Local photographer Travis Monson recently captured some stunning shots from a walk through Bernal Heights.

Bernal Heights remains one of San Francisco's most underrated neighborhoods — a hilltop gem with panoramic views, a tight-knit community feel, and streets that still manage to feel like a real neighborhood. The hill itself is one of the few spots in the city where you can get a genuine 360-degree view without paying a dime or standing in a tourist line.

The neighborhood has kept its quirky, independent spirit — the kind of organic community identity that can't be manufactured.

Of course, Bernal isn't immune to SF's broader problems. Property crime and housing costs touch every corner of the seven-by-seven. But the neighborhood continues to prove that when people invest in their own community, good things happen.

So here's to Bernal Heights: beautiful and free to visit.