Jesus H Christ, people. It's just a restaurant. I've lived in "NOPA" or The Western Addition or The Panhandle/USF or whatever you want to call it for 6 years. Places come and go. They do not define the neighborhood. That is up to the residents. Considering the only commercial zone in our whole neighborhood is a tiny stretch of Divisadero street, my advice is to stop worrying about it. If you don't like NOPA, don't go. I don't think they'll mind.

ive lived here for over 3 years in the "western addition" neighborhood. exactly one block from where NOPA was built. to me, the NOPA restaurant seems out of place (across the street from popeyes) and is far from defining the neigborhood. i think most of the people that do eat at nopa aren't even from the neigborhood. the honest truth is that the location has become sort of a tourist attraction nowadays. i choose not to support the restaurant or the overpriced grocery store/deli that sprouted around the same time behind bank of america along with generic apt complex. the north of the panhandle/western addition area is just becoming another elitist dining location. i think we people that live in the neigborhood need to show our concern and stop suporting places like NOPA.

ive lived here for over 3 years in the "western addition" neighborhood. exactly one block from where NOPA was built. to me, the NOPA restaurant seems out of place (across the street from popeyes) and is far from defining the neigborhood. i think most of the people that do eat at nopa aren't even from the neigborhood. the honest truth is that the location has become sort of a tourist attraction nowadays. i choose not to support the restaurant or the overpriced grocery store/deli that sprouted around the same time behind bank of america along with generic apt complex. the north of the panhandle/western addition area is just becoming another elitist dining location. i think we people that live in the neigborhood need to show our concern and stop suporting places like NOPA.

ive lived here for over 3 years in the "western addition" neighborhood. exactly one block from where NOPA was built. to me, the NOPA restaurant seems out of place (across the street from popeyes) and is far from defining the neigborhood. i think most of the people that do eat at nopa aren't even from the neigborhood. the honest truth is that the location has become sort of a tourist attraction nowadays. i choose not to support the restaurant or the overpriced grocery store/deli that sprouted around the same time behind bank of america along with generic apt complex. the north of the panhandle/western addition area is just becoming another elitist dining location. i think we people that live in the neigborhood need to show our concern and stop suporting places like NOPA.

I've lived there for 14 years -- and I'm proud to call it the Western Addition rather than some whitebread name imposed on it by rich pukes ("Polk Village" anyone?) who are too afraid of black people to enjoy the actual history of the area ... in truth we used to call the area the Armpit because it's where the panhandle met lower haight met western addition. But it's nice to see the Weekly buy in so easily to the whole gentrification thing -- I guess in a couple years they'll be awarding things to Gefi (Geary Fillmore) Thi-How (Third and Howard), BaHu (Bayview Hunters Point) and MidMa (Mid-Market) -- all neighborhoods schedule for "redevelopment." Well, at least they'll have good expensive late-night restaurants! Maybe the poor folk can wash dishes ...

While I agree with the review about Nopa's cuisine, I take offense that the restaurant has "named and defined the neighborhood." I've lived in Nopa for more than three years and we've been calling the neighborhood that for much longer. The boundaries are technically Divis, Fell, Turk and Masonic, although truthfully we are part of the Western Addition. I'm happy to see that we're considered hip by other San Franciscans, but to state that the name of the neighborhood was defined by the restaurant is just wrong.