Mission Bay Neighborhood Vibe

Mission Bay is a master-planned neighborhood, which means that every lot had an approved purpose before groundbreaking took place on the first lot. The neighborhood was zoned for mid-rise development and is a mix of residential and office uses as well as the UCSF campus. Biotech companies have a strong presence in the neighborhood.

Popular Mission Bay Home Styles

Don’t look for single family homes here, because there aren’t any. Construction of homes in the neighborhood began in the 1990s and continues to this day in medium to large size condominium and apartment buildings.

Getting Around in Mission Bay

The T-Third streetcar runs north/south through the neighborhood on 3rd Street (not to be confused with the eponymous avenue on the other side of town!) and the flat, central location makes walking and biking popular. Caltrain has a large station at 4th & King that is also served by numerous Muni bus lines and several light-rail lines.

Mission Bay is considered by many to be San Francisco’s “newest” neighborhood. The area now known as Mission Bay was once literally a shallow bay of water, but as San Francisco grew and developed it was quickly turned into “productive” land, with debris from the 1906 quake providing much of the fill. Most recently, the neighborhood was home to the Southern Pacific Railroad Yard. In the 1980s a redevelopment plan was approved and the land was transferred from Catellus/Southern Pacific to San Francisco, leading to the construction of numerous Mission Bay condos, businesses, and commercial buildings, with plenty of open green space sprinkled in.

Mission Bay is a master-planned neighborhood, which means that every lot had an approved purpose before groundbreaking took place on the first lot. At the north end of the neighborhood, AT&T Park, home of the SF Giants, brings thousands to the area 81 days a year (and more during the playoffs!). A bit further south, the Warriors are building their new stadium, scheduled to open in 2019.

Mission Bay has some of the sunniest weather in San Francisco, which makes it easier to enjoy the neighborhood’s immense open spaces. Mission Bay is home to over 45 acres of open space, including trail networks that connect with both Marin County to the north and San Mateo County to the south.