The general term for the beach on the west coast of
San Francisco. Ocean Beach extends roughly from the southern border of San Francisco County to
Lincoln Park to the north. Nearby notable landmarks include the
San Francisco Zoo,
Golden Gate Park,
Beach Chalet,
Cliff House and the former grounds of
Playland at the Beach, now an apartment complex. Ocean Beach is not exactly the kind of
beach that
Gidget and
Moondoggie would come to; true to the usual nature of the
weather on the west side of SF Ocean Beach is usually overcast and somewhat cold. When you add
killer riptides into the mix and
signs put up by the city that inform passers-by just how dangerous the water is you end up with a waterfront that is very popular with
crazy surfers. It's not as popular as the beaches at
Pacifica or
Half Moon Bay, both to the south, but it's good enough surfing territory that a number of surfers make their homes near Ocean Beach, including
Chris Isaak. Ocean Beach is also the original home of
Burning Man.
Because of the wind and the relatively low population density, Ocean Beach is prime territory for kite flying.