Get to Know: The Excelsior District

Photo ©Travis Monson (@travismonsonphotography on Instagram, travismonsonphotography.com). Used with permission.

The Excelsior is a diverse residential neighborhood in the Southeastern quarter of the city, bounded by Mission Street to the west, Silver Avenue to the north, McLaren Park to the East, and Geneva Avenue to the south. It is in the SFAR’s District 10.

First developed in 1869, the Excelsior is best known for its grid of globally-named streets, with countries (France, Brazil, and the now-archaic Persia) running northwest-southeast, crossed by city-named streets (Lisbon, Naples, Athens, etc.). Initially, the area was largely agricultural, but after the 1906 earthquake, people began to migrate to the southern and western neighborhoods, increasing the urban sprawl of the city. Streetcars once ran up Mission Street to downtown and the waterfront.

The neighborhood has seen many faces over the years, from Italian, Irish, and German immigrants, to waves of Latin American, Filipino, and Chinese populations, all combining to create a vibrant, varied community. The area is rich with mural art, which you can find on this map. As with many of the city’s southeastern neighborhoods, it enjoys favorable weather.

A highlight of the area is the adjacent McLaren Park, one of San Francisco’s largest, most notable for the large blue fireplug of a water tower at the top of the hill. McLaren Park offers plenty of space to spread out, and be sure to walk the Philosopher’s Way, a 2.7-mile loop trail with 14 “musing stations” peppered along the way at strategic points to encourage you to engage with the landscape, nature, and history of the place.

The Excelsior’s most famous hometown boy is Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia, whose childhood home was at 121 Amazon Ave. More infamously, Supervisor Dan White, who shot and killed Mayor George Moscone and fellow Supervisor Harvey Milk, also hailed from the district.

As with much of District 10, home prices tend to be lower than many other parts of the city, but prices are trending high for the district, probably in large part due to the large number of single-family residences. If you would like to learn more about the Excelsior District or visit any homes, contact me, and we’ll check it out.