These days, the range of neighborhood options includes an upscale speakeasy (BlindPig), quirky dive bar (Kozy Kar), cult favorite (Bob’s Donuts), trendy vintage shop (ReLove), specialty grocer (Cheese Plus), Michelin-starred cuisine (SSAL) and just about every other category you could desire.
The owner of French wine bar Amelie, Germain Michel, praises that tapestry of tastes and atmospheres.
“Polk Street has always been a little village of its own,” he said, ticking off its expansive list of offerings, from fine Italian dining to massage parlors to upholsterers. “I think Polk Street looks like the image of San Francisco overall: It’s not only one type of restaurant or bar; it’s everything, like a big melting pot.”
After starting out in San Francisco in 2006, Michel has opened Amelie locations in Fairfax, New York City and Washington, D.C. — but Polk Street remains his favorite. In June, the restaurant had one of its best-ever months, he added, perhaps because the weather has been lovely and many people stayed local versus traveling. “It seems like this summer will be busier than last year,” he said.
Generally, Polk’s mix of styles and offerings can fit a range of budgets, whether people are looking to splurge or explore cheaply. “We have Michelin stars and dive bars,” Bird’s Murchison said. While he thinks that people still come to Polk as a destination, it’s now as much about the day scene as the nightlife. “Everything you want or need,” he added. “I could live my entire life within these blocks and never leave.”
Ben Bleiman, head of the Discover Polk community benefit district, agrees: “It’s everything I love about San Francisco, encapsulated in a neighborhood,” he said. “It’s not too fancy, and it’s not too gritty. It’s like Goldilocks.”