Explore Bernal Heights—San Francisco’s Hottest Neighborhood

There's little doubt that San Francisco's identity as a world-class, one-of-a-kind city originates from the collective quality, diversity, and uniqueness of its neighborhoods. A select handful even garners equal billing with the city itself. Mention a name—places like Castro and Haight-Ashbury, the Mission and Financial Districts, or Fisherman's Wharf—and you instantly recognize their significance to the Bay Area.

 

Even the lesser-known communities prove irresistible draws for those wanting to work, live, and play in San Francisco; Pacific Heights, North Beach, and Noe Valley are three that come instantly to mind. However, it takes an exceptional community to trump all others—to occupy the perch as the place where everyone wants to live.

Let us introduce you to Bernal Heights.

If you're unfamiliar with the community, you're not alone. The area long flew under the Bay Area radar, known for its namesake hill and little else. The secret, however, is quickly getting out. A prime location, strong housing prospects, and a tight-knit community spirit have transformed the area into San Francisco's "it" place to be.

If you're interested in knowing more, well, you're not alone there, either. Let's explore Bernal Heights and three things that make it the hottest, most-searched-for neighborhood in the Bay Area.

In a city like San Francisco, location is everything. Being close to work might take you too far away from your favorite social scenes. Too close to your personal diversions and your daily commute more resembles a daily slog.

Bernal Heights addresses the conflict with a central location suited to all lifestyles and pursuits. Borders include I-280 to the south and Highway 101 to the east, with both providing excellent access to the whole of the San Francisco Peninsula. The Financial District is 15 minutes away, and you can reach Silicon Valley in 45 minutes. For those who prefer mass transit, Bernal Heights also offers relatively close access to BART stations in the Mission District (24th Street and Mission) and Glen Park (Glen Park Station).

More than just the logistics of where you work and socialize, Bernal Heights’ location grants it a few natural wonders as well.

Considering San Francisco weather is often a popular topic of discussion (for some, its the topic), Bernal Heights offers something of a respite from the area's most notorious meteorological phenomena.

Location and topography play a role in providing the area a slightly warmer microclimate, allowing it to escape the heaviest of the city's famous (or infamous) fog and marine layer. In other words, the area has a far sunnier disposition, both literally and figuratively, than surrounding communities.

At the center of that sunny upside is Bernal Heights Park. The grassland, hilltop park boasts excellent hiking and biking trails and an off-leash dog park all set alongside a vibrant urban ecosystem of abundant animal and plant life. Trek to the park summit for a commanding panorama of San Francisco, including downtown, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, East Bay Hills, and the San Bruno Mountains.

Gorgeous as those views might be, don't overlook what's right in front of you. Smaller experiences like the two-acre Precita Park and its playground, butterfly garden, and cafe, and the sports fields at Holly Park signal a different way and pace of life than more celebrated communities in San Francisco.

To call the neighborhoods of San Francisco distinct would be an understatement, and there is no shortage of superlatives to describe them. Bernal Heights, however, is hard to pin down, and that might prove to be its greatest attribute, as it can be all things to all people.

First and foremost, this is a communal community. Owing to its roots as an enclave for musicians and artists, that free-spirited sense of togetherness lingers on today. Many long-term residents call Bernal Heights home. Even with the changing landscape of remodels, new construction, and transplants (many of whom come from the tech sector), the established welcome the newcomers with open arms.

In truth, it's not at all out of line to consider the enclave not as a part of San Francisco but as its own self-contained hamlet—an anomalous outpost that makes more sense in a rural prairie than at the core of one of the country's most vibrant metropolitan areas.

Don't fret, though. Creature comforts and modern lifestyles abound, and this village is very much playing the role of a buzzy upstart. There are two central commercial districts in Bernal Heights—the city's own small-scale Mission district along Mission Street and Cortland Avenue running east-west through the neighborhood's midsection.

Cortland stands in as the community's unofficial downtown. Restaurants, coffee shops, churches, and small independent businesses populate the avenue, and their diversity gives it a decidedly international flair. Just strolling the sidewalk makes you feel like you've traveled someplace special.

When you do duck into a spot specifically for a bite to eat, United Dumplings, Red Hills Station, and Little Nepal are worth the time. Afterward, if you're seeking a cocktail or two, you'll discover salvation at the Holy Water bar. Need some fresh, all-natural staples? The Good Life Grocery serves as one of the Bay Area's top organic markets.

Follow Cortland west to its terminus, and you'll intersect with Mission Street, which is equal parts mainstream and unconventional. Restaurants and bars share the frontage with grocery stores and pharmacies and small independent shops. Like everything else about Bernal Heights, none of it seems out of place.

Here, your best dining happens at Shish Ke Baba, Cuisine of Nepal, Tilak, and Blue Plate. For the after-dinner drinks, it's The Royal Cuckoo, Rock Bar, or the Knockout for live music! 

The Bernal Heights aesthetic, however, goes even further—beyond the quirks and camaraderie that countless residents and visitors alike adore about the area.

Venture south to Saint Mary's Recreation Center and the 3.5-acre Alemany Farm to fully appreciate the community's true nature. It's no accident that San Francisco's largest urban farm calls this part of the city home. It's a spot where all are welcome to come to be themselves. Where you learn to appreciate life's (and the land's) simplicities, how to connect with them, and to value and take with you what it produces— a microcosm of Bernal Heights itself.

Of course, as is the case in much of San Francisco, housing in Bernal Heights has a starring role. Every street overflows with personality and charm and boasts an impressive variety of housing options.

Quaint little cottages. Historic bungalows. New constructions. Well-considered remodels. Even a few "earthquake shacks" dating back to just after the 1906 earthquake. All of its highly attainable property in one of the Bay Area's most centralized locations.

Consider that just northwest of Bernal Heights is the considerably more expensive Noe Valley, where median homes prices list for $2.8 million. In Bernal Heights, the median list is a far more attractive $1.7 million.

Bernal Heights also stays within striking distance of the far more hectic Mission District to the north, where median list prices hover around $1.5 million. If you're looking to be close, but not too close, to one of San Francisco's most fervent social scenes, Bernal Heights is a happy and affordable compromise.

Another critical draw of Bernal Heights housing is the investment potential. At the end of 2010, median home prices were nearing $700,000. A decade later, the neighborhood remains on the upswing. Considering current values, there remains plenty of room for growth.

Make no mistake, though, the neighborhood is not just a collection of artsy, affordable abodes where the artistic and tech-centric commingle and investment possibilities abound. There is a genuine luxury available here, and it presents the shrewd buyer a rarity of grabbing something highly distinct within a neighborhood that is in high demand. When one of these immaculate offerings does come available, it's wise to jump at the opportunity before anyone else does.


Interested in finding that perfect piece of Bernal Heights real estate? Or are you seeking a San Francisco real estate agent to help guide you through the best of what the Bay Area has to offer? Contact KJ Kohlmyer today and allow his expertise to help you find the Bay Area home of your dreams.