DISTRICT 9

• The quaint Queen Anne cottages and Victorian bungalows of Bernal Heights are still some of the most affordable homes in The City , and they come with a closeknit community of iconoclasts who are on guard against strip malls and chain stores. The population of more than 25,000 is about one-third white, one-third Hispanic, and the remainder Asian, African-American and other ethnicities. Dogs walk their owners frequently at Bernal Heights and Holly Parks; if the uphill climbs don't take your breath away, the magnificent views will. Local bars and restaurants have everything from sushi to sandwiches on the menu; shopping districts offer music stores and arts & crafts stores.
• Much of the Mission district survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, and refugees, primarily Italians and Irish, flooded in from across the city. They were joined by Mexican immigrants from the 1910 Mexican Revolution and Central Americans fleeing political oppression. Wave after wave of primarily Latino immigrants arrived in the ensuring years, melding the area into a rich and vibrant cultural community. Working class social causes, art and music thrive in the Mission and the evidence is all around, particularly in the neighborhood murals in Balmy Alley, the Cesar Chavez School, the 24th Street BART Station, and numerous other locations. The latest wave of immigrants — the young, affluent, high-tech set, lured by burritos and bungalows with potential — is creating quite a stir and the gentrification debate roars on.
• The 1989 earthquake played a key role in the redevelopment of The City's southern waterfront, which includes Mission Bay, South Park and South Beach neighborhoods. Once the earthquake-damaged Embarcadero Freeway was demolished, this former industrial wasteland had million-dollar views. Condos and Canary Island palms sprouted along the refurbished waterfront and developers couldn't get enough of the warehouses and other industrial buildings of Mission Bay. High tech businesses and workers quickly moved in, and South Park became known as Multimedia Gulch. Maritime workers and Netniks now share the old waterfront dives and chic new microbreweries, restaurants, and upscale clubs stretching from China Basin to the Financial District. Roller bladers, skateboarders, dog walkers, joggers, and tourists along the Embarcadero enjoy the sunshine and a never-ending parade of huge container ships under the Oakland Bay Bridge.
• First developed in the 1850s, the neighborhood South of Market, now commonly referred to as SOMA, was exclusively commercial and industrial. In the 1950s, Jack Kerouac wrote Lonesome Traveler, a chronicle of his life as a worker in the China Basin rail-switching yards. Now SOMA is a high-tech business mecca by day and ground zero in the San Francisco club scene by night. Nightclubs have diversified from the old biker and leather bars to a wide variety of live music venues which cater to all tastes, which is saying a lot in San Francisco. Moderate to expensive housing generally falls in the loft-work space or renovated warehouse category. Shopping and services in the immediate vicinity are limited to large discount stores like Costco and Trader Joes, but development continues at a breakneck pace. The newly-renovated Caltrain station is nearby, as are the Flower Mart and the Moscone Convention Center.
• The rude punk music pouring out of the Bottom of the Hill club at the end of 17th Street in the Potrero Hill area belies the neighborhood's mellow, small-town atmosphere. Houses built on this land, formerly occupied by grazing goats, have amazing views of the downtown skyline. Middle- to upper-income families and single professionals have fallen in love with the well-maintained Victorians and friendly local businesses. Residences and business alike can be found in refurbished warehouses, and new condos are also available in this growing neighborhood. The Potrero Recreation Center is a great place for tennis, basketball, or baseball and McKinley Park has swings for the kids. Cafes and shops line 18th Street between Connecticut and Texas, and antique and furniture stores are just a couple blocks away.