Boundaries: 16th St., Dolores St., 25th St., York St.
Distance: 2 1/4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Parking: Off-street parking is available on the corner of Valencia and 18th streets.
Public Transit: 16th St. and 24th St. BART stations; 14 Muni bus.

San Francisco's most vibrant, diverse, and creative neighborhood is the Mission. The broad, flat district is populated by Latino families, artsy hipsters, and a growing number of white-collar workers. Amid the bars, bodegas, taquerías, and upscale restaurants are many buildings distinguished not so much by the businesses operating there, but by the art on the exterior walls. Murals—some in the tradition of Diego Rivera, others drawing on contemporary pop culture—have proliferated throughout the Mission. There are far too many works of art to take in on a single walk. This walk passes many of the key murals, and ducks into a few shops to get a feel for the neighborhood.