Standing out of sight of a Muni line, it's easy to forget you're still in San Francisco. Ingleside has a more suburban feel, and residents seemed friendly and invested in their neighborhood in the same way people from small towns are.
Near the theater, Ingleside slides into Ingleside Terrace, which is marked on Google Maps as a distinct neighborhood. Strolling through, we realized why.
Houses in Ingleside Terrace were noticeably ritzier than those we had seen in Ingleside. You won't find homes under $1 million there.
And longtime fixtures of the community are fading into memory. Built in 1962, Ingleside's historic El Rey Theater sits vacant and unused. It was recently awarded landmark status.
But change was in the air, with a Whole Foods store now located across the street from Beep's. Studio apartments above the supermarket are priced from $2,800 a month.
I don't eat red meat, but my colleague Melia tried the classic quarter-pound cheeseburger.
At $6.75, the classic Beep's Burger wasn't cheap, but it was well-assembled and smothered in cheese. Melia thought it was a rung above a fast-food burger.
Michael moved to Ingleside in the early '80s and told Business Insider that many members of the neighborhood have since left because of the rising cost of living.
"People realize they can't prosper [in San Francisco] as much as in other cities, so that causes a lot of changes," Michael said. When he was ready to buy a home for his family of five, he left, too. His family now lives in a more affordable city in San Francisco's East Bay.
To him, the community in Ingleside is special. Of the area's gritty reputation, he said, "The area does have its moments, but it's a beautiful community, and I think it has toned down."
Robberies and assaults in Ingleside have made headlines over the years, but data from Walkscore shows that Ingleside has less personal and property crime per person than the rest of San Francisco.
Michael Allen, head program coordinator for the church's after-school program, was there supervising homework time. He's been part of the church's community for eight years.
We heard about a cool mural at Ingleside Presbyterian Church and were in awe when we found the entire church is covered in a photo collage of great African Americans.
The collage got its start 37 years ago when Revered Roland Gordon put up a picture of Muhammad Ali, and it has climbed the walls of the church since. The computer lab is dedicated to Barack Obama, and we were told the ladies room is devoted to photos of Beyoncé.
Home prices in Ingleside hover around $1 million but have risen by 9% in the past year. This four-bedroom was listed at $799,000 in February and sold for nearly $200,000 over asking one month later.
Java on Ocean, once the lone coffee shop in Ingleside, has been a community stronghold for the past 22 years. A friendly feathered resident named Green provides ambient noise.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
After we got out of the park, it was time for coffee. We headed to Ocean Avenue, the main drag. The strip has had new supermarkets, restaurants, and condos crop up recently.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Our first stop was the community garden at Brooks Park, where locals can grow produce and ornamental plants for personal use. It's known for panoramic views of the city.
After some serious huffing and puffing up one of Ingleside's (many) steep hills, we arrived. Two people were tending their plots, and the garden was beautifully well-maintained and quiet.