Bernal Heights Hill Wide Garage Sale

The Hillwide Garage Sale is back for 2012!
If you have a garage in Bernal and want to participate or if you just want to see where all the goodies will be on the day, check out all the details over at
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Explore Bernal Heights’ riches culturally and get your shopping on. Or if you live here, meet your neighbors, shop for all kinds of amazing stuff and buy from cool people. The Hill Wide Garage sale is part scavenger hunt and part party, but it’s mostly just unique. This neighborhood is the perfect place for this kind of thing. If you attend only a few of the streets you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s a must see for any vintage or garage sale fan.

Hello crap! That’s what I’d say if I happened to sit down next to the garage sale at a bar. The shocking amount of americana and other ancient relics people have managed to squirrel away over the years is on display for all to see at this annual event. Start off by getting a map of the hosting garages at the BHNC.
I saw everything from what seemed like garbage people didn’t feel like throwing away to an old Russian military motorcycle with sidecar. An awesome event. Many homes feature baked goods so keep on the lookout. Sadly I missed the cupcakes, but it’s something to look forward to next year.

Mom: «I bought something for you.» *huge grin*
Me (I was parking the car, we’ve been apart for 2 seconds, what could she have bought in such a short amount of time?): «For me?» *smiles*
Mom reaches into her purse… and pulls out… a FROG paperweight!
Me (to my sister Dominique): «How could you let her do that?!»
Dominique: «She was so fast, I couldn’t stop her. I turned and before I knew it the transaction was made!»
– Now, a bit of history about me, my mom, and frogs. Some time ago… in a galaxy far, far away… my mom got the idea that I like frogs. I was probably with her in some shop and pointed at a frog and said it was cute or something. Ever since then on birthdays, holidays, and random days I get frog pajamas, slippers, stuffed frogs, paperweights, gold pendants from aunts who’ve been told I like frogs (I don’t even wear jewelry!), calendars, magnets… I could go on. So, last year I had to have a very, very difficult conversation with my mom. It was really hard, I mean, how do you tell your mom who has been building this crazy collection for you for years (maybe even a decade?) that you actually don’t really care for frogs. She seemed to take it well and last year’s birthday AND Christmas came and went sans frogs. Yay!
– Now, return to present day. My mom and Dominique arrived late Friday night for a fun filled weekend with ME =) It’s my mom’s first visit to my new (ish) apartment. Her eyes settle and she comments on a frog stuffed animal that I have on my bookshelf (the ONLY one left in my place — after our «difficult» conversation last year I felt liberated and got rid of most of the collection sparing one in the apartment on my bookshelf and one in the backseat of my car.) So, at this point I should have told her not to get any crazy ideas, but I didn’t feel the need to rub salt in her wounds.
Look where that got me… with another frickin’ frog…
Bernal Heights Hill Wide Garage Sale — don’t you know you shouldn’t be tempting my mom with frog paraphernalia?! After our brief spat on Cortland about my mom’s frog purchasing addiction we had a great time weaving up and down the hills wheelin’ and dealin’ with the Bernal residences. My mom loves garage sales and we really lucked out with their visit coinciding with this annual sale, PLUS great weather! I’d like to try to visit again next year — with my mom =) — only following another reminder about frogs!

One of the reasons I love Bernal Heights! There is always something going on! This places gets turned upside down and crowded when these garage sales are here… So many people participating hoping and waiting to sell their junk. It’s always cool to see what other people have and what other people buy. I remember seeing this guy buy two grocery bags worth of comic books – amazing! It’s a good thing to have here!

This is one of the reasons why I love my lil’ neighborhood: the hill-​wide garage sale. Yes, that’s right, the whole freakin’ hill gets covered in other folks’ former treasures for one full day. If you’re a bargain hunter like me, you can’t find a better place to be. It happens every year in August – this year it’s the 19^th from 9am to 4pm. Come check it out!