Section 8 of 10
Community and events
Cycling and running groups, meeting people, Belgian events and the weather.
Building a bit of community makes the city feel like home fast. Whether you ride, run, or just want to meet other Belgians, here's where to plug in.
Cycling
- SF is amazing for cycling. Nice routes include Hawk Hill and the Paradise Loop.
- Strava groups if you'd rather not ride alone: Rapha SF and 707.
- On weekdays between 5am and 3pm you can only cycle on the right side of the Golden Gate Bridge, together with pedestrians. On weekends and after 3pm you use the left side, where pedestrians are not allowed.
- Good lunch stops where you can keep your bike in sight. Both have a restroom, quick lunch options, free tap water and outdoor seating so you can watch your bike:
- Equator Coffees, Sausalito: 1201 Bridgeway A, Sausalito, CA 94965.
- Cafe Acri, Tiburon: 1 Main St, Tiburon, CA 94920.
Running
- Midnight Runners. Download the Heylo app to join. Every Wednesday at 6pm they meet at the baseball stadium in Mission Bay. They also organize runs in the Marina.
- Hella Bae is a running club for women, active across the whole Bay Area, with plenty of runs on the weekend.
Gyms and classes
- ClassPass lets you try out different sports and group lessons in your area on a single membership.
Meeting people and staying in the loop
- Belgian events: belgian.club.
- WhatsApp: the "Belgians in SF" group, for Belgians in SF and the Bay Area. Request access.
- Tech events and hackathons: Partiful, Luma and Eventbrite.
- City events: follow the local Instagram pages to stay up to date.
Weather
- SF is always windy and the UV is extremely high, so wear sunscreen and sunglasses.
- The Bay Area is often 5 to 10 °C warmer than the city.