This formal rail yard is now one of San Francisco’s most up-and-coming neighborhoods, thanks to the creation of a new UCSF research campus and hospital complex that has made the area a center of bio-tech research. Mission Bay’s wide boulevards and vacant lots are steadily filling in with luxury apartment complexes, condos, and university campus buildings, many boasting pretty waterside views. Parks and green spaces are popping up throughout the neighborhood, part of the sprawling Bay Front Park area development that already includes a playground, dog park, and several recreational spots.
Mission Bay is home to one of the newest branches of the San Francisco Public Library, located in a multi-use facility that comprises a health center, senior housing, and a community room. Old Navy, part of the Gap clothing retailer, is headquartered in Mission Bay, adding to its hip factor, and baseball fans appreciate the fact that the neighborhood is located just across Mission Creek from AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The neighborhood is steadily gaining some great new restaurants and retail stores, and its light rail stops and bus lines can take residents anywhere in the city in a snap. Additionally, a new bike path that runs along the greenway from China Basin to Candlestick Point provides an easy, earth-friendly way to get around town. ©2016 Maryann LoRusso