I added the small Alamo Square District into this Fillmore District review. That means the southwest corner extends down to Hayes St where the rest of the southern border is Grove Street.

The Fillmore District began to rise to prominence after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake being unaffected by  the large fires that ensued. It quickly became a major commercial and cultural centers of the city. The early 20th century also ushered in a large influx of diverse populations. The Fillmore District began to house large numbers of African Americans, Japanese and Jews. African Americans in particular arrived in numbers after the Japanese internment of 1942 where many unoccupied homes and businesses were left open. Almost immediately Fillmore became a  thriving African American district known for having the largest jazz scene on the west coast. Sadly this did not last long as large swaths of the district were slated for urban renewal in the late 1960s and 1970s. All in all  28 city blocks were demolished and 8,000 people displaced. While many of the rebuilt structures were bland mid-century design, the overall feel of the district fortunately remained very urban and dense. From an urban design perspective, this is probably one of the better urban renewal efforts in the Country and has created a modern feeling Asian district. The neighborhood still struggled with crime and safety issues as the vast majority of new housing built was concentrated poverty. The untouched sections of the district gentrified first (especially near Alamo Park and western half of Golden Gate Avenue) and by the 2010s renovation  had reached most parts of Fillmore.

While much of the neighborhood is mixed use, Divisadora (near Alamo Square) and Fillmore Street (near Gearby Blvd) are the main business districts. This section of Fillmore still hosts a major Asian influence and feels, in many ways, like an extension of Japantown. Fillmore also hosts several major theaters along Van Ness Ave hosting the San Francisco Opera, Symphony, and Ballet. While there are certainly many downsides to the awful urban renewal efforts of the 60s and 70s, the massive affordable housing construction that resulted created one of the most racially and ethnically diverse district in San Fran. About 80% of its units are either rent controlled or subsidized. Hopefully the more autocentric structures that came out of the urban renewal efforts will be replaced with better urban oriented buildings. Fillmore is overall a very walkable district with good retail and cultural amenities, great transit access, and a highly convenient location close to Downtown.  

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent ADA infrastructure. Only a handful of intersections without modern ADA curbs.
* Quality public transit and great access to Downtown. Also good bike land infrastructure via several dedicated bike lanes and dense bike station coverage.
* One of the most racially and economically diverse districts in San Fran
* Very high pct of affordability here. 43% of all units are rent controlled but around 85% of all units are affordable. Fillmore was a major urban renewal site with significant amounts of aff. hsg concentrated here. Medium rent here is only $1,300, way below the City average.
* Very good recreational amenities, but the parks themselves generally are not as spectacular as most in San Fran (with the exception of Alamo Square where the painted ladies are located). Parks are more modern.
* Great tree canopy.
* Good number and diversity  of pretty well ranked schools, all of them of course walkable.
* Culturally a good array of restaurants, bars, & cafes but much less than other parts of San Fran. Other cultural assets include many theaters (i.e. modern symphony hall, San Fran Opera, Herbst Performing Arts Theater, a community theater and the Fillmore Music Theater) and two major cineplexes.
* Retail amenities include: a supermarket, several ethnic grocerias and health food stores, a couple drug stores; lots of salons, banks, and common neighborhood amenities. Boutiques and more creative stores are less common here than higher end San Fran districts. The many Japanese restaurants and stores are located just north of the Fillmore District in Japantown. The vibrant Hayes Valley is located just to the south.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* For a neighborhood that hosts the painted ladies its surprisingly that about 75% of the district is modern. Only areas around Alamo Square and Divisadero are historic.
* Aesthetically the modern architecture can be bland and sometimes distasteful, but overall the form is very good. Reminds one of Asia.
* Limited generational diversity.
* While not much of it market rents are a bit cheaper than surrounding districts: * Studios lease around 2K, 1-bedrooms $2,000s, 2 bedrooms 2 & 3 Ks. 3-bedrooms 3K-5K.
* For sale a bit limited as so much product is afford. rentals. Fortunately a decent # of1 bed and 2 bed condos selling between 200-500K. Some 3-bedrooms selling btwn 500-800K. Plenty of produce selling btwn 800K-1.5M depending on size & condition.
* Fillmore use to be a higher crime are but seems to be much improved since 2010. Still some lingering safety issues, but much of it may now be perceived.
* Only a handful of art galleries and a couple local museums.
* Massing is generally pretty good but plenty of modern apartment bldgs with surface parking.
* Good vibrancy but much less than other San Fran districts thanks to its modernist design.
* Will crime is way down the district still struggles from image issues.

outh America, the Middle East, Philippines and former Yugoslavia. The late 90s-2010s brought the gentrifiers and professionals into the district, especially in the western and northern sides of the neighborhood. The neighborhood’s Chicano/Latino residents, still reside on the eastern and southern sides.

With its highly diverse population and dense development, this is one of my favorite districts in the City. It also boasts great urban form with high quality transit, bike infrastructure , tons of cultural and retail amenities, and great walkable schools. There are several commercial districts (Mission, Valencia, 24th Street, 16th) and most of the neighborhood is highly mixed-use. With 65% of its units rent controlled, many can still live in relative affordably. For sale prices are certainly very high but a decent amount of condos selling between 400-750K, which by San Fran standards is “moderately priced housing”.  There are some minor areas to improve including the redevelopment of surface parking and industrial uses along the district’s northern edge, outdated streetscaping, and a somewhat lack of street trees throughout the district.

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent Density.
* Great public transit access. All around a very walkable district.
* Wonderful mixed-use development throughout the entire district.
* Excellent bike infrastructure, public transit access, and general walkability here.
* One of the most economically and racially diverse districts in the City.
* 65% of all units are rent controls helping to create a large amount of affordable/moderately priced units. Medium rent at $1,700 is lower than the City average.
* Good park amenities starting with expansive and well known Mission Dolares Park. Plenty of small-medium sized parks spread throughout the district. Most are in good shape and amenity rich. Largest skatepark in the City.
* Culturally the district offers a great array of restaurants (esp. ethnic ones),  plenty of bars & cafes, a good number of breweries, art galleries, clubs, and live music venues. There are also several performing arts centers, a pair of cinemas, the historic Doloares Mission Church, several smaller museums and historic sites.
* Neighborhood amenities include several full-size supermarkets (esp. along the northern edge), lots of small grocerias, a couple drug stores, a Best Buy and Office Max, plenty of banks, boutiques, florist’s, and antique/thrift stores, 2 post offices, a library, tons of bookstores/gift shops, dessert places and salons, a couple gyms, a major hospital (Zuckerberg General), and a decent # of churches.
* Walkable access to a wide arrange of schools for all ages. Public receive decent rankings.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* For sale prices are certainly expensive but this district actually has some condos 1 bedrooms selling between 350K-750K. Fair amount of modestly priced condos selling between 750K-1 M. SF homes sell anywhere from 1-3M depending on size and condition.
* Market rate rents are typically in the 2000s for 1 bedrooms, 3000s for 2 bedrooms, 3.5K-6K for 3 bedrooms. Some studios rent in the $1,000s.
* Overall a good tree canopy but below average for San Fran.
* The district is generally safe especially nowadays. Still some blight in along Mission and other commercial streets in the southern edge of the district, a vestige to its past.
* Northern edge of district has a good amount of surface parking and industrial uses.
* Streetscaping is solid but dated. No recent investments.
* The image of the Mission district has certainly improved in recent history (just look at the hsg prices), but still a prospection with some that it is a rough, unsafe place.

Castro Street was named after José Castro (1808–1860), a Californian leader of Mexican opposition to U.S. rule in California in the 19th century,  From 1910 on, the Castro District and some of the surrounding areas were known as Little Scandinavia, because of its large Finnish, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish populations attracted to the City’s shipping industry. A large influx of  Irish and Italian immigrants arrived in the 1930s transitioning Castro into an ethnically mixed working-class neighborhood  up until the 60s when Castro underwent a major transformation. At that time the neighborhood became one of the first “Gayburhoods in the United States. The 1950s saw large numbers of families moving out of the Castro to the suburbs opening up large amounts of real estate for gay purchasers. Castro’s gay village is mostly concentrated in its business district along Castro Street from Market Street to 19th Street heavily demarked by flags and banners.

Regardless of Castro’s status on San Fran’s original “Gayburhood” Castro is a high quality urban district blessed with great walkability, urban amenities, attractive Victorian architecture (located mostly outside the 1906 burn zone), great urban form and business district, and vibrant area. Some areas for improvement includes a grave lack of affordable for-sale housing and limited economic diversity. Rental controlled units, however, still comprise about 60% of the district. Bike infrastructure could use several more dedicated lanes, and there is a limited amount of churches in the district. The western edge of Castro is rather hilly and not as conducive of an urban environment, although still well endowed with sidewalks and ADA ramps.

URBAN EVALUATIONS:

* Over ADA infrastructure and sidewalks are excellent with the some small exception of some missing modern ADA curbs on the hiller sections.
* Great architecture both historic and modern.
* Excellent Tree Canopy.
* Good amount of affordable housing here as 60% of all units are rent controlled. Also a handful of public housing developments here.
* Parkwise there are several great medium sized parks within Castro (Corona Heights, Kite Hill, and Rikki Streicher Field). Mission Dolores & Buena Vista Parks are wonderful larger parks just outside the neighborhood. Tons of smaller pocket/community parks spread throughout.
* Good array of walkable private and public schools. Private schools were generally rates well and public was a mixed bag.
* Great cultural in Castro including  a plethora of restaurants, bars, and cafes along with a ton  of clubs and live music venues. There is also a historic Movie theater, several smaller local museums + the Science Museum, and a good array of art galleries.
* Retail amenities are great as well. Several grocerias and health food stores. A Safeway and Wholefoods are located just outside the district. Other amenities include several drug stores, fitness centers, plenty of banks, good array of boutiques and unique stores, a couple home good/hardware stores, a book store, tons of barbershops & Salons, lots of dessert place, a public library & post office, and many eclectic and creative stores. Sutter Hospital only 1/2-1 mile away.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generally good street connectivity but some curvy streets in the hilly section of the district. Still good stair connections for pedestrians here.
* Bike infrastructure good but not great compared to other San Fran districts. Dedicated bike lanes run down Market and 17th street to the center of District but no coverage in western half of district. Bike share is similar in distribution.
* Medium rents at $2,100 are a bit higher than the average City wide . Market rents start in the 2Ks and 3K for studios and 1-bedrooms, and 4K & 5K for 2 & 3 bedrooms. Not a ton listed on the open market.
* For sale housing very expensive. 1-bedroom conds run for 700K-1M, 2-bedrooms 1M-1.5M, and 3 bedrooms 1.5M-3 M generally.
* Not many churches in the district but a good amount in neighboring Mission District.