You Don't Need Kids to Justify a Wagon in San Francisco
Photo by Gary Sandoz on Unsplash
Each week, San Francisco’s Rockwell-esque families pull their kids, rescue dogs, and farmer’s market haul home in the types of all-terrain carts that people with IPO income tend to purchase. We’re talking about $400+, canopy-bedecked, fold-up wagons, or—as we like to call them—swagons. But for folks who simply enjoy a good park day or the occasional flea market excursion, a modest fold-up wagon is still a smart purchase.
Consider all the times you’ve barely made it home from the Ferry Building farmer’s market weighed down with bags of locally-grown kale. Take a moment to remember when you had to coordinate with friends to pick up the 800 cans of La Croix you were unloading from a Lyft at Dolores Park on a sunny day. And what about the Alameda Flea market treasures you passed up because they were too bulky for your reusable totes? Granted, these are 100-percent, bougie Bay Area problems. That’s why they deserve a 100-percent, bougie, Bay Area solution: a wagon.
You may balk at the idea of taking away precious space in your apartment with a wagon, but folding wagons tend to be lightweight, (about 20-30 lbs) and fold to fit into a small space, (less than 2 sq. ft.) They can fit into the back of a closet and the trunk of your rideshare. They take up less space than a roll-aboard carry-on bag, and—if you’re really in a storage pinch—you could nest one inside that roll-aboard carry on bag when you’re not using it.
When it comes to setting up a party in Golden Gate Park on a Sunday or a massive picnic spot for all your friends at Off the Grid in the Presidio, the joy of carting everything in a single trip in a wagon is hard to measure, but suffice it to say it’s worth the $70-$100 that a wagon will cost you—especially when amortized over months of al fresco dinners and beach days. While our local City Target outposts typically don’t keep wagons in stock, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walmart have folding options available for less than $100 in the East Bay. If you prefer the convenience of ordering online, Amazon wins on price with this Prime-eligible Radio Flyer EZ Folding Wagon for $68, regularly $89.99. (Head’s up: it’s also available on Prime Now.)
In the grand scheme of things, a wagon is not an “essential.” If you have to make a choice between buying a wagon and paying your bills, pay your bills—no question. But if you have disposable income and you enjoy gathering with friends outside on a gorgeous San Francisco day, a wagon can make those gathering less stressful and (hopefully) more frequent.