Mission Apartments for Rent

On June 29, 1776, Mission San Francisco de Asis was founded in what is now the Mission district. Named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, the site is often referred to as Mission Dolores because of a nearby creek called Arroyo de los Dolores. The waterway flowed into a small lake, long since gone. The original adobe was replaced by a chapel in 1791. The Mission chapel survived the earthquake of 1906, and it stands next to the Mission Dolores Basilica, which was completed in 1918.

The Mission District grew up around Mission Dolores. In 1868 the Recreation Grounds opened, home to California’s first professional ball field. Garfield Park, in the southeastern corner of Mission, now sits on that same spot and offers picnic areas, a playground, and a soccer field. On the western edge of the neighborhood is Dolores Park, the largest open green-space in the Mission. Tennis and basketball courts, a children’s playground, and an off-leash dog park are available. Dolores Park offers scenic views of San Francisco’s downtown, the Bay, and even Oakland and Berkeley in the East Bay. Muni’s Metro J-Church streetcar runs along the park’s western edge.

The Mission sits in the shadow of Twin Peaks, two of the highest hills in San Francisco. This keeps much of the coastal fog out of the neighborhood, making this one of the warmer areas of San Francisco. Most of the homes were built prior to 1939 including some well-preserved Victorians. Later developments added some small and large apartment buildings, most trying to blend in with the period architecture. The Mission is artsy, somewhat funky, colorful, and pleasantly walkable. Houses of worship for many faiths are found in the Mission. Several schools are also within the borders, including the Mission Dolores School next to the building that started it all.