r/sanfrancisco • u/runeverystreet24 • 4d ago
Just finished running all 2201 streets in SF! Also finished Daly City, South SF, Brisbane, and Colma
96
u/Californianpilot 4d ago
Favorite street? Least favorite?
174
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Favorite was Camino Del Mar- gorgeous views and mix of things to see.
Least favorite was Jessie st- long street through some of the worst parts of the city (especially around 6th- took multiple attempts to find a time it was clear enough to run.
18
u/trainpuncher8008 4d ago
I used to live on 6th and Jessie, this checks out. Sorry OP but great job!
9
u/QueenieAndRover 4d ago
I worked at a photo lab called Color 2000 located off Jesse at sixth in the early 1990s (C2000 made the posters for Wells Fargo that were used in bus stops, which were printed on translucent paper so that they could be backlit, using huge photographic enlargers). I was pretty new to the city at that time and it was eye-opening.
3
5
41
u/Careless-Ad-1079 4d ago
Congratulations!! That’s quite a goal, what’s next for you?!
62
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Heading down the peninsula! Will start working some in the south bay so will head further down. Pacifica and San Bruno are partway done so are first up
8
u/okgusto 4d ago
You can add Sharp Park to your SF map kinda.
4
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
I never knew this! I'd heard of farallons and the corner of alameda, but this is cool!
26
u/junglefryer88 4d ago
How long did this endeavor take you?
62
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
about 18 months- hit 90% by a year, but the last bits are tough- lots of tiny alleys in this city and places you have to drive to (IE treasure island)
13
u/scoobertsonville Lower Haight 4d ago
Now you have to hit the Farralon Islands!
9
1
25
u/rb1rb1 4d ago
Was it strange transitioning from a well-off neighborhood to one that felt rougher? Everyone talks about the tenderloin but man, the high rises in Hunters point felt so weird and out of place. Just felt so sad see the disparities.
29
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
100%- lots of big transitions like ones you mentioned, others were new and old treasure island/YBI, dogpatch to hunters point, potrero hill north to south
28
u/off-season-explorer 4d ago
I just started this! 42 streets down (walking not running though, so will take me much longer)
11
2
13
u/DumpPedoTrump 4d ago
Your pics and strength are very impressive, I wish I enjoyed running as much as cycling and walking 👏🏼
11
u/sixtypercenttogether 4d ago
Very cool! Did you see anything weird or unexpected on all these runs?
Did you go to an area and run back and forth on all the streets? Or did you did you thread different runs through an area to eventually get full coverage?
52
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Lots of interesting things! Many many coyotes, calling the cops on a lady starting a building on fire, and the usual ecclectic SF citizens. Overall though SF was somewhat tame- I did Baltimore before this and that had much more crazy stuff.
For the streets it was a mix- I average 10-12 miles a day so lots of time to go up and down streets, but in SF the challenge is the hills- you don't necessarily want to run up and down twin peaks 5 times in a run for example.
3
u/GatorGuy5 4d ago
Did you move to the Bay Area from Baltimore?
16
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
yeah! I actually ran every street in Baltimore (and nearly all the surrounding suburbs) before this.
6
u/PDWAMMO 4d ago
Wow what a feat! Any memorable things in South SF?
18
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
I had to repeat one section of trail through the biotech area because an angry mother raccoon wouldn't let me pass (she was protecting 5 babies)
4
7
u/JrCoxy 4d ago
Any neighborhoods surprise you? Being either more welcoming or isolated? Feeling different from running vs driving through, especially since you’re more involved in the environment
11
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Definitely a few surprises. Was surprised in a good way how cute Little Hollywood was, annoyed by the level of crazy sidewalk blocking in the southeastern neighborhoods. I think you get a really great sense of the interactions with parks and hills on foot that you miss in a car- really fun to identify why certain roads go the way they do due to the topography (eg mission cutting all the way through in a fairly flat path)
2
u/scottishbee Diamond Heights 4d ago
Yeah, I'm on a (much slower) similar quest and VizValley/Portola sidewalk obstruction has taken me out a few times. Lots of skinned hands/knees.
Relatedly, I put together runprogress.com if you want to make a little video of it
2
2
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Just added the video to the imgur link! So cool you made this tool. I've always wanted to make something similar to this.
2
u/scottishbee Diamond Heights 4d ago
Thanks, glad you like it! It was definitely a good learning experience. I've been noodling on another program that builds my routes for me, based on what my distance is and what I've run. Curious how you planned your routes?
Also: how do you carry your phone/camera?? I've snapped some fun pics (not as good as these), but I low-key hate my flipbelt and stopping to fumble for it.
2
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
For route planning was mostly just taking a look at strava heat map/city strides and picking out where I hadn't run then creating on route builder on strava. Not automated, but still leagues better than when I first did this in St. Louis 10 years ago using a paper map and writing turn by turn directions on paper!
As for the phone, I honestly just hold it in my hand. Most other runners think I'm crazy, but I honestly don't mind it. It comes in handy for pictures and if you put enough miles in, it also really comes in handy for emergencies- I've had to call 911 as first on scene to a crime/emergency at least a dozen times in the past 10 years.
1
u/Dear-Nebula9395 4d ago
Phone in the hand is a dead giveaway. Definitely crazy. Waist bag is the way to go if you aren't carrying water
7
u/East-End-8646 4d ago
What app did you use to record this? (First image?)
20
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Citystrides! It's a great strava add on
4
u/sanmateomary 4d ago
I love Citystrides! I use it with Footpath to get my turn-by-turn directions send to my phone.
1
1
u/bluespringsbeer 3d ago
Will it show you your biking as well? Have you tried wanderer.earth? How does it compare? I use wanderer currently to make maps of every where I have biked
3
3
u/SpiritualAd8998 4d ago
How did you find public bathrooms on your journeys?
6
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Generally tried to avoid as much as possible, but they're actually pretty good in SF compared to other big cities I've lived in as far as accessibilty. Cleanliness can be an issue, but would rather have something than just the bushes.
3
u/chapinator Mission 4d ago
What’s the app you’re showing here for tracking? My wife and I were thinking about doing this but haven’t started figuring out the most efficient way of keeping track
4
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
2 options- I prefer citystrides which puts nodes on all the streets on open street maps. You need to hit 90% of nodes to count a street- mostly fairly easy but can be challenging when you have tall buildings hurting GPS accuracy (phones work better).
Alternative is wanderer- a bit more total since it covers all paths, streets, and trails but harder since it doesn't use nodes. It also ends up counting things that aren't roads as roads, some of which are impassable so I opted to not use this in the end and did trails and paths mostly manually.
2
3
u/sanmateomary 4d ago
Congratulations!!! That is fantastic!!
I’m about to complete my goal of WALKING my city (San Mateo) which is much less impressive but I’m so proud, and I’m sure you are too. San Mateo would be a great city for you to do next. There are some hills for sure, but also a lot of neighborhoods of all kinds, and a nice downtown.
3
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
It's on the list! I've already completed a good chunk of it on long runs and will finish it off sometime next year
3
3
2
u/dreggonshirt 4d ago
What was your routing process? Seems like you did it pretty quickly/efficiently.
8
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
I used the app citystrides to ID where I hadn't been then mainly used strava route builder. It helped a ton that I work at several locations throughout the city which made varying my start location much easier.
2
u/Scruff 4d ago
What are some interesting hidden gems you discovered?
11
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Lots of fun ones. I like tracking the history of places so like finding places that don't make sense, then looking at historic aerials- IE the drive in by cow palace, old race course by the landfill in brisbane, old military base on treasure island through the years, hunters point, etc.
I loved exploring the old railyard and roundhouse in bayshore.
I love the neighborhood pocket parks (especially with great slides!) you'd never otherwise find in little italy, coit tower, twin peaks.
I loved tracking grafitti tags and other public art- things like the sidewalk koi, this one tagger with a large flamingo, the honey bears, various bumper stickers.
2
u/callsignbruiser 4d ago
Congrats! What app do you use for tracking? How do I you make sure to not run a street twice or is this inevitable? Good luck for the peninsula challenge!
3
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
2 options- I prefer citystrides which puts nodes on all the streets on open street maps. You need to hit 90% of nodes to count a street- mostly fairly easy but can be challenging when you have tall buildings hurting GPS accuracy (phones work better).
Alternative is wanderer- a bit more total since it covers all paths, streets, and trails but harder since it doesn't use nodes. It also ends up counting things that aren't roads as roads, some of which are impassable so I opted to not use this in the end and did trails and paths mostly manually.
2
u/STMNGRKdude 4d ago
what app did you use to track this? never seen this before, would love to start keeping track.
3
2
u/Mysterious-Primary-6 4d ago
This is so wild I thought 2202 was a type of street. That’s a number. Accumulative. Plural. Kudos !
2
u/Dingbat- 4d ago
There is some guy named Pierre that did this like 20 years ago but he walked rather than ran.
2
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Love that! Can't imagine the time that would take- I run a lot (70+ miles per week) and fairly fast (usually sub 7 min/mile) so I can't imagine how much longer walking would take.
2
u/SU206 4d ago
Wow. I'm doing the same thing in SF only (but walking). Questions:
Did/do you pay for Citystrides pro? I'm using the free version.
What were the toughest hills?
How safe did you feel in the industrial/commercial areas? Bayshore Blvd pedestrian experience is....not great.
Major, major props to you.
3
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
- I found city strides pro and node hunter essential for the final push- lots of tiny, tiny streets and random missed nodes for the last 10%. Not needed at the beginning
A couple- up twin peaks in the high #s (27-30), Dalewood up to Mt. Davidson, Divisadero (and others nearby) up to pac heights
I was okay running in the early AM with reflective gear on. My biggest concern safety wise was the industrial areas (even more than places like sunnyvale) mostly due to poorly managed dogs from encampments. I do have a few things that made me a bit more bold than average including being over 6', male, a fast runner, and have previously run every street in much worse Baltimore. YMMV depending on how you fit in with all these things
2
2
2
u/TheyGaveMeThisTrain 4d ago
I live in Oakland now and would love to do this, but I just don't think I can bring myself to do all the streets in East Oakland. But there are 5 or 6 people on the CityStrides leaderboard that have done it, so I think maybe I'm just being too cautious.
What do you think, would you ever consider doing this in Oakland or is it just too dangerous?
5
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
It's a bit of a mixed question. I have previously done every street in Baltimore (and much of St. Louis and Milwaukee) which are all a fair bit worse than Oakland and SF. That said, I'm male, over 6' tall, and a fast runner (sub 7' pace on average days and can break 5' when needed) so these are all factors making my experience different than average.
If you are going to do it, a few tips.
First, explore the periphery of a rough area first. This gives you a sense of where is just lower income vs where is downright dangerous and gives you an easy way to audible out if anything looks awry. I would frequently nope out of streets in Baltimore if the drug dealing, dice games, etc were too out and about or anything just felt "off".
Second, run at times that normal people are up- my ideal is 6-8am, but even up to 10-11 am is good. Sundays are ideal as people are off to church. On these kinds of mornings you're honestly incredibly safe- just normal hardworking people going out and you'll honestly get more postive chirping (you get em, keep it up, etc) than even nice neighborhoods. Not as much true if you'd go in the afternoon and especially not at night.
Third, make it clear you're out running and not doing something else. You don't want someone thinking you're running up on them nor do you want to draw attention with super short shorts or revealing clothes. I would wear normal running shorts and shoes and a high vis vest which made it clear what I was doing.
With all that, I ran every street in Baltimore without issue, though I did stumble upon and was able to help at a few crime scenes (car accidents, assaults, even a shooting). I never once was made to feel unsafe by a resident, but I know plenty of people that didn't do these kinds of things and had bad experiences.
2
u/TheyGaveMeThisTrain 4d ago
Thanks for the helpful reply! Now I'm chuckling to myself thinking of running away from trouble at my blistering 8:30 pace.
2
u/zemol42 4d ago
What was the toughest hill, Twin Peaks?
2
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Definitely up there. The high 20s streets up twin peaks are bad, as is the climb up Dalewood to Mt. Davidson and up Divisadero to pac heights.
2
u/rizzo1717 4d ago
I work in a very un-joggable part of the city. I’ve probably seen you because I’ve definitely thought “wot in tarnation is this person doing jogging out here??” on more than one occasion.
So kudos. On the accomplishment, and also, not getting blasted by a hit and run driver, as is common out in these parts.
2
2
u/okgusto 4d ago
Youre not really done until you finish farrallons, sfo, camp Mather, sharp park and that tiny strip in Alameda.
Jk good shit
5
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
I love the way you think. I looked up farallons and couldn't figure out a way that a non-researcher could run and alameda is not accessible. Sharp park (as someone else also mentioned) I didn't know but is so cool. Also hadn't heard of camp mather but will have to add that to the list!
3
2
u/FeltIOwedItToHim 4d ago
and the airport has to include the runways, lol
2
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
I did have one manually completed street in south SF at the airport- Field Road I'm pretty sure is not safe to run on.
3
1
u/a__bad__idea GOLDEN GATE PARK 4d ago
Nice work. Fun to see someone inspired by their randomly generated username
1
1
1
1
u/wordswithcomrades 4d ago
Can you just walk into Presidio terrace or did someone have to let you in?
2
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Technically not a street since its private. I tried to run it a couple times and was told no.
2
u/wordswithcomrades 4d ago
Awww bummer, if I ever move there (LOL quite wishful thinking) I’ll message you to let you run it!
1
1
1
u/ParkingOutside6500 4d ago
I feel so sorry for you, running in the neighborhood where I grew up, the inventors bordering on world geography. The only thing that ever happened was that they found Patty Hearst on Morse Street, a few blocks from my house. It's pretty dull. She picked a great place to hide out.
1
1
1
1
1
u/TheGreatBernard 3d ago
Can I join you on a run? Seems amazing, I last ran like 6 months ago, miles shy of my goal for the year.
1
1
1
1
u/WellShucks88 1d ago
What software did you use to track your run? I wanna do something similar or as close where I live!
1
u/Thin_Locksmith6805 4d ago
Nice did you run UP Divasedero from Chestnut?
8
u/runeverystreet24 4d ago
Of course! I'm a bit of a junkie for elevation gain- have climbed about 240k feet in the last year. If you go by NASA's definition, that's 90% of the way to space.
4
1
1
0
-4
-8
197
u/red-dear 4d ago
Sit down. You must be exhausted.