For 25 years I’ve been touring houses, condos and buildings in San Francisco, and I’ve come to love particular enclaves. Some are best kept secrets, some are under-valued.  Some have features only residents can truly appreciate.

One of these micro-neighborhoods is tucked at the far western border of NOPA. Once upon a time it was known as part of Hayes Valley, and some folks think of it as Inner Richmond or Lone Mountain though it doesn’t squarely fit any of those labels.

Here you’ll find quiet streets without noisy commercial uses and a charming array of late Victorian architecture.  The properties feel substantial, with voluminous rooms and rich period detail, all undergirded by thick beams of redwood harvested long ago from the forests north of the bay.

A favorite property I sold early in my career was a home on Shrader St., just behind St. Mary’s Hospital (a surprisingly quiet institutional neighbor). This handsome house was capacious yet warm, with a generous and inviting foyer, four airy bedrooms, and a magical verdant garden.  My clients fell in love with it as soon as they hit the top of the entry stairs and caught a peek inside.

I have a new listing, making its market debut in the next month or so, that is similarly enchanting.  It feels solid and secure, with its architectural features intact or enhanced by down-to-the-studs, top-of-the-line remodel.  The rooms are grand and light, yet there are numerous nooks and crannies for hiding out and resting.  It’s unique, in the true definition of that adjective, and doesn’t fit any prototypical mold.

These understated properties, and many others I’ve seen nearby over the years, feel as if they’re hidden in plain sight. They sit on streets that don’t serve as regular cut-through spots for motorists. They’re well maintained and attractive. The result is a sleepy neighborhood with a gentle, relaxed feeling.  Yet it’s very convenient and centrally located.

There’s plenty to do. Golden Gate Park, in my opinion one of the most under-utilized urban spaces in the nation, is so close you could roll out of bed and into the park in your pajamas.  It’s a haven for walkers, runners, cyclists, dog owners, children or anyone seeking an eyeful of green and a breath of fresh air.  Just inside its Stanyan border lies the Conservatory of Flowers, the Fuschia and Dahlia dells, the Golden Gate Park Tennis Club, the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club, The Children’s Playground (and Carousel), the National AIDS Memorial Grove and plenty of playing fields, walking trails and places where you can just sit and be. (And I’m only talking about the easternmost section of the park!)

Additionally, western NOPA allows for easy access (on foot or by car or MUNI) to many other distinct enclaves for shopping and dining: Haight Ashbury, Laurel Village, Divisadero Street, 9th and Irving, and Clement Street. Check it out on a map. It is right in front of you, smack dab in the heart of San Francisco—an urban oasis offering the best a city can give.