The Portola Neighborhood Association
Vision & Mission
The Portola Neighborhood Association has been showing up for this neighborhood since 2006, organizing cleanups, installing murals, building parks from unused land, connecting merchants to resources they didn't know existed, and making sure the city pays attention to one of San Francisco's most distinctive and underrecognized communities.
We're not a city agency or a formal nonprofit. We're volunteers — neighbors who live or work near the Portola District, who care about what our neighborhood looks like and feels like, and who believe the Portola's identity as San Francisco's Garden District is worth protecting and growing. Everything we do flows from that belief.
Our Vision
The PNA is a volunteer organization that envisions a neighborhood whose diverse members participate actively in the stewardship of our vibrant community.
Our Mission
1. Improve and promote beautification
We run the Clean Portola campaign — cleanups that don't just pick up trash but track where it's coming from and push for solutions at the source. We've installed nine blocks of string lighting along San Bruno Avenue, commissioned public murals, and work with DPW on signage and illegal dumping enforcement.
2. Promote safe transportation and safe access for all
We coordinate with SFMTA and the Supervisor's office on traffic calming, sidewalk improvements, and better access along San Bruno Avenue for everyone who walks, bikes, or rides through the neighborhood.
3. Create and activate public spaces for community engagement
We built the Green Between — a park carved from an unused Caltrans easement on San Bruno Avenue — and we're still expanding it. We're also actively working to reactivate the Avenue Theater and advocating for improvements to Palega Recreation Center.
4. Host events that celebrate our community
From Dim Sum & Cars to Drag Queen Bingo, neighborhood garage sales, and the Spooky Reverie Halloween light show — we run events that reflect the full range of who lives in the Portola.
5. Build on the neighborhood's Garden District identity
The Portola is one of the greenest corners of San Francisco, and that's not an accident. We support the Portola Garden Club, maintain green spaces along the corridor, and are working to complete the Back 40 expansion and new gateway entrance at the Green Between.
6. Increase advocacy for attention and resources from City agencies
We show up at planning meetings. We push SFMTA, DPW, SFPD, and the Supervisor's office to treat the Portola as a priority. When city agencies present plans that affect our neighborhood, we make sure neighbors have a voice in the outcome.
7. Link residents and merchants to City resources
Most neighbors and businesses don't know what's available to them. We connect San Bruno Avenue merchants to facade improvement grants, small business loans, and programs like SF Shines. We run guides on tools like 311 so neighbors can actually use the city's systems effectively.
8. Encourage bridge-building with neighboring communities
We work to make the PNA accessible to everyone in the Portola — including non-English-speaking neighbors — and maintain relationships with adjacent neighborhoods and community organizations across the city.
Get Involved
The PNA is open to every neighbor and business in the district. Board meetings are held monthly and everyone is welcome.