Real estate in the Hayes Valley district has
suffered in the past as San Francisco went through growing pains.
Urban decay has a number of causes but the snake that is highway
infrastructures has signaled the death of more than one urban
community. Multi-lane highways provide more rapid access to
the central core of cities for a society that has an unhealthy
love affair with the automobile. When
these highways lay a destructive path through communities often the result is the diversion of important customer traffic and subsequent closing of businesses, a decrease in property values, increased noise and pollution and rising rates of crime as once thriving communities turn into corridors for traffic. This is what happened to the Hayes Valley when the Central Freeway cut a swath through this neighborhood.
One might be surprised to learn that the 1989 San Francisco earthquake caused the rebirth of a vibrant Hayes Valley community. After the
earthquake the unstable Central Freeway was torn down. When the concrete boa constrictor disappeared from the Hayes Valley neighborhood, it developed into a haven for high fashion. Ladies of the night, crack houses and tenements gave way to countless window shoppers and seekers of haute cuisine. Now you walk these streets surrounded by chic fashion shops, cutting edge art galleries, elite interior design shops, superlative bistros and trendy clubs.
This rapid growth that has pushed up the price of real estate has not eliminated the feeling. While gentrification is at work here some of the residents that survived the days as a transportation corridor are still here and growing. The economic diversity that has developed here has allowed the development of high priced cocktail lounges just down the street form inexpensive restaurants. This neighborhood had redefined high end offering trendy buffalo leather chairs and exclusive one of a kind clothing. As you near the Civic Center you will find fine art galleries, pricey antique shops, the trendiest restaurants and elite bookstores.
Hayes Valley Prices Hayes Valley is one of the smallest districts in San Francisco and is bounded by Fell Street on the north, Van Ness Avenue on the east, Market Street on the southeast, Duboce Avenue on the south and Divisadero Street on the west.
Homes here range in price form $300,000 to $1,000,000.
Mint Hill The US Mint building in San Francisco has a commanding presence. Surrounding this impressive structure are a number of Victorian style homes. The Mint building is bounded by Hermann Street on the north, Buchanan Street on the east, Duboce Avenue on the south and Webster street on the west. The Mint is fortified on three sides by steep cliffs that place the building one hundred feet above the street.
