As a Realtor who focuses on the South Beach and Mission Bay neighborhoods of San Francisco, one of the first questions I hear from clients is, “We love the area, but is it kid friendly?” The common perception is that the area is great for singles, young couples and empty nesters, but once you start a family, you need to move to a more “suburban” location. My goal in this article is to show you that is not the case at all.
Above: new residential buildings along Townsend Street in Mission Bay.
As a Realtor, newly married man (4 years) and a new father (6 months) who has lived in the area for years, I have discovered many of the ins and outs of the burgeoning South Beach and Mission Bay neighborhoods. Both have become vibrant places to both live and work and now offer some incredible amenities for families. While naming them all would fill the pages of this site, I would like to share many of my favorites with you here:
Parks and Outdoor Spaces
South Beach and Mission Bay have some of the most scenic outdoor areas in the city. Yerba Buena Gardens (3rd and Mission), South Park (2nd and Bryant) and the Embarcadero offer kids swing sets, sandboxes and great places to learn to play, ride a bike or rollerblade. As you extend south east along the Embarcadero across the Lefty O’Doule Bridge, new parks are being created along the 3rd Street corridor and will serve as an extension of the Embarcadero, offering families even more outdoor space to enjoy. One of my favorite hidden gems lies just south of SBC Park (3rd and Terry Francois Blvd)– it’s a miniature version of SBC Park – perfect for teaching your son or daughter how to catch or hit or fly a kite.
Recreation
The Embarcadero YMCA (Mission and Steuart) and the new Mission Bay Fitness Center (3rd St. and 16th St.) offer families some amazing opportunities. Both offer child care so mom and dad can work out while trained professionals look after their children. In addition, both have amazing programs targeted at children like and classes and sports leagues. Kids can learn to swim, shoot a basketball, join an indoor soccer league or play with mom and dad in a rooftop pool – all within the confines of South Beach/Mission Bay.
Culture
I was fortunate as a young man to grow up just outside of Manhattan. My parents frequently took my sister and me to Broadway shows, great museums and other amazing cultural events. South Beach/Mission Bay offers young families the same great opportunities. The Zeum at Yerba Buena has become a destination for kids throughout the Bay Area, offering ice skating, bowling, a vintage Merry Go Round and educational exhibits. They help kids enhance their understanding of technology and appreciation of art, and also offer seminars, internship programs, and much more. The Metreon (3rd and Mission) and Yerba Buena Gardens are two additional amazing cultural resources. The California Academy of Sciences and Steinhart Aquarium has its temporary home on Howard and 5th. They offer kid-friendly events at least once a week. SF MOMA (4th and Mission) is widely regarded as one of the best modern art museums in the world. The building itself is a stunning architectural structure and exhibits frequently offer something for people of all ages. Whether it’s seeing a live show at the Yerba Buena Theater or the California Experience on the IMAX screen at the Metreon, this area is quickly becoming the epicenter of culture for young people in San Francisco.
King St Amenities
The area surrounding SBC Park (2nd and King) has undergone a complete makeover. Once vacant of shops and amenities, King St. now serves as a one-stop shop for a family. Enjoy great east coast pizza at Amici’s, followed by ice cream across the street at Marble Slab. Do your grocery shopping for the week (and park for free) at Safeway, conduct your banking at Wells Fargo or Washington Mutual and end your trip at Borders, where they frequently have sing-a-longs and guest speakers for children and adults. This all can be accomplished in one city block. And if you don’t want to drive, it’s easily serviced by bus and light rail.
3rd Street Corridor
There's considerable construction taking place along the
3rd Street corridor which will make the area even more kid
friendly. The addition of 49 acres of public open space, including
parks along Mission Creek and along the bay, plus 8 acres
of open space within the UCSF campus, will provide great opportunities
for families and kids. Mission Bay’s Bakar
Fitness and Recreation Center, which opened on October
1, will provide 163,000 square feet of amenities to the neighborhood.
Designed by award-winning architect Ricardo Legorreta, it
will offer services specially designed for families and kids.
The Fitness Center includes a rooftop pool, an indoor pool,
an NBA-size basketball court and cardio equipment equipped
with LCD TVs. The Community Center will offer a library, climbing
wall, and even a pub for the adults. Kid services include
classes, day camps, personalized family outings and day care.
You can see renderings and plans and follow the progress on
their website.
Education and Day Care
These are two of the larger concerns families face when choosing
a place to call home. www.GreatSchools.net
is a fantastic resource for finding information on the local
schools in the area. As you will quickly see, there are MANY
fantastic educational options within the neighborhood -- both
public and private. There are also a variety of day care options
in the neighborhood. www.Craigslist.org
is a good resource for locating nannies, nanny-shares and
baby sitters.
What’s more, Mayor Newsom recently proposed a new initiative,
creating a Mission Bay academy for budding scientists seeking
a high school diploma and college degrees. The focus would
be on education and training in biotechnology.
I could pick just about any street in South Beach/Mission Bay and find many things to do with my family. In addition to some of the best weather in the city, the area offers a variety of homes, condos and lofts to choose from. Once considered a great place for singles, couples and empty nesters to live, the area should also be considered one of the best neighborhoods to raise and enjoy your family.
I’ve given you a few of my favorite places in the area – certainly there are many more. As the neighborhood continues to take shape, I’m certain we’ll see more family-friendly amenities in the very near future.
Enjoy your amazing neighborhood!
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