Bayview has changed. Once one of the last remaining Black neighborhoods in San Francisco and a relatively affordable place, it is now more Asian and Latinx than Black. It remains one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, beset by radiation at the old Navy shipyard, poorly served by transit, and often ignored by the rest of the city.
Residents love it, though; it’s home. The weather is superior here, they say, families are plentiful, and neighbors are welcoming. People drive too fast and the city could increase services, they say, but it’s diverse and working-class, and that keeps it stable.
San Francisco State University student Gustavo Hernandez strolled through the neighborhood in February, taking pictures of its residents and workers as he did earlier in the Tenderloin in another photo essay for Mission Local.
Here’s what they said.
DeMarco
“The sun beams right on my house every day,” said DeMarco, a lifelong Bayview resident whose family moved to the neighborhood in the 1940s. “If it’s hot here, it might be cold everywhere else. The weather is the best in Bayview.”
DeMarco, 56, was born in the same house he lives in today. He worked at the Veterans Affairs medical facility for 20 years before an injury put him on disability.
For DeMarco, Bayview’s strength lies in its diversity. “My neighbor, he’s Asian. We’ve been friends for 25-plus years. There are all kinds of cultures right on this block.” He sees change happening, and hopes it continues in the right direction. “It’s all about respect, more humanity. That’d be about it.”
Despite the economic shifts affecting San Francisco, DeMarco says Bayview continues to move forward. “From 2020 to now, it seems like all the businesses are leaving the city. But here, the show must go on.” Bayview’s working-class roots help keep it stable, he says. “A lot of ethnic backgrounds here are used to struggles, so it’s not too bad. We don’t need overhead. Not everybody needs a Rolls Royce.”
Rachel Porter & Jonathan Jasmine
“We’ve seen more young families, more houses fixed up,” said Porter, a professional dog walker. “It’s slow, but noticeable.” The biggest issue? “The driving. We live on Keith and Shafter, and we’ve seen seven collisions. People just blow through stop signs.”
Raising three teenage daughters in Bayview presents challenges. “I’d feel safer letting them walk around at night in the Mission. Here, it’s nerve-wracking,” she said. Still, she loves the neighborhood. “It’s a community. When we moved in, neighbors brought us gift baskets.”
For Jasmine, who works in IT, Bayview’s quiet streets are a tradeoff for its isolation. “We love it here, but I miss the Mission’s corner stores and street vendors. We need more businesses so we don’t have to leave for everything.”
One major concern is Bayview’s contaminated land. “Before buying our house, we had the soil tested. Ours was clean, but not everyone’s is,” Jasmine said. “The city needs to take responsibility. People live here.”
Sam Galvan
For Sam Galvan, being a bus driver is more than just a job, it’s a way to connect with the city. “I meet a lot of nice people. It’s a good way to see the city,” he said.
The biggest challenge? “Impatient drivers.” Overall, Galvan has noticed positive changes in Bayview. “A lot more people are out, being nice, greeting you,” he said.
Would he raise a family here? “Absolutely. Good views, good weather; you rarely get fog on this side of town.” Though he now lives in South San Francisco, he grew up in Sunnydale and the Excelsior. “Bayview has changed a lot, for the better.”
Sharon Figueiredo with grandson Benicio Hurst
Sharon Figueiredo said Bayview was once a place you didn’t go unless you lived there. “When I was a teenager, you never crossed Third Street. The police didn’t even come here,” she said. “It took me a while to get used to driving up here and feeling safe.”
Born and raised in San Francisco, Figueiredo grew up in neighboring Visitation Valley and Sunnydale. She’s seen the city’s neighborhoods shift over decades; some improving, others struggling. “The Mission changed, then it started feeling unsafe again. The Tenderloin? It’s always been the same. But Bayview, it’s better than it’s been in a long time.”
That doesn’t erase the past. Figueiredo lost friends to violence as a teenager. “A close friend of mine was murdered when we were 15. She never made it to my house,” she recalled. “My sister was stabbed 17 times walking home. She thought she was being punched.”
Despite this history, she sees progress. “There are good neighbors, it’s more diverse. Million-dollar homes, are you kidding me?” she said. “San Francisco still has its struggles, but it feels safer now than it did back then.”
A mother of seven, Figueiredo raised her family in the city and still calls it home. “We always fight against the divide, against racism — it’s still here. But we’re here, too. And that’s something.”
John Salabsad
John Salabsad has lived in Bayview for more than 10 years. “It has improved a little. In my opinion, it’s safer here than in the Mission.”
A tech worker, Salabsad previously lived in Diamond Heights, and has been in San Francisco for more than 20 years. While his family is in the Central Valley, he’s considered raising kids here. “If I could afford it. But they’d probably go to private school.”
He doesn’t rely much on city resources, but finds public transit reliable. “I take the T train to work downtown. It’s actually decent.”
As for what Bayview needs? “They should clean it up.”
Thank you Gustavo for giving us a slice of real life and real people. In these wretched times where people are at each other‘s throats and posting on social media ……. excellent stories like this connect us and help us think “other.” That is a good thing. So thank you, Gustavo and thank you Mission Local for striving to keep us human.
I like DeMarco with that worn down broom. DPW, give that man a broom for taking care of his block.
Bayview does have a nice and friendly vibe, and certainly became safer since the 1980-90’s. But unforch the neighborhood was unable to take advantage of the tech boom starting in the early 2000’s. The Mission and it’s evolution during that same time is a study in contrasts. I think Bayview would benefit from more attention and interest from the rest of the city. All the $$$ thrown into it during the last 20 years, much from the mayor’s office, paid little dividends, as 3rd st is the same as it ever was: mediocre.
Some significant failures are the 2 supermarkets that failed on the southern end of 3rd. Maybe the new Latino market there now will make it, but foot traffic is low and theft is always high 🙁 The Shipyard has been a bust, largely due to the contamination issues. And there is zero commerce or connection to bayview. I think all 3rd st banks have closed. And now Walgreens is leaving too. Restaurants try but eventually fail on a constant basis.
It’s sad, but Bayview has no game, from the perspective of other SF residents and neighborhoods. Failing to move the needle since the early 2000’s despite all the successes other areas in the city have had: it’s the neighborhood of broken dreams and promises.
Peace out
I’ve lived in Bayview Hubters Point for 74yrs. S.F. has always been my home. Bayview was a area once where everyone knew each other. We all attended the same schools, from Portola Jr.High, ER Taylor, Elementary to Wilson High and Mission high. It was a place where you could leave your doors unlock and no one would enter your home. Rather you lived in the projects on the hill or a home below the hills. I hear these stories about the new Bayview HP. There is nothing new about it, just new faces, of ppl. Moving in from the valleys and hills. Anyone that has lived in S.F. anywhere from 10 to 20 yrs. They really do not know S.F. Bayview use to be a thriving community with people attending church services in every church in the Bayview, from St’John to Evergreen MBC, to Providence, and so on. The Kennedys, own one of the most fabulous clubs on 3 Street. And liquor stores. Many people of color had business on third street, you didn’t have to go far for a florist, or super market, or great entertainment. It was nothing to go to the Mission Dolores Park, on a Saturday or Sunday, and see Santana or Shelia E and Pete (Here dad). Talk about hot fun in the Mission district. The warm belts of the city of S.F. has always been the Mission district and Bayview H.P. area. I remember when Tic Tock, was on Third street and Wallace Ave, and on Third st near the draw bridge, and near Balboa High School. When, I think of my home San Francisco, ca I still smile, remembering the great memories and people that are no longer with us, who help shape the city. The Bertha, Hudson, Cashmere streets, are all name after those people who fought to get new housing built in Hunters Point. Then, once the Shipyard closed, many neighbors, started dying off to, from contaminated water, and air which exists due to the ship yard. This wasn’t discovered until new building began in the pass ten yrs. Yes, many people died, and the sad thing about it all. No one wants to pay up for the many lost of lives, and those who are still suffering that continue to live in the Bayview HP. Thank you for reading my story. Just had to give people a better insight of the so call new Bayview H.P. don’t be fooled, nothing is new. It’s just over crowded now with all the new housing and Apts. One thing for sure anyone who dare to live where the old candlestick park use to be. Will be in for a rude awakening if it ever rains ten days straight hard rain. It would be wise to purchase your boat now. Peace & Love to you all.
Humanizing reporting in San Francisco. More please.