Mission Bay

Mission Bay residents are an eclectic bunch. Artists, dot.commers, metal heads, scientific researchers, and hip couples with a short-haired dog. Since the only schools nearby tend to be public and in Bayview/Hunters Point, there aren't as many families as there are in neighboring Potrero Hill. The area is up and coming as far as restaurants and community goes, since most of the surrounding streets are either warehouses in transition or the new UCSF Biotech buildings. But condos are coming and UCSF's recreational facility and Mission Bay library make this a great neighborhood to access what the city has to offer without the traffic and madness that comes from closer to downtown.

Since most rentals or condiminiums tend to be new or renovated lofts, cost can be on the higher end of the spectrum, keeping this neighborhood as one that targets young professionals with a higher salary.

Little or no social scene may be a way to describe Mission Bay. But you can get a night's worth of entertainment if you scoot further down Third Street at 22nd and Tennessee Streets to the historic neighborhood called Dogpatch. This is where you can find relaxing spots for dinner, wine, or brunch, and be a stone's throw from some outdoor eateries on the new UCSF Biotech campus or along the Bay in Mission Bay.

Cafe 24 - On the new UCSF Mission bay campus, a hangout for local biotech researchers for an outdoor lunch or coffee in the sun.

The Ramp - A San Francisco tradition for Sunday morning hair-of-the-dog Bloody Mary's while you watch your cargo ship come in and wait for your eggs.

Jelly's - It must be summer and the weekend, but you'll have the outdoor patio to yourself for brunch or dance the night away like your in Cuba on warm evenings.

Piccino - the corner cafe in Dogpatch with Blue Bottle coffee and a charming dinner menu complete with woodfire pizzas.

Yield - one of the few "green" wine bars in the city, just around the corner from Piccino, with a seasonal wine pairing dinner menu.

Just For You Cafe - Strong coffee, handbaked goodies, and a shorter wait than The Ramp.

Serpentine - A higher end eatery with fantastic salads and meat lovers entrees that serves both lunch and dinner.

Dogpatch Saloon- Friendly bartenders, a decent Pinot, a jukebox, and a pool table. A perfect metaphor for this eclectic 'hood.

Philz Coffee - It's just nice to know that cute girls will make you the strongest cuppa brew, one cup at a time, all day long.

Mission Bay is an odd mix of the old vs. the new. Currently, you'll find more new, but you could be lucky and score yourself a houseboat (like my friend did) on Mission Creek or a cheaper room to rent with artists if you scour Craigslist.com. For the most part, Mission Bay is a new neighborhood, filled with luxury condominiums and university housing for biotech researchers, which doesn't equate to cheap housing, even with rent control laws still in effect.

An average 2  bedroom, 1 bath will cost you $3,000-4,000 range, which means remodeled, hardwood floors, lofts, the works. An average 1 bedroom can be found in the $2,000, but many of these high costs do include parking and a view, which isn't bad when you consider that an up-and-coming neighborhood still has car crime at night sprinkled around the area. If you're looking for the warm weather and sun, but without the high prices, hop over to Potrero Hill or the Mission for cheaper rents.

San Jose Airport
If you get the urge to fly in or out of San Jose, you have to take Caltrain to get there and back. Caltrain is inexpensive ($4.00) each way, and you won't know your way to San Jose during this slow poke. The commute time on Caltrain is at least 45 minutes. You can forget about a cab, unless you want to spend the equivalent of a week's groceries.

You'll want as much on-site everything if you move into Mission Bay, since this isn't your "pop out for the corner store and laundry" type of neighborhood like other areas in San Francisco. Always go to apartment/loft/condo showings with a credit report, deposit, and relevant paperwork (resumes help!). With the current housing market, rentals have become more competitive (though they always are in this city). Try to find an apartment with a roof deck to soak in the weather and fantastic views of downtown and the Bay.

For lease terms, remember that landlords are required to pay tenants interest on their deposits.  Extensive credit checks, employment checks, and funds verification are normal. 

Do’s

Do have clean credit and solid references...it will help you rent quicker.

Do be friendly and the first to arrive or the last to get there to make an impression.

Do talk to folks in the neighborhood or on the street and ask them what they like about living in Mission Bay.

Don’ts

Don't live further than Cesar Chavez Street as it becomes more warehouses and less safe for now.

Walk alone at night, bring your dog so you'll feel safer.

This neighborhood is good for pets for all of the open space. A new park will go in Mission Bay along the UCSF campus, just make sure to watch the dog and leash laws. Many landlords will allow pets if you pay an extra deposit. 

There are a few smaller nearby dog parks, one along Mission Creek and Espirit Park at 20th and Minnesota Streets near Dogpatch.

Kayak on the bay, take in the big sluggers, or swim in a heated pool. These are all options in Mission Bay. The San Francisco Giants baseball team play right in Mission Bay and offer outfield tickets for just $20-$25, which dip down to $10 Mondays-Thursdays.
City Kayak rent kayaks by the hour for $15-$30 and lead trips along the shoreline and Bay Bridge during the afternoons, sunset, during ballgames, or under a Full Moon.
A public basketball court will keep you busy on Minnesota street in Dogpatch.
The newly-opened Mission Bay Branch Library is modern, offers WiFi access, yoga for kids, and keeps a blog on its current events.
The new USCF recreation facility, the Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center, sports a heated pool, massage services, a full gym, and kids fitness programs.
The new Mission Bay Park System in the works will have 49 acres of open space and recreational facilities. Small parks, bike paths, shoreline walkways, sports courts, soccer fields, children's play areas are all part of the master plan for this area.

Any street around Dogpatch has a neighborhood feel and trees to balance out all of the concrete.
The rest of Mission Bay is pretty much concrete until the new park is built.
The Third Street Rail down third street doesn't make noise like the cable cars in the north part of the city, but expect more traffic along this route.
Since most of this area is built on and old landfill, you'll want to look into how seismically sound your old or new building might be.
The old Espirit clothing headquarters was renovated to create Homes on Espirit Park for those looking to buy condos.

Mission Bay doesn't have much when it comes to the basic ammenities. Your better off driving west from Mission Bay on 16th street into Potrero Hill and further on 16th to the Potrero Marketplace at 16th and Potrero Avenue. This is where you'll find your large chains (Ross, Kragen, AT&T Store) and Safeway.
Along 16th Street on this route is Starbucks and other cafes.
A new, spacious Whole Foods Market went in on 16th Street near Starbucks.
You'll also pass a World Gym, which is more for heavy lifters than 3rd Street Gym over on Third Street.
Laundromats are few and far between, so better you check your new building for on-site laundry.
Bank of America and Wells Fargo are not a far drive, where WaMu Bank sits right in Mission Bay.

If you're looking to raise a family and have walks around the neighborhood, Mission Bay probably shouldn't be your first choice for now, but once they build out the Mission Bay park system, a kids park will bring the biotech families out to play. Also, the homeless love to camp out in and around Mission Bay, but usually keep to themselves.
A complete list of public elementary schools can be found at the San Francisco Unified School District homepage. Private schools can be found at Bay Area Private Schools.