#22750 Finding a Hipster Haven on a Gritty Block of San Francisco, CA

It's no secret: the Phoenix Hotel is in the middle of San Francisco's Tenderloin, a seedy-but-lively neighborhood with the most eclectic (and often entertaining) mix of people, including bums and the city's poor, Vietnamese shop owners of Little Saigon, and local artists and musicians renting out small galleries and band studios. From afar, the Phoenix looks like nothing special—aside from a refreshing splash of pale cerulean on the brick walls bordering its parking lot and the reclining buddha on the roof of its on-site party spot, the Bambuddha Lounge, it looks like any old motel. But enter the gate to the colorful courtyard of guest rooms, and you'll find a funky little oasis (and pool), closed off from the street. Don't expect to drown out the city's sounds, though—the hotel and lounge have been known to create party noise all its own.