Mission Bay Apartments for Rent

Mission Bay, San Francisco’s newest neighborhood, was formerly a rail yard owned by Southern Pacific. After years of planning, construction began on this vibrant neighborhood in 2000.

The neighborhood is on San Francisco’s east waterfront. Bounded on the north by Townsend Street, on the east by Seventh Street and the 280 Freeway, and on the south by Mariposa Street, Mission Bay is in the 94158 zip code.

The wide waterway called Mission Creek runs through the neighborhood near its north end, and light-rail transit runs north and south along Third Street. At the north end of the neighborhood, tall rows of upscale condominiums look down across Mission Creek. Near the south end, the University of California, San Francisco at Mission Bay is starting to look finished. It’s the post-modern research campus of the University of California at Mission Bay, a medical school emphasizing biotechnology. Labs and offices of biotech companies already cluster around it.

Dotting the neighborhood are senior housing units and the first new library the city has built in 40 years. Another popular neighborhood feature is the local farmers market. Pacific Bell Park, the waterfront baseball stadium and concert venue, lies slightly outside the northeast corner of the neighborhood.

West from the ballpark, a smooth walkway runs along the north side of Mission Creek beside the condominiums. Dogs are allowed here but must be on leashes. South, across the Fourth Street Bridge, Mission Creek Park has three acres of grass, young trees, paths, and benches. The glass-walled pavilion here can be reserved for gatherings. On the bayside, China Basin Park looks out on McCovey Cove. Another park segment offers sports courts under Highway 280.

Mission Bay is a sparkling success. It is replacing the rusty train yard with something beautiful and useful. People clamor to live, learn, and work here. Signs of the old neighborhood remain, however. The BayView Boat Club still reminds members and guests of a tree house hanging over the water. Waterside gardens still belong to the houseboat dwellers of Mission Creek, and there are still outmoded areas in Dogpatch, the neighborhood just south of Mission Bay.