District 10: Southeast

Located in the southeast corner of the city and built upon waterfront shipyards and a former Navy base, Bayview is a developing neighborhood with sweeping views of the East Bay and downtown San Francisco. In addition to breathtaking views, this neighborhood enjoys waterfront access and sunny weather. Sunny in San Francisco? Yes, contrary to what you may have heard, the sun does come out in San Francisco, and you’ll find it in Bayview. While known for its grit, there is a shimmer of glitz in Bayview, ironically found within the walls of dilapidated warehouses where artists live and work. These artists are ushering in a new wave of creativity to Bayview, inspiring independent coffee shops, restaurants, shops, and co-working spaces to move into the neighborhood. With the recent opening of the T–Third Street Muni light rail, this evolving and once isolated neighborhood is enjoying increased accessibility to the rest of the city. Neighboring district Hunters Point is on its way up as well; the historic naval shipyard site is now home to the San Francisco Shipyard, a mixed-use redevelopment project spearheaded by Lennar, that will add 12,000 new housing units, including town homes and condos, by 2021. Units for this highly-anticipated and large-scale project are already selling in phases.

One would assume that the Outer Mission is on the outskirts of Inner Mission, but it is actually on the border of San Francisco and Daly City, located on the outermost part of Mission Street in San Francisco. Outer Mission has a distinct vibe and was ranked as the most ethnic neighborhood of San Francisco by NabeWise.com. The 280, MUNI and BART all run through this neighborhood, providing several convenient options to get around the city and the rest of the Bay Area. The Excelsior district is a true San Francisco neighborhood, through and through. Some 40,000 San Franciscans call Excelsior their home, with a historically large blue collar and artist population. The spirit of Excelsior is perfectly described by its own name, which in Latin means “upward” or “onward.” A cultural melting pot, this dynamic neighborhood embraces its diversity and offers a laid-back vibe that is hard to come by. Residents enjoy this quiet and peaceful neighborhood while being just a hop, skip, and a jump away from The Mission, Dogpatch, SoMa, and Downtown for both work and play. Properties well under the city’s median home value (approximately $1 million) are plentiful in Excelsior, with a median sold price of $708,000 in 2014’s third quarter. And while this unpretentious and affordable neighborhood is quiet, it’s anything but boring; diners, ethnic markets and bodegas, and other small shops and restaurants line the districts main streets, which are named after countries, capitals, and international universities. Excelsior isn’t lacking in the parks and recreation are either. McLaren Park, San Francisco’s second-largest park (Golden Gate Park is number one, as you’d probably assume), is located on the border of Excelsior and offers hiking trails, picnic spots, playgrounds, a lake, even a golf course. Amazon Park is a perfect alternative for the sporty, with bike paths and multiple athletic fields.