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Potrero Hill

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Potrero Hill is a residential neighborhood in San Francisco , California . A working-class neighborhood until gentrification in the late 1990s, it is now home to mostly upper-income residents.

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103-535: Potrero Hill is located on the eastern side of the city, east of the Mission District and south of SOMA (South of Market) and the newly designated district Showplace Square. It is bordered by 16th Street to the north, Potrero Avenue and U.S. Route 101 (below 20th Street) to the west and Cesar Chavez Street to the south. The city of San Francisco considers the area below 20th Street between Potrero Ave and Route 101 to be part of Potrero Hill as well, as outlined in

206-619: A San Francisco legacy business , is located in the Mission. Numerous Latino artistic and cultural institutions are based in the Mission. These organizations were founded during the social and cultural renaissance of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Latino community artists and activists of the time organized to create community-based arts organizations that were reflective of the Latino aesthetic and cultural traditions. The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts , established by Latino artists and activists,

309-407: A central hub. One of the first of many waves of real estate speculation on Potrero Hill soon followed. The Long Bridge was closed after Mission Bay was filled in the early 1900s, which made Potrero Hill an even more desirable location. Potrero Hill was spared from the earthquake that struck San Francisco in 1906 . Displaced San Franciscans set up tents and shelter on the hill. Many residents moved to

412-537: A creative hub. The city has since designated the collection of designer warehouses, art schools, and showrooms just north of Potrero Hill as a special light-industrial district and named this area the Showplace Square. With its close proximity to offices in SOMA, Financial District, and Multimedia Gulch (Mission District bordered by 16th St, Potrero Ave, Folsom St, and 20th St.), and the burgeoning night life and dining in

515-450: A few county streets survived (such as Mariposa and Alameda). By the standard of the mid-nineteenth century, Potrero Hill was not a convenient location to get to—it was still separated by Mission Bay , which was not yet filled in. Prospective buyers partly deemed Potrero Hill too far away and were wary of De Haro's uncertainty as legal owner of the land. As a result, only a few lots were sold. In late 1849, Don Francisco de Haro died, and he

618-461: A group called the "Plaza 16 Coalition" in response to the gentrification and the new zoning law, the "Eastern Neighborhoods Plan". They advocate for affordable housing, opposing market-rate developments and the luxury developments. San Francisco Unified School District operates public schools. Schools in the Mission District include: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco operates

721-577: A high concentration of Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Nicaraguan restaurants there as well as a large number of street food vendors. In the last couple decades a number of Mission restaurants have gained national attention, most notably the five restaurants who have received Michelin stars for 2017: Commonwealth, Lazy Bear, Aster, Californios, and Al's Place. A large number of other restaurants are also popular, including: Mission Chinese Food, Western Donut, Bar Tartine, La Taqueria, Papalote, Foreign Cinema on Mission Street, and Delfina on 18th. La Mejor Bakery ,

824-654: A live concert with his band Santana that was recorded in 1969, and for the KQED documentary "The Mission" filmed in 1994. The locally inspired song "Mission in the Rain" by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia appeared on Garcia's solo album Reflections , and was played by the Grateful Dead five times in concert in 1976. Classical music is heard in the concert hall of the Community Music Center on Capp Street. The area

927-439: A major commercial thoroughfare. In 1901, the city of San Francisco changed laws and forbade burials in the city, which helped form the nearby city of Colma . During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , a single working water hydrant (the so-called ' Golden Fire Hydrant ') saved the Mission District from being burned down by massive fires sparked by the earthquake. In the 1910s, the roads into Colma were not well maintained and it

1030-516: A mostly working professional neighborhood, zoned by the San Francisco Planning Department to include light industry and small businesses. Potrero Hill was uninhabited land for much of its history, used sporadically by Native Americans as hunting ground. Its soil, developed on ultramafic , serpentine rock , promoted not a closed forest but an open landscape of shrub and grass. In the late 1700s, Spanish missionaries grazed cattle on

1133-551: A wealthy neighborhood of luxury condominiums , hospitals, and biotechnology research and development. From 2010 to 2020, Mission Bay's population increased by over 200%. Mission Bay was the original headquarters of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine prior to the organization's move to Oakland. It is also the headquarters, at 550 Terry Francois Blvd, of the Old Navy brand of The Gap clothing retailer. It

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1236-567: Is a neighborhood in San Francisco , California . One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name is derived from Mission San Francisco de Asís , built in 1776 by the Spanish. The Mission is historically one of the most notable centers of the city's Chicano / Mexican-American community. The Mission District is located in east-central San Francisco. It is bordered to

1339-481: Is a nonprofit performance venue and dance school in the neighborhood as well. Throughout the Mission walls and fences are decorated with murals initiated by the Chicano Art Mural Movement of the 1970s and inspired by the traditional Mexican paintings. Some of the more significant mural installations are located on Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley . Many of these murals have been painted or supported by

1442-519: Is also home to Afrolicious , and Dub Mission , a formerly weekly reggae / dub party started in 1996, and over the years has brought many reggae and dub musicians to perform there. The Mission District also has a Hip-Hop / Rap music scene. Other prominent musicians and musical personalities include alternative rock bands and musicians Luscious Jackson , Faith No More , The Looters , Primus , Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express , Beck , and Jawbreaker . Some well-known artists associated with

1545-473: Is an art space that was founded in 1976 in a space that was formerly a furniture store. The local bilingual newspaper El Tecolote was founded in 1970. The Mission's Galería de la Raza , founded by local artists active in el Movimiento (the Chicano civil rights movement), is a nationally recognized arts organization, also founded during this time of cultural and social renaissance in the Mission, in 1971. Late May,

1648-469: Is famous for Victorian mansions and the popular Dolores Park at 18th Street. Two main commercial zones, known as the Valencia corridor (Valencia St, from about 15th to 22nd) and the 24th Street corridor known as Calle 24 in the south central part of the Mission District are both very popular destinations for their restaurants, bars, galleries and street life. Prior to the arrival of Spanish missionaries,

1751-525: Is known as the "Mission Dolores" neighborhood. South of 20th Street towards 22nd Street, and between Valencia and Dolores Streets is a distinct neighborhood known as Liberty Hill. Cesar Chavez Street (formerly Army Street) is the southern border; across Cesar Chavez Street is the Bernal Heights neighborhood. North of the Mission District is the South of Market neighborhood, bordered roughly by Duboce Avenue and

1854-488: Is located at the top of De Haro Street, at Southern Heights Avenue, and offers various community services. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan . The headquarters for the Discovery Channel program MythBusters is located at the southern edge of the neighborhood. Two freeways run through Potrero Hill, US Route 101 on the western side and Interstate 280 on the eastern side. Caltrain's 22nd Street station

1957-530: Is no record of Townsend ever having been to Texas or Florida, whose names appear as streets. Another theory is that battleships named after the states were the source of the street names. The east-west county street names survived until 1895, but as the city expanded, the Post Office demanded a simplification of the street grids. Most of the county streets took the names of the numbered streets that connected them to downtown, but because they didn't all line up exactly,

2060-445: Is often warmer and sunnier than other parts of San Francisco. The microclimates of San Francisco create a system by which each neighborhood can have different weather at any given time, although this phenomenon tends to be less pronounced during the winter months. The Mission's geographical location insulates it from the fog and wind from the west. This climatic phenomenon becomes apparent to visitors who walk downhill from 24th Street in

2163-551: Is on the eastern edge of the hill, and the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI), provides bus service in the area (the 19-Polk , 22-Fillmore , 10-Townsend, and 48-Quintara - 24th St) and the new light rail service, completed in 2006, on 3rd Street (the T-Third Street ). Potrero Hill has deep working-class roots but over the last two decades has experienced rapid transition to a white-collar neighborhood. It

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2266-403: Is popular with families and working professionals, many with ties to the technology industry. Single-family homes comprise 33% of the housing stock, while 2–4 unit buildings comprise 34%. Most of Potrero Hill's soil is serpentine, the best soil for ensuring a solid foundation. Thus, this area managed to survive two major San Francisco earthquakes.{{ However, drilling through the serpentine rocks

2369-516: Is still in the midst of change and transformation with the implementation of the city's Eastern Neighborhood Plan, the redevelopment of Potrero Annex and Potrero Terrace housing projects, and its neighboring Mission Bay's development into a bio-technology hub. Redevelopment of the southern edge of Potrero Hill began in 2020. According to the 2005 to 2010 census data gathered by the San Francisco Planning Dept. The hub of Potrero Hill

2472-441: Is the 18th Street corridor that features many trendy restaurants. The stretch of Vermont Street between 20th Street and 22nd Street has many switchbacks, similar to the tourist attraction Lombard Street , known as "the most crooked street in the world." Vermont Street features a series of seven sharp turns, making it more crooked than better-known Lombard Street. (Vermont, while steeper than Lombard, has one fewer turn). Bottom of

2575-464: Is the largest park in the neighborhood, and one of the most popular parks in the city. Dolores Park is near Mission Dolores. Across from Dolores Park is Mission High School , built in 1927 in the Mediterranean Revival style. The San Francisco Armory is a castle-like building located at 14th and Mission that was built as an armory for the U.S. Army and California National Guard. It served as

2678-627: Is the location of a new research campus of the University of California, San Francisco , UCSF Mission Bay Mission Bay is served by the N Judah and T Third Street lines of San Francisco's Muni Metro . The N Judah links the neighborhood to Downtown , BART , Hayes Valley and the Sunset District , and the T Third Street links to downtown, BART, and the Bayview and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods. Several other Muni bus and trolley bus lines link

2781-485: Is time- and labor-intensive, so many houses were built by conforming to the slope of the hill. As a result, some houses on Potrero Hill have long staircases leading to the front entrances, often with detached garages at the street level. Houses on the elevated side of the hill usually are two to four stories high to maximize the view. Houses on the other side of the street from the elevated side usually look like single-story homes but typically have one or more levels underneath

2884-703: The Bear Flag Revolt in San Rafael at the order of U.S. Army Major John C. Fremont , who had declared war on Mexico. With the death of his sons, Don Francisco de Haro became owner of Potrero Nuevo. In 1848, after the conclusion of the Mexican–American War , Mexico ceded all of California, and it was admitted into the Union in 1850 . Dr. John Townsend became the second mayor of the town now called San Francisco (changed from Yerba Buena in 1847). He succeeded de Haro, who

2987-537: The Dead Kennedys , Flipper , and several clubs including The Offensive, The Deaf Club , Valencia Tool & Die and The Farm . The former fire station on 16th Street, called the Compound, sported what was commonly referred to as "the punk mall", an establishment that catered to punk style and culture. On South Van Ness, Target Video and Damage magazine were located in a three-story warehouse. The former Hamms brewery

3090-452: The Irish Hill and Dutchman's Flat (both located in modern-day Dogpatch). The infamous Irish Hill, located east of Illinois St and right next to the factories, housed mainly Irish factory workers in boarding houses. Irish gangs were formed and crimes were rampant. Irish Hill was leveled for use as landfill and the residents displaced in 1918. Over half of Potrero Hill's population at this time

3193-470: The Kronos Quartet . The Jordan character fought for the house in a divorce settlement. In the 2001 film Sweet November , the character Sara Deever (played by Charlize Theron ) lives at 18th Street and Missouri Street. The 2011 film Contagion features a scene shot on a steep block of De Haro Street between 20th Street and Southern Heights Avenue with a great view of downtown in the background. In

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3296-576: The Pacific Railway Act that provided Federal government support for the building of the first transcontinental railroad . In anticipation of the railroad, San Francisco built the Long Bridge in 1865 that connected San Francisco proper (foot of Third St.) over Mission Bay to Potrero Hill and Bayview. Potrero Hill, once deemed too far south, was suddenly a mile-long promenade away. The Long Bridge completely transformed Potrero Nuevo from no man's land to

3399-552: The Precita Eyes muralist organization. Someone called my name You know, I turned around to see It was midnight in the Mission and the bells were not for me There's some satisfaction in the San Francisco rain No matter what comes down the Mission always looks the same Come again Walking along in the Mission in the rain – Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter , Mission in

3502-431: The 101 and 280 Interstate freeways, Caltrain also runs through this area. Industry first arrived at Dogpatch in the mid-1850s. The earliest residents were mostly European immigrants. Over time, Dogpatch became more industrialized and many residents moved up the hill to Potrero Hill, turning it into a residential neighborhood. It remained blue-collared and working-class until the mid-1990s when gentrification turned it into

3605-548: The 1960s, Central American immigration has contributed to a Central American presence that outnumbers Mexicans since the 1960s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Chicano/Latino population in the western part of the Mission (including the Valencia Corridor) declined somewhat and more middle-class young people moved in, including gay and lesbian people (alongside the existing LGBTQ Latino population). One Political movement during

3708-542: The 1980s, the Valencia Street corridor included one of the most concentrated and visible lesbian neighborhoods in the United States. The Women's Building , Osento Bathhouse, Old Wives Tales bookstore, Artemis Cafe, Amelia's and The Lexington Club were part of that community. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the Valencia Street corridor had a lively punk nightlife featuring the bands The Offs , The Avengers ,

3811-467: The 1981 film Chu Chu and the Philly Flash , Chu Chu (played by Carol Burnett ) lives in a place on Southern Heights Avenue that has since been demolished and reconstructed as an apartment building. In author James Patterson's bestselling Women's Murder Club book series , protagonist Lt. Lindsay Boxer, a San Francisco policewoman, lives in a walk-up on Potrero Hill, from which she can see Oakland and

3914-592: The 1990s from Mexico's Yucatán region. Their presence is reflected in the Mayan-language name of In Chan Kaajal Park , opened in 2017 north of 17th Street between Folsom and Shotwell Street. Mission Dolores , the eponymous former mission located the far western border of the neighborhood on Dolores Street, continues to operate as a museum and as a California Historical Landmark, while the newer basilica built and opened next to it in 1918 continues to have an active congregation. Dolores Park (Mission Dolores Park)

4017-483: The 1990s, the area has been home to the Mission School art movement. Many studios, galleries, performance spaces, and public art projects are located in the Mission, including 1890 Bryant St Studios, Southern Exposure , Art Explosion Studios, City Art Collective Gallery, Artists' Television Access , Savernack Street , and the oldest, alternative, not-for-profit art space in the city of San Francisco, Intersection for

4120-690: The Arts and the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts . The Anchor Brewing Company operated a brewery and distillery on Mariposa Street, between Carolina and De Haro Streets. It produced California Common beer , also known as Steam Beer , a trademark owned by the company. SEGA of America , the American publishing arm for one-time gaming giant SEGA, once operated out of an office on Rhode Island St. The Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, known as "the NABE",

4223-442: The Arts . There are more than 500 Mission artists listed on Mission Artists United site put together by Mission artists. The Roxie Theater , the oldest continuously operating movie theater in San Francisco, is host to repertory and independent films as well as local film festivals. Poets, musicians, emcees, and other artists sometimes gather on the southwest corner of the 16th and Mission intersection to perform. Dance Mission Theater

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4326-596: The Bay. In the 1970s TV series The Streets of San Francisco , Lt. Mike Stone (played by Karl Malden ) lives in a house on De Haro Street. Potrero Hill is also featured in the television series Nash Bridges and Party of Five . The 2002 film 40 days and 40 nights was filmed in this area. Two public housing projects—the Potrero Terrace and Potrero Annex—are located in the South Slope. An estimated 1,200 people live in

4429-674: The Eastern Neighborhood Plan. The area east of Highway 280 between Mariposa and Cesar Chavez (and west of the waterfront) is known as Dogpatch . Dogpatch was originally part of Potrero Nuevo and its history is closely tied to Potrero Hill. Some consider Dogpatch to be its own neighborhood while others disagree, although the City has Dogpatch in its neighborhood plans. Dogpatch has its own neighborhood association but shares merchant association, Democratic caucuses, and general neighborhood matters with Potrero Hill. According to Google Earth ,

4532-555: The Headquarters of the 250th Coast Artillery from 1923 through 1944, and the 49th Infantry, also known as the 49ers, in the Cold War. The Mission district is also famous and influential for its restaurants. Dozens of taquerías are located throughout the neighborhood, showcasing a localized styling of Mexican food . San Francisco is the original home of the Mission burrito . There is also

4635-508: The Hill on 17th Street is a popular live music venue. Football star O. J. Simpson once lived in the public housing projects on the southeastern side of the hill. 18th Street runs through the heart of the north side of the hill and is home to three blocks that serve as the primary shopping and dining spot in the neighborhood. The powder blue water tower , located near 22nd Street and Wisconsin Street,

4738-565: The Mission District include: The Mission District is covered by three free bilingual newspapers. El Tecolote is biweekly and has online articles. Mission Local is predominantly an online news site but does publish a semiannual printed paper. And El Reportero is a weekly newspaper that also has an online site. The neighborhood is served by the BART rail system with stations on Mission Street at 16th Street and 24th Street , by Muni bus numbers 9, 9R, 12, 14, 14R, 22, 27, 33, 48, 49, 67, and along

4841-419: The Mission District to go to college, they also worked with organizations that helped make the community better for latino people which included a free bilingual services through Centro de Salud, which ultimately led other local hospitals to do the same. They were also involved in a free breakfast program, a community newspaper, and its main program, the "Los Siete" Defense Committee. From the mid-1970s through

4944-508: The Mission District's Latino population was at 60 percent. By 2015 it had dropped to 48%; a city-funded research study that year predicted a decline to 31 percent by 2025. However, the Mission remains the cultural nexus and epicenter of San Francisco's Mexican/ Chicano , and to a lesser extent, the Bay Area's Nicaraguan , Salvadoran and Guatemalan community. While Mexican, Salvadoran, and other Latin American businesses are pervasive throughout

5047-423: The Mission District, SOMA, and its own 18th St. corridor, Potrero Hill, along with its neighboring Mission District, drew many high-tech professionals in the dot-com era, driving up real estate prices and rent. Up until 2015, it was home to the American headquarters for major game publisher SEGA . The neighborhood saw a drastic change from mostly working-class to mostly white-collared professionals. The neighborhood

5150-502: The Outer Mission area, or out of the city entirely to the suburbs of East Bay and South Bay area. Despite rising rent and housing prices, many Mexican and Central American immigrants continue to reside in the Mission, although the neighborhood's high rents and home prices have led to the Latino population dropping by 20% over the decade until 2011. However, in 2008 the Mission still had a reputation of being artist-friendly. In 2000,

5253-507: The Potrero Hill neighborhood (Kansas Street and 20th Street and, seconds later, at Rhode Island Street and 20th Street). The 1990 movie Pacific Heights was shot on location at Potrero Hill, not at the location of the movie's title. In the 1993 film The Joy Luck Club (film) , the character Rose Hsu Jordan lives with her husband at Rhode Island Street and 18th Street, in a modern house once owned by real-life musician Joan Jeanrenaud of

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5356-406: The Rain (1976) The Mission is rich in musical groups and performances. Mariachi bands play in restaurants throughout the district, especially in the restaurants congregated around Valencia and Mission in the northeast portion of the district. Carlos Santana spent his teenage years in the Mission, graduating from Mission High School in 1965. He often returned to the neighborhood, including for

5459-446: The St. Peter's Catholic School, which opened in 1878. Previously its students were Irish or Italian American, but by 2014 95% of the student body was Latino and about two thirds were categorized as economically disadvantaged. Enrollment was once around 600 but by 2014 was around 300 due to gentrification . Its yearly per-student cost was $ 5,800 while yearly tuition, the lowest in the archdiocese,

5562-462: The Terrace and Annex with 555 of the 606 units occupied. The non-profit organization Hope SF, partnering with a private developer, is planning to demolish the projects and build mixed-income housing under the plan Rebuild Potrero. Mission District, San Francisco, California The Mission District ( Spanish : Distrito de la Misión ), commonly known as the Mission ( Spanish : La Misión ),

5665-519: The United States government would now strip him of Potrero Nuevo, agreed to Townsend's suggestion. Together with surveyor Jasper O'Farrell , recent emigrant Cornelius De Boom, and Captain John Sutter , they hashed out the grid and street names. Townsend named the north-south streets after American states (Arkansas, Utah, Kansas, etc.) and the east-west streets after California counties (Mariposa, Alameda, Butte, Santa Clara, etc.). At this time, Potrero Hill

5768-617: The addition of the railroad, Mission Bay became the home to shipyards, canneries, a sugar refinery and various warehouses. In 1998, the area was announced by the Board of Supervisors as a redevelopment project through the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency . Much of the land had long been a railyard of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company , and was transferred to Catellus Development Corporation when it

5871-513: The area during this time, with notable residents such as etymologist Peter Tamony calling the Mission home. During the 1940 to 1960s, a large number of Mexican immigrants moved into the area—displaced from an earlier "Mexican Barrio" located on Rincon Hill in order to create the western landing of the Bay Bridge —initiating white flight , giving the Mission a heavily Chicano/Latino character for which it continues to be known today. Starting in

5974-614: The area to neighborhoods to the north, west and south. The Caltrain commuter rail system connects Mission Bay with San Jose and Gilroy . The Central Subway project linking Mission Bay to San Francisco Downtown and Chinatown opened in November 2022. Although near to and often associated with Oracle Park , the ballpark is in the adjacent South Beach neighborhood. UCSF has built a new 289-bed hospital serving children, women, and cancer patients which opened in February 2015. Construction of

6077-520: The area which now includes the Mission District was inhabited by the Ohlone people who populated much of the San Francisco bay area. The Yelamu Indians inhabited the region for over 2,000 years. Spanish missionaries arrived in the area during the late 18th century. They found these people living in two villages on Mission Creek . It was here that a Spanish priest named Father Francisco Palóu founded Mission San Francisco de Asis on June 29, 1776. The Mission

6180-410: The area, separated from the town of Yerba Buena , later renamed San Francisco (centered around Portsmouth Square ) by a two-mile wooden plank road (later paved and renamed Mission Street). The lands around the nearly abandoned mission church became a focal point of raffish attractions including bull and bear fighting, horse racing, baseball and dueling. A famous beer parlor resort known as The Willows

6283-414: The area. Around 1900, the Mission District was still one of San Francisco's least densely populated areas, with most of the inhabitants being white families from the working class and lower middle class who lived in single-family houses and two-family flats. Development and settlement intensified after the 1906 earthquake , as many displaced businesses and residents moved into the area, making Mission Street

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6386-632: The baseball team named after the Mission District known as the Mission Reds and the San Francisco Seals . Irish immigrants moved into the Mission in the late 19th century. The Irish made their mark not only by working for the city government but by helping build the Catholic Schools in the Mission District. During California's early statehood period, in the 19th and 20th century, large numbers of Irish and German immigrant workers moved into

6489-443: The bay, that have now become the hot spot for tech companies. The Mission has felt the downstream effects of this demographic shift acutely. The intense surge in demand for housing and low supply of available housing has placed upward pressure on rents in transit hubs like the Mission, leading to gentrification and the displacement of families and small businesses. However, many residents protested and engaged in activism. They created

6592-655: The city grew in the decades following the Gold Rush, the Mission District became home to the first professional baseball stadium in California, opened in 1868 and known as Recreation Grounds seating 17,000 people which was located at Folsom and 25th Streets; a portion of the grounds remain as present day Garfield Square . Also, in the 20th century, the Mission District was home to two other baseball stadiums, Recreation Park located at 14th and Valencia and Seals Stadium located at 16th and Bryant with both these stadiums being used by

6695-500: The city's annual Carnaval festival and parade marches down Mission Street. Inspired by the festival in Rio de Janeiro , it is held in late May instead of the traditional late February to take advantage of better weather. The first Carnaval in San Francisco happened in 1978, with less than 100 people dancing in a parade that went around Precita Park . Alejandro Murguía (born 1949) is an American poet, short story writer, editor and filmmaker who

6798-710: The city. Potrero Hill Recreation Center was renovated in 2011 and has a baseball field, a tennis court, a basketball court, and a dog park. Likewise, the Jackson Playground at the North Slope also has a baseball field, a tennis court, and a basketball court. Both Rec & Park facilities have a children's playground. The public library was renovated in 2010 and is located on 20th St. and Connecticut St. The two San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) elementary schools serving Potrero Hill are Starr King Elementary School and Daniel Webster Elementary School. Starr King offers

6901-461: The early 70s emerged in the community as 7 young Latino men known as Los Siete de la Raza from the mission district were being charged for the 1969 murder of a San Francisco Police officer. The community got together as these young men were standing up to what was being said about them and were determined to be heard. The people around the Mission District knew these 7 young individuals as change-makers, they were actively trying to get more people from

7004-403: The earthquake and fire, had the burden of starting a new home and the strains of entering a new culture. Rev. William E. Parker, Jr., pastor of Olivet Presbyterian Church at 19th and Missouri Street took action by opening his home and began offering English classes. Initially the classes were held for men and later offered for women and youth. In 1918, the growing needs of the neighborhood warranted

7107-480: The east by U.S. Route 101 , which forms the boundary between the eastern portion of the district, known as "Inner Mission", and its eastern neighbor, Potrero Hill . Sanchez Street separates the neighborhood from Eureka Valley (containing the sub-district known as " the Castro ") to the north west and Noe Valley to the south west. The part of the neighborhood from Valencia Street to Sanchez Street, north of 20th Street,

7210-577: The elevated highway of the Central Freeway which runs above 13th Street. The principal thoroughfare of the Mission District is Mission Street . South of the Mission District, along Mission Street, are the Excelsior and Crocker-Amazon neighborhoods, sometimes referred to as the "Outer Mission" (not to be confused with the actual Outer Mission neighborhood ). The Mission District is part of San Francisco's supervisorial districts 6, 9 and 10. The Mission

7313-474: The final stages of development and construction. It is the site of the Chase Center and Uber 's headquarters. Mission Bay is bounded by Townsend Street on the north, Third Street and San Francisco Bay on the east, Mariposa Street on the south, and 7th Street and Interstate 280 on the west. Before urbanization, the water body Mission Bay was nestled inside of a +500 acre salt marsh and lagoon , and

7416-424: The government. In the 1960s, another freeway (Interstate 280) was constructed along Potrero Hill's East side amid similar controversies. In the 1960s many artists and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community began to move to Potrero Hill, drawn by its location and affordable rent. Many artist studios, showrooms and art schools were set up nearby in response to Potrero Hill's explosion as

7519-406: The highest point in the neighborhood is 104 meters (about 341 feet) above sea level, at the site of a water tower that was demolished in 2006. Potrero Hill started as a Caucasian working-class neighborhood in the 1850s. Its central location attracted many working professionals during the dot-com era in the 1990s. Today, it is mostly an upper-middle-class family-oriented neighborhood. In addition to

7622-480: The hill after their dwellings were devastated by fire, including a large population of Russian and Slovenian immigrants who previously resided in South of Market. The influx of new residents to Potrero Hill diversified the neighborhood's demographic. In August 1906 a group of Spiritual Christians from Russia ( Molokans and a few Pryguny ) arrived from Hawaii, where they refused to farm sugar cane, but some got work with

7725-512: The hill and named this area Potrero Nuevo, " Potrero " is Spanish for "pasture": "Potrero Nuevo" means "new pasture". Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. In 1844, the Mexican government granted Potrero Nuevo to Francisco and Ramon de Haro, the 17-year-old twin sons of Don Francisco de Haro , then mayor of Yerba Buena . Just two years later, Francisco and Ramon de Haro, along with their uncle Jose de los Reyes Berreyesa , were killed during

7828-564: The hospital began in October 2010. Mission Bay has a large residential component with approximately 6,404 apartments and/or condos planned (1,806 of them to be designated affordable). Other notable buildings in Mission Bay include The Gladstone Institute and the Mission Bay medical offices of Kaiser Permanente. Mission Bay Parks completed as of fall 2010 include: Mission Creek, MissionBay Commons lots on Mission Bay Boulevard between Radiance and

7931-630: The incorporation of the Neighborhood House under the California Synodical Society of Home Missions, an organization of Presbyterian Church women. In 1919, renowned architect Julia Morgan was commissioned to design a permanent neighborhood house, now at 953 De Haro Street. On June 11, 1922, the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House , fondly nick-named "the NABE", was completed. The two earliest residential neighborhoods were

8034-546: The industrial Dogpatch and the residential Potrero Hill would grow over time, each neighborhood developing its own distinct feel. Originally, four public housing projects were constructed during and after World War II . Two housing projects have since been removed to make way for the Starr King Elementary School and townhouses. The United States' decision to enter WWII created an industrial boom in Dogpatch, led by

8137-408: The neighborhood, residences are not evenly distributed. Of the neighborhood's Chicano/Latino residents, most live on the eastern and southern sides. The western and northern sides of the neighborhood are more affluent and white. As of 2017, the northern part of the Mission, together with the nearby Tenderloin, is home to a Mayan -speaking community, consisting of immigrants who have been arriving since

8240-498: The only public Mandarin immersion elementary school program on the city's east side. Webster opened in 1936 and has a bilingual Spanish program. SF International High School is also located in Potrero Hill. Potrero Hill was the fictional home neighborhood of Inspector Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry movie series. Parts of the famous car chase scene featuring Steve McQueen in the classic 1968 action film Bullitt were shot in

8343-457: The outcome, some of whom gained title to the lot where they squatted through the Squatter's Rights . Development eventually came in the early 1850s, not in the form of rich gold-miners envisioned by Townsend, but in a more blue-collar variety. The forerunner of PG&E opened a plant in the eastern shores of Potrero Hill (modern day Dogpatch ) in 1852. Not long after, a gunpowder factory (gunpowder

8446-467: The residents that live in Mission District are of minorities and low-income families and uses this useful and open hub for gatherings and doing local businesses like food trucks. However, because of the Dot-Com Boom that occurred in the 1990s and the rise of technology and social media, major technology companies like Google and Facebook have moved up their offices to places like Silicon Valley , south of

8549-488: The shipyards that constructed Navy ships. Potrero Hill's South Slope experienced a significant increase in housing and population as a result. In the 1950s the James Lick Freeway (US Route 101) that slices through the neighborhood was constructed amid much controversy. To obtain the necessary land for the freeways, some residents were forced to vacate their homes in exchange for significantly below-market prices paid by

8652-553: The steamship lines and were transferred to San Francisco. More Molokans arrived from Los Angeles, Russia and Manchuria. By 1928 they built a 2-story meeting hall on Carolina street, and soon organized the Russian Sectarian Cemetery in Colma with Spiritual Christian Baptists, Evangelicals and Adventists from Russia. By the early 1900s, a large concentration of European immigrants had settled. The new immigrants, now displaced by

8755-481: The street level. Mckinley Square is a park that sits atop Potrero Hill. Part of Vanessa Diffenbaugh's book The Language of Flowers describes the park. The park contains several levels of trails that make up the official off-leash dog area. Its adjacent Potrero Hill Community Garden was established in the 1970s, operating under the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and boasts panoramic view of

8858-476: The time. These immigrants brought in many Central American banks and companies which would set up branches, offices, and regional headquarters on Mission Street. From the late 1990s through the 2010s, and especially during the dot-com boom , young urban professionals moved into the area. It is widely believed that their movement initiated gentrification , raising rent and housing prices. A number of Latino American middle-class families as well as artists moved to

8961-591: The west from Noe Valley (where clouds from Twin Peaks in the west tend to accumulate on foggy days) towards Mission Street in the east, partly because Noe Valley is on higher ground whereas the Inner Mission is at a lower elevation. The Mission includes four recognized sub-districts. The northeastern quadrant, adjacent to Potrero Hill is known as a center for high tech startup businesses including some chic bars and restaurants. The northwest quadrant along Dolores Street

9064-533: The western edge by the J Church Muni Metro line, which runs down Church Street and San Jose Avenue . The Mission District in the San Francisco Bay Area is a historic transit hub for the Chicano and the Latino community, especially on the 16th Street BART Plaza. An atmosphere like a public market with live music and food trucks, it is also a commuting point for public transportation, which primarily serves low-income working-class people. The majority of

9167-463: Was $ 3,800. Mission Bay, San Francisco Mission Bay is a 303-acre (123 ha) neighborhood on the east side of San Francisco , California . It is bordered by China Basin to the north, Dogpatch to the south, and San Francisco Bay to the east. Originally an industrial district, it underwent development fueled by the construction of the UCSF Mission Bay campus, and is currently in

9270-614: Was Irish immigrants; Scots, Swiss, Russians, Slovenians, Serbians and Italians made up most of the remaining population. Native born whites made up less than 20% of the population. Today, the remnant of these ethnic groups' heritage is still visible, such as Slovenian Hall on Mariposa St. and the First Russian Christian Molokan Church on Carolina St. As Dogpatch became more industrialized, with warehouses and factories expanded west of Illinois St, many Dogpatch residents moved west up onto Potrero Hill. The divide between

9373-570: Was a common practice to use the street cars to move bodies. Valencia Street became a location of many mortuaries and funeral homes during this time due to the quick access to Colma by street car. In 1926, the Polish community of San Francisco converted a church on 22nd Street and Shotwell Street and opened its doors as the Polish Club of San Francisco; it is referred to today as the "Dom Polski", or Polish Home. The Irish American community made its mark on

9476-513: Was buried in Mission Dolores . After the death of de Haro, squatters began to overtake Potrero Hill around Potrero Point . The de Haro family tried to maintain control of the land but the family's ownership became a legal matter. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court when in 1866 it ruled against the de Haro family. Residents of Potrero Hill celebrated with bonfires after learning of

9579-640: Was converted to a punk living/rehearsal building, popularly known as The Vats. The neighborhood was dubbed "the New Bohemia" by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1995. In the 1980s and 1990s, the neighborhood received a higher influx of immigrants and refugees from Central America, South America, the Middle East and even the Philippines and former Yugoslavia, fleeing civil wars and political instability at

9682-546: Was demolished in mid-2006 (as part of a seismic upgrade and due to the fact that it was no longer needed). The main campus of the California Culinary Academy was located at 350 Rhode Island Street until 2017. The facilities included professional kitchens, student-staffed restaurants, lecture classrooms, a library, and a culinary laboratory. At the foot of Potrero Hill is the campus of the California College of

9785-498: Was distraught over the death of his twin sons. With the start of the California Gold Rush in 1848, San Francisco experienced unprecedented rapid growth. Townsend envisioned developing Potrero Hill as a community for migrants and their newfound riches. Townsend, a good friend of de Haro, approached him about dividing his land into individual lots and selling them. De Haro, with his land rights already challenged and fearing that

9888-587: Was located along Mission Creek just south of 18th Street between Mission Street and San Carlos Street. From 1865 to 1891, a large conservatory and zoo known as Woodward's Gardens covered two city blocks bounded by Mission Street, Valencia Street, 13th Street, and 15th Street. In the decades after the Gold Rush , the town of San Francisco quickly expanded, and the Mission lands were developed and subdivided into housing plots for working-class immigrants, largely German, Irish, and Italian, and also for industrial uses. As

9991-563: Was moved from the shore of Laguna Dolores to its current location in 1783. Franciscan friars are reported to have used Ohlone slave labor to complete the Mission in 1791. This period marked the beginning of the end of the Yelamu culture. The Indian population at Mission Dolores dropped from 400 to 50 between 1833 and 1841. Ranchos owned by Spanish-Mexican families such as the Valenciano, Guerrero, Dolores, Bernal, Noé and De Haro continued in

10094-399: Was named San Francisco Poet Laureate in 2012. He is known for his writings about the Mission District where he has been a long-time resident. Due to the existing cultural attractions, formerly less expensive housing and commercial space, and the high density of restaurants and drinking establishments, the Mission is a magnet for young people. An independent arts community also arose and, since

10197-471: Was not part of San Francisco, so the men marketed this area as "South San Francisco". Historians speculate that "merging the United States with the counties of California would attract homesick easterners" and their newly acquired gold-rush riches to settle in the neighborhood. There is also speculation that Townsend named the north-south streets after states which he had been to, with Pennsylvania Street (his home state) being an extra wide street. However, there

10300-454: Was occupied by year-round tidal waters. This area was a natural habitat and refuge for large water fowl populations that included ducks , geese , herons , egrets , ospreys and gulls . The Native American tribes who resided in this area were the Costanoan people who spoke eight different languages which delineated between the various tribelets. The tribe most prevalent in the Bay area

10403-627: Was spun off as part of the aborted merger of Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe Railway . Catellus subsequently sold or sub-contracted several parcels to other developers. Another large parcel was the H&;H Ship Service Facility of the Port of San Francisco, a toxic and hazardous materials site that had been ordered closed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act . It has rapidly evolved into

10506-536: Was the Patwin people who resided in the area for over 5,000 years. Beginning in the mid-1800s, Mission Bay was used as a convenient place to deposit refuse from building projects. It was later used as a dumping ground for debris from the 1906 earthquake . As the marsh stabilized with the weight of the infill, the area quickly became an industrial district. By 1850, the area was used for shipbuilding and repair, butchery and meat production, and oyster and clam fishing. With

10609-453: Was vital for gold mining) opened nearby; then shipyards, iron factories, and warehouses followed. In 1856, San Francisco Cordage (agents: Tubbs & Co.) opened its extensive manufactory of Manila rope. Potrero Point experienced a minor boom in housing as factory workers preferred to live nearby. The opening of the Long Bridge in the 1860s would drastically change the dynamics of Potrero Hill. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law

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