The Mission District
About The Mission District
The Mission is the historic Latino cultural center of San Francisco and the warmest neighborhood in the city. The coastal fog that reaches the western neighborhoods generally breaks up before reaching the Mission; Dolores Park can be roughly 15°F warmer than Ocean Beach on the same afternoon. The Spanish built Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores) at 16th and Dolores in 1776; the original adobe walls still stand, making it the oldest intact building in San Francisco. The basilica next door was rebuilt after 1906, but the original mission survived the earthquake.
Most of what defines the Mission today reflects the Mexican and Central American immigration that grew the neighborhood starting in the 1950s and 1960s. 24th Street between Mission and Potrero is a formally designated Latino Cultural District. The panaderías, produce markets, and mural programs (most notably along Balmy Alley) are maintained by community organizations that also led the tenant and small-business protections won during the rapid rent increases of the 2010s.
Mission Street stays working-class and predominantly Spanish-speaking. Valencia Street, one block west, is mostly cocktail bars, restaurants, and boutiques.
How to Walk the Mission
Three north-south streets organize most of the neighborhood.
Mission Street is the working spine. Start at 16th Street BART and walk south. La Taqueria at 2889 Mission won the James Beard America’s Classics Award in 2017 and is associated with the no-rice Mission-style burrito; the dorado preparation (grilled crispy on the flat top) is the house style. El Farolito at 24th and Mission stays open into the early morning (current hours typically run until 1 or 2 AM; check before relying on it). Panaderías, produce markets, and Latino-owned businesses run the full length of the street.
Valencia Street, one block west, is the restaurant spine. Tartine Bakery at 18th and Guerrero sells country bread, morning buns, and other pastries; lines form on weekends. Flour + Water at 20th and Harrison serves pasta. ABV (3174 16th Street) and Trick Dog (3010 20th Street) are cocktail bars. Zeitgeist at 199 Valencia is a bar with a large outdoor beer garden (picnic tables in a gravel lot at Duboce and Valencia).
24th Street is the cultural spine, running east from Mission to Potrero. Balmy Alley, one block south of 24th, has been a continuously maintained outdoor mural program since 1984. La Palma Mexicatessen at 2884 24th has been hand-pressing tortillas since 1953. Philz Coffee opened its first location at 3101 24th.
Dolores Park, at 19th and Dolores, is five minutes’ walk from either Mission or Valencia. The sloping lawn has views of downtown. bi-rite ice cream next to the park is excellent!
Upcoming Events
Where to Eat
All restaurants →
Foreign Cinema
Films from the 1960s and 1970s projected on the courtyard wall.
Flour + Water
Seven-course pasta tasting menu around $90.
La Taqueria
Voted Best Burrito in USA. James Beard America's Classics Award winner.
Tartine Bakery
Amazing bakery in the Mission Neighborhood
Where to Drink
All bars →
Pop’s Bar
Pool table, photo booth, jukebox. Open 6am to 2am.
Latin American Club
Come for the margaritas. Pace yourself, they're strong.
Lone Palm
White tablecloths and classic cocktails. Walk-in only.
The Knockout
Cheap, loud, a different show most nights. Check the calendar.
The Beehive
Order a negroni and the fondue. Walk-in only.
True Laurel
Inventive drinks from the Lazy Bear crew. Walk-in only.
Things to Do
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Valencia Street Vintage
Mission vintage shop at 714 Valencia that mixes clothing with home goods (mid-century lamps, frames, kitchenware), unusual among the clothing-only shops on the block. Friday and Saturday open until 8pm.
No Shop
Vintage and designer shop at 389 Valencia in the Mission with cross-gender, cross-decade clothing, and a larger shoe section than most vintage stores. Open daily.
Dog Eared Books
Mission bookstore at 900 Valencia carrying new and used books across literary fiction, alternative culture, beat literature, noir, and graphic novels, plus remaindered new titles. Open daily 10am to 10pm, which is unusually late for a SF bookstore.
Afterlife Collective
Mission vintage collective with 20+ vendor booths under one roof at 541 Valencia, inventory spanning the 1940s through the 2000s. Vintage Levi's show up across several sellers; pricing varies by booth and some vendors will negotiate. Open seven days, late on Thursday through Saturday (until 8pm).
Balmy Alley
A one-block residential alley in the Mission covered in murals since 1972, with the modern tradition kicked off in 1985 when Ray Patlan organized 27 murals on indigenous Central American heritage and protest against US intervention. About 30 murals at any given time, between 24th and 25th Streets. Free, open 24 hours, easier to read in daylight.
Clarion Alley
A 560-foot Mission alley managed by the Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP), a volunteer collective founded in October 1992 by six Mission residents (Aaron Noble, Michael O'Connor, Sebastiana Pastor, Rigo 92, Mary Gail Snyder, Aracely Soriano). More than 700 murals have cycled through since then. Free, 24 hours; runs between Mission and Valencia, just south of 17th.
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