Family-Friendly Neighborhoods of San Francisco - 2

Cole Valley

Just off the colorful Haight Ashbury district, this cute pocket of the city is the perfect spot to relax in before or after checking out Golden Gate Park’s world-class Koret Children’s Playground and Carousel and the California Academy of Sciences (opening Fall 2008). The three-block commercial stretch of Cole Street has several cafés and shops for idle browsing and lots of post card pretty Victorians to swoon over. There’s also a distinctly French feel to the neighborhood, with a restaurant called Zazie (after the Louis Malle film), and French-owned wine and cheese shops, as well as an excellent boulangerie (see below). The hardy can walk all the way up Cole Street to Tank Hill for a great view of the city.

Snack

Boulange de Cole (1000 Cole St., tel. 415-242-2442). This spot serves authentic pain au chocolate and café au lait (seriously, they are just like the ones in Paris!), plus a nice selection of savory tarts and salads. Buzzing with families and locals who crowd around its communal wooden tables, there are also several outside seats.

Crêpes on Cole (100 Carl St; tel. 415-664-1800). It has a slightly scruffy student vibe, probably due to the building’s former life as “The Other,” a comedy club where Robin Williams and Dana Carvey performed in their early days (look for the original sign outside). A menu of big crepes and salads, along with the boisterous mood, make it a good place to eat with kids.

Shop

Pharmaca (925 Cole St., tel. 415-661-1216). A spacious integrative pharmacy that has space for the kids to stretch out while you sample bath products, books and yoga gear. Don’t miss the natural baby products.

• French toast with fresh fruit is one of the many delicious breakfast plates available at Crepes on Cole.
• Jeremy Keith

Stumasa (515 Frederick St., tel. 415-759-1234. www.stumasa.com). A few blocks off the main drag, this creatively charged shop sells handmade furniture and one-of-kind decorative objects for nursery and kid’s rooms, as well as more grownup stuff like candles and tableware. I always find something here that I must have, but the decent prices make this guilt-free retail therapy.

Egg and Urban Mercantile (85 Carl St., tel. 415- 564-2248). This shop is full of cool things for the home, as well as a few hip baby items—clothes and art for the modern nursery.

Caffeinate

Café Reverie (848 Cole St., tel. 415-242-0200). Features espresso drinks straight out of Italy and has a pretty garden and lots of books and board games to while away an hour. They also serve a light lunch menu.

• Kids monkey around at the Koret Children’s Quarter, America’s oldest playground established in 1887.
• Kevin Krejci

Tully’s (919 Cole St., tel. 415-753-2287). This is the spot for a quick cup of coffee or a smoothie.

Play

Our absolute favorite playground is the Koret Children’s Quarter (320 Bowling Green Dr. between John F. Kennedy Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive) in Golden Gate Park. Recently reopened after a major overhaul, this is the oldest playground in the country, so it was time for a face-lift! Sitting adjacent to the historic carousel (don’t miss a spin on this hand-painted beauty), this multi-age appropriate wonderland will keep your kids happy for hours.

For more information on family-friendly San Francisco, check out this comprehensive site (gocitykids.parentsconnect.com).