Southeast, San Francisco: neighborhood guide

Southeast San Francisco is a group of mostly residential districts between I-280 and US-101 on the west, 16th Street and the Mission on the north, the bay on the east and the city line on the south. It is not one place: Dogpatch and Potrero Hill feel like converted warehouses and quiet hills, while Bayview-Hunter's Point, Portola, the Excelsior and Visitacion Valley are working neighborhoods with Asian and Latin American bakeries, markets and eateries.

Bayview-Hunter's Point lost the jobs that came with the naval shipyard when it closed, and crime rose; residents say it has improved and new housing and the T Third line have arrived. It is still the part of the city where you check the block and the hour. Dogpatch was named a historic district by the city in 2003. Potrero Hill sits east of the Mission and south of SoMa, with views back over downtown.

The Excelsior, part of the Outer Mission, and Portola around San Bruno Avenue are where you eat cheaply and well. Visitacion Valley runs down to the county line beside John McLaren Park. Expect fog-free, warmer afternoons than the west side, and a car or a bus ride for almost everything.

Stay if price and transit matter more than walking to sights. Dogpatch and Potrero Hill give you calm streets, good food and a quick Caltrain or T Third ride; Bayview-Hunter's Point and Visitacion Valley give you the cheapest beds and the longest rides. Skip it on a first trip if you want Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and Union Square on foot — those bases are 20–40 minutes away by transit.

Book near a station you will actually use: 22nd Street or Bayshore on Caltrain, Balboa Park or Glen Park on BART, or a T Third stop on 3rd Street. Check the last-mile walk after dark, and prefer a place with parking if you are driving, since street parking is tight and permit-controlled in parts of Potrero Hill.

Dogpatch and Potrero Hill carry the sit-down side: converted warehouses, bakeries, breweries and a cluster of restaurants along 18th and 20th Streets. Reserve on weekends. The Anchor Steam brewery on Mariposa Street runs tours by reservation only, so book ahead if that is your reason for coming.

For everyday food, head to Mission Street through the Excelsior and San Bruno Avenue in Portola for Asian and Latin American bakeries, markets and small eateries, and to 3rd Street in Bayview for the same at lower prices. Third Street also has the Bayview Opera House, an 1888 wooden building now used as a community center.

Portions are large and prices are below downtown. Many small places are cash-friendly but card is normal; tipping follows the US rule of 18–22% at sit-down restaurants.

Muni Metro's T Third line runs the length of 3rd Street from downtown through Potrero Hill and Bayview-Hunter's Point to Bay Shore Boulevard and Sunnydale Avenue in Visitacion Valley. On the west side, the J, K and M lines meet at Balboa Park BART station; the J runs north through Noe Valley and the Castro, while K and M run west through Ingleside.

BART stops at Balboa Park and Glen Park before continuing through the Mission to downtown and across the bay. Caltrain has two stops here: 22nd Street on Pennsylvania and 22nd Streets, and Bayshore on Tunnel Avenue south of Bayshore Boulevard, near the end of the T Third line. Muni buses cover the gaps, including the 8, 9, 14, 19, 22, 23, 24, 29, 43, 44, 48, 49, 52, 54 and 56.

By car, I-280 and US-101 give quick access, but you pay for it in parking. Fares and passes change; check current Muni, BART and Caltrain prices before you travel.