Inner Mission | Bernal Heights | Potrero Hill | South Beach | SOMA | Mission Bay

District 9

South of Market (SOMA), Inner Mission, Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, South Beach, Mission Bay, Dogpatch, Yerba Buena & East Cut

One of the largest and most diverse of districts, District 9 runs the gamut from luxury skyscraper penthouses with door people, high HOAs, amenities and valet parking to tiny bungalows, creaky Victorians that are falling apart, lofts, stunning hillside mansions and more.

What’s common to the area? Well, it’s sunny, closest to the freeways and mass transit (BART and CalTrain) and home to the emerging biotech sector, AT&T Park, the future Golden State Warriors stadium it’s no wonder why it’s one of the most-traded of the districts and the most travelled and trafficked. The people who live here range from renter, owner, tenant, landlord, lifers to just arrived, hipster, activist, baseball star, jet setter, the elderly, kids, techies who code to people who’ve never touched a computer.

The Inner Mission. Like Noe Valley is also focused on 24th Street, the traditionally Hispanic neighborhood has been ground central for the latest gentrification fights. What’s happening? Rental properties are being turned into TICs or razed to make way for larger market-rate condominiums for techie and professionals alike. At the same time more bike lanes are coming as are tech shuttles and protests. Inventory wise you’ll have old facade homes (split between condos/TICs and single-family homes) that have been really remodeled (quartz countertops, engineered woods, large format tile baths) that are sold as TICs as well as the fixer that is in need of substantial fixing. Therefore, you’re likely to find TICs here more than anywhere else in the City. What’s the draw? The neighborhood’s weather is warm, transit — car, shuttle or BART — is good and the neighborhood’s diversity are all draws. There are newer condo buildings towards Potrero, loft buildings like the ones near Hampshire and 18th Streets as well as the big brick and timber lofts on York Street as well as the big Union SF development around 20th and Bryant. The Media Gulch enclave near Alabama,19th Streets and Mariposa Streets has been led by the likes of Heath Ceramics, Slow Club, Coffee Bar, Sightglass, Mission Cliffs, Universal Café, Flower and Water, and with new businesses opening up every day there’s plenty more coming.

Portrero Hill. Sunny Potrero Hill has arguably the best weather in San Francisco. Typically it is one of the last areas of the city to have the fog rolling in, it's a residential neighborhood filled mostly with single-family homes and condos and some small apartment buildings mixed throughout.

The calm pace here feels as if you are located in a suburban neighborhood in San Francisco proper. Rich with history from it's early Gold Rush settlements, this neighborhood also boasts the crookedest street in San Francisco on the top of Vermont street And no, the crookedest street in the world is not Lombard Street!

Boutique shops and quaint restaurants line the main shopping strip on 18th Street from Mississippi to Arkansas Street. Enjoy Sunday brunch at Plow or French cuisine at Chez Maman. Feel like you are a local with a great cup of coffee at Farley's.

Transportation access is one of the main draws to the neighborhood with easy freeway access to 101 or 280. 22nd Street CalTrain stop is one of the main connecting options to Silicon Valley commuters.

(Flats). This area runs along 16th Street to about 18th Street along the area’s main drags — 18th, 17th and 16th Streets. In the flats you’ll see a mix of trades-related warehouses interspersed with historic loft conversion buildings, newer stock condominium buildings (1001 17th, the Onyx) and a very large condo development building at 17th Street and Kansas (The Potrero) that are complete with its very own Whole Foods and the large series of buildings along Carolina Street.

(North Slope). As you go up the slope you’ll encounter a mix older Edwardian two-unit buildings, marina-style houses, Victorians with fewer that have been renovated but the ones that have can be breathtaking or have breathtaking views. There is a good crop of circa 2007 vintage remodels in the area for some reason too with colored-glass pendants. This area focuses around 18th Street with its little shops, restaurants and venerable Goat Hill Pizza. The area is sought after for these single-family homes and split-up Victorians as many will have character and views of the City’s skyline.

(South Slope). On the other side of Southern Heights is the South Slope of Potrero Hill. You have a sunnier, drier part and a more desolate feel because the views are usually of 280/101. The streets are broader and there are big Victorians, some Edwardian condos and duplexes all sloping down. But as you get to 25th the freeway noise, and the slope downwards towards the infamous Potrero housing projects that have been identified as the next big redevelopment site which will feature a more mixed-income, less-dense focus that has worked at 25th and Harrison and at Valencia Gardens at Valencia and 14th Streets. Part of that redevelopment will also feature new market-rate condominiums too.

The people here you'll find are educated, family-driven, and overall enjoy the outdoor California lifestyle with a small-town sophistication. Saying hello and being friendly in this neighborhood goes a long way. There are many community associations and groups you can join to contribute and be part of Potrero Hill.

TIP: If you have a dog try taking a walk after work or on the weekend to McKinley park where you'll find other dog owners and make some new friends.

China Basin/Mission Creek is really just made up of one street — Berry Street — but the area is home to lots and lots of people as the area has been filled up by large bulky condo buildings bounded by 280, Mission Creek (which still stinks at low tide) and CalTrain and AT&T Park. The condos are modern, large, and somewhat generic. Why are they appealing? It’s a little bit of Tampa or suburbia in San Francisco as most units will have at least 2- to 3-bedrooms with 2- to 3-baths and there will be more consistency in the inventory as they were built off of the same mold. The most energy efficient building is the Arterra which manages to have a 24-hour front desk staff, gym, parking and common area rooms while having low HOA dues is because of the LEED elements the building incorporated when it was being built in the 2008-2009 era. The latest development, the Arden, expands on leitmotifs from its sister buildings in Mission Bay (the Radiance and Madrone) by having light, double-pane windows, recessed lighting, drywall and professional management. Most the buildings will likely have parking (at least the 2-bedroom units will) and most having a door attendant downstairs with key-fob entry. You’re likely to see a lot of investors here as the City’s comprehensive Rent Ordinance doesn’t apply here meaning no rent or eviction control.

Mission Bay is one of San Francisco’s newest up-and-coming neighborhoods. Initial beginnings started when the Giants Ballpark broke ground and has since transformed into the growing lifestyle community it is today.

Mission Bay is known to be a medical and technology hub hosting cutting-edge bio and life sciences facilities such as UCSF and Kaiser campuses. In addition, unicorn companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Dropbox all call Mission Bay their headquarters and have large office footprints.

Located on the Eastern side of the city, known as the sunny side, there are endless outdoor activities and lifestyle accommodations. Run or walk down the Embarcadero, visit the Ferry Building for a Saturday Farmers Market, hop on the Muni T-Line or a bicycle Pedicab and head off to the Chase Center to watch a Warriors game.

This dense urban yet sophisticated area is bordered by China Basin/Townsend Street on the north, 3rd Street and San Francisco Bay to the east, Mariposa Street on the south and 7th Street and Interstate 280 on the west. A mix of mostly mid-rise, sleek modern condos combined with some of the best outdoor parks, trails, restaurants and coffee shops.

Getting around is easy with an abundance of public transportation including light rail trains, buses, SF casual carpool, bicycle sharing, electric scooter sharing, and bicycle Pedicabs. The N Judah and T Third Street lines of San Francisco's Muni will get you anywhere in the city fast.

If you're looking for the latest in cutting-edge residential living, urban amenities with outdoor recreational opportunities, a wide range of multi-unit buildings with continuous growth and a vibrant energy for a balanced work life ratio, look no further than Mission Bay.

Mission Bay is a thriving area and many consider this neighborhood the new "it" neighborhood to live in! The opening of Chase Center, T-Line light rail system, UCSF, Kaiser, and hot new tech start-ups bring in year round visitors and attract a younger crowd with all that it has to offer. Living in Mission Bay offers residents a dense urban feel with lots of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks. Expect to see a mix of young tech workers and health care professionals walking around local establishments and campuses. More biotech and tech companies are branching out to open and settle in.

Chase Center is an indoor area in the Mission Bay and home venue for the Golden State Warriors! Additionally, there will be concerts and events hosted there as well. If it's game day or concert day, be prepared for loyal fans and music/band lovers to pack the streets. It's a growing neighborhood so you'll see open lots but also very manicured gardens, parks, places to shop as well as young professionals heading to work.

Being home to UCSF medical and research facilities as well as biotech/tech companies there is an abundance of young, affluent professionals. If you enjoy recreational and outdoor living as well as hopping into an old school restaurant/bar with a funky patio for great outdoor eats and drinks at the Ramp or grabbing brunch at Mission Rock Resort, a waterside restaurant, Mission Bay can provide it all.

Weekends and special events are thriving. Baseball games with the Giants, music concerts, fireworks, Fleet Week, LGTBQ Parade, and Bay to Breakers all start right in this neighborhood. Afternoon dog clubs under Cupids Arrow and $1.05 oysters at Waterbar during the weekdays also are a hit. Waterbar proudly donates the extra $0.05 for every oyster sold in support of the local community to nonprofit organizations. You'll find people from all ages and backgrounds enjoying food, the culture, and company from others year round.

Overall this neighborhood does trend more on the younger side, albeit there is a nice mix of residents and visitors. With so many places for foodies, health care, and high-tech locations there is always something for everyone. The weekends you'll typically find on one of the sunny days a hip crowd hanging outdoors in the parks, riding bikes, walking to get outdoor seating at a cafe or restaurant.

On the East side of the 280 freeway lies, Dogpatch neighborhood. The Dogpatch is one of the most historically preserved neighborhoods due to its survival of the 1906 earthquake and fires. Its rich history dates back to the Gold Rush era circa 1848 where initial beginnings from industrial factories and shipyard district began.

Today the neighborhood still has an abundance of its historic buildings including factories and warehouses that have been converted into hip live-work loft and condo units. Home to creative types and burgeoning entrepreneurs this area is on the path of progress. Many call it the cool part of SF due to the laid back style and low-key feel after all the commercial businesses have closed doors on the weekends.

Thriving restaurants, coffee shops, boutique shopping, walking, biking paths, and nightlife make this a chic and sophisticated neighborhood.

Head over to some of the top venues such as Serpentine, Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous, Piccino, Progress Park, or the local staples Mission Rock and The Ramp.

Dogpatch was home to the City Attorney and to the Hell’s Angels for the longest time as the area languished after the area’s Pier 70 shuttered. The area has revitalized over the past 10 years with loft condominiums leading the way, the addition of the T-Line on 3rd Street and now with the promise of Pier 70’s ballot-measure approved revitalization project. While you can take CalTrain down the Peninsula you’ll likely drive on 280. And the area’s soundtrack is the sound of rubber meeting 280’s pavement. You’ll find loft condominiums from the 2000 and later vintage. You’ll see wood floors, brick & timber, modern build condos with more rooms and space with minimal amenities but with parking. The Hell’s Angels and City Attorney still live here.

One of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, recently voted by Time Out. This vibrant neighborhood is in the midst of change with the old and new alike. Buildings are stuck in time while the interiors have undergone gut renovations to cater to loft living and start-ups. Stroll down 22nd Street to be in the thick of it as the hot spot for the Dog Patch neighborhood with co-working space, Progress Park with dogs and a family playground, eat at the cute Just For You Cafe or grab a specialty cocktail at the Dogpatch Saloon. 

Typically picking up its pace during the evenings and on the weekends when the industrial and commercial industry closes down for the day. Locals and visitors flock to farm-to-table and meticulously poured libations at some of the cities most sought-after foodie hotspots. There's never a shortage of art from the buildings still standing to galleries and boutiques featuring local artists and pop-up exhibitions. Overall this neighborhood is poised and on track to become one of the most eclectic locations with easy public transportation baked into the neighborhood, Muni T-Line, and a vast range of mixed-use buildings and historical architecture, and evolving culture.

Creative, artsy, intelligent, out-of-the-box, a bit edgy, and trending on the younger side. The distribution of residents skews between mid ‘20s and early ‘40s. The concentration of artists and creative types thrive in this neighborhood. During the weekdays you'll see the parks are lightly used and coffee shops in full swing with patrons enjoying beverages while working on laptops or just enjoying this sunnier than normal SF neighborhood. Many new tech start-ups are beginning to move into older warehouses and factories. On a warm and sunny day, there are a lot of these days here, you'll find flocks of ice cream lovers getting their favorite scoop at Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous. Taking a walk down 3rd street and enjoying The Museum of Craft and Design or taking the leap to climb a boulder at Dogpatch Boulders. Outdoor experiences are a must if you are a local, you have to take advantage of the great weather, head down to The Ramp for an early morning brunch and crawl over to Kelly's Mission Rock restaurant for an afternoon appetizer and water views with drinks.s making the spaces open and community-friendly to foster inspiration.

Overall you'll find the people here are very laid back and enjoy the small town boutique feel of establishments and culturally chic lifestyle. There are many artists, creatives, and also a growing number of technology entrepreneurs who are finding this neighborhood very appealing. The average age in this neighborhood ranges from the late ‘20s to early ‘40s. Most enjoy the ease of transportation via Caltrans Station at 22nd Street or the Muni-T line making accessibility and access to downtown San Francisco, freeways to Silicon Valley, East Bay, and the Peninsula make this a no brainer choice to live in.

South of Market (SOMA) was the original home to the urban lofts in San Francisco. Starting in the 1990s the areas warehouses and vacant lots were filled in by, well, loft condominiums on the area’s small alley side streets. First emerging in the 1990s as “live/work” lofts where anyone living in these units also had to have a business license from the City (lots of ‘consultants’) they’ve evolved over time growing more elaborate and more luxurious.  There are some stunning examples of brick and timber renovations like those in the Oriental Warehouse at Delancey and Brannan Streets down to the Clocktower, to modern concrete/harsher designs 855 Folsom to more generic, more modern ones. Starting in the late 2000s with the Palms at 4th and Bryant the area has now moved solidly into the mid- to high-rise luxury developments that are named or are known by their addresses: 829 Folsom, 200 Delancy, 175 Bluxome, the Portside, Bridgeview, etc. Traffic from 1st to 6th Streets on weekday mornings until 10am and starting again from 4pm until 7pm is nightmarish especially if there’s a baseball game or an accident on the bridge; yet, on weekends its super quiet. Within this area is Mid-Market/Central SOMA, from 6th Street to 12th, where twitter, square and other .coms have setup shop (thanks to the Mayor’s payroll tax incentives) alongside local arts organizations and more and more luxury condominium buildings (some being rental ones like the NEMA). The juxtaposition between gridlocked cars (despite big one-way streets), people walking to work from CalTrain or BART with ironic t-shirts and the homeless population this area is undergoing rapid development/gentrification with prices rising as more inventory is built. The issue is that many of the new-build condominiums are far more of a commodity because they are so similar to each other (although having parking is key as the City doesn’t require a 1:1 ratio of units and parking spaces).

SOMA

The most sought after parts of SOMA or “South Of Market (St)” are split into three smaller neighborhoods, South Beach, East Cut and Yerba Buena. 

Yerba Buena is a thriving center for the performing arts, museums, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, and an ultra-luxury condo lifestyle.

The City of San Francisco set out to redevelop this once blighted 87 acre neighborhood in 1966 with a vision that when transformed the surrounding SOMA (South of Market) neighborhoods would benefit with economic growth. Officially completed in 2006, the neighborhood now hosts an abundance of open space, cultural centers, convention facilities, commercial buildings, and residential lifestyle living making this community an urban model.

Home to Yerba Buena Gardens which is recognized as one of the top 30 urban parks nationwide, SF Museum of Modern Art, MoAD, Moscone Center, Metreon, Salesforce Transbay Transit Terminal, and an abundance of restaurants, entertainment, ultra-luxury condo/hotel living, and high-rise buildings.

Expect to an myriad of people using the park and gardens daily. Turn the corner to the Moscone Center and you'll find varying business industries hosting conventions from Oracle OpenWorld and Salesforce Dreamforce which close streets adjacent to the center due to popularity.

Real estate in the neighborhood is home to some of the highest and most exclusive addresses including multiple Four Seasons, St. Regis, 181 Fremont Street, and the Blu Residences.

Always in motion day or night, you'll see an abundance of people regardless of where you are. During the weekdays the hustle and bustle of working professionals will be walking the streets grabbing a morning coffee or eating in local restaurants. Mixed in with the working crowd a year long draw of tourists and locals visiting the plethora of cultural attractions from the Museum of Modern Arts, MoAD, Center for Arts, SF Ballet, Salesforce Transit Park, and convention goers at Moscone Center. There's always something to do and so many options to choose.

Warm weather draws in locals and visitors to the Yerba Buena Gardens for picnics, gathering and hangouts in the park for the perfect chill day. A taste of culture and delicious restaurants is in abundance year round. The performing arts hosted at the Yerba Center for the Arts has stunning ballet performances and gala events year round. Indulge in Michelin star restaurants including Benu and Mourad. Leisure weekends include watching a move at Metreon and a Sunday brunch at The Grove. Also an easy walk after to SF MOMA to soak in some modern art.

You won't find any single family homes here. You will find multiple hotel condo style residences with two Four Seasons developments and The St. Regis. Real estate in this neighborhood ranges from 1 bedroom condos to duplex and full floor penthouses above the clouds. Each development has it's own unique set of luxury amenities from 24 security, concierge, dog walking and porter services, private chef kitchens, gyms, pools, valet parking, and of course wine vaults and event rooms to host the most discerning guests.

Skewed more on the side of working professionals living in the neighborhood, albeit there is an abundance of pied-à-terre residents who partake in lifestyle living and all the amenities the neighborhood has to offer. Movers and shakers in the neighborhood tend to live a lifestyle that caters to efficiency and accommodation to high-end living. With the work hard and play hard attitude of many in this area the ultra-luxury services are highly used and expected as essentials. Ease of living from having packages delivered with 24 concierge, dog walking services, in-home masseuses, personal shoppers for clothing and groceries, maid services, and zero maintenance residents are a must.

The more relaxed residents and lifestyle for pied-à-terre and shorter term residents include a focus on the arts. Taking a relaxing walk in Yerba Buena Gardens to attending an energetic and thrilling summer concert make this community one of the most unique. You'll find a car isn't required to get around and walking will typically be the fastest and easiest way to get anywhere fast. Walk to a performance or event in Yerba Buena Center, or walk to the SF MOMA and peruse some of the most regarded modern artists.

Overall the crowd here moves fairly quick during the weekdays, however on the weekends there's more tourists and higher crowd density at Yerba Buena. Also, if there's a conference such as Oracle OpenWorld or Dreamforce you'll see most restaurants, bars, and nightlife establishments full of epicureans and mixologists enjoying each other's company. TIP: On a warm night head over to the Virgin Hotel rooftop bar and enjoy a refreshing libation with a view.

The East Cut as one of the newest neighborhoods in San Francisco, was established in 2015 by residents and business owners as a community benefit district. The goal is to provide this neighborhood its identity separate from South of Market and South Beach neighborhoods. Many real estate agents still call parts of this South Beach or Yerba Buena neighborhoods.

Located on the Eastern side of the city, also known as the sunny side, there are endless outdoor activities and lifestyle accommodations. Run or walk down the Embarcadero, visit the Ferry Building for a Saturday Farmers Market, hop on the Muni T-Line or a bicycle Pedicab and head off to Oracle Park and watch the Giants game.

This elegant yet sophisticated area spans from 2nd Street to the Embarcadero with additional boundaries between Market Street & Mission Street to the edge of The Bay Bridge / Highway 80. A plethora of the highest and most expensive residential luxury condo developments are mixed with, skyscrapers such as the Salesforce Tower. The Salesforce Transit Center is also home to this neighborhood combined with a mix of some of the best nightlife, entertainment, shopping, public outdoor art, spaces and parks.

Getting around is easy with an abundance of public transportation including light rail trains, buses, SF casual carpool, bicycle sharing, electric scooter sharing, and bicycle Pedicabs. During Giants and Warriors games or at the end of the work day you’ll see the streets filled with an abundance of people walking faster that most cars are driving on the street.

Living in The East Cut you’ll find yourself enjoying one of the warmest parts of SF with arguably some of the best accommodations and lifestyle living. If you need quick access to the Easy Bay, the Peninsula or South Bay this is a great location that has it all.

The Embarcadero and Northern side of The East Cut you'll find the streets jam packed with professionals and tourists. During the week the streets will be busy with tech workers and professionals scurrying to and from work. Restaurants, coffee shops, and transportation will be in full swing. Expect to see a mix of construction workers at various high-rise developments in yellow jackets working and taking breaks. Everyone is in motion and moving quick. This is the closest you'll get to a New York City neighborhood feel.

High density and fast paced during the week with large corporations and an eclectic group of start-up companies mixed in with local businesses and restaurants. The pace here is one of the fastest in SF and don't be surprised if people don't say hi to you on the street when they are speed walking to their next appointment. There's no shortage of traffic jams here during business hours and especially at commute time from workers and people trying to get out of this small and dense area. If you are lucky enough to afford living in this neighborhood you'll find that walking is preferable.

Notable condominium developments include One Steuart Lane, 181 Fremont, The Avery, One Rincon Hill, The Harrison, Infinity, Lumina, The Metropolitan and Watermark. These buildings and developments all are amenity filled luxuries that you won't find in other buildings; be prepared to pay more monthly in HOA dues. Units with water and city facing views typically will be your highest priced units. Most units come equipped with state-of-the-art smart technologies with Nest, Sonos, and security on the grounds. Interiors you'll find are developed from world renowned architects (Starchitects) such as Studio Gang, Arquitectonica, Heller Manus, and Skidmore Owings & Merrill. You haven't made it until you live above the clouds and own a unit here. After all, you only live once! 

Being home to the major tech boom there is an abundance of technology residents. Albeit many of the condos and are home to empty nesters and pied-a-terre / vacation home owners. The neighborhood accommodating to lifestyle living where you literally can have it all from an espresso in the morning at one of the dozens of coffee shops to an savoring cocktails from an award winning mixologist at the luxe Private Members Only Social Club the Modernist. Foodies love this area scattered with Michelin star restaurants and some of the best food with views like Angler Restaurant on the Embarcadero.

The weekends tend to slow down a bit as the skyscraper office buildings aren't being used. You will see Salesforce Transit Center Park being frequented and have an assortment of events. Taking a walk down to Cupids Arrow with your dog to partake in the daily gathering of residents and dog owners after work is a great way to make new friends or hop into Waterbar for $1 oysters during the weekday happy hour. If you stay long enough you'll have one of the best dining or bar views of the Bay Bridge.

Take a stroll down to the Ferry Building and you'll find locals and visitors enjoying an epicurean playground from Recchiuti Chocolate to Cowgirl Creamery. Don’t forget to experience the Slanted Door or eat outside and people watch as you fight off Seagulls who want your sandwich, they are brave and fearless! At night you'll find flocks of foodies and thirsty residents seeking Michelin star restaurants and artisanal cocktails from mixologists. Many opera and ballet patrons dress up for a night out on the town and enjoy this area for a good night out. Eating at Prospect, or nearby Angler and Benu are a standard.

South Beach is a waterfront upscale and vertically driven neighborhood home to high-tech start-ups, three-star Michelin restaurants, and ultra-luxury lifestyle condo and loft living.

Located on the Eastern side of the city, also known as the sunny side, there are endless outdoor activities and lifestyle accommodations. Run or walk down the Embarcadero, visit the Ferry Building for a Saturday Farmers Market, hop on the Muni T-Line or a bicycle Pedicab and head off to Oracle Park and watch the Giants game.

This elegant yet sophisticated area spans from Oracle Park to Market Street & 3rd Street down to the Embarcadero. A plethora of the highest residential luxury condo developments are mixed with converted warehouses, skyscrapers such as the Salesforce Tower, combined with a mix of some of the best nightlife, entertainment, shopping, outdoor spaces and parks.

Getting around is easy with an abundance of public transportation including light rail trains, buses, SF casual carpool, bicycle sharing, electric scooter sharing, and bicycle Pedicabs. During Giants and Warriors games or at the end of the work day you’ll see the streets filled with an abundance of people walking faster that most cars are driving on the street.

Living in South Beach you’ll find yourself enjoying one of the warmest parts of SF with arguably some of the best accommodations and lifestyle living. If you need quick access to the Easy Bay, the Peninsula or South Bay this is a great location that has it all.

The Embarcadero and Northern side of South Beach you'll find the streets jam packed with professionals and tourists. During the week the streets will be busy with tech workers and professionals scurrying to and from work. Restaurants, coffee shops, and transportation will be in full swing. Expect to see a mix of construction workers at various high-rise developments in yellow jackets working and taking breaks. Everyone is in motion and moving quick.

From Oracle Park to South Park there's an eclectic group of start-up companies mixed in with local businesses and restaurants. The pace here is still fast but the overall crowd isn't as dense near the Ferry Building and the Embarcadero. If it's a game day the streets will be packed with over zealous fans decked out in Giants gear ready to tap into the ballpark for their famous garlic fries and a cold beer.

Being home to the major tech boom there is an abundance of younger residents. Albeit many of the condos and lofts are home to empty nesters and pied-a-terre / vacation home owners. The neighborhood accommodating to lifestyle living where you literally can have it all from an espresso in the morning at Delancey Street Cafe or the famous iced mint mojito coffee at Philz Coffee to an espresso martini at the posh Prospect Restaurant make this highly desirable to the most discerning.

From the highest ever priced Penthouse of a whopping $46,000,000 (Yes that's 46 Million) to affordable housing that starts just a tad over $100,000 there's something for everyone here, or at least if you have enough in your wallet. Vertical is the theme and views are highly sought after. Afterall, views in San Francisco are well known to all at what keeps the value of your home and increases your value over time.

Mixed in with high-rise living are converted warehouses made from brick and timber into loft conversions. Mid to low-rise developments also have a large draw depending on proximity to transportation such as Caltrans Station, Salesforce Terminal, Muni, and Bart stations. You'll find a large group of buildings such as One Steuart, 181 Fremont, The Avery, One Rincon Hill, The Harrison, Infinity, Lumina, The Brannan, The Towers, The Metropolitan, Watermark, and Blu all have amenity filled luxuries that you won't find in other buildings; be prepared to pay more monthly in HOA dues.

Bernal Heights. Being named as Redfin’s Number 1 neighborhood in the country for two years in a row, this eclectic neighborhood is bisected by Bernal Hill — the favorite stomping grounds of our four-legged friends who bark from time to time — into the North Slope and South Slope. And the South Slope has a natural division at Cortland Street, the main commercial street for area. To the west in that area is Holly Park and to the east you’ll closer to 101/280. Prices have surged of late and it’s common to see single-family houses with 3-bedrooms and updated bathrooms with parking close above $2M (March 2016). 

Bernal Heights’ central feature is Bernal Hill, which rises 475 feet, and is topped with a 26-acre park offering knee-buckling 360-degree views of San Francisco.

In addition to Bernal Heights Park, the neighborhood’s green spaces include Holly Park, a 7.5-acre oval on the southern side with a new playground and basketball and tennis courts, and Precita Park, a three-block-long rectangle on the northern side with a playground and butterfly garden.

Geography has much to do with Bernal Heights’s growth in popularity. The neighborhood is accessible to the nearby high-tech centers of SoMa and Mission Bay, as well as highways running south to Silicon Valley. Its microclimate, beyond San Francisco’s fog belt, is sunny. Not least, it lies directly south of the trendy Mission District.

Bernal Heights has a rich cultural history of progressive political activism and artist residents. While it is no longer quite the hotbed of activity it once was, it retains a sense of liberalism and is known to be popular among dog owners, even if the playful nickname “Maternal Heights” points to a more traditional character. This history contributes to its offbeat charm and bohemian flair.

Residents report that the streets of Bernal are full of secrets: secret staircases, secret views, secret slides (two in the side of the hill), and secret messages inscribed in hidden places. And the Bernal Heights hill is considered a somewhat secret park, even as it stands out against the landscape. Many consider it superior to the more popular Twin Peaks hills, although one reason for this is that Twin Peaks is easily accessible by car whereas most of Bernal hill is not. If you do make it to the top, though, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views, and it's great for exercising, letting your dog run free, or a picnic.

The housing stock reflects two distinct building booms. The first directly followed the earthquake, resulting in the many Edwardian-era houses found on Bernal Hill’s gentler slopes. The second occurred after World War II, yielding midcentury homes that were engineered to occupy the area’s steeper grades.

Like Potrero HIll, Bernal Heights borders the busy Mission neighborhood and is known for its giant hill, yet retains an air of seclusion due to the less accommodating public transportation in this area. However, parking can be a little easier here, and its proximity to the 101 freeway makes it a great spot for commuters to Silicon Valley.

The two BART stations that are nearest to Bernal Heights lie just outside the neighborhood’s borders. Both are about a twenty walk from the center of Bernal Heights. From there, it is a quick trip downtown or to the East Bay. Public buses run frequently along Cortland Avenue and Mission Street.

Those on the Mission side of the hill also have convenient access to BART. While it’s considerably sleepier than the Mission, Bernal has everything you need -- small and large grocers, boutiques, cool bars (some, like El Rio and Wild Wild West have amazing back patios), and food spots sprinkled around.

The weather is cool with some sunshine, but prone to fog as it rolls in from the ocean. Housing is mainly small bungalows and boxy single family homes and small apartment buildings. Community gardens aren’t hard to come by, and exemplify the cooperative, neighborly atmosphere of this neighborhood.