cleaner and quieter. That is SF for ya though. Two blocks can be completely different from the two next to it.
A few streets from Mission the other way is Shotwell st. where I spend a majority of my time. The walk from Shotwell to Mission street in the morning is one of the worst walks in the city. It is awful for one reason and one reason only. The fried chicken place on the corner. To me morning is associated with pastries, coffee, cleanliness, and a fresh new start to the day. Not the smell of fried chicken. Which, admittedly my prejudice, I immediatly associate with greese, and fat, and mice running around licking up the crispy skin remnants forgotten in the corners of the floor. I'm sorry, I'm awful, I'm a horrible person for thinking these thoughts. I just can't get over it. Is it bad that I don't appreciate getting greeted in the morning by the scent of rotisserie?
I can have pancakes and eggs for dinner any day, but the smell of fried chicken in the morning makes me want to puke. I think it has to do with association. My friend told me about this exhibit at the Exploratorium that played with the same sort of thing. She said there was a water fountain that happened to be coming out of what looked like a toilet bowl. She found it hard to take a sip.
Whatever it may be that causes my stomach to turn every time I pass this corner in the morning I don't think I'll ever get over it. Maybe I should stay at my place more often.