Get to Know: Potrero Hill

Photo by Christopher Michel on Flickr, via Creative Commons

Potrero Hill is a residential neighborhood in SFAR’s District 9 (Central East). It is bounded on the east by I280, Cesar Chavez St to the south, US 101 and Potrero Ave to the west, and Townsend and 7th Streets to the north. It is well known for its steep slopes and, on the north side, eye-popping views of the San Francisco skyline.

Although adjacent Mission Bay and Dogpatch to the east were among the earliest neighborhoods in the city, being a hub for industry and shipping, Potrero Hill remained largely undeveloped until after the 1906 quake and fire. In large part this was due to the steepness of the slopes, which made it difficult to navigate with horse and buggy. When the fires ravaged South of Market, many of the displaced planted their roots up the hill. As automobiles became more prevalent, so too did Potrero Hill’s popularity rise as a residential destination.

Even so, it remained largely working class into the late 20th century, housing an eclectic, artsy, and often heavily LGBT+ population. Many of the artists set up shop in the industrial zone in the flats to the north of the hill, now called Showplace Square, a major center for design. But starting in the mid-1990s, tech companies began to crop up through South of Market, Mission Bay, and Showplace Square, and Potrero Hill’s star began to rise as a desirable place to live, particularly on the north slope, due to its proximity.

While the steepness of the hill makes it less walkable than, say, the Mission, Potrero Hill does have a compact but dense commercial strip along 18th Street between Connecticut and Mississippi, and a secondary, smaller one on 20th Street between Arkansas and Missouri. With the opening of a large Whole Foods on de Haro and 17th and the explosion of new restaurants, bars, and arts venues in Dogpatch in recent years, Potrero Hill remains an appealing place to live in San Francisco.

Market trends are shown in the chart below, and after that is a map with some of my favorite things in the neighborhood.