The Mission

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A cultural hub for tech mavens and longtime locals.
The Mission is exciting, energetic and chaotic — full of forward-thinking, creative individuals with a vested interest in their community, be they natives or recent arrivals to the area.

Ambitious, stylish, and energetic.
During the past two decades a new group — young, dynamic, often working in the tech industry and settling in one of Mission Dolores’ plentiful new condominium and apartment complexes — has put down its stake in the district. They join the Mission’s creative class — artists, musicians, and literary types — to create a neighborhood where hole-in-the-wall restaurants are as much in demand as sleek gastropubs.
A vibrant populace on Valencia Street and side streets lined with Victorian and Edwardian architecture.
In the Mission you can expect lively crowds, arguments over which taqueria makes the best burritos, and brand new restaurants opening every week. Experience how historically awesome Mission Dolores Park is, and the tranquility of streets like Linda and Albion.
World-class cultural outlets within a warm, committed community.
San Franciscans flock to the Mission for dinner, for drinks, to see music, visit a gallery, or perhaps just to lie in the sun with the crowds at Dolores Park. But this is not just a place to congregate at night; Mission Dolores is well known for the quiet, narrow lanes connecting its larger streets, tree-lined blocks where neighbors sit on their front steps, sharing the day’s news and soaking in gorgeous views of the downtown skyline.
Seemingly endless dining and shopping options.
The Mission’s sheer volume of dining and shopping options may be overwhelming, but its locals welcome that happy dilemma. Residents delight in the knowledge that they can eat out at a different restaurant every night of the week for a month and never have to repeat.
A booming interest in the neighborhood met by a plethora of brand-new residences.
Beginning in the 1990s, Mission Dolores’ inexpensive real estate was irresistible to tech workers, young families, and newcomers to the city. Today, Mission Dolores is positioned slightly above the regional norm, with a median home value of just under $1.3 million.

The Mission District is located in east-central San Francisco. It is bordered to 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, 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 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 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 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 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.

 

-From Compass.com and Wikipedia

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