The Canvas Gallery and Café

Yes, Virginia, there are cool things in the Western neighborhoods.

I had a meeting yesterday afternoon at The Canvas Gallery and Café, out in the Sunset. It chagrins me to think how seldom I make it out to the western half of the city, and after seeing this place, it has exposed a certain snobbery on my part about the Mission-Castro-Noe cluster that I consider to be the center of the universe.

Perched on the edge of Golden Gate Park and at the beginning of the cool business center along 9th Ave, The Canvas is an enormous space with high ceilings. The counter forms an island in the middle of the vast space, which in turn is broken into smaller gallery spaces showcasing a variety of artwork. The café menu is predictable and only ancillary to the real draws here: Free Wi-Fi, free comedy and musical performances nearly nightly and -- gasp! -- free parking in the small lot out back. It's worth the trip.

The Canvas Gallery and Café
1200 9th Ave (At Lincoln)