On Taraval Street, near the western edge of the City, the morning arrives slowly. Surfers cross back from Ocean Beach with boards under their arms, dog walkers loop the block on their way home and the L train rolls toward the end of its line, letting the last of its riders out into the salt air.
For the past eight years, the corner near 46th Avenue has belonged to Avenues, the surf-and-coffee shop that has quietly become a fixture of the Outer Sunset.
Owner Eddie Choi had lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades before opening the shop in 2018, so planting a flag here felt personal. Taraval Street was not part of any strict plan. At the time it was rawer and less developed than Judah or Irving streets, home to longtime spots like the Bashful Bull, Riptide, Brothers Pizza and a couple of mahjong clubs. Choi saw room to bring new energy to the street, and when timing and opportunity lined up, it felt like a now-or-never moment…